Get a FREE New Way of the Cross Nature Hunt Printable to Use This Lent!

Sometimes, even when you are busy, the Spirit prompts you to pause and create.

That's exactly what happened to me this weekend. 

I had been praying, then a friend messaged to ask me about doing an Easter-themed nature walk.  As we chatted back and forth about it, I browsed pictures of my children and my Good Friday nature walk last year, for which we used a free printable from The Unlikely Homeschooler.

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I also recalled a prior year when our entire family enjoyed a nature outing using a free Easter Nature Walk printable from Inside Outside Michiana.

Then, I spied a copy of The Stations of the Cross for Children from Peanut Butter & Grace Books, which we received the other day and will be sharing a review of soon. 

That is when Spirit prompted me:  This year, lead a New Way of the Cross nature walk.  

So, I got brainstorming descriptions of items in nature that the children might find to help them remember the 14 stations of Jesus' condemnation, crucifixion, and resurrection as told in New Way of the Cross, as well as what happened just before Jesus was condemned and what happened after He rose.  I came up with the following:

• The largest leaf reminds us of the palms people waved as they welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the king!” and, thereby, angering leaders who wanted no one in charge but themselves. (John 12:13)
• Fruit on a vine reminds us of the wine Jesus gave to the apostles along with bread at the Last Supper, saying “This is my body and blood, which I am giving you for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26: 26-29)
• A winged seed or creature reminds us of the wings of angel, perhaps the angel that came from heaven to give Jesus strength during the Agony in the Garden. (Luke 22:39-48)
• Something dark reminds us of the darkness in people’s hearts as they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” when Jesus is condemned. (Matthew 27:15-26)
• Thorns or spiky barbs remind us of the crown of thorns places upon Jesus’ head when Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns. (Matthew 27:27-31)
• A cross shaped branch or twig reminds us that Jesus carries the cross – a heavy wooden one. (John 19: 16-17)
• Something too heavy to lift reminds us of the weight of the cross which Jesus carried and how Jesus falls. (Isaiah 53: 4-7)
• Something paired reminds us of how Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross. (Luke 23:26)
• Something wet reminds us of how Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem who cry for him. (Luke 23: 27-31).
• Something spiky reminds us of the nails used when Jesus is nailed to the cross. (Luke 23:32-38)
• Something you see that makes a turn reminds us of the good thief who turned to Jesus and asked to be taken to heaven with him. (Luke 23:39-43)
• Something at the foot of something else reminds us of Mary and John at the foot of the cross as Jesus said to his mother, “Here is you son,” and said to John, “Here is your mother.” (John 19:25-27)
• Something dead reminds us that Jesus dies on the cross. (John 19:28-30)
• The largest rock reminds us that Jesus is laid in the tomb and a large stone is rolled in front of it to seal it. (John 19:38-42).
• Something empty reminds us of the empty tomb and that Jesus rises from the dead. (Matthew 28:1-10)
• New life reminds us that Jesus rose again and that if we allow the Spirit to help us follow Jesus’ way, we will one day have a new life in heaven with Him. (Mark 16:15-20)

I, then, created a simple FREE three-page New Way of the Cross nature notebooking printable to share, much like the St. Francis,  St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Anthony of Padua printables I have shared in the past, but with two pages of boxes to accommodate more descriptive prompts to get the children thinking and sketching. 

If you'd like to use the New Way of the Cross nature hunt printable, feel free to do so!  I'd love to hear how your experience goes.  

I intend to do this walk on Good Friday as follows:

• Recall how Jesus suffered and died on the cross for us on Good Friday and open with the prayer at the beginning of The Stations of the Cross for Children.

• Have a chat with the children to see what they already know about Stations of the Cross and explain that we'll be going on a nature scavenger as we recall Jesus' condemnation, crucifixion, and resurrection using  The Stations of the Cross for Children.  

• Read and reflect upon the first station in the book together and note that it is different from the first Station of the Cross they might already be familiar with.  Explain that the books uses the New Way of the Cross which highlights some of the same moments in Jesus' as the traditional Stations of the Cross do, but swaps out others.
• Hand out double-sided scavenger hunt sheets and have children look at the descriptors, seeing if they can guess the symbolism behind any of the things they will be asked to find.
• Ask the children if they'd like to read all of The Stations of the Cross for Children before going on our scavenger hunt or if they would like to read a portion of it, then search for related nature items before reading another portion of it.
• Offer clipboards and set children loose with colored pencils (and cameras for some) to begin hunting for the items on the printable.  
• Discover and chat about nature items along with children, capturing sketches or descriptions in the boxes on the scavenger hunt sheet.
• Close with the Closing Prayer in The Stations of the Cross for Children.

If you'd like a visual of how our nature hunt might unfold, you can take a peak at the pictorial description for our St Anthony of Padua nature adventure, which our New Way of the Cross will be similar to.

You can also enjoy a few more snapshots from last year's walk, which used a different book and printable, but is along the same idea.

And, yes, I know Good Friday is a somber time, but, my children know he end of the story and, sometimes, find great joy in life even during more somber occasions.

I am okay with that.  In fact, I rejoice in it.  We ARE an Easter people, praise God.  Even as we repent and recall the great suffering and sacrifice of our Lord, we have the privilege of knowing His death on the cross was not the end and find hope and happiness in the joy of the Resurrection.

May we never take our Lord's sacrifice for granted, may we always give thanks for His Divine Mercy, and may we live in hope and love.

Other Nature Printables

If you'd like to use other faith-based nature printables I have made, just click through the images below.

May your mind and heart continue to turn toward Jesus as you journey through this Lent.

Make D.I.Y. Stations of the Cross Prayer and Sequencing Sticks

We've added a new tool to our Stations of the Cross prayer and learning times:

Stations of the Cross Prayer and Sequencing Sticks

The inspiration for our sticks came from a post I found on Hands-On Bible Teacher, and the prep work for them was done by my friend Charisma, who kindly prepares and leads a monthly Children's Adoration meet up for our local homeschool group.  Another friend, Marijanna, took many of the pictures I am sharing in this how-to.  She is a fellow blogger who writes at Because Two People Fell in Love periodically when her hands are not holding one of her four beautiful young ones.

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How to Make Your Own D.I.Y. Stations of the Cross Prayer and Sequencing Sticks

Making Stations of the Cross Prayer and Sequencing Sticks is not difficult.  You could easily make them start to finish on your own or with your children at home.  You could also pre-prep some steps to make them with a group of children as we did.

To prep our sticks for a group meeting, my friend Charisma:

• Requested long paint sticks at a local Lowe's.
• Painted one side of the sticks purple.
• Purchased velcro coins like these at a local store.
• Found child-friendly images of the Stations of the Cross at the Kids Bulletin, which she re-sized a bit, then, printed and laminated. 

Then, at our meet up, the children:

• Cut out each image.
• Put them the images in order above or below their sticks.
• Peeled the self sticking velcro coins off their backing and adhered them to their sticks and images.
• Wrote their names on the backs of the sticks using purple Sharpies.

 
Finally, parents finished the sticks off by writing, "We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You, because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world," on each stick's back.

The sticks came out great!  My daughter has already been using hers all on her own to pray and "teach" imaginary students, and my youngest child has been using his to quiz me, "Mommy, what is the sixth station?" and so on.  Too cute.

A Few Tips
 
If I were to make another set of DIY Stations of the Cross Prayer and Sequencing Sticks, I might try sealing the wood on the back before writing on it as the Sharpies tended to "bleed" on the unsealed wood.

Also, I might cut off the numbers on the description above each Kids Bulletin image to make sequencing a challenge.
 

Further, I would pay more attention to where my children placed each velcro coin so that thin strips of purple between each image would "frame" them.  Without such "frames", the images we used, I found, tend to run together.

Alternately, I might choose different images altogether.  For, although the Kids Bulletin ones are colorful and child-friendly, they ended up looking a bit busy on the stick, making it necessary for children to look very closely at each to decide what exactly is being pictured in it.  Perhaps a simple black-and-white illustrations such as those found at Catholic Playground, the Florida Center for Peace (here), Teachers Pay Teachers or Library Mom might make the sticks more user-friendly. 

Or, if you like more classic, less cartoony color depictions, the ones at Commotion from the Ocean of Life, Family in Feast and Feria,  Bookworm, or Stained Glass Inc. (here) might work well.

Still another option for families and small groups might be to have each child draw and color their own images.  These images could be drawn small or scanned, shrunk, printed, and laminated.

So many options...  Whatever ones you choose, I encourage you to give this project a try if you are looking for a hands-on prayer and learning tool for the Stations of the Cross.
  
Additional Resources 

Holy Week Eggs to Inspire Stations Eggs

After we made our D.I.Y. Stations of the Cross Prayer and Sequencing Sticks, we hid Stations of the Cross eggs that Charisma had made akin to the Holy Week ones I have previously made, but with objects related to the stations inside.  

The children ran to each find one and, then, came together in a circle where I chatted with them about the Stations and about how we are lucky to be an "Easter people" that knows "the end of the story" told through the Stations:  Jesus rose!

We then began to read and pray along with my favorite children's Stations book, Story of the Cross. 

We read about each station...

Then, we paused to pray about each station as we read about it by having the children repeat the prayers contained in the book.

After concluding the prayer, we guessed what symbol might be contained in a corresponding egg, and whichever child had the egg opened it.

It proved a wonderfully hands-on way for a multi-age group to learn and pray the Stations of the Cross.

What About Adoration?

Of course, the reason we got together to make our Stations of the Cross Prayer and Sequencing Sticks in the first place was because we sought an engaging idea to enjoy at the conclusion of our second monthly Children's Adoration hour.  I am happy to report that, just as it did last month, the Adoration portion of our meet up went beautifully, too.

The kindly Father Murphy began our activities with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, praying the Sorrowful Mysteries, and a brief talk on the Prodigal Son.  Then, after Father Murphy reposed the Blessed Sacrament and went to attend to other parish business, my friend Charisma led us in Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament reposed in the tabernacle using a sample format for children's adoration as described at Children of Hope.  

This format, we find, works well for our children as it provides a balance of spoken words and silence as well as opportunities to move.  The children appreciate the chance to move to the floor in front of the altar and to alternately kneel, bow, pray aloud, pray silently, share prayer intentions, etc.  We are grateful to have found this children's Adoration model.

Other Ways We Pray, Play and Learn with the Stations

For years now during this Lenten season, my children have spontaneously dramatized the Stations of the Cross.  Sometimes they get a bit crazy when they begin to do so and I have to reel them in!

Sometimes we get a little silly with Youtube even when we are trying to get more prayerful.
 
We also tap into a variety of resources that I shared in a Resource Round Up and take into our account our children's sensory needs.

Our other ideas for faith-based fun and learning with young children during Lent and throughout the while year can be found on our Training Happy Hearts in Young Children pinterest board.

Follow Martianne @'s board Training Happy Hearts: A Call to Faith Formation for Young Children on Pinterest.

 

I find "freshening" the children's interest in and meditation on the Stations of the Cross through new images, reflections, and crafts works well.  Thus, I'd welcome words and links to YOUR favorite Stations resources and crafts. 

Our 3 Baby Steps towards PRAYERFUL Weekly Stations of the Cross with Children

What is this loony child doing in the snow with no coat? 

Being his sensory-challenged, silly self as he crosses from the locked front door of our church to an open side door in order to go pray the Stations of the Cross with his siblings and me.

Now, I use the word "pray" loosely, because, to be honest, our experience "praying" the Stations of the Cross at our church this past Friday was not exactly as reverent as I envisioned it would be. 

Although I introduced all of my children to praying the Stations of the Cross early, determined that they needed to learn more about this rich prayer tradition within our domestic church in ways that were special needs-friendly, and even let them "play" Stations of the Cross on our front lawn (last year when it was not covered with snow as it is this year!), I guess I have yet to get them to a point where they "get it". 

Sure, my children know what each station is now.  (Even Jack, at four, can name and explain each of the stations with some degree of accuracy.)  However, they do not always get the whole walking the way prayerfully thing.

This has become every-so-evident to me this year.

Yet, baby steps are happening... 

Step One:  Tuned Out, Yet Quiet

On the first Friday of Lent this year, I wrongly thought that my children were ready to participate well in my parish's formal Stations of the Cross. 

Wrong!

Although the children stayed relatively quiet during the experience, I am fairly certain that they were not prayerful.  In fact, I think they pretty much tuned out the readings and prayers that were recited as the priest walked from station to station and the congregation prayed from the pews.

After Stations, my children asked why there had been no actors (for we have been to live stations of the cross before which engages them), why they had not been able  walk from station to station, etc.  However, they had few to no comments to make about the reflections or prayers and - cringe - even said they had been bored with the experience.

So how can I even consider this experience a baby step?
Well, we got to the church and the kids were relatively quiet while each station was prayed.

Step Two:  Mama Fails, But Kids Are Engaged

On the second Friday of this Lent, I had no intention of returning to our church for formal Stations of the Cross.  I knew it would be fruitless.  My children are not ready for it.

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Instead, I hoped to dig out our favorite Stations of the Cross reflection  book, The Story of the Cross, and to go to the church on our own to pray after a homeschool gathering we had.  

Unfortunately, I could not find where I last placed our The Story of the Cross book, and we ended up staying at the engagement we went to until after dark.  I was fairly certain that our church would be locked up by the time we got to it.  So,  our back up plan became to go home and to pray the Stations with a youtube video. Of course, the kids got curious about all the video previews on the sidebar as we began praying, and we ended up watching several by their request. 

One unique Stations video that engaged my children was a shadow puppet one:

Another ever so short, quite silly, but "cool" one (according to the kids) was a stop-motion Lego animation:

 

Seriously?  You might be thinking.   She misses getting to the church, relies on youtube to lead her and her children through the Stations and then finishes up with shadow puppets and Legos,  and she is considering it a baby step towards prayerful Stations of the Cross success?

You bet I am! 

The children were engaged, asking for more, leading and leading spontaneous prayers as we paused videos.

Step Three:  Less than Stellar, Yet with Self-Directed Prayer and Reflection as a Result

The next logical step in our progression towards a prayerful Stations of the Cross experience would be to get the "quiet" and the "engaged" attitude together at our church.

That was my aim this past Friday. 

I still could not find our The Story of the Cross book, so I printed out a simple, free Stations of the Cross pdf from Loyola Press and asked the kids if they wanted to go to the church to pray, with Luke in the lead, before fellow parishioners gathered for the formal Stations that our pastor would lead.

The children did, and all looked like it would go swimmingly.

However, when we entered the church around 3:30, there were already people there waiting for 4:00 stations.  This put Luke in an anxious "speed" mode; he wanted to be sure to lead Nina, Jack and me through the Stations of the Cross before the formal ones began.

I told Luke not to worry and did my best to pause the children after Luke read at each station by kneeling to offer a reflection question and a prompt for prayer.  However, my efforts became an increasingly fruitless.

Jack ran ahead at times.  Nina wanted to take part by naming stations before Luke read them.  Luke did not want anyone to "lead" but him.  Jack decided he should be able to name some stations, too.  Luke got more ridiculous... 

Self-centered, less-than-reverent ugliness began to rear up, and, in the end, I spent more time trying to corral, correct and redirect my children than I did meaningfully praying the Stations.  Likewise, the children's prayers were cursory at best.

So, what was the baby step toward prayerfulness in all this?

It happened in our minivan and, then, continued today.

Once we exited the church, we spent some time "chatting" in the minivan about what had just happened and how it must have made Jesus feel.  We talked about how we might feel if someone we love came to visit us and, instead of keeping us company in polite, open, loving and connected ways, simply rushed in, gave us half-hugs and kisses, whined and cried about who knows what, and then ran out the door.  Then, we had quiet moments in personal prayer.

Today, on their own, the children picked up the pdf I had printed out and began to read and pray with it.

Success!

Self-directed prayer.

Prayerful Stations of the Cross?


Perhaps through persistence and God's grace, next week, my children and my baby steps will come together to lead us to Stations of the Cross "success". With: 

• Step One - Quiet
• Step Two - Engaged
• Step Three - Self-directed Personal Prayer and Reflections

my children and I may yet have a truly prayerful Stations of the Cross experience this Lenten season.

If not, we'll continue practicing and making baby steps, knowing that our Lord shines down with love and grace despite our failings.

Maybe we'll revisit some of the resources I gathered and shared about in my Stations of the Cross Resource Round Up several years back. Maybe we'll take some tips from you. 

Please share how you approach Stations of the Cross with children.

Can We Play Stations of the Cross?

"A soldier" nails "Jesus'" feet to the cross.

This year, I had every intent of visiting churches each Friday to carry on with praying the Stations with special needs in mind as we did last Lent.  However, as the old saying goes, "Life is what happens when you're making other plans." 

Church visits on Fridays just did not happen for us this year.  But, that is not to say the Stations have not.  In fact, not only have we prayed the Stations at home using some of the resources mentioned in our prior Stations of the Cross round up, but we have also played (no typo with the "l" there) Stations.

The board we use to build balance beams, see saws and obstacle course elements has become "Jesus' cross".

Yes, you know you're Catholic when your little ones ask, "Mommy, can we go outside and play Stations?"  Catholic, with busy children who love dramatic play and learn by doing, that is.  

Here are some further scenes from our front yard:

The "soldier" walks behind "Jesus" as Jesus falls for the first time.  (And, yes, the young directress of these scenes ensured that "Jesus" fell three times and was helped by her multi-role playing self as "Simon of Cyrene".)

"Jesus" between falls.

Jesus being bound to the cross.

"Mary" with "Jesus", pieta-style

"Jesus" is laid in the tomb.

The women come to the tomb.

And because the directress likes a happy ending, the "angel" appears.

And "Jesus" has risen!

These scenes were narrated and "directed" completely by Nina, who has internalized the Stations so much so that she was able to  single-handedly direct her little brother, having him play Jesus as she took on every other role.  

The photos, I know, are not at the angles.  This was purposeful on my part since as my children were absorbed in praying the Stations through play, I did not want to intrude.  Thus, I stood at a distance.  

For the record, Luke plays and prays with his siblings in this way, too, sometimes.  He just happened to be engaged in something else at the time this spontaneous "Living Stations" unfolded on our front lawn.  And, to be honest, Luke's favorite way to pray the stations this year is with online with videos we find at Youtube.

Is my children's way of praying the Stations through play (and technology) conventional?  Perhaps not.  Does it spring from their own understanding and needs?  Most definitely.  Is it testimony to their desire to internalize the stories of our faith and share their love for Jesus? I think so. 

How do the children in your life best come to know and love the stories, traditions and tenets of faith?  What unfolds when you say "yes" to their ages and stages and let them explore traditional prayers in self-directed ways? 

  Feel free to share about them here in a comment or on our Training Happy Hearts Facebook page.  If you leave a link to an idea, I will pin it on the Training Happy Hearts: A Call to Faith Formation in Young Children Pinterest board.   

May your Holy Week be rich in prayer and blessings.

A Diary of Starting Stations of the Cross with Special Needs in Mind

Quiet, attentive reverence.

Due to sensory challenges and poor executive functioning skills, one of my three children rarely succeeds at demonstrating such “acceptable” behavior at Mass.  So, the idea of attending our parish’s traditional Stations of the Cross prayer times makes me cringe.

Silent prayer does happen, but not often with my seven-and-under crowd.

I know that stating my dread of going to Stations seems irreverent. For isn’t Lent partially about bearing one’s crosses and trusting in the Lord?  Thus, shouldn’t I be willing to just shoulder forth with my kiddoes to our parish’s Stations of the Cross prayer time despite my fears?

Perhaps.

Or, perhaps not.

As a parent, I know that it is my duty – and privilege – to help my children in their spiritual formation. As such, I take seriously the call to be a “first herald” for my children, initiating them into the mysteries of the faith.  (CCC 2225)  And, with my children’s needs in mind, I think that being a literal first herald of the Way of the Cross is most fitting. 

Stations of the Cross, Week One:  A Gentle, Snuggly Introduction

I am confident that my children will come to appreciate the rich experience of praying the Stations of the Cross with our greater church community if they first come to know and understand the Stations within our own domestic church.  So, last Friday, we “did” the stations at home, in bed, no less. 

All three children and I snuggled into sensory-calming* delight in one, single bed while reading The Story of the Cross and praying the prayers included in it.

 

At another point in the day, we also visited the church for just a moment to wave hello to Jesus.

Simple.  Sensory-friendly.  No distractions or challenges to divert the children’s attention from the story of the cross.

Stations of the Cross, Week Two: Running and Reverence

Nina's sketch of Our Lady.

This week, I felt the children were already ready for a next step in experiencing the Stations of the Cross.  So, I asked them if they’d like to pray the Stations at our local church, all by ourselves, with our “special stations book” and some sketchbooks to help us. 

Even my youngest cried out with delight at this idea.  So, off we went to the church – in the middle of the day, when I figured no one else would be there.

Jack's sketch, in Lenten purple, with the cross at the top drawn by Nina.

Thankfully, I was wrong about us being alone at the church, though.  For when we entered the building, it was dark.  No lights were on and, even though I felt there was plenty of light coming through the stained glass windows, the children were a bit concerned about the darkness..  Luckily, a kind-hearted woman that works at our parish offices was in the church building and offered to go turn on some of the church’s lights.

Whew!  She saved the day!

Luke's "favorite" station.

Comforted by the increased light, the children joined me to kneel before the tabernacle for a prayer.  Then, I asked the kids if they could find the first station. 

They bubbled with childhood excitement when they discovered that it was behind the church organ, up near the altar where they had never been before.  However, once I began reading from The Story of the Cross, they quieted,  listening to the story and alternating between examining the artwork of on the church wall and comparing it to the art work in our book.  Then, just as I was reciting the prayer portion of our first station reading, excitement kicked in again. 

Our sensory seeker burst forth with a near-run to get to the next station.  And, thus began the pattern for the day:  a run-pause-listen-pray-run one.

Now, I know that some reading this might be shaking their heads now.  Running in the church?  During Stations, no less.  I know, it seems rather inappropriate.  Unless, of course, you have a child who was gifted with a neurology that is a bit different than everyone else’s.  One who needs physical movement and heavy work more than most others do.  Then, it becomes par for the course.  And, quite honestly, even a victory in the eyes of that child’s mama, who was less concerned about the dashes between the stations than she was delighted about the control it took for that child to actually pause at each station, and, even more, the desire of that child to do so.

Grace abounds!

So it was that the children and I ended up “walking” the Way of the Cross at almost a running speed at times.  The children attentive and relatively reverent at each station, but with a journey that was punctuated by quick bursts of movement between stations.  My sensory seeker, leading the way.

And, then, came the slow down -- the keying into what my differently gifted child loves and sometimes synthesizes best through: drawing.

Luke sketching Jesus on the cross.

Fasting, Giving and Praying at the Station

My son Luke had been unkind to his sister Nina right before we left for the Stations.  As a penance, he agreed that his sister could pick which station we sketched after praying the Stations. 

It was very difficult for Luke to honor his word once the time actually came to break out our sketch books. He knew right away which station he wanted to draw and had to practice patience and control as Nina walked – slowly – from station to station (after running from station to station earlier!) to make her decision as to where we would plunk down with our colored pencils.  As Luke’s eyes followed her around the church, I could feel the strain it took him to maintain a fast from outbursts or a loud cajoling for his sister to pick the station he wanted to sketch.

Luke's sketch.

Or perhaps I felt Luke’s pleading prayers to God.  For, after Nina passed one particular station, I heard Luke sigh with angry disappointment and saw him hand his head.  Then, Nina, true to her compassionate and giving nature, lit up Luke’s world.  She began a second round of the stations, paused, smiled, came to the center of the church, announced that she knew what she wanted, and, as Luke inhaled deeply, walked over to her big brother and said “for Luke to pick.”

Nina helping Jack to draw a cross.

Luke immediately led us over to the station I thought he wanted to sketch – Jesus on the cross.  Whereupon Nina, whose sensitivity was disturbed by the image, politely inquired, “Mommy, I want Luke to make his choice, but can I draw something else?”  Of course, I said she could.  So, while Luke sketched Jesus on the cross, Nina sketched “Mary from the window”, only stopping to help Jack when he asked someone to draw a cross on his paper.

A more comforting image for Nina.

Finally, we all talked about how we knew the “end of the story” – that Jesus rose again and is still here with us in the form of the Eucharist.  Jack found his way to the candle that tells us that Jesus is present in the tabernacle.  All the children said a prayer in front of the tabernacle with me.  Then, Nina asked to go pray in front of a statue of Our Lady and Baby Jesus while Luke searched for images of St. Luke and St. Micheal, before we went over to the parish offices to tell them we were done.

"Jesus is here."

No sensory meltdowns.  Growth in self-control.  The story of the stations shared.   Prayers spoken aloud in the quiet of hearts.   By His grace, Stations, Week Two was a success.

Jack praying in front of the tabernacle.

Now I pray for the guidance and grace to make decisions about how best to share the Stations with the kids next week.  Will I tap into some of the 10+ Stations of the Cross resources I collected (and shared!) a few weeks back for another at-home heralding? Will we repeat what we did this week, perhaps at a different church to appeal to Luke’s interest in viewing different artwork?  Will we try a group service?  I am not sure yet.

How do you pray the Stations of the Cross wit children, especially children with special needs?

*For those unfamiliar with sensory needs and how to best meet them, please realize every child is different.  What is calming to one may be stimulating for another.  If you think your child has sensory challenges, consider researching what Sensory Processing Disorder is and getting a handle on what you can do.  The SPD Foundation and Special-ism are great places to start.

 

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