Eucharistic Adoration with Kids.

Eucharistic Adoration with Kids

I recently participated in a Keeping the Love in Lent link up. When peopled visited my post on Making a Lenten Holy Hour there were a few recurring themes I noticed. One was the peace that Eucharistic Adoration brings to people. The other was that with children the amount of time one can spend is more limiting.

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Eucharistic Adoration with Kids

So I want to share a simple way to help your kids stay prayerfully busy when you’re at Eucharistic Adoration with kids. It doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do a whole hour necessarily but it will enhance their time as you visit the blessed Sacrament.

[tweetthis]Ways to keep kids prayerfully busy at Adoration from @harrharmonies #adoration #catholic[/tweetthis]
Here are a list of the Top 10 items to keep in:

A Child’s Mass/ Adoration Bag

1. Children’s Bible. We are using The Discoverer’s Bible NIrV this year. It’s been great because it is not abridged and is a full Bible but is still easily readable for my young reader.

Eucharistic Adoration with Kids | Harrington Harmonies2. Rosary Beads. We always say a rosary together. I know a lot of people think it’s a long prayer for kids but it is actually an easy prayer; it’s just getting started that is the trick. Adoration always makes that easy for us.

3. Holy Cards/Prayer Cards. These are great for kids to look at and to aid them in prayer. Many Catholic companies are even making them as trading cards.

4. Book of Saints. Also a great resource to bring that your child can read or even just look at. Some children may like drawing in which case I would let them try to draw the Saints.

5. Coin or Change Purse. My son always likes to use some of his change to make an offering and to light a candle and say prayers for someone who needs them.

6. Catholic coloring books or pages. There are so many good ones out there now and much easier to find. This is a great option for little children.

7. Catholic crossword  puzzles or other learning about faith activity pages. Again, lots more out there than there used to be. I have even seen comic type books that may be more appealing for some kids.

8. Prayers your child is learning. See above, we made a nice matted copy of the Act of Contrition so my child can have it handy while he is still learning it and also in case we are able to go to confession.

9. Notepad or journals. Kids may want to write a letter to God or simply make notes into a prayer journal. Artistic kids may want to draw something spiritual. Here is an image my daughter drew at Adoration when she was about 12.

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10. Holy Water Containers. Your child would probably love to have the job of refilling holy water containers and then refilling the font at home by your door. If you don’t have a Holy Water font at home consider getting one. It’s a nice reminder to bless ourselves when leaving home as a reminder of our baptism and that we take that faith with us as we go out into the world.

We make it a weekly devotion to go to Adoration. The more I go the more I gain. It just seems to put life back into perspective for me. I worry less and pray more. Having a bag full of prayerful items for my child while we are there has been greatly helpful.

We made this adoration bag with the help of some lovely printables from:


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It has been a wonderful resource which we used to review and discuss Holy Communion.

Visit my full review and enter a giveaway for First Holy Communion Preparation and Printables on Friday, March 8th @ The Curriculum Choice.

Linked Up: Top 10 TuesdayNOBH

5 Comments

  • Becky C.

    What would you recommend for young children (1-3 range)?

    • Stephanie

      I would try to go right after feeding time. So, after lunch maybe and only spend about 10 – 15 minutes to start with and you can always stay longer if it’s going really well. Soft books and dolls to bring along would be nice, blankets if they feel like laying down. Let them play with plastic rosaries as long as it’s safe for them ( no chocking hazards of course) and just simple gestures of love that you can let them offer in their own way- money in the candles offerings, bring fresh flowers to leave for Mother Mary, etc. Sometimes when my kids were little I just stopped in for 5 minutes. I’d say to them that we are going to visit Jesus for a few minutes. Most of the time they loved it and looked forward to going. They knew it wouldn’t take long and after they got used to it I sometimes could add five minutes or more. Teaching them how to pray by inviting them to join you in a simple prayer they are learning is also well spent time and in and of itself an offering of love to the Lord.