“Mix a pancake, Stir a pancake, Pop it in the pan;
Fry the pancake, Toss the pancake, Catch it if you can!”
(Christina Rossetti)
Pancake Day and Lent are an important part of the church year for Christians. Traditionally Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday, was a day of fun and feasting before the fasting required during 40 days of Lent (this year Lent is between the 2nd of March and the 14th of April). The idea originally was that people used up the rich foods before the fast.
This year Pancake Day is celebrated on March 1st. A similar festival takes place in other places around the world but it is known as Mardi Gras.
Activity Village has a lot of Pancake Day activity ideas, mostly for the young
Third Space Learning offers 3 Flipping Great Pancake Day Maths Activities for KS2. These follow some fun facts about the largest and heaviest pancakes ever made, how many made in an hour and the maths activities come from that information.
Pentagon Play offers a set of facts about Pancake Day and Lent, explaining where some of the words and customs come from and relating the day to the story of Lent. There is absolutely loads of information and ideas: pancakes around the world Michael Rosen’s Pancake poem, and more.
TeachiIt has a downloadable Pancake Day instructions worksheet suitable for years 3 and 4.
The Kiddle website explains Lent in a set of facts for children.
CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development has primary school information about a Lent project, walk for hunger, itself and a poster to put up in the classroom.
