What is Lent for Kids? A Guide for Parents & Teachers

When I was a kid, I don’t really remember learning much about Lent at church. There may have been a light liturgy read on the Sundays of Lent, but it doesn’t register in my mind’s eye. I was a church kid, and I don’t remember learning what Lent was actually about.

Kind of weird, right? I mean, I knew that people gave up things for Lent. I learned that from popular culture, and the few Catholic kids who happened to go to my school. They didn’t know what Lent was really about either, but they gave up things like chocolate for 40 days.

That was it—you give something up for Lent. But why? What did giving up chocolate have to do with God? Didn’t He want us to live an abundant life? I was confused.

As a child, if you’d never heard of Lent before, you may glean some awareness on the playground or perhaps in some media. You might think that Lent is just about giving up chocolate. But like any spiritual practice, Lent is about our heart posture.

Are we sensing God nudging us to give something up or take something on so that we depend on Him more? Or are we doing it just to have an answer when someone asks, “What did you give up for Lent?”

God sees our hearts. Lent works best when it’s guided by the Holy Spirit, not by pressure, habit, or appearances.

In this article:

• What Lent Is and Why It Matters

• Why Lent Lasts 40 Days

• How to Explain Lent to a Child (Simple Script)

• Lenten Practices for Kids That Shape Faith

• Why Lent Isn’t About Rules

As I got older, I started to dig deeper find a simple answer. Basically, Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter where Christians get their hearts ready for Jesus. But where did it come from? And what was Lent really about? Here’s what I found...

The Meaning of Lent (And why it’s 40 Days)

Lent is a shortened form of an old English word, 'lencten', which meant 'spring season.'

Why 40 days?

Well, if you’ve read the Bible, you’ll know that 40 days is a very frequently occurring amount of time.

How long did it rain in Noah’s season on the ark? 40 days and 40 nights. How long was Moses on Mount Sinai? 40 days and 40 nights. How long did Elijah fast after fleeing from Jezebel? 40 days and 40 nights.

But then Jesus is on the scene, and after he’s baptized, he goes into the wilderness for how long? 40 days and 40 nights. As Jesus fasts, he faces Satan’s tempting. It is this 40-day period that sets the rationale for our practice of Lent.

As such, Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter. That said, various denominations have slightly different practices with how they calculate those days. Many start on Ash Wednesday and end on Holy Saturday. If you were to count each day, you’d realize that is actually 46 days; however, the practice discounts the Sundays – 6 of them – arriving at 40 days. Other denominations or traditions, begin on Ash Wednesday and end on Holy Thursday. Some have extended fasting for up to 55 days! All that to say, “Lent” doesn’t have a completely set 40 days for all Christians.

When did Christians first begin this practice?

Well, the truth is, many scholars believe that the practice of Lent began within the first century, however, the mass practice of Lent became embedded in the Church during the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.

What did early Christians do during Lent?

In the first few hundred years, early Christians held fairly strict fasting rules with one meal each day after 3pm, however, it could not have meat, fish, or dairy. Then, a few hundred years in, around the year 800, Christians relaxed the rules somewhat and began to add another small meal. As time went on, more of this loosened to the point that simply giving up something for Lent seemed to suffice.

Why doesn't my church observe fasting during Lent?

Maybe they do. Neat! But chances are your church doesn’t really hold to the practice of fasting (at least from something) for 40 days. Why? The reality is that during the Reformation, many of the reformers believed that fasting for 40 days felt too much like a work-based salvation practice instead of simply receiving our salvation by grace through faith. Thus, the practice of Lent was mostly phased out by Protestants.

How to Explain Lent to a Child (A Script)

Here’s a simple, kid-friendly way to frame Lent. You might say something like this:

Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter. You might wonder why 40 days? In the Bible, we learn that after Jesus was baptized, he went to the wilderness where he fasted (he didn’t eat) for 40 days all the while being tempted by the devil. But don’t worry! Jesus never sinned!

Now, to do some ‘extra-focus on Jesus,’ many Christians around the world choose to do special things during those 40 days before Easter.

What kinds of things? Well, some choose to fast – that means going without something, usually food, for that time. But fasting isn’t always about food. Some people choose to fast from technology or an activity that takes up too much time, so that they can focus that time on praying and reading the Bible more. Some people also choose to give more during Lent. That could be money that they give to the church or to the poor or giving of their time to help serve the church or serve the poor.

Lent is all about preparing our hearts to remember Jesus’ death on the cross and his coming back from the dead – we call that resurrection – to show that he saved us from our sins, and he defeated death!

Lenten Practices for Kids That Shape Faith

Instead of focusing only on what kids give up, invite them into practices that shape their hearts. Here are a few ideas that you may want to encourage children to lead for their families:

The Family Kindness Planner
Invite kids to become the family’s “kindness planners” for Lent.

How kids can lead:

• At the start of each week, help them plan one small act of kindness per day

• Pray together about who might need encouragement

• At dinner, let kids share how the kindness went

Kindness becomes intentional, not accidental, and kids begin to see themselves as people who bring light into the world.

The Giving Box with a Destination
Instead of just collecting items or money, let kids help decide where it will go.

How kids can lead:

• Decorate the giving box together

• Talk about who might need help

• Let kids vote on or choose the organization, family, or cause

Giving becomes relational rather than abstract. Kids learn generosity has faces, stories, and impact.

The “Fast and Fill” Practice
Rather than simply giving something up, help kids replace it with something life-giving.

Examples kids might choose:

• Fast from complaining and replace it with gratitude

• Fast from screens before bed and replace it with prayer

• Fast from arguing and replace it with encouragement

Ask kids what they want to “fill the space with,” then help them practice it daily.

A Jesus-Focus Question of the Day
Each day, kids ask one simple question around the table.

Examples:

• “Where did you see kindness today?”

• “What reminded you of Jesus?”

• “Who can we pray for tomorrow?”

Kids become spiritual facilitators, learning that faith belongs in everyday conversation.

The Quiet Minute
Set aside one minute each day for silence.

How kids can lead:

• Ring a bell or set a short timer

• Invite everyone to sit quietly and think about Jesus

• End with a simple prayer

This helps kids practice stillness, something increasingly rare and deeply formative.

Remember, Lent isn’t about rules.
It isn’t about being impressive.
And it isn’t about earning God’s love.

Lent is about creating space for Jesus.

When kids are invited to lead these practices, they don’t just learn about Lent. They experience a faith that is active, generous, thoughtful, and deeply connected to love.

And that’s a lesson that lasts far longer than 40 days.

Looking Ahead to Easter Sunday?

Now that you are ready for Lent, it’s time to plan for Easter!

Whether you need a full 4-week series, a zero-prep lesson, or an immersive family event, we have you covered.

👉 Browse the 2026 Easter Curriculum Catalogue