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.

{Disclosure: Some of the links which follow are affiliate ones. Should you click through them and make any purchase, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you.}

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.

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When (Involuntary) Penances Begin before Lent (Or, Why No Regular Post This Sunday)

Picture three children, laying feverish on an air mattress on a living room floor.  

Now, picture a mom laying on a couch.  

Now, picture a Mom and son laying together in the dark unable to turn an electric light on.

You have just pictured the last two weeks of our lives here. 

Abut two weeks ago my daughter went down with a fever and her siblings soon followed.  Their fevers were high and their energy low, but they were champs as Daddy and I nursed them back to health - and, before a week was out, they were fever free.

Still, I kept us quarantined just to ensure that we would not pass on any unwanted germ gifts to others, for I had heard this year's bug is contagious from one day prior to symptoms until three days or so after the first symptom appears.  Thus, I wanted to be certain that my children were free and clear - and that I was not going to get hit - before venturing out.

When what I thought was our safe "greenlight" day came, out we went for a few hours and... BOOM!  That very night I got hit with something.  

That something brought fevers, chills, and lethargy like my children had had, but also persisted after fevers abated with persistent lightheadnedness and other symptoms that only I seem to suffer from.  These symptoms did not debilitate me completely, but sure have been making doing anything on my feet for more than 15 minutes or so difficult, which is not fun and is also not conducive to homeschool mothering. 

Praise God, then, for relatively good kids, a committed husband, and plenty of prayers from friends and family this past week. Without them, the week would have been a disaster.  Also, props to God for reminding me that sometimes, all you can do is laugh.

In fact, the wee hours of this morning found me in the midst of a comedy of errors that made me do just that - well, after moments of concern, disgust, and frustration passed.

You see, in the middle of the night, our electricity suddenly went out.  While we were in the dark, my oldest son woke up and got scared.  I heard him immediately, and called to him to explain that the lights were out and he could follow the flashlight beam to me if he needed comfort.  He did an fell onto the couch next to me n a heap. 

I stroked his hair and back and said, "Buddy, it's okay.  Did you have a bad dream? I bet waking up to such darkness really scared you. Mama's here, though.  He looked at me, face twisted, and said, "I don't feel well."  I told him he was probably just scared.  Mama was with him.  It would be okay.

For a minute, my son began to quiet, but, then, he got up and raced to the bathroom thinking he might be sick.  But,no, he was okay.

When my son returned to me, I hugged him and said, "Maybe you're just anxious, buddy.  Sit with, Mama.  You'll be okay."  he did, but,then, got up and stumbled through the darkness to the bathroom again.  This time he did get sick, and, unfortunately, did not make it to the toilet.  But, at least he was able to find the sink.

So, then, as my son sat on the bathroom floor debating if he was going to have another bout of sickness, I found myself, standing, lightheaded, trying to clean and unclog the sink using just a tiny stream of flashlight to tackle the task by.  Thankfully, as I was finishing the rather disgusting job, my husband awoke and helped me arrange a sick bed for my son- all by flashlight beam, of course. 

As I tucked my son in gave him a new blessing, and kissed his forehead in the dark, I could not help but to laugh.  Boy down.  Mama down.  Lights down.  But, spirit not down. 

These involuntary penances have a purpose, I am certain.  If we offer them up, they can be used for good.  And, so, even as we move from week two to week three of sickness here, I am grateful.

All things work together for good - even electric outages and sickness - and most certainly prayers and support.

However your Lenten journey begins this year, may love and prayers be pervasive.
 

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3 Jars Can Help Your Children Remember to Pray, Fast, and Give

Pray, fast, and give.

Pray, fast, and give.

All through Lent
As learn, love, and live,

We pray, fast, and give.

For years now, we've been singing versions of this made up ditty during the 40 days of Lent, often in conjunction with filling our Pray, Fast, and Give Jars.

Randomly, this morning, my daughter began singing the song, perhaps in anticipation of the coming Lenten season or perhaps because we have been doing a lot of praying and fasting this past week while fighting fevers.  Whatever the reason, after my my daughter sang the ditty, I asked her if she could explain how we make and use our Pray, Fast, and Give Jars, so I could share it here.  She was happy to do so.

{Disclosure: Some if the links which follow are affiliate ones. Should you click through them and make any purchase, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you.}

My Daughter Explains Pray, Fast, and Give Jars

To make our Pray, Fast, and Give jars we used three small glass babyfood jars. First, we nailed a hole in the lid.  Then, we took paper and wrote "pray" on the first...

 

..."fast" on the second, and "give" on the third. 

We used purple, because it is Lent.  

Then, we glued these papers onto the jars, and, near them, we put birdseed.   

Every time we pray, fast, or give during Lent, we put a seed (or bean) into a jar, depending on whether we prayed, fasted, or gave.  Then, on Easter, the jars "grow" lollipops , symbolizing the sweetness of Jesus' love, and we throw our seeds of sacrifice to the birdies.

We first heard about a similar thing on Holy Heroes, where they use one big jar for their family and use beans that turn into jelly beans.  We changed from jelly beans to lollipops, because when we went gluten-free, casein-free, and dye-free, lollipops we could have were easier to find. 

We changed to bird seed so we could feed the birds, too.  And, we like to have three jars - one for praying, one for fasting, and one for giving - because we like to see how much each one gets.  Usually praying has the most.  We need to remember fast and give more - especially fasting!

I think other people with children can enjoy this tradition.  It's fun and also supports praying, fasting, and giving, because you have something visual and concrete to do every day during Lent, and, then, can rejoice and enjoy lollipops on Easter!

Through the Years with Our Pray, Fast, and Give Jars

As many traditions do, our family's tradition of using Lenten Jars has morphed through the years.  We've adapted how many jars we use, where we place them, and what we put in them according to the needs and ideas of each given Lenten season.  However, even as these practical details have changed from year to year, one thing has not:  Pray, Fast, and Give Jars have become a staple Lenten tradition for us which reminds us daily to focus on the penitential practices. 

We began using Lenten Jars in 2010 before my third child was born.  That year, I was out of purple paper on the day we made the jars, so, we used green, instead, (since we were just coming out of Ordinary Time) and decided to decorate the papeer with our names, hearts to reminds us to love Jesus through sacrifices, and the words "pray", "fast", and "give" written in penitential purple.  Then, throughout Lent, we dropped up to three beans a day into our jars,  depending on if we remembered to pray, fast, and give during that given day. 

To help us remember our penitential focus, we also posted the words "Pray", "Fast", and "Give" above our jars using purple paper letters that I'd cut out and let the children affix smiley stickers on. (That is where the last of my purple paper went that year before making the jars.).  The smiley faces reminded us that Jesus smiles when we offer him our sacrifices.

Then, on Easter of that year, our beans disappeared and were replaced with sweet, long-lasting treats - lollipops - to symbolize the enduring gift of Jesus' love.   Plus, the Lenten purple cloth below the beans turned to Easter white, the word "alleluia" re-appeared along with a wish for happy Easter, and an image of the risen Jesus came out, too.

This first experience of using our Lenten Jars proved effective in helping us to reflect upon and keep track of our efforts at prayer, fasting, and almsgiving throughout Lent, and, of course, the children loved discovering their efforts transformed into joy and sweetness on Easter.  So, in 2011, we decided to make new jars.

That year, with a baby in the house, we kept the jar-making simple by just wrapping jars with purple paper that the children used foam stickers, markers, and crayons on.  We placed these under a cross of paper the children painted purple which acted as a reminder to pray, fast, and give alms throughout the season.  The children also added other bits of decor - mostly homemade - to the display as Lent unfolded, including crosses and sacrifice beads.

Then, on Easter morning, the purple tablecloth beneath the Lenten Jars was replaced with a white cloth, Easter cards that the children had received were placed on the table, an image of a risen Jesus appeared, and angel crafts the children had made came to the fore to remind us of the angel in the Bible that announced Jesus had risen.  Plus, of course, the lollipops grew.

During Lent 2012, we transitioned from using a single Lenten Jar per person to be filled with up to three beans a night to a using set of three Pray, Fast, and Give Jars for the entire family, which we filled whenever we remembered to do so after praying, fasting, and giving.  

After making our jars, we set them out with a bin of beans (hidden under a purple cloth), a Lenten nature craft of three crosses, and an image of Jesus carrying his cross.  

The kids could not wait to start using the jars and began praying, fasting, and looking for opportunities to give right away.

The "big kids" also got a bit over-zealous helping their baby brother to use our Pray, Fat, and Give jars..  Yep, the beans went everywhere - and, with them, a message was carried.

After cleaning those beans up - and finding stray bean after stray bean for days - there were still plenty to drop in our Pray, Fast, and Give Jars when we made sacrifices, so, of course, on Easter morning, the children were thrilled to discover that their jars had grown Easter sweetness and so had the hill where they had placed their nature-crafted crosses.  Homemade butterflies, an image of the risen Jesus, unburied "Alleluia's", and liturgical year wheel completed the scene.

In 2013, before we'd even made our jars, my daughter began praying at the table where they'd be placed. Then, my oldest son suggested that we change what we put in our Pray, Fast, and Give Jars from beans to birdseed.  So, that is what we did. 

I cannot find a photo of our 2013 Pray, Fast, and Give Jars out on our Lenten prayer table, but I was able to find this shot of the table transformed for Easter morning with lollipops growing out of our seed bowl and jar filled with seeds of sacrificial love.  (Note: I learned from the prior year and put out a much smaller container of seeds than I had of beans the year before!)

In 2014, our living room configuration changed and, so our prayer table disappeared, to be replaced by a cubby on our learning shelves.  Unfortunately, I cannot find a picture of how our Pray, Fast, and Give Jars looked there, but I do have a photo of the kids making the jars - which, by then, had become a quick and easy - yet still enjoyable - process since we'd been doing it for several years.

Then, instead of keeping our jars tucked onto the cubby shelf on Easter morning, they got moved over by our Easter baskets.

Lent 2015 found our Pray, Fast, and Give Jars moving to the kitchen table on a tray of seed (which we would not recommend to families with wee ones who might eat or get too overzealous with such a set up, nor to those with pets or pests.) We found that this placement prompted us to actually make sacrificial acts of prayer, fasting, and giving throughout our days better since the display was right where we cook, eat, and often do lessons or crafts.

Soon, a crucifix joined the scene, tucked into the small basket in which we placed strips of paper from completed sacrifices from our Lenten Chain. 

Then, on Easter lollipops grew from our seeds of sacrificial love (which went out to feed our feathered friends), and they also appeared in the little basket nearby.  Our buried-and-resurrected "Alleluias" became a backdrop for the scene, and some paper plate pencil topper Easter lilies, white candles, and opened paper Easter tombs that one of the kids had made completed our not-picture-perfect-yet-perfect-enough-for-us Easter vignette.

In 2016, our jars moved to the shelf between our living room and our dining room, however, I neglected to take any photos of them until the labels had come off, the seeds had been spread outside, and the children had gotten into the sweet reminders of Jesus' love.  You can see here, though, that we decided to add a small statue of a risen Jesus near to our Easter morning display.

Lent 2017 was a rather crazy time for us since, among other things, we had recently lost Nana and Daddy was recovering from a surgery. Plus the children were preparing for and competing in their first Destination Imagination competition and, well, there was just a lot going on in our heads, hearts, and lives.  So, to be honest, even though it was only a year ago, I cannot recall if our Pray, Fast, and Give Jars remained on the shelf or made their way back to the table.  I do know, however, that during a somewhat stressful Lent, our tradition of using Pray, Fast, and Give Jars reminded us daily to offer up our hardships and to keep focusing on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

By the time Easter came, we were all ready to savor the sweetness blooming from our jars, which were tucked at the top of our Easter morning table.  We also rejoiced in the sweetness of knowing Jesus, indeed, rose again.  Darkness never triumphs.

So it is that for almost a decade now, we have enjoyed our tradition of Pray, Fast, and Give Jars, and undoubtedly, will continue to do so for many years to come. Especially last year, they proved to us how a simple tool - three jars, some paper, some markers, birdseed, and lollipops - can work to focus us on the penitential practices of Lent and the joy of Easter.  Our Pray, Fast, and Give Jars have certainly become an enduring and meaningful tradition for us.  Perhaps your family might borrow the idea.

Whatever traditions you and yours practice, may your Lenten journey be a meaningful time or prayer, fasting, and almsgiving!

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