Last night during family rosary, I gave my 7 year old son and 5 year old daughter one sheet each from the Rosary Reflections drawing pad, and the ziplock bag of colored pencils. The children immediately and enthusiastically began drawing the mysteries while we prayed the rosary. This instantly solved a problem for us: How to keep the little ones engaged and close to the rest of the family (mom, dad and two older daughters) while we pray together, instead of watching them dramatically flop over on the floor or wander off to find a toy.

The second, and unexpected, result was that as we older ones watched the little ones grab their colored pencils and sketch out, say, a glowing Jesus next to stick figures of Moses and Elijah, or a smiling John the Baptist pouring water over Jesus in the river, we all reflected more deeply on the mysteries as we prayed.

In addition, the children asked a few questions, so they could get their sketches right. For example, "Who was with Jesus at the Transfiguration?" "How old was Jesus when He was baptized?" The drawing tablet provided several "teachable moments" which made the prayer time richer for all of us.

Each sheet has drawing space for five Mysteries; a printed Rosary in the center helps children keep track of their progress. The sheets are sturdy, high quality paper, which would stand up to crayons, markers, or even paint. The finished works are suitable for hanging on a bedroom wall, as my children requested, or for keeping in a portfolio of their art projects.