Last weekend my family joined our parish “moms and tots” group on their annual camping trip — a beloved tradition in our community. While we were there, we stumbled on a sweet and thoughtful way that one parish makes families with young children feel welcome.
My kids like to stay up late playing “ghost in the graveyard” on camping trips, so we woke up already tired. It had rained overnight and thunder rolled overhead as we yanked on our church clothes in the tent and tried not to get wet as we raced to the car.
By the time we showed up at Mass, my kids were damp, overly tired, and cranky.
“It’s going to be a rough one,” I told my husband as we headed in the church doors.
But it turned out it was not a rough one at all, thanks to the carefully curated “busy bags” we found at St. Leonard Church in Muskego, Wisconsin! These bags contained an assortment of items to help young children participate in the Mass in their own hands-on way. They were arranged in a sort of “library” that families could check out during Mass and return afterward to be cleaned and restocked.
What was in these bags? Let me show you.
The contents included a “Can you find?” sheet, encouraging children to look for specific items throughout the church. The back of it included a simple visual guide to the Mass for children, which helped my kids follow along with each part of the Mass. There were several coloring pages that matched the readings at Mass—this was especially thoughtful—my children were delighted to color in a picture of Pentecost while they listened to the Pentecost account in the Gospel! And we found several other quiet, peaceful activities suitable for Mass, including a magnetic coloring pad, religious books, a soft saint stuffie, a lacing toy, and a small stuffed animal.
This is how they set it all up. On a low hanging rod near the entrance hung at least a dozen canvas tote bags, each with a tag explaining the “lending library” concept.
Under the bags was a large box for used bags to be returned, allowing church volunteers to clean them and restock the coloring supplies.
As out-of-town visitors coming to this church for the first time, I can tell you these “busy bags” made my family feel welcome right away. After a late night and wet morning while camping, I was so happy to be able to focus fully on the Mass while my kids were happily entertained with these busy bags. And I loved that the contents helped them participate in the Mass more fully in their own way, as they colored in pictures of the readings we heard and followed along with a visual guide.
As much as many parents desire to bring their families to Mass, it can be really difficult for young children to sit still for an entire hour. These busy bags make it so much easier. If your parish is looking for a simple, meaningful way to welcome young families, this lending library model is worth bringing to your pastor or hospitality committee.
