Actors Guild...Do a shadow puppet show of a Bible story...Using black construction paper, make silhouettes of characters and attach to craft sticks...Thread a sheet hem through a tension rod and mount in a doorway...Move the puppets behind the sheet as you narrate the story...Aim a safe lamp behind the puppeteer to create the shadow effect...Supervise.

Art Show...Put out different pieces of religious art each week...Examples: Statue, Cross, Holy Card, Painting, Book Illustration...Expose the children to different types of good religious art.

Ash Wednesday…Get ashes…Explain the origin of Lent (from the German word for Spring)…40 days represent the Lord's fast in the desert…How can you fast?

Bakers Delight...Make a cake in the form of a lamb (molds available) for Easter Sunday...Make hot cross buns and decorate with icing in the form of a cross...Enjoy.

Band-Aid…Ask Jesus to show you one area of your life that needs healing…Pray for and work on that area during Lent.

Baptism Renewed...On Holy Saturday, take out childrens' baptismal garments and candles (if still in existence) and dress a doll up to represent renewing baptismal vows...bring out baptismal photographs of the children...Make a baptismal garment out of a paper bag...cut a "u" shape out of the bottom of the bag for the head...Cut out sides...Decorate with symbols, names.

Bible Bingo…Write down the story of Palm Sunday to Easter…Have the children draw pictures from the story or print important words on different sheets…Read the story and when a significant picture or word is spoken, the children mark it on their sheet with a paper chip (bingo-style)...During narration, highlight the important words with your voice.

Board Games...Purchase one or two age-appropriate religious games to play during Lent or on Easter...Examples: The Journeys of Jesus; Armor of God.

Business Meeting…Each day have a set time for the family or child to pray…Set a timer for 5, 10, or 15 minutes depending on the children's' ages...Serve pretzels to represent prayer (origin, arms crossed in prayer).

Dear Diary…Have children use journal book to write, draw, cut and paste, etc. during Lent…Example: "I love you Jesus…"I gave clothes to the poor today," etc.

Drop Ins...Visit different churches during Lent...Point out the Blessed Sacrament to the children...Light a candle...Say a prayer...worship in the quiet together.

Earth Angels...Explain that Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry the cross...Ask the children to think of people who have helped them in the past year (nannies, babysitters, teachers, grandparents, neighbors, family and friends) and have them write a thank you note or buy a small present for them on Palm Sunday.

Easter ABC's…Ashes…Bible...Cross…Disciples…Easter…Forty Days…Garden of Gethsemane…Herod...INRI…Jesus/Jerusalem/John the Baptist…Kiss of Judas…Last Supper…Mary…Nazareth…Oil…Pontius Pilate…Quake…Resurrection…Stone… Twelve Apostles…Understanding God's Word…"V for Victory" on the Cross…Word of God…The letter, "X", written over the letter, "P" is the Chi-ro, an ancient symbol of Christ…You are precious in God's sight…Zion (sound the trumpet of Zion).

Feed My Lambs…Have a bowl of dried rice, side-by-side with a piggy bank…Encourage family members and visitors to donate money for the poor...At the end of Lent, put in collection box or send to designated charity that helps children.

Getting to Know You...Make flashcards with the Apostles' names on one side and significant information on the other...Peter/leader of the twelve, colorful personality...James/a fisherman, present at transfiguration and Agony in the Garden...John the Beloved/younger brother of James, present at foot of Cross...James/Son of Mary of Clopas...Jude/Also known as Thaddeus...Judas Iscariot/Betrayed Jesus, handled the money for the Apostles...Simon/Radical Zealot...Andrew/Fisherman, brother of Peter...Philip/Introduces the Greeks to Jesus, likes to ask questions...Bartholomew/ Sometimes called Nathaniel, native of Cana...Matthew/Rich tax collector, leaves business to follow Jesus...Thomas/The Twin/doubted Jesus' Resurrection.

Health Kit...In a plastic bag pack a toothbrush, toothpaste, band-aids, a washcloth, a comb and a bar of soap. Send the bags to: Free the Children , 1750 Steeles Avenue W., Suite 218 , Concord, Ontario, Canada L4K 2L7

Heart Light (Pascal or Easter Candle)...Roll a piece of white construction paper around a paper towel roll, staple closed...Color and cut out a paper flame, tape it to the top of the candle...Draw or paste a cross on the front of the candle...Fill in the numbers of the year (e.g., 2001) in the 4 spaces of the cross...Draw the alpha (letter "A") above the cross and the Omega below the cross...You will have made a Pascal or Easter candle...You can also bake a pascal candle cake in a large coffee tin and decorate as above.

Home Altar…Set up a focal point…Options: table cloth, statue, cross, Bible on book stand, candle, rosary, holy water, rice bowl, or Lenten story book.

Jesus The Lord Is Alive...On Easter, sing any songs you've written for the company...Do the Time Capsule guessing game (see page 2)...Have an Easter Egg hunt that's non-competitive -- kids and adults -- participating adults have to put in one dollar for each egg found and send the collection to a desired charity that helps children or families in need.

Lenten Calendar…Divide the Lenten activities up on appropriate days…Mark down appointments for family prayer, story hour, etc.

Lights, Camera, Action!...Draw a stencil in the form of Jesus' body...On Easter Sunday, have family and children fill the form with names that we use to praise Jesus...Examples: Lord of Lords, Teacher, Son of God, Prince of Peace, Rabbi, Counselor, Savior, Lamb of God, Good Shepherd, I Am, Advocate, Messiah, Brother, Light of the World, King, Day Spring, Christ, God, The Way, Emmanuel, Friend, Son of David, Master, Holy One, Morning Star, Alpha and Omega, Lion of Judah, The Great High Priest. Take a video of the celebration of the risen Lord.

Living Stations...Take individual photographs of older children miming each station of the cross...Dress in simple costumes (adult shirts and scarves, old ties for belts)...On Good Friday, make a photo album or poster board of the developed film...Display.

Mommy & Me/Daddy & Me...Dedicate a half day or one day during Lent to each child...Spend quality time together...Example: Parents, Grandparents or Godparents plan a special trip/project/outing and call the day by the child's name, e.g., "A Nancy Day."

Once Upon A Time...Children love to hear stories of when their parents were children.

Pack Your Bags…We're about to spend 40 days with Jesus…In a backpack/tote bag/ box put a journal book, arts and crafts, Bible, Lenten calendar, books and videos.

Parental Blessings…At bedtime or when children leave the house, make the sign of the cross on the child's forehead and say a blessing…Example: "God loves you, I love you."

Praise Walk...On Palm Sunday...take a walk with the family, praising God's creation as you go along...Take photos of special sites...Have a picnic if weather permits.

Praying the Bible…Encourage children to browse, read, sing the verses, draw or write down in their journal the Sunday scriptures or other Biblical stories.

Puppet Classmates...Make marionette puppets...Using a flat index card for the body, cut out a head and staple to the index card...Punch four holes for arms and legs...Attach rolled (stapled closed) index cards as limbs with ribbon...Punch a hole on each shoulder and attach a ribbon to control the puppet (like a purse handle).

Recognizing Others' Gifts...Each week, have the children privately list the good qualities/God-given talents/gifts of one member of the family...Parent compiles the results and transcribes on a scroll/letter of praise to be placed in each member's Easter basket.

St. Joseph's Day...Honor Fathers on this day...Make breakfast, cards, take father and child photos.

Seder Celebration...Recreate the Last Supper in the context of the Passover meal (Seder)...Serve symbolic food as the focal point...Examples: Shank bone, the symbol of the Pascal lamb eaten on Passover during Biblical times...Egg, representing the cycle of life...Vegetable such as parsley to dip in salt water which reminds us of the tears of the enslaved Jews in Egypt...A mixture of crushed apples, nuts and wine as a reminder of the mortar used in the building of the Pyramids...Bitter herbs such as horse radish, symbolic of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt...Lettuce, an additional bitter herb for the ceremony... Decorate placemats and placesetting cards at the table for the apostles...Tell the story of the great escape from Egypt and how Jesus celebrated the Passover instituting the Eucharist, washing the Disciples feet, etc.

Shrove Tuesday (Day before Ash Wednesday)…Have a Mardi Gras (means Fat Tuesday in French) party…Wear masks, string-bead necklaces…Last chance for sweets.

Song In My Heart...Write Easter story lyrics to familiar tunes...Example: "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" to your own words such as:

Put on your best, best outfit and your Easter bonnet too
And your baptismal garment for the promises made new
Blow up your big balloon, breath it full as if with life
And shout so your message can be heard

Happy, happy, happy Easter
Happy, happy, happy Easter
Happy, happy, happy Easter
The Lord has risen as he said!

Story Sunday...Every Sunday, tell a special Bible story about Jesus and children (list available upon request).

Sunday by Sunday…On the home altar, have a visual theme of the next Sunday Gospel (2001 is Cycle C of the Sunday readings)…Example: First Sunday of Lent -- Temptation of Christ -- have a diorama with a cardboard figure of Christ in a shoebox in real or painted sand and some coins on the side to represent that Jesus could not be bought by the tempter...Gear craft to childrens' ages.

Thank You Jesus...Draw a cross on poster board...Draw a circle on the cross for the head of Christ...Make Xs all around the circle to represent the crown of thorns...Draw a stick figure of Christ on the rest of the cross...draw a loin cloth with two slanted lines...The image of Christ with his head down will surface...At the top of the cross, write INRI, which means "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews," which appeared on the real cross...cut out the cross and on the back write a thank you note to Jesus and have each family member sign...Display on home altar.

Time Capsule...Gather an assortment of real objects that are part of the Easter story and place in a Time Capsule -- anything from a box to a gift bag. Examples: Donkey for Palm Sunday, A cross for Good Friday, A small chalice for Holy Thursday, Washcloth for the washing of the feet, Pieces of silver for Judas, Stone for Jesus' tomb, Holy Card of Jesus for the Resurrection, Plastic egg for Easter Sunday, etc. Explain the significance of the objects to the children prior to Easter and have them quiz the adults Easter Day as to the symbolism. Adults pick the objects grab-bag style from container...Help adults with clues.

U-Turns…Make plans to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation either individually or as a family. God allows U-turns -- tell the story of the Prodigal Son.

Video Night...Watch children's videos about the life of Christ and discuss them...Older children can watch the Jesus of Nazareth series, broken up into five sessions.

What's In A Name?...Tell the children why you gave them their particular birth name...If there is a name saint, tell the child the saint's story...Research the history of your surname (at the library or on the Internet)...Make a family tree...Pray for the deceased...Come up with a family motto...Draw a crest or family flag on which to print it...Example: A picture of a dove on a shield with the motto "In all things be spirit led" with the family name under it...Embellish it to your hearts content.

Wordsmiths...Display the name of Jesus using family names to form each of the letters...Example: The outline of the letter J is made up of the childrens' names... Together we proclaim the Good News of Jesus...Send as Easter invitations to guests or as Easter cards...Write in your journal book...Use other words such as Love, Pray, etc.

Thanks to Gloria Doino who provided this list of activities

Copyright 2001 Wordsmith, Inc.