Free Printable Feast of the Immaculate Conception Activities, Lessons and Crafts

 December 8 marks the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The Immaculate Conception is one of six recognized Holy Days in the liturgical calendar. Here are free printable activities and lessons to celebrate this feast day. I've gone through all the noted Catholic websites and linked this article to children's liturgy activities that explore the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Blessed Mother. Free Printable Feast of the Immaculate Conception Activities: Lessons and Crafts

Free Printable Blessed Virgin Mary Coloring Pages and Activities: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Immaculate Conception

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is honored on several different Catholic Christian holidays throughout the year. December 8, the Feast Immaculate Conception, January 1, Solemnity of Mary and August 15, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here are free printable coloring pages of Our Lady in her different titles and roles. Free Printable Blessed Virgin Mary Coloring Pages 

Free Printable Catholic Games, Coloring Pages, Activities

 With All Saints Day on November 1, the Catholic church moves into the countdown toward Advent and the church new year. Catholic school teachers, religious education instructors, homeschoolers and parents will enjoy these free printable games and activities. use these for lessons, party games, holy day activities and family fun. Read more...Free Printable Catholic Games

Family Activities to Celebrate Holidays with a Sick Child

 When I was expecting our 4th child, I had placenta abruptio (aka, flat on my back for weeks on end). The first incident occurred right before Christmas. We had to reinvent how we celebrated the holy days, as our activities were very much curtailed. I've also had little ones get sick on big events (Easter egg hunts, birthdays, parties). This article was written to help families, stuck at home for festivities, create at-home celebrations. Our children enjoyed some of our "family nights" as much as the regularly-scheduled festivities! This article was written for Halloween or All Saints Day, but the tips apply to any holiday. I've provided some "outside the box" ideas; tweak as you need! Adapt to holy days and liturgical events. All you need is a little inventiveness. At-Home Activities to Celebrate Holidays, Feast Days

Oh, P.S., this article contains links for free printable Halloween and All Saints Day-specific crafts. If it's another event, check this blog or my other linked blogs for other holiday printables. For Catholic feast days, click around the tags list or type your search request in the bar. I've got printable activities for almost every major holy day and feast day.

Free Printable Catholic Games, Coloring, Activities

With All Saints Day on November 1, the Catholic church moves into the countdown toward Advent and the church new year. Catholic school teachers, religious education instructors, homeschoolers and parents will enjoy these free printable games and activities. use these for lessons, party games, holy day activities and family fun. Free Printable Catholic Games for All Saints Day

Free Printable Day of the Dead Activities

The Latino culture has shared many rich traditions. Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), celebrated on November 1 and known as All Saints Day in the Catholic church honors deceased relatives. Here are activities and lessons to celebrate 'Day of the Dead'. In Mexico and other countries that commemorate 'Dia de los Muertos' or Day of the Dead, families gather in cemeteries and picnic near the graves of loved ones. There are also 'Dia de los Muertos' parades. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is similar to Memorial Day, except that there is less emphasis on nationalism, patriotism and military deaths and more focus on religious and ancestor remembrance. Dia de los Muertos decorations depict skulls and skeletons and may seem gruesome to those not familiar with Day of the Dead traditions. As an ESL teacher, we celebrated Day of the Dead in our classroom. Here are some activities we enjoyed. Read on...Free printable Day of the Dead Activities

Trick or Treat and Halloween Alternative for Parents

As kids eagerly count down to trick-or-treat, some parents worry about Halloween. Safety and health issues, stranger danger, religious objections, too-scary decorations, older kids trick-or-treating, costume concerns: here are child-friendly Halloween and trick-or-treat alternatives. Perfect for Catholic families. Read on...Halloween Alternative and Trick or Treat for Parents

Free Printable Catholic Saints Paper Dolls and Coloring Page Activities

It's been inspiring to see that my most popular articles have been those about Ash Wednesday, Lent, Catholic faith and free printable homeschooling lesson plans activities. Here is yet another free printable Catholic activities website. I enjoy looking for free printable cartoon coloring pages, but my real passion lies in finding homeschooling and religious education free printables. I remember my early teaching days and late homeschooling career, sans computer. I must have made thousands of charts, drawings, graphs, games, etc. Alas, I am woefully inept as an artist, so the lesson plans that required drawing skills...lacked. But now, with the beauty of the Internet, we have access to free printable lesson plans, coloring pages, cut and paste crafts, games and more. Click here...Free Printable Catholic Saint Paper Dolls  

Free Printable Animal Alphabet Coloring Activities - Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

 I am a 10-year homeschool veteran to a family of four. We began homeschooling in 1996. I tailored our activities around the liturgical calendar and arranged topics to fit with the seasons and saints feast days. The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi is celebrated on October 4. When our oldest was in first grade in Catholic school (before homeschool), Father blessed the pets. I forgot. Molly was worried that her kitty Oliver would not get his blessing. I asked the teacher if I could bring him the next day and she said yes. So myself, two little boys and one panicky cat set out for church. Oliver was duly petted and blessed. It was so endearing to see all the little ones trustfully bringing their animals to Jesus (in the person of the priest). I kept up this tradition in homeschooling.

Pets and animals make a great theme for September and October. They tie in well with St. Francis. Here are  free printable pdf packet featuring beautiful coloring pages based on each letter of the alphabet. Each letter is a full page size. The letter outline is filled with nicely drawn images of plants, flowers, vegetables and animals whose names begin with that letter. The pictures are arranged somewhat like hidden picture puzzles. As students color the pictures, there is a printable page for them to list the animals and plants they find, that begin with each letter. This activity is great for preschool-middle school and fits well for life science. Click here Free Printable Animal Coloring Activities

CFI Atheist Group's 'You Don't Need God' Billboard Causes Furor

CFI (Center for Inquiry), an atheist group, has made a bold statement on secularism, in the form of a billboard reading "You don't need God" posted along U.S.131 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Some local Christians are calling it anti-God, and they're pretty upset.
 The full text of the billboard reads "You don't need God-to hope, to care, to love, to live." It features a picture of a family smiling and kissing and the Living without Religion website and CFI logo. The billboard is situated near the Hall St. exit.


Jefferson Seaver, CFI-Michigan president says that non-religious people face intolerance and prejudice daily. He says he hopes that billboard, the seventh to go up, nationwide, will encourage other the other 16 percent of people in the U.S with no religious affiliation.
 But West Michigan, and particularly Grand Rapids, is a pretty religious community. There's a strong Christian presence: Catholic, protestant and especially fundamentalist, in the area. Grand Rapids is nicknamed "Steepletown" because there are so many houses of worship in the city and outlying suburbs.


Even the original sign company, G.R. Outdoor (Rockford, Mich.) that Seaver and CFI petitioned to erect the sign wanted nothing to do with an atheist billboard, saying it went against their religious beliefs. CFI had to get contract with Lamar to get the "You don't need God" billboard up.
 Many churches and religious groups place billboards along Michigan highways. For a time, the "God Speaks" signs were popular. These were plain black backgrounds with short, pithy notes signed "God."

I rather enjoyed them and found them inspirational.

  However, that doesn't mean that as a Christian, I agree with the anger against CFI's "You don't need God" billboards. For one thing, I think billboards, clothing with slogans, bumper stickers and the like are generally tacky. I really don't care for roadside advertising, in general. I think it's an unnecessary distraction and waste of money.

There is nothing unconstitutional about the billboards. CFI has as much right to post their beliefs as religious groups do. It's their money after all. CFI isn't attacking God. They've given Him the distinction of a capital letter.
 In fact, I think their message makes a good point: people are responsible for their own behavior, to love or hate, to show compassion or to fight.

We've seen, all too often, how people hide misdeeds behind their Christian mask, or used their religion as a weapon rather than a gift. Not all Christians are loving and loving behavior is possible outside the boundaries of faith.
 The "You don't need God" billboard can facilitate discussion and sharing of faith. I have pals of all faiths and lack thereof. I don't make church membership a qualification for friendship.

Accepting and discussing alternate ideologies does not diminish faith. In fact, it can correct ignorance and helps a person grow in his own beliefs.
 Look how our new President-elect Donald Trump treats minorities, especially Muslims. Look at how the Michigan Muslim community has been treated since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Case in point: there was a little gas station in our community, run by a Sikh family. When the twin towers were destroyed, the gas station was boycotted. The family wasn't even Islamic; they just looked like they were. I continued to frequent the gas station but it closed.
 If believers are so confident in their faith, why are they so afraid of the beliefs of others? Hated doesn't honor God. It hurts Him.

Free Printable Bible Coloring Page Activities: Old Testament and New Testament Stories

Teaching VBS- Vacation Bible School this summer? Or maybe your gearing up for CCD, Sunday School, Christian school, Hebrew school or homeschool in the fall? You will want these links for free printable Bible story, old testament and new testament coloring pages. Here are hundreds of free printable Bible story coloring pages from the old testament and new testament. Free Printable Bible Activities: Old Testament and New Testament Stories 

Free Printable Fathers Day, St. Joseph Greeting Cards, Craft Activities

When Fathers Day rolls around, it's sometimes hard to know what to get dad. Children may find themselves with little cash to buy something. Here are free printable Father's Day crafts and greeting cards that you can make at home. Dad will love your creativity and thoughtfulness. Remember St. Joseph and his love of baby Jesus. Read more Free Printable Fathers Day Greeting Cards

Free Printable Lent, Easter Coloring Pages

 Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians observe Palm Sunday which celebrates the Biblical triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem one week before His crucifixion. Palm Sunday begins Holy Week and the countdown to the Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday or Easter Vigil). Holy Week culminates on Easter Sunday. Here are free printable Holy Week activities, Palm Sunday crafts, Easter printables and Bible coloring pages. Use as lessons in homeschool, Christian school, Sunday school or Catholic religious education.

DL-TK offers free printable Palm Sunday crafts. There are cut and paste crafts featuring Jesus, donkeys and palms. Sunday-School-Fun-Zone has several dozen free printable Holy Week coloring pages, Easter crafts, Bible puzzles and Catholic Christian holiday games. There are Bible verse memorization activities, images of people waving palms, a donkey and Bible character lessons. Print a countdown-to-Easter craft which for Holy Week.

Ministry-to-Children has eight free printable religious Easter coloring pages. These could be used as a Holy Week countdown. Give children one page color each day. When the pages are complete, they might be combined into a devotional prayer booklet. Catholic Mom has free printable Bible activities geared to each Sunday's gospel reading. All the guesswork for lesson planning and cross-curricular connections has been done for you. These printable units are useful for all ages from preschool through middle school. They're adaptable for special needs students, too. There are printable versions of the Bible reading, an accompanying coloring page, mass worksheets, fill-in-the-blank and crossword puzzles.

Catholic Mom is cross-referenced with specific webpages for holidays and feast days. There are links for crafts, readings, additional resources, printables and supplemental activities. Catholic Mom has printable activities for Palm Sunday, Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, including Holy (or Maundy) Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil (called Holy Saturday) and Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday and Holy Week fluctuate by year.

Lent Almsgiving Lenten Devotions Activities for Kids

The cardinal virtues of Lent include prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Here is family activity and homeschool lesson plan that addresses all those spiritual exercises and several of the Corporal Works of Mercy. Easy, inexpensive and educational, this activity teaches children about the world church. It also helps parents raise awareness, teach generosity and develop empathy in kids. Social justice activities teach gospel poverty and solidarity with the poor. Some almsgiving and kids mission work may count toward school-required student volunteer service credit hours. Read more...Lenten and Easter Activity for School or Group Activity 

Free Printable Bible Coloring Pages for Lent

Many of my happiest childhood memories involve the Bible stories and Sunday School activities. Crafts were pretty simple in the 1960s, but how I loved that big bin of broken crayons and coloring pictures our Bible friends and heroes. As an adult Catholic convert, mother of four and veteran homeschooler, I carried those early loves to my children. Here are free printable coloring pages of Bible characters and stories, perfect for Lent activities and crafts. Click for free printable Bible Coloring Pages

Free Printable Lenten Calendars Countdown Activities

Our Lenten journey in the Catholic church begins on Ash Wednesday and follows Jesus Christ for forty days of suffering in the desert, up to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. Here are free printable lent and liturgical countdown calendars to follow the forty days of fasting, prayer and sacrifice. Click here...

Free Printable Bible Crossword Puzzles and Catholic Crossword Puzzles

Catholic homeschoolers, CCD and religious education teachers, looking for free printable Catholic crossword puzzles? Visit My Catholic Source (link below).  Don't lose this link because there are gobs of free printable crossword puzzles available on it. There are puzzles on Catholic holidays, religion, culture, liturgy, Bible, sacraments, catechism and world history. Use for classroom lesson plans, homeschool, homework, CCD, VBS, Bible study, church and social group parties.  Free Printable Catholic Crossword Puzzles

Social Studies, Art, Math and Literature Lesson Plans for Saint Valentine's Day

For St Valentines Day social studies, math, literature and fine art lessons, use the book called Saint Valentine written and illustrated by Robert Sabuda. Sabuda is a modern day author/ illustrator whose artwork is done chiefly with mosaics. The story itself tells the life of Valentine, a Roman physician who aided Christians whose faith was outlawed by the emperor and had to go into hiding in the catacombs (burial grounds) which ran under the city of Rome. Valentine was imprisoned and sent notes to fellow Christians from prison to encourage them in their faith. The Mosaic makes a perfect medium for the retelling of this story. Use these lessons to explore Saint Valentine's life using mosaics. St Valentine art lesson plans

Free Printable Valentines Day Lesson Plans

Valentine crafts to print and free printable valentines to exchange for Valentines Day. Craft projects, art projects and lesson plans to make a keepsake Valentine activities. Free printable Valentine activities
Great for home school, Catholic school and Valentine's Day. Read more...

Free Printable Epiphany and Three Kings Day Crafts

 Jan. 6 is Epiphany, also called Three Kings Day, Dia de Reyes and Twelfth Night. On Epiphany, Catholic and Orthodox Christians celebrate the visit of the Magi (Three Kings, Wisemen) to Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Orthodox Christian churches observe the Baptism of Jesus, called Theophany "vision of God") on Epiphany as well. Twelfth Night, not Christmas, is the major gift-giving holiday in many countries. Here are free printable Epiphany lesson plans, Three Kings Day crafts and Twelfth Night activities. In French, Latin and New Orleans traditions, Epiphany kicks off Carnivale which counts down to Mardi Gras. King Cake is eaten

Throw a Twelfth Night party with free printable Dora the Explorer Three Kings Day party activities from the Dora the Explorer Saves Three Kings Day party planner. There is a free printable Magi crown craft and Dora Three Kings Day party loot bags to make. Here is a free printable Dia de Reyes coloring page and Dora Three Kings Day party invitations. There are free printable Three Kings Day games. Make recipes for Dia de Reyes.

Decorate for Epiphany star tree toppers. Here's a free printable star tree topper and a vintage star tree topper and 3D geometric star tree toppers. Or use this pretty angel Christmas tree topper. Teacher Help has a free printable Epiphany banner in Spanish for Dia de Reyes.

Explore Dia de Reyes with free printable Epiphany worksheets, Bible Christmas worksheets, coloring pages, nativity scenes, Advent activities, Bible verses, reading and writing activities and star crafts. Catholic Mom has printable worksheets for holy days. Here's the First School Christmas printables page. Apples 4 the Teacher has a free printable Epiphany unit. ABC Teach has free printable Christmas worksheets and Winter Season activities on math, spelling, handwriting, reading, vocabulary, comprehension and social studies. Use religious Christmas rebus mini-booklets to explain the visit of the Magi. Here are Bible worksheets on the Magi and free printable Bible Christmas story activities. Here's more info on Theophany and Epiphany.

Learn about Epiphany through crafts and coloring. Edupics has detailed, realistic Twelfth Night coloring pages to challenge older kids and adults. Hello Kids has a nice collection of free printableFeast of Epiphany coloring pages. Some are classic images and others are cartoons. Papa Jan has many free printable Bible Christmas coloring pages, including numerous Epiphany coloring pages to print. Catholic Icing offers free printable Three Kings crafts.