Ash Wednesday Activities for Children

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, which is the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday. Lent is a time of fasting, reflecting, and repentance, and for examining our conscious and spirit. On Ash Wednesday, ashes taken from the burned palm branched of the previous Palm Sunday are placed onto the forehead in the sign of the cross as a reminder of Christ's death. While children are not able to traditionally fast as adults do during Lent, there are many Ash Wednesday activities they can participate in. Seven Ash Wednesday activities and crafts are discussed below.

Idea #1: Lenten Alms Jar

Spend Ash Wednesday with your children choosing a charitable organization or another cause to donate the collected alms-fund to when Lent has concluded. One of the most popular Ash Wednesday activities for many children is purchasing and planting trees, or buying decorations for the children's ward in a hospital. An alms jar is used to collect the money saved as a result of whatever form of self-denial is undertaken during Lent, such as giving up smoking, candy, or renting movies.

Idea #2: Lenten Cross Craft

Create a cross for Lent using cardboard and whatever decorations you desire. Completed crosses can be used to symbolize your devotion during Lent. Any material can be used to decorate the cross, including foam, paper, beads, wax, leaves, or shells. For this example, I will use beads and glitter.

Supplies Needed:

Sheets of cardboard, 1 or 2 per person
Colored construction paper, several sheets per person or colored streamer paper
Glue Stick
Scissors
Pencil
Plastic beads in various colors
Tubes of glitter

Step 1: Draw and cut out your cardboard cross.

Step 2: Wrap cross in construction paper or streamer paper and glue to cardboard.

Step 3: Using glue stick, gently coat cross with glue.

Step 4: Coat cross with glitter and let dry completely.

Step 5: Arrange and glue colored beads onto cross in pattern of choice and let dry.

Step 6: Hang cross to symbolize your devotion during Lent.

Idea #3: Create an Ash Wednesday Keepsake Box

This project is very simple and can be added to every year as part of your family's Ash Wednesday activities. Take a box, or any other container you have sitting unused around your home, and decorate it this Ash Wednesday. Decorations for the box can be of any variety, as the goal is primarily to personalize the box. For each day of Lent, have your children add something to the box, such as a prayer or poem. You can either continue to use the same box every year, or create a new one each Ash Wednesday and put it away when Lent has ended.

Idea #4: Palm Branch Craft Idea

Supplies Needed:

1 toilet paper tube per person
Green Paint
Green construction paper or streamer paper
Stapler
Paintbrush

Step 1: Paint toilet paper tube with green paint and allow to dry completely.

Step 2: Staple streamer paper or thin strips of construction paper to one end of the tube.

Step 3: (Optional) Create a palm tree using the finished palm branches.

Idea #5: Ash Wednesday Poem

This is an Ash Wednesday activity that the entire family must participate in. Have your children each think up one sentence pertaining to Lent. This sentence will be the first line of their poem. Have each child pass the poems around from one family member to another, with each family member adding another line to the poem. When all family members have had the opportunity to add to each poem, have your children read the poems aloud and discuss what the silly poems might mean.

Idea #6: Compassion Coupons

Using small sheets of paper or note cards, have your children create compassion coupons for needy people in your community. Help your children to think of several people that might be in need of a service that your children are able to perform during Lent, such as raking leaves for an elderly neighbor or walking someone's dog. Write the name of the person and the service that your child will be performing on each coupon. Your child can then choose a coupon during each week of Lent, and spend time helping out someone that is in need.

Idea #7: Prayer Journal

Using a notebook, have your children decorate a prayer journal to use this Lent. Inside it they can keep track of the lessons they have learned and the prayers that hold meaning for them. It can also be a place to note any fun ideas they have for future Ash Wednesday activities.