Ideas

Feel free to browse through these ideas. We hope they inspire you.
Also, you are welcome to submit any ideas you have found helpful to you as a catechist or youth minister to the webmaster. Others may benefit from your experience. All submissions are reviewed and posted according to our policy.

The cross is given a special place in the prayer centre for all year levels of the Born of the Spirit. It is used as a processional cross in special celebrations. The children may make their own cross out of wood or sticks. The cross in the photo was made by a wood craftsperson and given to a catechist and the children.
The prayer chain in the photo may be used in many different ways. e.g. children write their prayers on a link and the chain is placed in the prayer centre.

Submitted by Henrietta Hubbard

These "Salt Candles" were developed in our own Diocese and have been used, by Catechists, in a great variety of ways. Creating these candles is a wonderful family activity for Sacramental Preparation.
The children enjoy creating their own candles. Young adults had a wonderful time creating their salt candles in preparation for World Youth Day in 2003. Each candle is as unique as they are!
Enjoy!
Ordinary Salt - Ordinary Holiness

This salt candle can be made with only a few materials. Click here for the salt candle recipe.

Submitted by Brenda Dever (St. Mark's)

The basket of plenty is introduced in the revised Yr. 3 program- celebration 2. The basket:
- is a sign of the bountifulness of God
- evokes memories of shared lives
- is a special basket container for the year to hold items
-is a symbol of the leftover baskets that Jesus disciples filled Mark 6:30-43
We suggested that the young people with their catechists make the basket from something they all might have at home. Some have decorated baskets with ribbon. The basket featured in the picture to the right is made from palms. Each of the young people brought palms from home. The youth gathered from the woods thin branches to make the frame then together they wove the palm branches onto the frame.

The Year One "We Belong to God" Resource has a Celebration - Remembering our Baptism. (Theme 24) Parent's are invited to attend. Here is a link with a celebration entitled "Spirit of Belonging", you may want to review it for some ideas. Also, here is another link with an activity "Within a Circle of Friends".

Lent is time when we often think of social justice. It is also a time when our catechetical resources cover this topic. Often parishes intertwine the current Development and Peace Share Lent campaign with their lessons. The Development and Peace Share Lent Campaign gives activities for chidren each year to go along with their theme. Check out this website www.devp.org

Also here are a few activities for children and youth:

If tackling the issue of hunger, here is site with activities & ideaswww.greatergood.com

Puzzle: Dig Justly Soduko Puzzle
http://youth.devp.org/pdf/Puzzle_DigJustly.pdf

Activity: Organize a Scavenger Hunt or Treasure Hunt http://youth.devp.org/pdf/Activity_ScavengerHunt.pdf

Posters: Heart Stopping Poster http://youth.devp.org/pdf/Posters_HeartStopping.pdf

In the In God's Image resource for Early Childhood, there is an activity for Lent which involves progressively adding a piece to a picture starting with the soil, adding a bulb until eventually the flower blossoms at Easter. The picture to the right is one of the individual progressive pictures sent home with each child. Paper and cut pieces of the picture where included in an envelope with a letter for the parents. Also the same progressive "bulb to flower" picture was used with the children on Sundays except a little bigger and made of felt.

by Allison Myers

To the right is a simple "palm" craft which is easy and quick to make with young children. Simply take a piece of green construction paper and cut strips 3/4 of the way down the sheet then roll and tape. The slots become waving palms and the uncut area becomes the handle. We used this "palm" craft with the children in kindergarten and then acted-out Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

by Allison Myers

Lynn develops a newsletter for catechists at her parish, the "Catechist News". It gives catechists info on upcoming events; teachings on the catholic faith (pertaining to their lessons at the time / Liturgical Chart), anecdotes / food for thoughts, and ideas to share with children (games, crafts, prayers etc… which tie in with their lessons). Here is a sample of the newsletter

page 1 page 2

Submitted by Lynn Basker

At St. Mary's Chapel CFB Gagetown, they use military classrooms (in a huge building) for their religious formation. From time to time they have to switch rooms. It can be a challenge for children and parents to find the appropriate room. They came up with the symbols (to the right) for the doors. The symbols on the doors make it easy for parents to locate their child's room.

Submitted by Lynn Basker

Submitted by Marjorie Allison-Ross
Yr 2 Catechist at St. Gertrude's

Part of the First Communion preparation at St. Gertrude's involves Bread Making. One of the ladies of our Parish, Helen Ross, has been baking unleavened bread for the Parish for many years. When we started the First Communion Retreat 10 years ago, we asked Helen if she would share her gift of breadmaking. Helen brings all the supplies to make the unleavened bread. Before the hands on experience, Helen tells the story of why unleavened bread was used, how it's made and when Jesus shared the bread with his disciples. Each child makes a loaf of unleavened bread and takes it home to cook. Helen brings lots of samples so that everyone gets to sample the bread. This is one of the highlights of the day!!

Submitted by Marjorie Allison-Ross
Yr 2 Catechist at St. Gertrude's

While preparing for First Commuion the families at St. Gertrude's make a Banner. Each child is given a piece of felt and with their parents they decorate the banner with symbols of themselves and Jesus. They use various colors of felt, glitter and glue to make the banner. The individual banners are sewn together to make 2 large banners which are hung in the church on the First Communion weekend. After the child celebrates First Communion, the child is given their individual banner to take home as a keepsake.

Catechists enjoy making banners. There are a variety of banners and the creativity or the uses for a banner never stop. These two banners are by Tom & Sharon Sudsbear, Year 6 catechists at St. Mary's Chapel CFB Gagetown. For ideas on banners check with your regional resource centre or other creative catechists.

By Lynn Basker

These bookmarks were used with the catechists at St. Mary's Chapel CFB Gagetown at the beginning of the year. At their first catechist gathering the bookmarks were turned face down so the names could not be seen and each catechist picked one. The catechist name they picked was the one they were asked to pray for throughout the year. Click here for a sample of the bookmarks.

St. Mary's Chapel CFB Gagetown does not have dedicated meeting space for their religious formation sessions with the children. They have use of a building but the rooms cannot post or store catechist supplies. And the rooms can change from week. How do their catechists stay organized and get what they need for their sessions in the rooms? Use a suitcase on wheels. The suitcase can easily roll from location to location carry lots of supplies for a fun-packed session with the children. The catechists also plan to place their year level symbol on the suitcase to make each case easily identifiable.