Here is a family activity that you may want to do during the 40 days of Lent.  Purchase a bag of jellybeans and place them in a candy jar.  Attach the following poem to the jar.

Red is for the blood he gave.
Green is for the grass He made.
Yellow is for the sun so bright.
Black is for the sin we made.
White is for the grace He gave.
Purple is for His hour of sorrow.
Pink is for our new tomorrow.

 By Charlene Dickensen, 1997

Next, put out separate empty candy jars for each child in your family.  Over the next 40 days until Easter, use the jelly beans as treats for the children to earn as they show certain behaviors.  For instance, red repesents Christ’s blood he shed on the cross showing us his sacrificial love, whenever your child shows love to another, put a red jelly bean in their jar. 

Green represents the grass and creation, uses this as an opportunity to encourage your child to recycle.   Whenever your child goes “green”, add a green jelly bean. (Psalm 96:13)

Yellow represents God’s light, shining and bright.  Whenever your child shows kindness to another, add a yellow jelly bean. (Colossians 3:12)

Black is for the dark of night, the time of rest and the time to repent.   Add a black jelly bean when your child says and evening prayer and goes to bed without a fuss.  (Luke 15:7)

White is for the grace of God.  Add a white jelly bean at any time, for we do not need to earn God’s grace.  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Purple represents the pain and suffering of Jesus on the cross.  Add a purple jelly bean whenever your child asks for forgiveness whenever they have caused pain to another in the family.  (Ephesians 1:7)

Pink is for joy and happiness as we recognize the new tomorrow, the new life we have in Christ.  Add a pink jelly bean when you share a good laugh together as a family.  (Romans 15:13)

Hopefully, this fun activity will be helpful for your children as we want to encourage them to seek to be like Jesus in all they say and do.  “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  1 John 4:10