Lent offers a meaningful opportunity to help young people reflect on God’s mercy and consider how they can grow closer to Jesus through their everyday choices.  

This hands-on Lent activity blends Scripture with creativity and conversation to explore what living their faith can look like during the season. Rooted in reflection and simple action, it encourages students to move beyond ideas and make personal commitments they can carry through the forty days of Lent. 

1. Read Luke 15:11, 20–24 or read the Featured Story on pages 1620—1621 in The Catholic Children’s Bible together. 

2. Gather the following items: one square sheet of white paper for each child (the larger the square, the larger the flip game), and a pencil or marker for each child (Note: The paper must be exactly square for this game to work.) 

3. Brainstorm with the children, asking how we can live our faith and grow closer to Jesus during Lent. What special something can we do for someone else? 

4. Distribute a square sheet of paper to each child. As you demonstrate the following folds, ask the children to do the same with their squares of paper. Placing the square on the desk, fold the paper by taking the two corners that are closest and joining the pointed corners in the center of the square. Explain that pressing down the fold will make a tight fold. Do the same with the other two corners. 

5. Now have the children turn the paper over so that the folds are face down. Instruct them to take each pointed corner and make a tight fold towards the center of the square. The children should have a perfect square. Keeping the fold facing them, instruct the children to fold the square in half so there are two open flaps facing up. Now have them turn the folded paper over to see the other two open flaps. 

6. On the top flaps, ask the children to write words associated with Lent (for example: Lent, forty, Jesus, cross). For the flip game, they choose a word and spell it as they move their fingers for each letter. Inside the top flaps, the children write numbers 1 through 8. In the game, they will choose a number and move their fingers for that amount. 

7. Direct the children to refer to the list of ideas gathered at the brainstorming session. Have them choose eight different ways they want to live and grow in their faith during Lent. Instruct them to write these ideas on the eight inside hidden triangle flaps. 

8. Demonstrate the finger-flip game. Have the children place their pointer fingers in the two front flaps and their thumbs in the two back flaps. Direct them to move their fingers together to close the paper square completely. Show them how to stretch their thumbs and pointer fingers at the same time to open and close the folded game. Then, moving their fingers and keeping a tight hold inside the flaps, tell them to gently pull their hands apart to open the folded game in the other direction. (Allow the children to get familiar with these movements and to be careful not to tear the paper.) After the children spell a word on the top flap and count a number from the inside flap, ask them to choose another number and lift the flap to reveal the activity they will do for that week of Lent.

Living faith in action throughout Lent 

Encourage young people to use this game each week (or daily) during Lent as a reminder of their choices to live and grow in their faith. Lent as a reminder of their choices to live and grow in their faith.

Get more activities for Lent with our free lesson plans.