One of the ways that we help our children learn to connect with our faith is our family's Montessori inspired prayer area. This is a small area in our home where the children have complete control over the area is created and put together.
The idea for our prayer area came from Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori religious education program. In CGS, a prayer table is used as a place to gather and pray while children are in the atrium (the prepared religious environment.) The prayer table is where we gather to pray, to sing, to celebrate, and so much more. The children are responsible for setting up this area, and for preparing it for each religious season. I wanted my children to have the same control and autonomy at home. I wanted to give them a visual reminder of prayer, and also a place where they could physically control the space to glorify the Lord.
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Our prayer area is very simple! It is just located on a shelf in our dining room. In a drawer near by we have all the supplies that the children can use to set the table. These include:
- Bandanas in our four liturgical colors (switched with each religious season)
- Our DIY pascal candle (made with a beeswax candle and some decorating strips)
- Electronic tea lights
- Various crosses/crucifixes
- Religious statutes (like this Good Shepherd)
- Various Rosaries
In the prayer area, the kids are also able to leave cards, pictures, notes, or flower arrangements that they choose. I love that the prayer area looks different all the time depending on who set it up and what they choose to include. It's a simple way to make prayer concrete for children!
Do you have a prayer area in your home?
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