A Rosary by any other name

There are so many ways to pray the Rosary, and lots of resources to help you pray.

You can use an actual rosary, of course, but there are other ways to approach it, too. There are tapes (this one by Dana and Fr. Scallon has long been a favorite of mine, and CDs (and be sure to read Elizabeth's inspiring post here about this one), and a couple of online helps. Or, you might want to use a book or two. One can always count on one's fingers, and no link is necessary there.

Or you can color.

A big thanks to my friend, Johnna, for showing me the coloring sheets she uses with her children. Or, did she use this? Either way, you get the idea. At the time, I filed it away in my crowded brain and that was the end of it. But, recently, in attempting to revitalize our family's evening prayer time, the idea came up again.

After an online search, I printed out these sheets that I found at CatholicMom.com (a site, by the way, which I haven't explored enough, but which is absolutely beautiful and packed so full of information and resources that I want an afternoon and a pot of coffee with it.)

Betsy and Ramona love the coloring sheets. They give Anne the opportunity to feel too grown-up for them; she opts for her beads instead. I love the way the physical activity keeps the younger two focused. It's a simple idea, but so helpful. The kids often color or do something with their hands while I read aloud ... why not during prayers, too, if it helps them to keep their minds on what we're saying?

A couple more free, online sources for kids: Picture Beads are lovely. My Friend magazine offers this help and here's another lovely site.

A couple more for purchase are here and here, here, and here.