Praying the Rosary with Little Ones

Eliza loves to pray our family rosary. She has come a long way in learning all the prayers since I wrote this post about her earlier prayer attempts, but just like when we pray the Angelus, she does like to be the leader. However she can't possibly keep count and pray at the same time. A while ago Michael got out our rosary with giant wooden beads, but even that is too difficult because as anyone who has tried to teach a little person to use a rosary knows - if you let go of the beads you've lost your place. So the other night as I watched Eliza I thought to myself, there has to be an easier way. I thought if she had counters that she could move from one place to another, she wouldn't lose count. I tried getting out some milk caps but she wasn't really interested in them, as she associates milk caps with letters and spelling, not praying. I thought she should have something lovely and pleasant to count with, and something unique just for praying the rosary. I thought about it just a bit more and realized it had to be roses for Our Lady!

So the next day I crocheted a set of roses, ten red for the Hail Mary's and one white rose for the Our Father's. I found two similar sized handle baskets, as little ones love to carry things around, and arranged the roses in the basket. The idea is very simple - they start with all of the roses in one basket and as each prayer is said a rose is moved to the other basket. When the next decade is started the roses get moved back to the first basket and so on.

I also printed out a set of cards with pictures of the mysteries, and laminated them for durability. I put numbers on each of the cards using little squares of paper in symbolic colors:  pink for joyful, purple for sorrowful, white for glorious and yellow for luminous. I think these will help the little girls to learn the mysteries, as they hold the proper card for each mystery we pray.

I thought this was a nice idea, but still I was surprised and delighted at how much the little girls love praying with these roses. Kateri is so pleased to be in charge of moving the roses from basket to basket, carefully arranging them with each decade. With something to keep her hands occupied and her mind focused, this bouncy two year old was happy to sit still for the entire rosary, and so proud to have such an important job.

 She is thrilled to have the cards to hold as well, and she shows everyone the picture as each new mystery is announced. Now when someone says it's time for the rosary, the little girls gleefully run for the basket of roses for Our Lady. I trust Our Dear Blessed Mother is pleased with her bouquet from these sweet little ones who are learning to love her and to pray always for her intercession.

 

Resources:

The rosary cards are found here: Rosary Cards pdf generously provided by The Bookworm.

The pattern I used for the roses can be found here: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-rosettes.html?noImages= I believe you have to register at the Lion Brand site to use it, but it's free. I used Red Heart Super Saver worsted weight yarn - about 5 ounces of red for the ten. I used an I hook (5.5mm) and started with a chain of 35 stitches.

If you don't crochet or know anyone who does, you could purchase faux roses from the craft store. 

Comments

[Charlotte (Matilda)]

Beautiful. Truly beautiful! This is the best and most unique idea I have seen to help little ones pray the rosary. What an inspiration!

[Mary G.]

What an amazingly, fabulous idea ... and the pictures of the girls (with sheer delight on their faces) are wonderful to see!

Thanks for sharing ... mind if I borrow?

[Kathryn]

What a lovely idea! I am definitely going to make those for my 2yo. I have posted a link to your post at First Heralds

[Eileen]

I love this post, and your whole site is so beautiful -- your ideas have been such an inspiration!

[Barbara]

Brilliant, Kimberlee -- I think this idea may be the very thing my little ones need to keep them with us when we pray! Thank you so much for sharing your time and talents with us!

[Jennifer in TX]

Oh Kimberlee,
What a lovely idea. I already have the Rosary cards (gifted to me by a dear friend) and will probably just get craft store roses, but my four year old and seven year old will love this! Thank you!

[linda]

thank you so much for sharing this idea. It is truly beautiful

[Cheryl]

I love this idea, Kimberlee.

[Sarah]

What a beautiful way to teach your girls to pray the Rosary! I am sure our Blessed Mother is just delighted!

[Jenny Andrews]

wow, those roses are so beautiful and what joy your girls have offering them to Mother Mary! I want some, too!!

[Maria]

What a gorgeous, gorgeous idea!

[Jeanne]

What a great idea. Thanks for sharing. Your family is very beautiful. I don't knit very well, but maybe I can buy them. I think my DS children (2 out of 8) will like this idea.

[Alice Gunther]

Absolutely brilliant!!!

[Clare Marie-Therese Duroc]

This is so wonderful! I'm going to have to learn to crochet now. :)

[Andrea]

What a beautiful idea, thank you so much for sharing!

[Trish]

I am so making this for my 4 year old's Easter basket!! He will love it! Thank you so much. : )

[Cheryl M.]

Such a wonderful idea, Kimberlee! You are such an amazing mother to your children!! :) Hugs to you.

[Elizabeth Foss]

I sent this link to Karoline's godmother and she's crocheting for K this afternoon. She's making an extra set for our parish atrium. Thanks so much!

[Jo Flemings]

Absolutely beautiful and brilliant!

[Susan (Taffy)]

I really like this idea! Thanks for sharing - off to crochet some roses now!

[Tara De Lucia]

I am so moved by this! I love your creativity! And what a testament your family is to the daily rosary. Thanks for sharing!

[Kirsten]

just beautiful. You daughters look so sweet with those roses. God bless you and your beautiful family.

[Kimberly]

This is amazing!! Kimberlee...you astound me with your creativity! Thank you for your generosity in sharing such a lovely idea!!!

[Kelly]

This is SO VERY beautiful!! May God bless you for sharing this fantastic way to honor our Blessed Mother and to bring the little ones closer to her! We have been saying our family rosary for a while now and I have wanted a way of making it more "real" for the littler ones and to keep their attention. I'm going to get started on this right away. It will be nice to crochet something other than scarves, LOL!

[regan]

by sharing this very precious story you have just given me the perfect idea for a gift for my goddaughter! thanks so much.
God bless you.