How to Pray the Rosary for Kids

Catholics use the Rosary both as a way to pray and as a way to meditate. Rosary beads come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but young children often first learn the rosary on colorful plastic beads. The Rosary does not have to be said in a perfectly still position, which is helpful to children who might fidget and want to move around while saying the verses.

Teach the child the individual prayers in the Rosary, including the Hail Mary, the Our Father, the Glory Be, the Apostles Creed, the Fatima Prayer (optional) and the Hail Holy Queen. Learning each prayer separately before attempting to put them all together gives the child a chance to memorize each individual prayer and feel comfortable with it.

Show the child what each bead in the Rosary represents. The child might not understand all the parts of the Rosary right away but should comprehend that the 10 beads represent Hail Marys while the beads in between represent an Our Father.

Say the Rosary with the child on a regular basis. This way the child hears an adult saying the prayers, can see how the adult handles the Rosary beads and can practice saying the Rosary until he is comfortable saying it on his own. Print out copies of each prayer so the child can read the prayer and practice reciting it until he memorizes it.

Encourage the child to say the Rosary on her own or with other kids. A child can say the Rosary sitting, standing or even while walking around. Praise the child whenever she chooses to say the Rosary and ignore behavior when the child gets tired of saying it.