Free Printable American Girl Activities, Crafts, Games, Lessons

American Girl crafts may not, at first glance, seem appropriate for a Catholic activities blog. In 24 years as a Catholic mom and 10 years as a Catholic homeschool mom, I've discovered great family activities in some surprising places. American Girl offers free printable activities, coloring pages, crafts, skits, literature-based lessons, writing prompts, games, puzzles and lesson plans. The Pleasant Company's American Girl characters each represent different regions, time period and ethnic background. The family's faith is woven into the stories. Molly, Josefina (and possibly Kirsten) are Catholic and celebrate Catholic traditions unique to their cultural backgrounds. As we welcome St. Kateri Tekakwitha as a newly cannonized saint, Catholic families might read the AG Kaya books for historical crafts and activities to celebrate St. Kateri. AG is a great resource for Catholic moms. read more

Family Bonding Activities for Thanksgiving

Are your children more of a hindrance than a help at holiday time? Do you find that they make more work? Would you like to involve kids in the thanksgiving preparations? Here are some tried and true tips from a 24-year mom of four to engage kids in age appropriate ways. Make memories and create family bonding opportunities. Use these lesson plans for homeschool or in the classroom.  Perfect for advent, too. Picture on left shows four of my kids (two daughters in heaven) in 1998--Molly, Albert, Jakob and Emma Grace. How to Engage Children in the Thanksgiving Celebrations