MARC CARDARONELLA
What Can Children Do at Adoration?
GADGETS
Handheld devices are not just a means of distraction but can be a major part of our children’s adoration experience. For example, they can use the iRosary app to help them pray the Rosary. The program has all the usual Rosary prayers and a little bit more. The beads move, there’s a picture to look at, and you can read the text of the prayers. I think it
gives them the sense that, yes we’re praying, but it’s also fun.
BOOKS
Reading is an easy activity for children to do, but make it spiritual reading. You’re establishing adoration as devotional time. Try using the “Encounter the Saints” series
from Pauline Books & Media.
Adoration Takeaway
I definitely think families and religious education programs should work adoration into
their schedules. It’s an excellent way to evangelize children and establish them in an amazing and powerful Catholic devotion.
Is it hard for them to sit still and stay quiet? Like anything with kids, it requires perseverance and patience. You have to work them into it. But with time and effort, I know it will come. How could Jesus not want your children to come to him?
Adoration resources for children
APPS:
BOOKS (YOUNGER):
- Book of Saints Series by Fr. Lovasik, CatholicBookPublishing.com.
- Loyola Kids Book of Saints by Amy Welborn, LoyolaPress.com
- Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomi dePaola
- King Nimrod’s Tower: Leon Garfield (Author), Michael Bragg (Illustrator)
- Living Faith Kids: LivingFaithKids.com
- Magnifikid: US.Magnificat.net/Home/Magnifikid
- Magnificat children’s books: Bookstore.Magnificat.net/Children-s-Books.html.
- The Bible Wise Series by CarineMacKenzie
- Catholic Heritage Curricula: CHCWeb.com.
BOOKS (OLDER)
- Encounter the Saints Series: PaulineBooks.com
- Saint’s Lives Series by Mary Fabyan Windeatt: TanBooks.com
- Brendan the Navigator by Jean Fritz
- Adara by Beatrice Gormley
- God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah by Joanne Williamson
- AKA Genius and Genius Under Construction by Marilee Haynes
- Mission Libertad by Lizette M. Lantigua
CHILDREN’S BIBLES:
- “The Gospels for Young Catholics”
- The Beginner’s Bible
- The Jesus Storybook Bible
- New Catholic Picture Bible by Nable, Lawrence G. Lovasik
- The Action Bible: Doug Mauss (Editor), Sergio Cariello (Illustrator)
Marc Cardaronella is the author of Keep Your Kids Catholic: Sharing Your Faith and Making It Stick (Ave Maria Press). He serves as director of the Bishop Helmsing Institute for Faith Formation at the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO, and writes at MarcCardaronella.com.
This article was originally published in Catechist magazine, March 2016
