Now that Candlemas is behind us and we’ve officially tucked away the Christmas season with all of its decor, we turn our sights to Lent — the liturgical season that always seems to sneak up on me.

(Lent starts on February 18th this year, 2026, in case you were wondering.)

Lent is probably my favorite time in the Church year, and I’m always excited to introduce my kids to more and more of the mysteries of the season in greater complexity as they get older. Kids really do have the best questions and are always so curious to dive deeper than I expect them to — and usually deeper than I am prepared for. It can be hard for me to formulate answers to their many questions surrounding the season, so I am grateful for the Church’s beautiful words that can easily be adapted for children to understand.

In this post, I’m going to share some of the questions my kids have asked me leading up to Lent, a few quotes from the Catechism that helped guide my answers, and the simple words I used to explain them. After that, I’ll share some of the ideas we came up with together to practice the devotions of Lent at home (including kid-friendly sacrifices to make). If you’re a Catholic mom trying to teach Lent to little ones without making it feel heavy, confusing, or overly complicated, I hope this feels like a breath of fresh air. 🙂

What Is Lent?

If you’ve ever tried to explain Lent to a preschooler, you know the moment. You say something like, “Lent is coming,” and immediately the questions start rolling in: “Is Lent like Christmas?” “Do we get presents?” “Why do we have to give things up?” “Is Jesus sad?” “Are we allowed to be happy?” (And if your kids are anything like mine, they’ll ask these questions while you’re trying to buckle a car seat, find someone’s shoe, and stop a toddler from licking the window. So… relatable.)

The USCCB tells us that, “Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully.”

That’s the Church’s full, official explanation — and it’s beautiful. But if you read that out loud to a four-year-old, they will blink at you like you just started speaking Latin. So here’s the simpler version I use with my kids: Lent is the time when we get ready for Easter. We prepare for Easter by growing closer to Jesus. We do that by praying more, fasting from even good things, and giving to others. That’s it. That’s Lent.

And honestly, for most kids ages 3–8, that’s enough to start. You can always add depth later — and you will, because they’ll ask for it.

Why Do Catholics Have Lent?

This is one of those questions that doesn’t always get asked out loud, but you can tell it’s in their heads. Because if you’re a kid, and you hear that Lent includes giving things up, you’re going to wonder: Why would we do that on purpose?

And the answer is actually very tender. Lent exists because Easter is not just a holiday. Easter is the most important celebration in the entire Church year: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lent is the season where the Church helps us get ready for that celebration, not just on the outside, but on the inside. It’s a season of preparing our hearts.

In simpler terms, Lent is a time to make room — room for prayer, room for love, room for God.

Why Is Lent 40 Days?

The number 40 appears in the Bible a lot when something hard, but important, is happening. (Transformative is a great word if you have a kid with a big vocabulary — or if you’re raising a tiny theologian, which… is absolutely a thing.)

Just like it rained for 40 days in the ark, the Israelites wandered in the desert, and Jesus fasted and prayed in the desert for 40 days, we also fast and pray for 40 days during Lent. The Catechism says, “By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert.” (CCC 540)

That’s such a rich sentence. Lent isn’t just a random tradition. The Church is uniting herself to Jesus — walking with Him into the desert. And that’s what we’re doing too, as families. We are following Jesus.

What Is Fasting? (And Why Do We Do It?)

This is one of the hardest parts of Lent to explain to kids, because the word fasting can sound intense, or even scary. When kids hear fasting, they often assume it means: you can’t eat, you’re going to be hungry all the time, and Lent is basically Catholic misery season.

So I always start with a definition that is true, but gentle: Fasting is giving up something we like so that our hearts have more room for God. The Catechism says the Church asks us to fast because it “ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts” (CCC 2043). Ascesis is not a word we use in daily life, but it’s actually a helpful concept — ascesis means training.

Fasting is training the heart. It’s practicing self-control so we can choose what is best, not just what we want in the moment. And for kids, this is something they’re already practicing constantly, even if we don’t call it fasting: waiting their turn, not grabbing the toy, eating dinner before dessert, obeying even when they don’t want to, being kind when they’re frustrated.

Lent gives a name to that practice, and it helps us offer it to God as love. And this matters too: fasting is not about proving something to God. God already loves us. Fasting is about making space for Him, so we can love Him back with more freedom.

What Is a Sacrifice?

A sacrifice is one of those words that kids hear and assume means something huge. They think sacrifice means giving away your favorite toy forever, never having cookies again, or living like a monk in the desert. So it helps to define it clearly: a sacrifice is a gift we offer to God because we love Him.

The Catechism says, “It is right to offer sacrifice to God as a sign of adoration and gratitude, supplication and communion” (CCC 2099). For kids, I explain it like this: a sacrifice is a love-gift. That’s why sacrifices during Lent shouldn’t be random. They should be loving.

For children, sacrifices can look like very ordinary things: sharing, obeying, being gentle, giving up a small comfort, choosing kindness when they’re angry, offering their pain when they accidentally get hurt. Sometimes one of the most meaningful Lenten sacrifices a child can make is simply learning to say: “Jesus, I offer this to You.”

What Is Penance?

Penance is what we do to help make things right after we’ve done wrong. The Catechism says, “Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must ‘make satisfaction for’ or ‘expiate’ his sins. This satisfaction is also called ‘penance.’” (CCC 1459)

That’s a very grown-up definition, but it’s actually easy to translate into kid language. Penance is like this: if you break something, you don’t just say sorry. You also try to fix it. Because love tries to repair what it hurt.

Now, I want to be careful here, especially with young children. Preschoolers are not capable of mortal sin, and I do not believe Lent should ever be used to burden little kids with anxiety, scrupulosity, or pressure. But children do understand natural consequences. They understand apology. They understand repairing what they hurt. So if they ask about penance, it can be an organic time to talk about how love makes things right, how God forgives us, and how we can respond with a loving heart.

Why Do We Get Ashes on Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is one of the most visually memorable Catholic traditions — which means kids always ask about it. They’ll ask: “Why do we have dirt on our forehead?” “Is it like face paint?” “Why does Father draw a cross?” “Do we have to keep it on all day?”

On Ash Wednesday, we receive ashes as a sign that we are sorry for our sins and want to turn back to God. As the priest gives the ashes, he says, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

The first reminds us to change our lives and trust Jesus. The second reminds us that our life on earth is not forever, so we should spend it following Jesus. The ashes themselves are a sacramental — a holy sign the Church uses to help our hearts respond to God. The Catechism says sacramentals “prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it” (CCC 1670).

So when my kids ask what the ashes mean, I say something like: the ashes remind us to turn back to Jesus. They remind us that we belong to Him.

What Is Almsgiving? (And Why Do We Give to the Poor?)

Almsgiving is one of the most important parts of Lent — and also one of the easiest to forget if we aren’t intentional. Almsgiving means giving to people in need, sharing money, food, time, or kindness because we love God and love our neighbor.

The Catechism teaches, “Giving alms to the poor is a witness to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God” (CCC 2462). This is such an important line. Almsgiving is not just being nice. It’s a work of justice. It is choosing to treat other people the way God treats us: with mercy and care.

During Lent, it is one of the main ways the Church teaches us to turn our hearts outward instead of inward — putting away selfishness, and learning to notice someone else’s needs. And kids can absolutely learn this. Not perfectly, and not all at once. But genuinely.

Now That We Know What Lent Is, How Can We Practice It at Home?

This is where most Catholic moms get stuck. Because understanding Lent is one thing. Living it in a house with small children is another.

We want our kids to have meaningful memories of the Church year. We want them to understand why Lent matters. We want them to grow in love for Jesus. But we also want to avoid overcomplicating everything, turning Lent into a miserable checklist, or creating a million new routines we won’t maintain past day three.

So here’s what I recommend: focus on the three pillars of Lent, and keep it simple. Prayer. Fasting. Almsgiving. Pick one small practice for each, and let that be enough. 🙂

Prayer: Simple Lenten Prayer Ideas for Kids

Prayer is the heart of Lent. And for children ages 3–8, prayer works best when it’s short, consistent, tangible, and rooted in the devotional life of the Church.

The Stations of the Cross are one of the most meaningful Lenten devotions, and they can absolutely be done with young children — just not in a way that expects them to stand still for 45 minutes while you read a long booklet. Instead, try one of these approaches: do one station per day, do three stations at a time, or walk the Stations slowly and let your kids ask questions. And if you want the simplest possible version, you can say: Jesus is carrying the cross because He loves us. That alone is enough.

The Rosary can also be a beautiful Lenten devotion, but I’ll say this gently: if your family doesn’t already pray it regularly, Lent is not the time to suddenly force a full Rosary on a preschooler and expect peace. Start small: one decade, one Hail Mary, or even just the Glory Be. Consistency matters more than length.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is another prayer that works surprisingly well for kids, especially ages 5–8, because of its repetition. If you want a simplified version, pray the line together: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” You can pray it once, a few times, or during a car ride. It counts.

And finally, if your kids enjoy music, the Stabat Mater is one of the most beautiful ways to bring Lent into your home. Play it during quiet time, while coloring, or even while cleaning the kitchen. Kids absorb more than we think they do — and sacred music forms their hearts in a quiet way over time.

Fasting: Kid-Friendly “Give Up” Ideas That Actually Work

Fasting with kids is tricky — not because kids can’t do it, but because fasting can easily turn into power struggles, meltdowns, or a weird hyperfocus on food and treats. So I like to frame fasting in a way that is both true and developmentally appropriate: fasting is giving up something we like so we can make more room for God. It’s training the heart.

For kids, fasting should be gentle, safe, and guided by parents. It should also be something that helps them grow in love, not something that makes them feel like Lent is about being miserable.

For ages 3–5, fasting should be very small. Giving up one treat per day, giving up screen time on Fridays, giving up one favorite show during Lent, giving up whining (with a gentle reminder cue like “try again”), or practicing giving up being the first are all good options. One of my favorite preschool-friendly fasting practices is counting to 40 before meals. Not every day. Not perfectly. But sometimes. It teaches delayed gratification in a simple way, and it ties beautifully into the 40 days of Lent.

For ages 6–8, kids can handle more intentional sacrifices. Giving up sweets (or choosing one day a week for sweets), giving up complaining, giving up negative talk about siblings, giving up video games during the week, giving up YouTube, giving up interrupting, giving up a favorite snack, giving up staying up late, or giving up one comfort item during school time are all realistic options. A great question to ask kids this age is: What is something that would be hard, but loving? Because that’s what a sacrifice is.

One of my favorite Lent traditions for kids is the sacrifice jar. It’s simple, tangible, and it helps children understand that Lent is not just about giving up something once and then forgetting about it. All you need is a jar, strips of paper, and a pencil. Every time your child makes a sacrifice, write it down and put it in the jar. On Easter, read them aloud and thank God together. This turns Lent into something visible and encouraging.

Almsgiving: Helping Kids Learn to Love Others

Almsgiving is one of the most important parts of Lent, because it teaches children that love is outward. It teaches them that Lent is not only about personal sacrifice. It’s about charity.

One of the simplest ways to start is to ask your kids: What are ways our family could help others this Lent? Is there an act of service we could do as a gift to someone else? What are ways we could help our siblings? Are there small jobs we could do to earn money to give to the needy?

Let them answer. They might surprise you.

Then choose one simple focus for your family.

Collect canned goods for a food pantry. Donate toys to a pregnancy center. Make a meal for a family who is struggling. Write cards for the homebound or sick. Give change to a mission box. Visit someone lonely. Do a weekly “kindness job” for a sibling. If your family is able, serving at a soup kitchen or visiting the homebound can be a powerful memory for children. Even one visit can make Lent feel real.

You can also create an act of service jar: write small acts of service on slips of paper and put them in a jar. Let your kids pull one each day or each week. Helping Mom without being asked, picking up toys for a sibling, making someone a picture, saying something kind, praying for someone, letting someone else choose first, or doing a small chore joyfully are all great options.

For You, Mom and Dad: The Lenten Practices We Can Only Teach Through Example

I hesitate to include a section like this sometimes, because I never want a Lent post to feel preachy. But I also think it matters, because there are parts of Lent our children will only learn through watching us.

And I return to these three practices every Lent. I call them the Three R’s.

Reflection: Lent is a great time to form better spiritual habits, not only for our kids, but for us too. The practice of examining one’s conscience regularly, even daily, is an old one and highly encouraged for the non-scrupulous. Knowledge of self is important for renewal, because you can’t really grow in holiness if you’re never honest about what needs healing.

Repentance: repentance is not just feeling guilty. It’s asking the Lord for the grace of true repentance, especially as we become more aware of sins we are attached to. Sometimes Lent reveals the things we don’t necessarily feel are wrong, even if we know they are. And there’s another part of repentance that matters deeply for parents: practicing the humility of saying sorry to our children when we owe them an apology. Not only is this important as a genuine act of repentance, but it’s a wonderful way to model the Gospel to our children. Because children need to see that adults repent too.

Reconciliation: going to confession more regularly is an encouraged practice in Lent. And it’s so important for kids to see their parents submit themselves to the sacraments. Setting aside regular times to go to Confession as a family can also help kids who are receiving the sacraments form good habits themselves. It teaches them that confession is not something we do only when we’re “really bad.” It’s something we do because we love God and want to stay close to Him.

The Heart of Lent: The Devotional Life of the Church

The Catechism says:

“The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).” (CCC 1438)

This is the heart of Lent. In Lent, we are not only consciously trying to adjust our hearts to be more aligned with God’s. We are also unifying our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving with His suffering and death on the Cross in an act of closeness and intimacy. That is the heart of devotion: unifying ourselves to God.

And when we do this as families, we teach our children something priceless. We teach them that the Church year is not just a calendar. It’s a way of life.

A Gentle Encouragement for Catholic Moms

If Lent always seems to sneak up on you, you’re not alone. If you feel behind, you’re not alone. And if you’re trying to explain Lent while also making lunch, cleaning up toys, and keeping a toddler from licking the floor, you’re definitely not alone.

Lent is not a performance. It’s not a spiritual productivity challenge. It’s an invitation.

So keep it simple. Pick one prayer, choose one sacrifice, and do one act of service. And trust that Jesus will meet your family there.

Because He always does. 🤍

Want Simple, Open-and-Go Lent Activities for Preschool?

If you’re looking for a gentle way to bring Lent into your home without overwhelm, you might love:

• Stations of the Cross coloring pages

• Lent & Easter Catholic Playschool activities

• Simple hands-on devotion printables made specifically for ages 3–8

Designed for real moms who do not have time for 47 steps of prep.