Religious Education for Young Children

Religious Education for Young Children

A Year of Crafts, Coloring, Specials, & Resources
for Catholic 1st Graders:

Who Made the World? (a Brother Francis video)
This 7-minute video is free-to-watch at formed.org.
Select your parish at sign-in and create a free account with your email address.
God Loves Me, Just the Way I Am (coloring sheet)

Use variety of skin-colored crayons or chalk pieces. Children color skin, eyes, nose, mouth, hair.
Hint: Chalk may be easier for children to use. Hair spray will fix the chalk.

God created mankind in his image;
male and female he created them.

Words to Mister Rogers' "Everybody's Fancy" song
Genesis 1:1-31; Genesis 6:5-9:17; Matthew 19:4.
Overview of Mass for young children:
- Brother Francis videos at YouTube:
  1. Celebrate the Mass
  2. What Is the Mass About?
  3. The Entrance Procession
  4. Paying Attention in Church
  5. The Mass
  6. With a Heart of Praise
- Explain the vestments a priest wears at Mass. Encourage children to remember the color of the priest's chasuble. After Mass, ask children, "What color was the priest's chasuble?"
  The question introduces the colors of the liturgical calendar and serves as a way to teach the seasons of the Church calendar.

St. MIchael the Archangel prayer and coloring sheet:
Introduction to saints:
- A saint is a holy man or woman who has died on earth and now lives with God. There are many saints.
- St. Francis of Assisi (coloring sheets):
- Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (sung at YouTube)
Noah and the Ark:
- Noah and the Ark reading (audio reading with graphics)
- Noah's Ark Animals (coloring sheet)
- Schleich-made animal figurines can be used, male and female.
  Children can match the male giraffe with the female giraffe, the male elephant with the female elephant, and so forth.
- Noah's Ark easy-reading page

"Of all living creatures
you shall bring two of every kind into the ark,
one male and one female."

Moses
- Who Was Moses? (for reading to young children)
- Moses and the burning bush (coloring sheet):
- God gave us commandments because God loves us.
  Ten Commandments graphic
  
  Graphic of parish church can be added at top.
  Words are for a child's understanding.
  Make sure each child understands the very basics.
  Child can sign the graphic, like making a contract with God.
  Can be used as bookmark or refrigerator magnet.
Happy All Saints Day (coloring sheet)

November 1st is All Saints Day, a Holy Day of Obligation.
Remember: A saint is a holy man or woman who has died on earth and now lives with God. There are many saints.
Who Is Jesus? (a Brother Francis video):
This 7-minute video is free-to-watch at formed.org.
Select your parish at sign-in and create a free account with your email address.
ACTIVITY: Practice writing sheets for the Our Father
Word by word, line by line, child writes the Our Father.
Will take about 30 minutes.
Hail Mary (coloring sheet):
REVIEW, before the work of Advent begins:
- God made the world and everything in it.
- God is and always has been.
- God made us in his image.
- God made us males and females.
- God gave us the Ten commandments.
- God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
  -- one God, the Blessed Trinity.
- Jesus is the Son of God, and Jesus is God.
- Mary is Jesus' mother. We call her "Holy Mary, Mother of God."
The liturgical year begins with Advent (coloring sheet):
Advent wreath (coloring sheet)

Have children color candle flames for only as many Advent Sundays as have happened. Encourage children to color one more candle flame each Advent Sunday, at home.

The angel told Mary,
“Do not be afraid, Mary.
You will conceive and bear a son,
and you will name him Jesus.
His kingdom will have no end."
Mary said,
"I am the servant of the Lord.
Let it be according to the Lord God."

St. Nicholas' feast day: December 6th:
- A reading of the story of St. Nicholas (at YouTube)
- Coloring sheet:
Immaculate Conception of Mary: December 8th. (Holy Day of Obligation).
Coloring sheet shows Mary's mother, St. Anne, pregnant with Mary:
Away in a Manger, sung by Alan Jackson.
. . . . Away in a manger, no crib for a bed.
. . . . The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
. . . . The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
. . . . The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

. . . . The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
. . . . But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
. . . . I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky,
. . . . And stay by my cradle 'til morning is nigh.

. . . . Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
. . . . Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
. . . . Bless all the dear children in thy tender care
. . . . And take us to heaven to live with Thee there.
Nativity coloring sheets and story book

In a stable in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn.
In fields nearby, shepherds watched their sheep. An angel appeared to the shepherds, and they were afraid. The angel said, "Fear not. I bring you good news. Today in Bethlehem, a Saviour has been born. He is the Messiah. You will find a baby wrapped in cloth lying in a manger." The angel left, and the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem.
They saw the babe lying in the manger. They told Mary what the angel had told them.
Map of the Holy Land, in time of Jesus

Point out the Jordan River, Nazareth, Bethlehem, the Mediterranean Sea. Explain that Mary rode on the back of a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, about 90 miles. Explain that there were many other Jewish people, like Mary and Joseph, who were traveling then because the Roman rulers had ordered a special census -- a counting of the people.
Christmas tree ornament (craft):
DIRECTIONS:
Color the four circles. Cut them out. Fold each circle vertically.
Glue each half-circle to another half-circle, creating 3-D ornament.
Punch hole and add string.
Christmas movies at formed.org:
- Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa
- The King Is Born: What Christmas Is About
Madonna and child (coloring sheet):
Visit of the Magi (coloring sheet)
Flight to Egypt (coloring sheet)
Baptism of Jesus (coloring sheet)
Activity for the lesson of Jesus as fisher of men:
Sea of Galilee cookies (or Sea of Tiberias cookies).

Graham crackers, cake frosting colored with blue food coloring, fish crackers. Give each child a paper plate, a paper bowl with a scoop of blue frosting, a plastic knife or a flat wooden tongue depressor, and a baggie with fish crackers.
Valentine's Day: John 3:16 (work sheet/puzzle)
Miracles of Jesus (coloring sheets):
- Turned water into wine:
- Cured the blind:
- Raised the dead.
Parables (coloring sheets):
- The Prodigal Son:
- .
- .

Temptation of Christ:
- Art from the old masters, with information.
  Images of great art depicting the Temptation of Christ:
- Coloring sheet: Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness.
  Use chalk on paper; set with hair spray.
  
  Guide for coloring: James Tissot
Transfiguration of Jesus:
- Transfiguration of Jesus art
  Images of great art depicting the Transfiguration of Jesus story.
- Activity: Transfiguation of Jesus window hangers.
  Color rays of sunlight. Cut. Cover w/ clear contact paper. Punch hole. Hang in bright light.
Road to Easter
- Graphic of roadmap to Easter:
- INSERT ROAD TO EASTER VIDEO
- Art in Road to Easter lesson:
Printable Stations of the Cross
- Jesus was condemned to death.
- He was made to carry his cross.
- He fell as he walked.
- He saw his sorrowful Mother.
- Simon helped Jesus to carry the cross.
- Veronica wiped the face of Jesus along the way.
- Jesus fell a second time.
- The women of Jerusalem wept.
- Jesus fell a third time.
- Jesus was stripped of his clothes.
- Jesus was nailed to the Cross.
- The Cross was raised with Jesus on it, and Jesus died on the cross.
- Jesus was taken down from the Cross.
- Jesus' body was laid in a tomb.
Coloring sheet: Jesus on the Cross, next to a criminal:

One of the criminals said, "We have been condemned justly, but his man has done nothing criminal."
Then the criminal said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus replied, "Today you will be with me in Paradise."
-- Luke 23:41-43
A parent/child cookie recipe for the night before Easter:
EASTER COOKIES
INSERT VIDEO: HOLY WEEK AND EASTER
Easter Review:
- What do we call the week before Easter?
  Holy Week.
- What did the people shout as Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday?
  Hosanna! Hosanna!
- Jesus did three special things at the Last Supper? What were they?
  He washed His disciple's feet.
  He said that one of them would betray him.
  He gave us the Eucharist.
- What did the people shout about Jesus on the day after his Last Supper?
  Crucify him! Crucify him!
- What happened to Jesus on Good Friday?
  He was crucified, and he died on a cross.
- What do we celebrate on Easter?
  Jesus' resurrection. Jesus overcame death and came back alive.
- How long is the Easter season?
  50 days.
- What is the color of the Easter season?
  White.
John 20:27: Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here ans see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt, but believe."
Doubting Thomas coloring sheet:

Guide for coloring:
Blessed Mother (coloring sheet; space for Mother's Day message)

How to pray the Rosary

20 Saints for 1st graders (short stories)
Saints Coloring Book (in a PDF file)

The 1st link is to a downloadable PDF file that has 24 coloring sheets of saints and a matching biography for each saint. The link behind the image is a cover page (in color) that can be printed for the coloring book. Book can be spiral bound or stapled.

email

AliceBeard.com

Bethesda, Maryland