My three year old son Joshua received a package in the mail the other day from our district superintendent. I didn't think this too odd, since she has made a habit of sending birthday, Christmas, and Valentine's Day cards with small gifts to all three of our kids. However, Josh was the only one to receive a package this time... and I couldn't think of what the occasion might be.
Turns out, it was a visual aid learning devise to help small children understand Lent & Easter! Titled "From Caterpillar To Butterfly," it is a magnetic caterpillar made up of a head (labelled JOY), four body parts (labelled PEACE, LOVE, HOPE, & FAITH), and a tail (labelled PRAYER).
Along with the caterpillar comes a child friendly prayer card with an explanation and a prayer for each week.
On Easter Day, you rearrange the pieces of the caterpillar and get a butterfly! What a GREAT explanation of Lent & Easter!
Josh, who absolutely LOVES magnets to start with is enthralled with this gift! He arranges and rearranges it several times a day... In fact, to walk into our kitchen and look at our fridge is almost to see the little caterpillar move around the fridge. (And when he gets 'out-of-shape' I've noticed the older girls reconnecting him back into his all-together caterpillar shape!)
