What should you give up for Lent, and how do you get your kids to participate? I believe that children of all ages are able to make a sacrifice of some kind for the 40 days of Lent. This is when we remember and reflect on the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert with nothing.
This year, to help encourage kids and families to make and keep these resolutions for the length of Lent, I have designed this printable to allow you to track your progress visually!
The phrase “giving something up for Lent”. It’s a little confusingly worded because it’s not just about giving something up, it’s also about doing extra things. During Lent, we are challenged to add more prayer, fasting, and almsgiving into our lives.
I like to refer to these changes we make during Lent as “resolutions.” They’re not unlike New Year’s Resolutions. We are looking to choose things that can make us more healthy- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We also want to add extra things that can help people around us.
Check out this video of Violet demonstrating how to use your printable. 😀 You can also show this video to your kids when you get started with your pages, and in general, to talk about Lent and the struggle of temptation when making sacrifices.
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I designed this printable Lenten resolution tracker in a few different ways to fit different needs. I have 2 full page versions, one with 3 resolution spaces, and one with 5 resolution spaces. The fish has 40 scales, the crown has 40 thorns, the palm has 40 fronds, the grapes have 40 grapes, and the cross has 40 rectangles.
You can use the five resolution spaces to keep track of different resolutions on the same page. For instance…
- Add extra prayer each morning
- Give up your favorite food
- Give up your favorite drink
- Give up a bad habit
- Add extra prayer each night
You write them in over the picture, or you don’t have to write anything if your goal is private.
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Then, I designed these half pages with one resolution space each for CCD teachers to use with their religious education classrooms for Lent. By the end of Lent, they will be all colored in like this!
My kids are super excited to start theirs this year! Julian says he wants the page with 3 🙂
Hopefully you will have more of your “good” color as you go than your “bad” color… 😉
One thing I love about this printable is that it encourages you to keep going with a Lenten resolution even if you have slipped up! Tomorrow is a new day. That’s what it’s like being a Christian because we will fail again and again. That’s why we need Jesus!
I am super happy with how these turned out! I drew the little pictures myself, and a friend did the lettering for me. She’s awesome at script!
The best part is that this download is available for a couple of dollars! You can download yours now, so you’re ready for Lent. 🙂
This is great! My kids saw the video and got really excited. They asked if we could do it too! I know the Sundays of Lent aren’t officially part of the 40 days, but we like to keep our resolutions even on Sundays, have you considered making one that includes these days as well?
I actually did consider doing that! I didn’t, however, actually DO it lol. I’m glad your kids are excited. Mine are too! I was actually a little surprised with just HOW excited they are! 🙂
Love this!
I plan to use it for the kids and myself.
Me too!!! I’m fact, I originally designed it for moms, which is why it’s in cursive!!!
You could use the extra sections for Sundays! (Ie. The chalice, leaves, fish face /fins, nails, in between the thorns, etc…) if you do your resolution you get to color that piece (or a part of it – one Sunday you get the bottom of the chalice, the next do the top, then the wine, etc) you just need an extra 7 spaces. (It might be hard with the palm frond but you could add to the drawing on Sundays, with a flouish or something, or another palm fronds in the background, or a donkey, etc). Love this idea so much!
Excellent idea!!! I never cease being amazed with the creativity of my readers here! 🙂
I am LOVING your cite! I work at a Catholic school and will be sharing this find with the staff! THANK YOU!!!
My kids and I discussed creative ways to use these. We use your fabulously hokey “This is Lent” song as our yearly guide, so we will each choose three Lenten promises and pictures to color to accompany the concepts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Those of us choosing the 5 picture poster will add a promise along the lines of “40 days of sacrifice” or “doing something extra nice” and we’ve decided for “we are meant to repent” we will color the chalice or other details when we have been to Reconciliation and Stations of the Cross during Lent. Thanks for providing a new way to start the conversation and to encourage us all!
I love that! And words cannot express how happy it just made me that you called me “hokey” LOL!!! 😀
What a great idea! I am going to do it along with my class. My only suggestion is that most second graders can’t read cursive so I would change the font on the letters “Lenten Resolutions” to a more print like one.
I never put cursive on kid stuff! I actually developed these for moms and the idea evolved lol. You’re totally right. But in this case I figured the adults would be explaining it to them- it’s not like something they need to read again and again. My kids actually love to have some exposure to cursive. Have a blessed Lent! 🙂
It would be awesome if you added this resource to your TpT store. I don’t use paypal but I would like to purchase this resource. TpT would be a good option!
Putting all of my resources on TPT is on my to-do list. If there were only like… 3 of me! 😛
Hi Angela –
In case you’re interested in using these this year, they are now in Lacy’s Teachers Pay Teachers shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Lenten-Resolutions-Accountability-Pages-for-Kids-and-Families-5150403
I hope that helps!
Angie, Catholic Icing Project Manager
Lacey, I tried to use the paypal to buy some items. I was trying to change my phone number for that account. It would not let me. I don’t normally use paypal. Is there another way i can pay for downloads? Thank you, Julie
Hi Julie –
Most of the printables from Catholic Icing are also available in Lacy’s Teachers Pay Teachers Store:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Catholic-Icing-Printables
This particular printable is available here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Lenten-Resolutions-Accountability-Pages-for-Kids-and-Families-5150403
Angie, Catholic Icing Project Manager
Will you be doing a calendar for Lent 2022?
Hi Mary –
The original version is good to use any year. However, it’s possible that Lacy may make one that is specific to 2022. My guess is that she will, but it’s still a little way off, so I don’t want to promise anything. If she does, it will be much closer to Lent.
Thanks!
Angie, Catholic Icing Project Manager