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Reply to "Teaching about the Cross using "Stations of the Cross" for Children"

Stepping Stone Stations of the Cross, a "Palm Saturday" event



We have a Lent program that is geared towards the whole church and a "Palm Saturday" event that is more for the kids.

At the "Palm Saturday" event I have used the book, The Story of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross for Children by Mary Joslin. It is beautifully done with powerful prayers.

The kids made cement stepping stones inlaid with colored glass  tiles to depict a simple scene of the cross and empty tomb or how those stories make them feel.

The stepping stones were displayed in the church during Holy Week with the prayers from the book as a meditation. After Easter, they were set in a meditation garden for people to walk past and contemplate. It was powerful!

View this blogpage for instructions and photos of how to make cement mosaic stepping stones with kids using pie tins. https://meganzeni.com/garden-stepping-stones/

Supplies:

  • Book: The Story of the Cross, The Stations of the Cross for Children by Mary Joslin.
  • A couple bags of quik-dry cement
  • Water
  • Tub to mix the cement
  • 9" Pie tins from the dollar store to form the stepping stones
  • clear contact paper
  • cooking spray to make the tins easily release from the cement
  • Mosaic Pieces. Look in your local craft store or online for bags of "mosaic" pieces. Make sure they have been prepared so that there are no sharp edges.
  • rubber gloves


Read the book "story-time" way.

Photo-copied the pages so that each child could pick a station and have it in front of them.

How to Make Easy Mosaic Pie Tin Stepping Stones

There are several techniques for creating stepping stones with kids. Here's one that works. You can find others online.

  1. Lightly spray the inside "side" of each tin.
  2. Cut the contact paper the shape of the round tin bottom, peel off the paper and lay the contact paper inside the tin sticky side UP so the mosaic pieces will stick to it.  Using the contact paper this way keeps the mosaic pieces in place as you pour the cement. It also helps students keep their design together. Note: Some crafters recommend making the design on the paper and then placing it into the pan.
    Tip: Leave about 1/8" between pieces for the cement to fill in between the pieces.
  3. Once they have completed laying in their design, pour the cement into the tins, filling to the brim.
  4. Set aside and let dry for 24 hours.
  5. After they have dried, turn them over and peel off the sticky contact paper and remove the pie tin. Voila!

    Then we photocopied the prayer from the book and cut the pages with the crafting scissors that cut a decorative edge. Glue these pages on colored paper. We have a bookcase in our parish hall that the kids present all their Sunday school stuff in. We usually do a lenten meditation for the church each year. They were displayed there until Maundy Thursday when we put them in the church in the windows.

    Alternatively, you can buy concrete stepping stones and create a mosaic "layer" that you glue on top of the concrete circle using tile mastic. The mastic is white so it gives a cleaner look. Look at this blog for more details: https://theartofeducation.edu/...ake-stepping-stones/

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Images (3)
  • The Story of the Cross, a book
  • Mosaic Stepping Stones
  • Palm Saturday Stepping Stones
Last edited by Neil MacQueen
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