This past week, I never did get the Sorrowful Mystery Rosary box I was intending to put together done before my children and I joined friends from our local Catholic homeschool network for a Month of the Holy Rosary celebration. That was okay, though, because the group opted to pray the Joyful Mysteries instead of the Sorrowful ones despite it being Friday, so neither the box, nor the printable cards I had made and shared last week to go inside them, were necessary.
What was necessary, it seems, were lots of small plastic flowers...
and a decade rosary walk/jumping path.
For, we were not certain our crew of nearly 20 children from babies to teens would make it through praying an entire rosary together, but these tools ensured they did!
While the younger and more motor-driven among us prayed in one room, decorating the coffee filter Hail Mary "beads" on the paper path and playing a variety of games as they prayed, the other children enjoyed offering symbolic plastic flowers at the foot of Mary('s statue) with each prayer.
And so it was that we gathered together at a friend's home to pray...
...and, of course, to also play, learn and enjoy one another's company.
In fact, our gracious host did a fabulous job putting together the celebration for all ages to enjoy.
The day's events included:
...gathering and writing prayers and messages to Mary, which were later placed in a basket on the table that we gathered near while we prayed the rosary, and, then, which were tied to balloons that we went outside to release to the heavens after praying another Hail Mary.
...reading about Mary in A Catholic Child's Illustrated Lives of the Saints, a beautifully illustrated book that one mom brought to share and another read to the children as they gathered in a seated circle before praying the rosary...
...snacking on a simple cupcake rosary made from the variety of cupcakes that each family brought to the party.
...playing Go Fish, Memory and I Spy with my Rosary Rummy cards.
...getting creative with Mary-related crafts, which included making laminated book marks, coloring and assembling Mary holding Jesus toilet paper roll crafts, coloring pages and making rosary mystery mini-books.
It was a truly beautiful, age-appropriate and special celebration. Great thanks to my friend Charisma for putting it together!
Between this event, many youtube videos that lead my children and me through praying the different rosary mysteries and some of our favorite rosary CD's, we have continued to pray the rosary at least once each day this week. Hooray!
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| Image Credit: Holy Heroes |
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| Image Credit: Holy Heroes |
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| Image Credit: Holy Heroes |
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| Image Credit: Holy Heroes |
I'd love to hear what tools and activities you have found helpful in making praying the rosary a fruitful, fun experience for the children in your life!
If you leave a link to a faith formation idea or a reflection relevant to raising young children in the faith in a comment here or on our Training Happy Hearts Facebook page, I will pin it on the Training Happy Hearts: A Call to Faith Formation in Young Children Pinterest board.
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