- Making Clay Pots - morguefile, Anita Patterson
Lent, the season in which we prepare for the Easter celebration of Jesus' resurrection, allows for six weeks of teaching children about prayer, sacrifice and showing kindness to others. Try this hands-on Lenten activity your students can take home and share with their families.
Lenten Prayer Pots
Your students will make small clay pots and take them home with a baggie full of little tokens. Each week they'll put a new item in the prayer pot and say a prayer asking God to help them to do whatever good deed is called for.
You'll have to gather together the items ahead of time: red hearts cut out of constructon paper, seeds (unsalted sunflower seeds are good), rubber bands, marbles (or checkers or other easily recognizable game pieces), Band-Aids, and eggshells. The children will provide their own piece of palm on Palm Sunday.
Make Small Clay Pots
Give each child a rectangle of modeling clay. Don't use Play-Doh or clay that will dry up. Regular modeling clay or Sculpey brand clay is best. Let the children mold the clay into a pot or bowl shape.
Older children may want to decorate their prayer pots with small beads or by carving designs into them with a toothpick.
Prayer Pot Instructions
Print out the instructions and send a sheet home with each child, so he and his family will know what to put in their Lenten Prayer Pot each week.
On Ash Wednesday: Place the prayer pot in a special place where it can't be missed, perhaps the center of the family table. It reminds everyone that Lent is here, but remains empty for the next few days.
On the First Sunday of Lent: A small heart cut from construction paper is placed in the pot during the main meal, to remind everyone of God's love and that they should show their love for, and be kind to, others.
On the Second Sunday of Lent: A small seed is placed in the pot to remind everyone that God's love for them constantly grows and that they should show love and compassion for other people.
On the Third Sunday of Lent: Place a rubber band in the pot as a reminder that God always stretches His patience and everyone should do the same for others, even when it isn't easy.
On the Fourth Sunday of Lent: A marble is placed in the pot to remind everyone to take turns and share with others in all that they do.
On the Fifth Sunday of Lent: Add a Band-Aid to the pot to remind everyone to help other people when they are sad or hurt.
On Palm Sunday: Place a tiny piece of the palm you get at mass, to remind everyone that Jesus is their King and they should remember to say their prayers to Him.
On Easter Sunday: The last item is a tiny piece of eggshell to remind everyone that Jesus will always be with them and is always ready to hear their prayers.
For an Easter lesson activity using plastic Easter eggs, see Telling the Easter Story.
