Title: Making a Lenten Prayer Chain — an illustrated, hands-on lesson for young children (using props)
Goal
– Help young children understand Lent as a time to pray and prepare for Easter.
– Give them a simple, daily, visual reminder: add a link to a paper chain each day as a short prayer or good thought.
Age group and timing
– Best for preschool through early elementary (ages 3–8).
– Total time in a class: 15–25 minutes (shorter for younger kids).
– The chain is used for the full Lenten season (40 days). In the classroom you will add one link each day or each time you meet; families can do the same at home.
Needed props (simple, inexpensive)
– Pre-cut strips of colored paper (about 1″ x 6″ / 2.5 cm x 15 cm) — prepare at least 40 strips for the full Lenten chain. Use bright colors to keep it fun.
– One finished sample paper chain (large, visible from the group) so children can see the final idea.
– A basket or box holding the blank strips (some with short printed prompts, some blank for drawing).
– A stapler and staples OR clear tape (adults handle the stapler; tape is OK for kids).
– Safety scissors (if you want children to cut their own strips; for very young children it’s better to pre-cut).
– Crayons/markers/colored pencils for drawing or writing on strips.
– A large poster or hook area to hang the classroom chain where everyone can see it (low enough for children to reach safely or high enough to attach by an adult).
– A simple cross or picture of an empty tomb as a visual reminder of Easter (for short explanation).
– A battery-operated candle for the prayer moment (safer than open flame).
– Name stickers or a small tag set (optional) if you want children to sign their link.
– An example list of short prayer prompts (printed cards) to pick from if kids need help.
Preparation before class
– Cut 40 paper strips and keep them in the basket. Pre-print a few with prompts like “Thank you,” “Sorry,” “Please help,” “For my family,” “For my friend,” “For someone who is sad,” etc. Leave many blank for drawing.
– Make a short sample chain (6–8 links) to show how to make a loop and staple/tape it.
– Decide whether children will add links daily, weekly, or just make several in class to take home. For classroom use, plan to add one link each day you meet or let each child add a link during that week.
– Set out crayons and tape/stapler at a low table or central area.
How to present the illustration (step-by-step script and actions)
1) Gather and engage (1–2 minutes)
– Bring the group together in a circle near the display table. Show the finished sample chain and the basket of strips.
– Say something short and simple: “We are getting ready for Easter. Lent is the time we practice praying and being kind. Today we are going to make a prayer chain. Each day we add one link and say a little prayer.”
2) Explain the idea with props (2 minutes)
– Hold up the cross/picture of the empty tomb and the battery candle.
– Say: “This cross (or picture) reminds us why we are getting ready. The chain has 40 links — one for each day that leads to Easter — and every link is a little prayer or a nice thing we want to do.”
– Point to the sample chain: “See how it keeps getting longer? Each new link is like adding a prayer.”
3) Demonstrate making a link (2–3 minutes)
– Take one strip, show the child-friendly way to loop it and staple/tape it into a ring.
– Script you can use while demonstrating: “I take a strip, make a circle like this, then I put the ends together and press (or staple) so it becomes a ring. Then I slide it through the last ring and make another circle. Now the chain gets longer!”
– Invite one or two helpers (adult or older child) to help add the first link to the big chain.
4) Show how to write or draw a prayer prompt (2 minutes)
– Hold up example strips: one with a simple word (“Thank you”), one with a heart drawing, one with “Please help my friend.”
– Explain: “You can write a small word, draw a picture, or we will give you a prompt to say something like ‘Thank you, God’ or ‘Please help my mom.’ If you can’t write, draw a picture.”
5) Have children make a link (6–12 minutes — adjust for attention span)
– Option A (group class chain): Sit children in groups. Give each child a strip and a crayon. They draw or write their prayer or pick a printed prompt from the basket. An adult helps tape or staple the link onto the classroom chain.
– Option B (take-home chain): Children make several links in class to take home and continue at home. Give them tape or a stapled start and show parents how to continue for 40 days.
– Keep this part simple and supportive: praise drawings and short phrases; help the ones who need it.
– Suggested leader line to guide children: “What is one thing you want to say to God today? You can say ‘Thank you,’ or ‘Help,’ or draw a hand to show helping others.”
6) Prayer and placement (1–2 minutes)
– When a few links have been added, gather and say a short group prayer using the battery candle.
– Example short prayer: “Dear God, thank you for helping us get ready for Easter. Help us remember to pray and be kind. Amen.”
– Put the chain where it will stay — on a hook, along the classroom wall, draped where children can see it each day.
Safety and classroom management tips
– Use tape instead of a stapler when children are doing the actual attaching; the stapler can be used only by adults.
– Pre-cut strips for very young children.
– Keep crayons/markers supervised to avoid inappropriate doodles; emphasize the positive: “We’re writing prayers.”
– Limit the number of children working at the table at once to reduce crowding.
– If doing this in a large group, have 2 or 3 adult helpers to assist children with writing and attaching links.
Sample short prayer prompts to print and place in the basket
– Thank you (for my family)
– Please help (my friend)
– Sorry (when I made a mistake)
– Help me be kind
– Help the sick
– Thank you for food
– For teachers / parents / grandparents
– For people who are lonely
Ways to adapt and extend
– Counting chain: Use one color per week or make groups of 7 links to help young children understand weeks.
– Bead version: For small beads and string, older children can thread beads, with one bead per day. (Not for preschoolers due to choking hazard.)
– Family home version: Give families a sheet explaining how to add one link each day and a list of simple prompts. They can hang the chain in the kitchen or near the family Bible.
– Special days: Use a gold or silver link for Palm Sunday and an empty white link for Holy Week, or a big special link to place on Easter Sunday as the final link.
– Decorative idea: Kids can add a small sticker or heart on special days when they do a kind deed.
Short sample leader script to begin (3–4 lines)
“Friends, Lent is the time we practice praying and getting ready for Easter. This basket has 40 strips — one for each day. Today we’ll make the first links. Each time we add a link we will say a little prayer or draw something we’re thankful for. Let’s make our first link together.”
Closing and follow-up
– Remind children where the chain will be visible and when they will add the next link.
– Encourage parents: “Continue at home by adding one link every day with a short prayer or drawing. By Easter you’ll have a long, beautiful chain of prayers.”
– Consider a short reminder card that goes home with each child describing the activity and offering sample prompts.
Summary
– Keep it simple: make loops, add them to the chain, say a short prayer.
– Use the props to show the idea visually (sample chain, basket, cross, candle).
– Make it interactive and age-appropriate with pre-cut strips, tape instead of staples for kids, and lots of encouragement.
If you’d like, I can write a printable one-page instruction sheet for families, a set of 40 kid-friendly daily prompts, or a short script you (or volunteers) can read each day as a child adds a link. Which would help you most?
