Religious education ideas for Catholic teachers, homeschoolers, and catechists- crafts, lessons, and printables on Sacraments, Scripture and Prayer.
A Homeschool Mom Retreat Planner to simplify & clarify so your time away is well-spent, and you don't spend too much time preplanning.
Pinay Homeschooler is a blog that shares homeschool and afterschool activity of kids from babies to elementary level.
Need Wonder activities for your classroom or home school Wonder teaching resources? We have Wonder lesson plans, Wonder worksheets, and more ideas for book projects, kindness activities for middle school, and diversity lessons to make a great study unit for students using both the novel by RJ Palacio and teaching with movies (including the popular precepts project!).
From easy to easiest, choose your level of difficulty for this simple-prep Eucharistic craft with free printables!
Honoring Mary is a beautiful devotion and a long tradition in the Catholic faith. She was the mother of Jesus, ever a virgin, and always said "yes" to our Lord! You can find all of
Celebrate the Reformation of the Church with these fun Reformation Day activities for families, churches, and homeschools!
Language Arts, 6-9 Word Study 6-9 Alison’s Montessori There are several language components practiced using sets of cards in the Montessori Language Arts curriculum: Sentences AnalysisWord St…
Learn how to integrate art into your plant science activities by having students make chlorophyll paintings. Similar to leaf rubbings, this simple science based art project is a fun and creative extension for teaching kids about photosynthesis.
National Skyscraper Day is September 3rd, the birthday of Louis Henry Sullivan, the “father of skyscrapers.” To celebrate, we decided to explore all there is to know about skyscrapers, including building one of our own! This activity turns out to be more than just a creative building exercise. It involves teamwork, problem-solving, and some math […]
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Pinay Homeschooler is a blog that shares homeschool and afterschool activity of kids from babies to elementary level.
We are exploring magnets here in kindergarten! We sorted objects between magnetic and not magnetic. I wanted the kids to be able to glue down their sort to display in the hallway. You could use tape or regular glue, but in the interest of time I opted for a glue gun. This SUPER cool temp glue gun (you have to buy special glue sticks but they are not expensive) eliminates the worry over burns! But like I said, tape works too. We have some magnet sorting in our science station
Zacchaeus is a real-life example of the power that Jesus has to change our hearts. The goal in this lesson is for the children to feel the darkness and ugliness of sin, and then experience the joy and miracle of forgiveness when Zacchaeus meets Jesus! Bible Truth: Jesus has the power to forgives my sin. Bible Story: Jesus changes Zacchaeus' heart. Bible Study: Luke 19:1-10; I Corinthians 5:7 teach cha-ching! To tell the story of Zacchaeus "hands-on" style gather up these items: children's picture Bible, or flannel graph scenery and characters a small bag or coin pouch loose change a cut-out of a black heart and a white heart Peak your class's interest in your lesson by shaking the bag, and letting them guess what is inside. They will probably easily guess that you have money in your bag! Pass out a coin for each child to hold throughout the lesson. (Remind them that they should never put coins in their mouths!) Read the story of Zacchaeus from a children's picture Bible, or tell it in your own words with visuals, such as flannel graph. Introduce Zacchaeus as a short man, who was a tax collector. His job was to collect money that people had to pay to the king. But Zacchaeus took more money from people than he was supposed to. If someone was supposed to pay one coin to the king, Zaccahaeus made them pay two coins, and he would keep one of the coins for himself. That is called stealing. Zacchaeus was rich and had lots of money, but nobody wanted to be his friend because he stole money from them. He had a dark sinful heart. Hold up the dark heart as you describe Zacchaeus' dark and sinful heart. Go on to tell the rest of the story of Zacchaeus meeting Jesus, as you show pictures from the children's Bible or manipulate flannel graph characters. At the conclusion of the story, talk about how amazing it is that Jesus changed Zacchaeus' heart! He used to be a man that stole people's money, but now he gives his money away to people! Jesus did a miracle! Only Jesus has the power to take a dirty, sinful heart and give us a new clean heart! Zacchaeus repented, he turned away from his sin, and followed Jesus! Hold up the white heart as you describe how Jesus changed Zacchaeus' heart. Lead the class in a prayer, asking Jesus to forgive their sin, and change their hearts so they can follow Jesus like Zacchaeus. After you pray, collect the coins from the children. Tell them that they are giving the money back just like Zacchaeus did after he repented. sing Zacchaeus (was a wee little man) is a Sunday School classic, and the perfect song to reinforce the story they just heard. Be sure to do some actions with the song! The Repent Song is the same song we learned along with the story of John the Baptist, so it's great review and repetition. Follow the link for the lyrics and actions. The Bath Song is a great song about how Jesus washes away our sin with "super soap." The "call back" format makes it really easy to sing along! craft color & paste Here is a coloring sheet from Sermons 4 Kids of Jesus talking to Zacchaeus in the tree. Cut pieces of green paper, or green tissue paper into leaves for the children to glue onto the tree. zacchaeus meets Jesus A good craft is one that helps children retell the story that they learned. This craft does exactly that! You will need: this print out in (black & white) or (color) card stock scissors hole punch yarn green tissue paper glue clear tape crayons (optional) To prepare, print the print out page onto card stock. Cut on the dotted line, and cut out Zacchaeus. Punch a hole at the top and bottom of the tree. Cut out approximately 1" x 1" squares of green tissue paper. Cut yarn into 16" lengths. In class, provide glue for the children to attach the squares of tissue paper to the tree as leaves. Lace the yarn throught the holes and tie it behind the tree. If using the black and white version, provide crayons for the children to color Jesus and Zacchaeus. Tip: Tie the yarn near the top of the page, and attach Zacchaeus to the bottom of the page. It is easier for the kids, if you let them glue on the leaves before you add the yarn. Use clear tape to attach Zacchaeus to the yarn. Tip: Set the clear tape under the yarn, sticky side up, and then press Zacchaeus onto the tape. Move Zacchaeus up and down the tree to retell the story! up and down the tree For this craft you will need: this tree pattern this Zacchaeus pattern green construction paper jumbo craft sticks yarn scissors hole punch crayons glue tape To prepare, cut out the top, leaf portion of the tree pattern, and use it to trace onto green construction paper. Cut out tree and Zacchaeus figures. Punch a hole near the top of the trees. Cut yarn into approximately 7" lengths. In class, provide crayons for the children to color Zacchaeus, and the jumbo craft stick. Help them attach the tree to the craft stick with glue. Tape Zacchaeus to the yarn, thread the yarn through the hole in the tree, and tie the yarn off in the back to move Zacchaeus up and down the tree. Find more ideas and for teaching your child at home about Zacchaeus and his encounter with Jesus, here!
These free rocks and minerals printables and Montessori activities are perfect for preschoolers through early elementary in the classroom or at home!
St. Clare feast day art project, Blessed Sacrament arts and crafts for kids, Monstrance arts and crafts, Eucharist art for kids
100% Customizable M&M Icebreaker Template! Clean and simple template that can be customized to your own colors, candy, or questions. Change the elements to suit your needs. Great icebreaker for the classroom or business retreat! Hand out as many M&Ms as you would like or each person can have their own bag. Great activity for kids and adults alike. Save as .pdf to print as shown. Download the completed file as a .jpg file and paste into a word processing program to change the size as needed. This is an instantly downloadable Canva Template which is 100% customizable in the FREE version of Canva. This means that you will be able to easily personalize this template to suit your needs. YOUR PURCHASE INCLUDES: 1 PDF with Canva Link (to edit) 1 Printable PDF *PLEASE NOTE * → This product is for personal use, and NOT for commercial use. → This does not include a physical product. You will be able to customize, print, and cut your template. If you have any questions regarding this product, please feel free to reach out before you make your purchase. →Colors may vary slightly from what is shown due to the printing process and device settings. This is a digital product and nothing physical will be shipped to you. Due to the nature of this product, all sales are final and refunds or exchanges are not possible. DIRECTIONS TO ACCESS YOUR PURCHASE: → After your order is complete, you will see a link to download your files. This link can also be found at www.etsy.com/your/purchases → Download the PDF which includes link and instructions → Sign up for a FREE Canva account or log in to your account → Click the underlined LINK in the PDF document and click "Use Template" → Once in Canva, you will be able to edit the colors, fonts, images, and personalize
Everything your kids never knew they wanted to know about Madagascar. (Spoiler alert: watching Penguins of Madagascar isn't that educational.)
Our free Montessori CVC words with pictures offer endless possibilities for learning through play. Grab your free copy today!
We reached the Tabernacle and I put together a fun hands on tabernacle lesson for my kids to go through based off of a Tabernacle Sunday School lesson I did.
Help your students stay connected to their Catholic Church even when churches are closed during the pandemic with these ideas.
Increase your emotional intelligence and awareness with this tool, the Feeling Wheel. Provided by The Gottman Institute and Dr. Gloria Willcox
I am a child of God. Sometimes I am happy, sometimes sad, sometimes hurt, sometimes helpful. I am many things. I am always a child of God. Art by Mary Brack and this collage can be found on her …
Take a look at what is on the shelves in this Montessori classroom. Language, Sensorial, Math, and Cultural inspiration for your Montessori environment.
I made these homeschool rhythm cards just for you! Last year I made these homeschool rhythm cards for our boys so that they knew what to expect every day as we homeschooled. When I shared them in my Instagram stories, so many of you messaged me and asked if I could make them available on...
In this post, you will see all of the snake activities we did and you get to download our snake printables, including 3 awesome activities!
Do you and I run in the same circles? Doubt it. Although we do share at least one circle: teaching. Right? And if you and I ha...
The Bible resources that I create are designed to help you ground your children in the Word of God. It is my hope and prayer that as you and I raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord that we would grow with them. This Colossians Kids’ Bible Activity Pack is a …
Eucharist craft idea that is perfect for teaching about Holy Communion or the Seven Sacraments. This craft connects our liturgy on earth to the heavenly liturgy.
So much Twitter love from my post about my walls this year. Y’all know how to make a girl feel good! I don’t have my lesson plans ready, and am not entirely sure what I’m doing on…
Children have different learning styles- some learn through listening, some through seeing, some through music, and some through movement. Even with specific strengths like these, I think we can agree that all children benefit from skills learned through doing, practicing, modeling, and acting out- in essence, through play. Even though my students are 10 and 11, this is no less true for them as it is for their younger peers. As I tweak things in my classroom over the summer and make room through growth in student centered instruction plans, I am on the look out for Catholic resources that allow for hands-on interaction and learning. Meeting all of my expectations, I have fallen in love with these Mass play sets from Wee Believers. Part of the Wee Discover series of faith filled toys, the My Little Church Magnet Set* and My Pop Out Mass Kit* have both received a Seal of Ecclesiastical Approval and are wonderful faith centered toys that help kids play, pray, and learn. The Wee Believers Sr. Mary Clara and Fr. Juan Pablo dolls and Vocation books were among some of my first purchases as a new DRE years ago and they remain a favorite addition to my Faith Corner in our classroom, so I am excited to add these to our collection of resources. After trying out these play sets (lots of pictures and details below), I can easily see how these could become a favorite toy for kids at home. I wanted to think about some practical classroom adaptations as to how these sets could also be used as a resource in Catholic schools and CCD programs. I love how they are child friendly while still being uniquely Catholic, accurate, and beautifully made. Here are a few ideas: For Younger Students (5-8 years old): Practice setting up the church or altar for Mass (maybe limiting the number of Mass articles at the beginning) Playing Mass by moving the priest/people/Mass articles for each main part of the liturgy Pray the parts of the Mass alone or with a "congregation" using a Mass book like this or this. (affiliate links) Practice the steps and prayers during Mass, especially in preparation for receiving First Holy Communion Work on memorizing and using the correct names for the Mass articles and their use For Older Students (9-11 years old): Practice correctly setting up the church and altar Know the names of each Mass article and their purpose Match objects to name cards Understand the difference between setting up for Mass or Adoration or another liturgical celebration Note differences inside the church during various liturgical seasons Talk through the Mass parts and movement of people and things in the church Discuss prayers and responses from Mass and Adoration and their meanings Tour church Sacristy or invite a Sacristan or Priest to join the class and show the students the parish's real Mass articles I plan to use both of these sets in my classroom with some of the the above ideas during our Sacrament unit on the Eucharist. They'll work great along with other content activities for stations as well as enrichment and choice work. Wee Believers even offers lots of matching printables and activities for free download on their website here. Here are some close up views of these two play sets along with what I like about each: First up, the My Little Church Magnet Set- It comes with a tri-fold magnetic church interior, 38 magnetic pieces, and an instructional booklet: The church tri-fold stands on its own and the magnets can be arranged in tons of different ways: Different magnets feature the priest sitting and standing (and facing backwards for Latin Mass) as well as different colored chasubles. It includes Mass articles: And Sanctuary furniture: And people for the congregation: I love this little booklet that has pictures that match the magnets and great explanations about the Mass articles and their uses. All the pieces of the magnetic set stick easily to the trifold board even when standing (no sliding!) and even with the pieces in place, it still folds easily for storage. Everything fits perfectly in the clear storage pouch so no little magnets are lost for next time. Next up, the Pop Out Mass Kit: It comes with a heavy weight "altar", 14 Mass articles, and an explanation/set up sheet: I popped out all the pieces and am super impressed with the heavy cardboard and sturdy stands that can be removed easily for storage and then reused again and again: The set comes with an info sheet with instructions for how to set up for Mass: And Adoration: I really like how each item is clearly labeled on the back: The other side of the info sheet also has matching pictures and short descriptions of the purpose and use of each item. I'll definitely be laminating this sheet for longevity and keeping it with the set for student use: All of the pieces easily store back in the clear storage case, or they fit well in shoe box sized container which is how I'll store them in my classroom, eliminating the need to un-assemble and assemble each time. While for younger children this set would be great for pretending and playing Mass, for my intermediate students this set will be very useful for emphasizing the names and purposes of Mass articles. Instead of using just pictures, the students have the advantage of touching and interacting with the objects first, and then could use the same objects for an assessment. I could definitely see setting up a table like this where the student have to match each number with the name of the Mass article and what it is used for, either on a recording sheet or using vocab cards. I really love both the My Little Church Magnet Set and My Pop Out Mass Kit and know that they will make a great addition to my Sacrament focused curriculum. My students will benefit from the hands-on method of these learning toys and the examples and explanations they can relate to. I know that they would be a wonderful toy for any Catholic kid- whether at home or in a classroom. Have you ever tried these products or other play Mass sets? How have you used them with your children or students? *Wee Believers provided me with a free set of My Little Church and My Pop Out Mass Kit in exchange for an honest review. I only recommend things that I have used and love, and these opinions are entirely my own.
I was just thinking October is coming soon, the month of the Holy Rosary- maybe I should make a new rosary craft. And then I realized I have A LOT of rosary printables on my website. I did not realize I had made so many, and maybe you didn’t realize it either, so here they …
These activities are about the story of the woman at the well from John 4 and shows that Jesus loves all people regardless of their background or race.
Use this Esther Bible lesson to teach children that God gives us faith and courage to handle any situation when we trust entirely on Him.
