How to Teach Children the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary
Why Children Need the Stories Behind the Mysteries of the Rosary?
It’s important that children really understand the stories behind the mysteries of the rosary as stories of Joy, Sorrow, Light and Glory. They need these stories to meditate on. And they need to find these stories relatable. All this must be experienced before they try to pray a decade of the Rosary with you.
Where is the joy?
Today we are focusing on the joyful mysteries – Where is the joy?

Children need to understand where the joy is in these stories.
Try this:
- Spend about 10 minutes talking to your child about one of the Joyful mysteries- making sure that you point out the joy!
- Then, ask them to express this in a drawing/painting/a song/a dramatisation/a dance.
- Afterwards, pray that decade of the Rosary with them in the light of all they have just experienced. Let’s look at the Annunciation as an example:
The Annunciation
The Archangel Gabriel appears to Mary and asks her if she will be the Mother of Jesus. We are hugely grateful that Mary said “Yes!” or “Fiat!” Children may understand the joy of expecting a baby from the way you express joy to your girlfriends who tell you that they are having a child! Ask your child to recall how happy they were when they heard that someone was expecting a baby. If this hasn’t happened to them, tell them how happy you were when you found out you were expecting them! Tell them your story in detail. Let them feel the joy you felt….
A Baby! What could be more joyful!
The Chat: Talking with Kids About Jesus in the Mystery of the Annunciation
Ask your child about Jesus:
”Where is Jesus in the mystery of the Annunciation?” and “How was He feeling?” and “Why was He so happy?”
What answers might you hear?
“Inside Mary’s tummy.”
“In Mary’s womb. He sneaked inside without letting anyone see Him go in.”
“He snuggled into her warm womb and stayed there, all cosy, until it was time to be born.”
“Jesus was very happy being inside Mary because she was the best mother.”
The Chat continues: Questions to Help Children Imagine Mary in the Annunciation
Ask your child about Mary:
“Where was Mary when the Archangel appeared to her?”
And “How did she feel?”
“Was she very happy?”
What answers might you hear?
“Mary was at home saying some prayers.”
“Mary was doing housework.”
“She was taking a nap, and she dreamt that someone was calling her name. Then she woke up and found that it was real.”
“First, she felt afraid but then later she was bouncing around with happiness!”
By making your child think a little more about the Annunciation, he or she is adding to the story and making it more personal to them.
The Chat continues even more: Helping Children Imagine Themselves in the Annunciation Story
Ask you child to imagine he/she was actually there:
If you could be there, who would you like to be and what would you be doing?
What answers might you hear?
“An ant standing on the angel’s shoulder-then I could see everything up close..”
“I want to be Mary and to be surprised and then really happy.”
The important thing is, of course, to accept their answers and to help them express this in artwork or song or some form of dramatization. It is also important to go at your child’s pace.
Allow your child to express ‘their take’ on the Annunciation:
a) through art (most children will have a go at this)
b) through song (perhaps your child has a musical gift?)
c) through drama (Perhaps your child likes acting?)
d)through dance (perhaps dance is their gifting?)
Then, pray the decade of the Rosary: The Annunciation
When you pray the Joyful mysteries of the Rosary later that day, as a family, ask your child to tell everyone the story of the Annunciation, in their own way, to help everyone to pray from their heart.
Invite him/her to show their artwork as they tell the story.
If they made up a song invite them to sing it.
If they like drama, invite them to show everyone how the Archangel appeared to Mary and what happened.
If they made up a dance – let them dance out the story.
If you delve into one of the joyful mysteries every day, you will have covered all five in one week. The entire four mysteries of the rosary could be covered during the month of October. On the other hand, your little person may want to delve more deeply into the Annunciation for 3 days in a row. All children learn in different ways and at different speeds. As Maria Montessori said, it’s always best to “follow the child”.
Although we have been focusing on the Annunciation here, I thought it might be nice to briefly look at another Mystery of Joy – The Nativity of Jesus!

Here is a 3-minute fun version of what some children thought about the story behind the birth of Jesus! I hope that it will inspire you and make you chuckle!
