Usually we can think of little more than the periodic children's sermon or the junior choir anthem sung from the chancel steps, both sometimes geared more for the entertainment of adults than for the spiritual edification of children. How we can plan and practice worship so that it feeds ALL the baptized, is the prayer of the whole community and provides both children and adults with a means to encounter the Holy. Understanding how we process and learn new information at various stages of development is essential in being able to convey meaning successfully. As children grow older, language assumes a growing role of importance until, as adults, it is usually the predominant way of acquiring information, even though we never stop assimilating sensory knowledge.
Children are creatures of habit.
Repetition of acts, whether it be a nighttime routine, or the reading of a favorite story, are means children use to give order and security to their lives, thus enabling them to bring meaning, understanding and maturity to their experiences. It is this same need for ritual that makes the liturgy an engaging and relevant means of worship for children. Many ritual actions are embodied in movement, such as passing the peace or signing the cross. It follows that the active nature of the liturgy is lively and full of meaning for children. Therefore, our first goal when planning worship that engages children might be to see that our ritual actions are as well-cared for and articulated as are our words.