The Baptism of the Lord is a feast day that happens for Catholics every year in January. As Catholics, we generally baptize as infants, but Jesus was baptized as an adult person by John the Baptist. This can be a bit confusing for kids that know we baptize babies and having this feast day so close to Christmas, so be sure to explain this concept to them and read the story from the Bible. You can find all of my Baptism resources for Catholic kids here. Now let’s take a look at these resources for teaching kids about the Baptism of the Lord!
Baptism of Jesus Feast Day Quick Facts
It always helps me to plan out activities for kids when I go over the main points of the story first, so let’s look at some highlights!
- Jesus was baptized as an adult (30 years old)
- St. John the Baptist baptized him
- The baptism is often depicted with the pouring of water by a shell
- He was baptized in the river Jordan
- The heavens opened and the Holy Spirt descended like a dove
- Voice came from heaven saying “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
- Jesus’ baptism is considered the beginning of his public ministry
- Directly following his baptism is when he was led to the desert where he was tempted for 40 days (what our season of Lent is based on). It is a common misconception that these 40 days happened right before Jesus returns to Jerusalem for Palm Sunday, but it’s not.
- Common symbols of baptism: water, dove, shell, candle
Since it’s January, check out my new printable liturgical calendar for Catholics! This includes all your major feast days and liturgical seasons along with holy days of obligation, solemnities, liturgical colors, well known Saint feast days, and more! This easy to use and beautiful calendar will be your best friend when planning out your liturgical year at home. There is both a free option and a paid option for downloading this liturgical calendar, so click here to find your options for downloading your own liturgical calendar.
Ok, I think we are ready to look at some ways to celebrate St. Baptism of the Lord with kids
Baptism Of The Lord Story For Kids
Read About The Baptism Of The Lord From The Bible!
You can read this story straight from the bible, even to kids, because it is extremely brief and to the point. The accounts are very similar, but here are the 3 Gospels that include the story of the Baptism of the Lord:
- Matthew 3: 13-17 (I suggest reading this version- it’s the longest, and by “longest” I mean like 6 sentences instead of only 2 sentences.)
- Mark 1: 9-13
- Luke 3: 21-22
Read About The Baptism Of The Lord From Your Children’s Bible
I recommend having a good children’s Bible available to read from as a start to your home children’s library as it will also include many stories of the Saints and holy heroes! Although I have many children’s Bibles, The Jesus Storybook Bible is my favorite (you can read my post about my favorite Catholic children’s bibles here.) You’re likely to find this story in whatever children’s bible you have as all Christians find this an important event in the life of Jesus.
The story of the Baptism of the Lord in the Jesus Storybook Bible starting on page 200. This is actually a 4 page story in this book and I love the illustrations! So perfect for this lesson.
I also LOVE these little videos from Saddleback Kids, and they have on on the Baptism of Jesus. So cute! Definitely let your kids watch this before beginning your feast day activities.
Simple Baptism Of The Lord Celebration Ideas
- The baptism of the Lord is the first Luminous mystery of the rosary, so you could celebrate by praying the Luminous mysteries of the rosary, or at least 1 decade
- Bring out the family’s baptism candles and renew your own baptismal promises together at dinner
- Use holy water to bless yourselves and your home
Baptism Of The Lord Crafts
You can find directions for making this adorable Baptism of the Lord craft over on Catholic Teacher.
What’s better for celebrating Baptism than a dove craft? Check out my easy Dove craft made from a paper plate here.
You can also find a fun and easy dove handprint craft for kids here.
Check out this holy Water Bottle Craft– a fun way to learn all about Holy Water and for the kids to have some of their own!
Also check out my crafts and Ideas for learning about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit here.
You may also love this free printable baptism fo Jesus coloring page for kids.
Baptism Of The Lord Table Decor Ideas
I love the idea of including both shells and candles, both heavily associated with baptism! Here are some easy displays you can put together yourself that would be perfect for this feast day.
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By Sun and Candlelight made this baptism craft. Love it!
Here are more directions on how to make a candle in a shell.
If you’re not up to melting wax, you can just drop a votive into a shell.
Our Domestic Church had a fantastic idea to fill their advent wreath with the family’s baptism candles! Check it out!
Baptism Of The Lord Fun Food Ideas
Since a shell is a common symbol of Baptism, edible shells of any kind are a win for celebrating this day!
Make these seashell dessert treats– easier than they look!
Sweetness & Light made this delightful
cake with shells on top.
For dinner, try serving ricotta-stuffed
jumbo shells. Get the recipe here.
Learn About St. John The Baptist
What a great Saint to pair with this feast day! You can check out my kid resources for St. John the Baptist in this list below.
St. John The Baptist Kid Activities:
- These John the Baptist notebooking pages are free to print and a perfect activity to celebrate John the Baptist’s birth.
- Make these adorable and healthy “locust treats” for kids to eat. No cooking required, which is always my favorite! 😉
- Check out my printable St. John The Baptist stand up craft that pairs with a fun crawly treat to celebrate this Saint.
When you’re starting to teach your kids about the lives of the Saints, I suggest starting with a Saint picture book treasury that includes a lot of short stories you can read together. This will give you a good starting place and then you can add to your library of Saint books over the years. I think this Picture Book Of Saints is a good beginning Saint book for Catholic families. You can find the story of St. John the Baptist on page 55 of this book.
I hope you found some of these ideas useful for learning about the Baptism of the Lord with your kids.
Be sure to check out all of my resources for living liturgically with your family in January here.
