Preschool children. Rosary. Prayerful.
It doesn’t seem like those words can possibly belong together. Yet, praying the rosary with preschool children is not only possible, it can also be prayerful!
Last fall I did a Little Lambs’ class on the rosary. We used beads to make decade rosaries. We used paper to make decade rosaries on the floor. Using both of these, we prayed a decade of the rosary. The most amazing experience. I was so moved by it that I wrote a reflection on it.
Does this mean that every time these children pray the rosary that it will be prayerful and peaceful? Definitely not. But it is a reminder to me from the Holy Spirit that young children are able to pray in ways that we often do not give them credit for being able to do.
The decade rosary made out of beads is perfect for little hands. It is easy to slide the beads from one end to the other as the Hail Mary’s are prayed.
For each decade rosary, you will need:
1 – 12 inch chenille stem (pipe cleaner)
1 – 18 mm heart bead
1 – crucifix
These are the crucifixes I used with my class. I had them on hand from previous rosary making with older children. There are lots of other options. Check out your local craft stores. Or, if you are only making one or two, see if you have any crucifixes from broken rosaries.
Begin by putting a heart bead onto a pipe cleaner. 
Bring the end of the pipe cleaner to the back side of the heart and twist the end around the main part of the pipe cleaner.
Add 10 beads to the pipe cleaner.
Attach the crucifix by putting the pipe cleaner through the hole on the crucifix and twisting the end of the pipe cleaner around the main part of the pipe cleaner.
And now you are ready to pray a decade of the rosary!
Begin with all the beads down by the crucifix.
Make the Sign of the Cross.
Pray the “Our Father” while your fingers are on the heart bead.
Move one pony bead towards the heart each time you say the Hail Mary.
When all the “Hail Mary” beads have been moved down to the heart bead, finish the decade of the rosary by praying the “Glory Be” and the “Sign of the Cross.”
You can use this decade rosary with the decade rosary on the floor. Children use their feet to step on the floor “beads” and use their hands to move the plastic beads.
Stepping on “beads”, moving beads in their hands, AND praying the prayers takes a lot of concentration! In our Little Lambs’ classes, at least one parent comes with the child so the kids have help figuring it all out.
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