45 Meaningful Lenten Activities For Families

This year, make the most of the holy season with the best Lenten Activities for Families. Though Lent may appear difficult for kids to observe, a little thought and family collaboration can go a long way in making the 40 days of Lent easy and soulful.

These 46 simple Lent activity ideas revolve around the three pillars of Lent – Fasting, Praying & Almsgiving and are a great way to weave spiritual practices into your daily routine. 

Perfect for young children as well as teens, these fun activities for Lenten will bring you close not only to God but also to your family.

Lenten activities for families offer a mindful yet fun way to bond as family and pay obeisance to God.

Best Lent Activities For Kids & Family

The 40 days of Lent mark the beginning of self-reflections and attuning to God. From simple things kids can do in Lent to observing family traditions for Lent, these wonderful activity ideas for Lent will bring your family closer to God and rejoice the teachings of Jesus.

1. Attend Ash Wednesday Services

The fasting season of Lenten begins with Ash Wednesday. Make the most of this religious day by taking part in Ash Wednesday Services.

When your family members receive ashes on their heads, they will realize the truth of mortality and will be encouraged to lead a life inspired by Jesus.

One of the best Lenten activities for families, it will promote the spiritual growth of your kids and family!

2. Watch Lenten Movies Together

No doubt, having a ‘family’ movie night is one of the most loved Lenten activities for kids and families. It is an engaging way to learn about the life of Jesus and absorb his teachings without getting preachy.

While young kids might find listening to religious preaching a task, they will surely enjoy watching a movie together as a family.

After the movie, you can also have a family discussion about the lessons learned and how they can be applied practically.

The Prince of Egypt, The Miracle Maker, The Gospel of John are some of the best religious movies for the Holy week that you can watch with your whole family. 

Related: Also check out these Fun Family Movies that are every season’s favourite!

3. Learn Easter Songs

Another one of the most entertaining activities for lent, is learning Easter songs. A fun way to prepare for Easter Sunday, holy Thursday or Palm Sunday, learning & singing Easter songs together is a great bonding activity for younger children as well as older kids.

Pick from traditional hymns or contemporary Christian music or let your kids choose their favourite songs for Lent. This fun lent activity for preschool and kindergarten will get your little one’s learning holy hymns in no time!

Quick Tip: Indulge in some humour too with these funny Easter Joke riddles.

4. Flip Mardi Gras Pancakes

Flip some pancakes together on Fat Tuesday to bask in the spirit of Mardi Gras while observing the tradition of lent. We bet everyone, from young kids to teens, will love making these pancakes and eating them together as a family!

5. Lenten Prayer Wall

If you are looking for lent activities for elementary students or older kids, make sure to set up a wall or bulletin board in the classroom. Same can be done at home by designating a special space for your Lenten prayer board.

Encourage your kids to pen down their thoughts for lent on a paper and pin or stick them on the board for everyone to see. This simple, thoughtful activity for lent will encourage children to think, get into the habit of prayers and learn from each other.

6. Fast From Technology

There is no denying that technology is taking over family time. This Lenten season, take that necessary break from devices to reconnect with your family.

Choose a day each week during the Lenten period when everyone in your family will abstain from using technology. This means no smartphones, tablets, TV, or video games for that day.

Instead, spend the time together playing board games, reading bible stories or easter books, exploring nature, or engaging in family conversations.

A great Lenten activity for youth, fasting from technology will not only help your family reconnect with each other but also make lent meaningful! 

Quick Tip: Try these Easter Themed Would You Rather Questions for a fun family time!

7. Observe Meat Free Fridays

It is great idea for catholic families to go meat-free especially on Fridays. The Catholic Church advocates for the same as Jesus died on Friday.

If you are unable to give up meat for the entire period of Lent, meat free Friday observances is a good choice to consider.

Related: Crack these Egg Jokes as you abstain for Lenten to add humour!

8. Lenten Family Photo Challenge

Challenge your family to capture moments of reflection, service, and gratitude through photography. Each day, assign a Lenten-themed photo prompt, such as “hope,” “forgiveness,” or “renewal.” You can then share the photos and reflect on the meaning behind each.

Make sure to use your creative ideas to make this Lenten Photo Challenge a visual treat that you can cherish years later!

9. Lenten Paper Chain

Kick start the Lenten calendar with this easy & simple Lenten activity for kids & family! Perfect for the liturgical season of Lent, this Lenten activity for home as well as classroom will aid your spiritual journey and help you plan kind & good deeds together.

10. Write a Family Poem

A great Lenten activity idea for the Holy Week, this creative writing activity will encourage everyone to reflect on their journey through Lent as a family.

Your poem can be thoughtful or funny offering an insight into your Lenten season. Once everyone was penned their Lenten poems, read them together on Good Friday or Easter Sunday to mark the special occasion.

11. Family Fitness Challenge

Bring in the competitive spirit to your lent activities with a fitness challenge! It could be as easy as the most number of steps to something more gruelling like the most push-ups, or holding a plank position the longest.

Keep it friendly and fun, to encourage each other to stay healthy. It is a great Lent activity idea to encourage everyone to get healthy.

Besides, taking a fitness challenge together keeps the motivation high and is a fun way to get the habit rooted.

12. Have a Family Game Night

Gather your loved ones for a night of laughter and friendly competition. Be sure to opt for games that cater to all ages within the family to ensure everyone’s involvement.

From classic board games to interactive video games, the options are limitless. To make the evening more special, play Easter trivia quiz that is just the perfect theme for the season.

Quick tip: Here are some great low to no-prep family games that are pure fun.

13. Visit a Museum or Religious Site

Lent is great time to plan a visit to a museum with religious significance or a historical religious site. Such outings are an excellent way for the family to learn more about the religious history and traditions.

If possible, take a guided tour for deeper insights and context.

14. Gospel In an Egg

This is a really clever idea to read gospels and discuss them with kids without making it boring. We suggest to make at least a dozen eggs with different gospels and take turns picking them.

15. Create a Lenten Calendar

Similar to an Advent calendar, create a countdown calendar for Lent with a different activity, scripture, or prayer as a focus for each day.

A fun way to keep everyone engaged, Lenten calendar is a big hit with kids.

16. Create a Lenten Almsgiving Box

Almsgiving is one of the three central themes of Lent, making it a quintessential Lenten activity. Keep it simple by designating a box for family members to contribute money they’ve saved from fasting or giving up certain things or luxuries during Lent.

It could be any amount – from a small sacrifice of spare change to a few dollars. The idea is to encourage to give up your wants to help others.

This is a perfect Lent activity for kids to teach them about Jesus’s great sacrifice and his teachings while building their self-discipline.

17. Learn About the Saints of Lent

Lenten season is the perfect time to learn about the lives and contributions of various holy saints. Assign a saint to each family member and let them research about the assigned saint’s life and teachings and later share their findings with the entire family.

If you have younger children, make time to read stories, watch videos, or create art based on saints’ lives.

18. Start a Kindness Challenge

Indulge in random, simple acts of kindness for the entire season of lent and pen them down on a slip of paper each day.

These acts could be anything from baking cookies for neighbours to leaving uplifting notes in public spaces or simply helping a classmate at school.

Let everyone share their kindness acts at dinner time to inspire each other. 

Perfect for kids of all ages, teens and youth, it doubles up as a great lent activity for classroom as well!

19. Host a Virtual Family Gathering

Host a virtual gathering to share and connect with your extended family. Discuss what Lent means to each of you, share prayers, or simply catch up.

It’s a wonderful way to connect even when you’re apart.

20. Start a Family Gratitude Journal

Every day, have everyone in the family write down one thing they are thankful for. This can range from something significant to the simplest pleasures.

Read these entries together at the end of Lent or on Easter Sunday to thank God for his countless blessings that are often taken for granted.

This collaborative Lenten activity is a hands-on way to encourage gratefulness, appreciate God’s kindness and cultivate a positive outlook for life.

21. ‘No Complaint’ Challenge

Challenge everyone in the family to go a day or even a week without complaining. Replace complaints with positive statements or affirmations and find common solutions to what might prompt a complaint by working together.

This meaningful Lenten idea will help kids and adults realise how quick we are as human beings to complain.

22. Create Sacrifice Beads 

As one of the popular Lenten activities for families, you can ask everyone to craft a set of prayer beads together. This is a great craft activity for Lenten season that kids of all ages will love!

23. Daily Lenten Question Jar

Dive into soulful conversations with Lenten Questions Jar. A great Lenten activity for kids, these questions encourage self-reflection and help kids as well as adults to be better human beings.

For young kids and deeper questions – Use simple questions like “What am I most grateful for today?”, or “How can I be a better friend?” 

For teens and adults – “What is the true meaning of life?”, “What is my purpose?” 

Try this for each day of Lent.

24. Letters to Future Selves

This is a thoughtful lent activity for teens and young children. Write letters to your future selves about your current Lenten journey, hopes, and prayers. Seal them, place them in a time capsule and open it on the next Lent. 

25. Family Lenten Playlist

Make sure your Lenten activities calendar includes some fun ones too! All you need to do for this fun family Lent activity is compile a playlist of Lent or Easter themed songs that resonate with your family’s musical taste.

Whether it’s traditional hymns, contemporary Christian music, or spiritual chants, let each family member have at least one pick of their choice in the playlist.

Once your seasonal playlist is ready, simply put it on during family meals, prayer times, or whenever you need some music to lift up your spirits! 

26. Give Up a Habit Together

Lent is traditionally a time of fasting and self-control. This lent, give up a bad habit or unnecessary wants to practise self-discipline.

Encourage your kids to do the same. This could be anything, including eating sweets, watching TV, or even complaining! 

Replacing the time or habit with prayer and family activities can lead to meaningful Lenten observances and personal growth.

27. Take up 40 Bags Challenge

Why not embark on a decluttering journey as a family? The challenge is to fill 40 bags in 40 days! Get rid of unnecessary material possession and clean your home to welcome the teaching of Jesus.

One of the most thoughtful Catholic Lenten activities for families, 40 bag challenge will really test your desires for material things and help prioritise your life’s purpose.

This is great Lenten activity for youth will help them declutter and make parents happy as well!

28. Craft a Family Lenten Wreath 

Get crafty and make Lenten wreath with your family members. Try using natural materials and let your kids explore their creativity to make the season’s wreath. It is a wonderful Lenten activity for Sunday school!

Related: Check out Easy Easter Crafts to get ready for Easter Sunday!

29. Plant a Lenten Garden 

With spring on the way, lent is the perfect time to start a garden. A great lent activity for kids, it will not only keep them mindfully busy but also build their skills.

Garden is a symbol of growth and a blooming plant symbolizes a new life that comes with Resurrection Sunday, making it an apt lent activity!

Related: Check out Easy Guide to Gardening for Kids to get them started!

30. Lenten Bible Challenge 

Read a Bible story everyday throughout lent and take it as a challenge with friends and family to stay committed! These may include the Gospels or the Psalms.

What’s more, you can even discuss and share insights on Bible readings. This will strengthen family bonds and help in spiritual growth.

31. Observe Quiet Time

As a parent or teacher, you can choose a time of the day when your family members or students commit to silence for a specific duration. Use this time to offer a silent prayer or listen to your inner child.

This is perhaps one of the most important Lent activities for youth. Set up a designated area in the home or classroom, where kids can reflect on their emotions, write down thoughts of life, forgiveness, their goals or simple practice quiet time for at least 10 minutes.

Doing this helps reflect on the importance of listening to your inner self.

32. Social Media Fast Challenge 

This Lent activity is perfect for teens as well as adults. Everyday of lent, decide to give up some time from your social media usage. It can start with a small time frame and progress over the 40 day period.

Assign the time saved from social media to your daily prayer time or use it to do meaningful activities. Be it journaling, self-reflection, reading scripture and listening to songs based on themes of Lenten or mandala colouring.

The idea is to free yourself from social media and use that time for self-discovery & growth.

33. Family Service Project Day 

Pick a day during Lent to dedicate to serving others. This could involve organising a neighbourhood clean-up, preparing care packages for the homeless, or offering to do free yard work for elderly neighbours.

34. Family Pilgrimage or Walk 

Prepare a journey of pilgrimage to any local religious site with your family members during Lenten to reflect on the importance of prayers and family bonding.

35. Host a Lenten Tea Party 

If you are looking for simple Lent activities with friends, why not host a tea party at your home with a spiritual theme? During this, you can share stories of faith, read scriptures, or discuss the lives of the saints.

36. Attend a Lenten Retreat 

If possible, attend a Lenten retreat as a family. Many catholic churches and religious communities offer these retreats to deepen the faith and understanding of Lent.

This can be a powerful way to disconnect from daily distractions and focus on spiritual renewal together.

37. Lenten Art Project 

Another valuable Lenten project idea is to organize a painting or drawing session. The themes should be around Lent, like forgiveness, sacrifice, and renewal. 

It is a wonderful creative Lenten activity for kindergarten and older kids who love to indulge in arts & crafts

38. Bible Verse Scavenger Hunt 

One of the most fun Lenten activities for preschoolers & kindergarteners, Lenten inspired scavenger hunt promises playful learning. Use Bible verses for the scavenger hunt to lead to a location that corresponds with a verse based on forgiveness, love, or sacrifice.

Take the activity further by discussing the meaning of verses and sharing their reflection on the same.

39. Host a Soup Supper Night 

To keep celebrations simple, you can prepare a simple meal of soup and bread to share as a family. This meal works as a perfect reminder of simplicity and humility – the two guiding themes of Lent. Bonus for donating the amount saved by the simple supper!

40.  Lenten Promise Card 

Ask your kids to write down one bad habit they’ll give up, a positive action or a good habit they’d perform during Lent. 

Let them maintain a habit tracker for 40 days and review it after Easter Sunday to see how well they have fared. This is a great lent activity for the classroom as well!

41. Volunteer Together

Lent is a perfect time to give back to the community. Select a local charity or community service project where your family can volunteer together.

This could be helping out at a soup kitchen or a food bank, participating in a community clean-up, or assisting at an animal shelter.

Related: This is great time to introduce and reinforce Community Helper Activities for Kids.

42. Make Crown of Thorns

This is a great family activity for lent that everyone will love. All you need is simple brown paper to make this easy craft for lent.

43. Bake & Share

Baking together as a family is a highly rewarding experience, especially when it involves traditional Easter breads like Hot Cross Buns, Paska Bread, Pretzels or unleavened bread. 

Besides, it is also a fun, hands-on way to keep kids mindfully busy and sneak in life skills. Spend the holy Saturday baking these special breads and other sweet treats, talking about religious foods and sharing the stories behind them.

And don’t forget to share them with your neighbours, friends, and family members to truly immerse into the spirit of Lenten. 

You can even share them in lent Sunday school. This is one of the most heartwarming Lent activity ideas for youth & families that teach children the joy of cooking and the importance of sharing.

Quick tip: Check out science of baking for an easy guide to get kids started on baking!

44. Visit the Elderly

Make your Lenten meaningful by visiting retirement homes. Many elderly in the community or nursing homes may feel lonely, especially during religious holidays.

Sing songs, listen to their stories, or simply offer your presence to the elderly. We assure this rewarding Lenten activity for teens & youth will bring much joy to the elderly and give them much needed companionship, besides filling up your heart.

45. Participate in a Charity Walk or Run

Lent is the season of sacrifice and many communities organise charity walks or runs during this season. Participating together as a family is a healthy way to spend time together while supporting a good cause.

This meaningful Lenten activity for family offers a great opportunity to teach children about the importance of helping others and being part of a community.

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