Want to incorporate Lent into your homeschool plans this spring but don’t know where to start? Here’s what you need to know about Sonlight’s Lenten Unit Study and how it can help prepare for Easter with your family.
*This is a sponsored post and I received a free copy of this kit for review. As always, I was not asked to write a positive review and all thoughts are my own. See my disclosure to learn more.*
Between core subjects, electives, and other homeschool to-dos, it can be difficult to hold space for seasons like Lent in your homeschool plans. If you’re like us, that means we often end up doing nothing at all with the best of intentions to incorporate it the next time around. There’s grace for this, for sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’ve never really experienced Lent in a meaningful way as a family.
It turns out that Sonlight’s Lenten Unit Study was the answer to this ongoing struggle to make room for Lent. That’s why I’m so happy to tell you about the Amon’s Adventure Unit Study and what I’ve observed after working through it with my family.
Sonlight’s Amon’s Adventure Lenten Unit Study
This particular Lenten Unit Study is one of two Lenten studies Sonlight offers. Centered around Sonlight’s literature-based educational philosophy, it uses Amon’s Adventure by Arnold Ytreeide as a foundation for the study, but also includes a list of other reading suggestions to use with it.
If Arnold Ytreeide sounds familiar, you’re likely familiar with his beloved Advent books. If you’ve spent any time exploring these books with your family, you know how they provide a unique and rewarding family reading experience. If you’re not familiar with these stories, no worries. The important thing to know is that Amon’s Adventure explores the weeks before Christ’s death and resurrection through powerful, but kid-friendly historical fiction.
The unit study itself is recommended for early elementary – middle school kids. Better yet, while it’s divided into 7 weeks, you can adjust the schedule as needed. That means you can jump in after Lent begins and still enjoy this rewarding experience without feeling behind.
Along with a copy of Amon’s Adventure, the kit includes:
- The easy-to-follow Lenten Unit Study guide.
- Recipes and recipe cards to accompany weekly readings.
- Craft supplies.
- Craft templates.
- Extra craft ideas.
- Corresponding Lenten-themed Spotify playlist
Also worth noting, the study guide is pleasantly straightforward. Much like any beloved instructor’s guide from Sonlight, it’s broken up into weekly grids with daily readings. (These readings are either from Amon’s Adventure, scripture, or one of the extra reading recommendations.)
Each weekly grid also includes activity suggestions, followed by a couple of pages with additional resources, discussion questions, or activity instructions.
Why Choose Sonlight’s Lenten Unit Study?
Before jumping into my thoughts about this Lenten unit study, I want to mention that I don’t come from a liturgical church background and have no experience in a liturgical church. While I’ve learned more about Lent on my own through the years, my experience with it — or lack thereof– is why I’m so grateful for resources like this one.
With that said, there’s much to appreciate in this study. Here are a few things that particularly stand out to me.
It’s a Lent experience for the whole family.
Since my husband and I don’t have experience with liturgical expressions, I’ve always been at a loss at how to share this observance with my kids in an appropriately serious and celebratory way. This unit study and all the background information it includes make all of this possible.
Having these weekly readings and activities makes this hard, heavy, but oh-so-beautiful season one that can spark new levels of understanding, awe, and gratitude in all of us as we prepare to celebrate Christ’s resurrection with our church family.
All of that to say, whether you’re connected to a church that observes Lent or not, this unit study approach is a wonderful way to help kids connect the dots in Jesus’ story. And because Amon’s Adventure provides such helpful historical context, it can also help parents experience Easter with fresh eyes.
It’s a flexible approach to Lent.
Though Lent is observed with certain dates in mind, this unit study provides a flexible approach to observing it as a family. For example,
- Amon’s Adventure doesn’t follow the usual highly-scheduled reading schedule that Arnold Ytreeide’s Advent series follows. Starting after Ash Wednesday is fine because you’re not reading from it every day until Easter.
- The Lenten Unit Study guide provides lots of activity options. The key word here is “options.” They certainly enhance the experience, but you’ll still have a rich experience if life gets busy and you want to skip some of them.
- The schedule is just enough. That means there’s not so much planned each week that you’ll be overwhelmed if you need to combine a couple of days here and there. It also means there was a lot of thought put into what’s included each week, ensuring a truly rewarding experience for you and your kids.
So, there’s plenty of structure in this unit study, but it’s really more of a framework that can be reworked as needed.
It’s open-and-go.
Because we’re using this Lenten Unit Study as an addition to our normal homeschool plans, I so appreciate that it includes pretty much everything needed for the study. That makes it so easy to integrate it into what we’re already doing.
And, honestly, this open-and-go element is what makes it doable as a homeschool add-on rather than a time-sensitive study that requires more planning and preparation that I can handle in this season of life.
That being said, I have had to gather a few things for activities, but these have only consisted of general household items like scissors for the Lent paper chain and baking ingredients for the recipes.
The good news is that none of this has required a run for craft supplies or groceries. In other words, anything not included in the kit is most likely something you already have on hand.
Get Connected With Sonlight
In closing, Sonlight’s Lenten Unit Study is a wonderful solution if you’re looking to experience Lent as a family this year. It provides the perfect mix of guidance, resources, and easy-to-implement ideas for leading your family through a meaningful Lent season.
Where to find Amon’s Adventure Lenten Unit Study
You can learn more about this Lenten Unit Study from Sonlight and order your kit through the button below!
Ready to learn more? You can get all the details and order this Lenten Unit Study kit for your family through Sonlight’s website. While you’re there, you can also discover more about Sonlight and check out their sales and specials to save on their tried-and-true curriculum packages.
