A paper prayer chain is a great craft to do with the kids for Lent, or really for anytime of the year.
This super simple kids Bible craft transforms the traditional construction paper chain that you may have made as a kid (I did!) into a kid-sized devotional tool.
We actually hung this paper prayer chain on the inside of our front door - just because that's we have hooks already installed. But super cool result: we now get to see all the things we're thankful for, and say a little prayer for all the things that we hope will come into our lives, each time we leave the house.
Materials You Need to Make a Construction Paper Prayer Chain
- construction paper
- scissors
- a stapler, glue, or tape
- dark coloured markers
Preparation tip:
If you want same time during the activity, or you have kids who have the attention span of a goldfish, then you might want to cut your paper strips beforehand. Strips can be about 1 inch by 8 inches, but that can vary a fair bit.
(Just be sure your paper chain strips are wide enough to write on, and not too narrow that you can't read them, or too wide that they become giant, droopy paper ovals.)
How to Make a Construction Paper Prayer Chain
- Have each child write the things and the people they would like to prayer for on their strips of paper. (One prayer request per paper strip.)
- You can guide them to include both things they are thankful for, and things that need prayer (like a sick relative, an upcoming test, etc.).
- Have older kids tape, glue, or staple their chains together. For younger kids, you may need to turn the strips of paper into a chain for them. (Just staple one end of each strip to the other end, and then loop your 2nd chain through your first before stapling, and your 3rd through your 2nd....)
Variations on the Construction Paper Prayer Chain
There are a number of ways that you can change up your construction paper prayer chain activity.
- Write the names of all the people in your life on strips of paper (both people you are thankful for, and people who need God to act in their lives in some way). This can also be a powerful reminder of all the people we have in our lives for whom we are grateful.
- Use only two colours for your paper chain: one for the requests and one for the thank-you's.
- If you do the highs and lows activity (otherwise known as "rose and thorn") with your kids each day, take each high and low and turn them into prayers in your chain. Watch your paper prayer chain slowly grow each day. (We do this activity with our kids before suppertime, in order to get them talking about their day, and they love it!)
