Sunday, November 30, 2008

Confused





I’m still wondering about the lurkers that visit my blog. Why do they come, what are they looking for? Lots of questions inundate my mind and I’m baffled as to what the answers could be.

So here is your chance to comment what you like the most and what you would like to see on this blog. This will help me so I will know what to post and I will try to accommodate you ASAP.


Friday, November 28, 2008

What To Give For Christmas



I’m not much for shopping and I really don’t need anything, but Oprah has the right idea about what to give for Christmas . . . love.

These heartfelt gifts are the ones you will cherish forever and will never forget.




Gratitude Boxes

All you do is get a container or box and decorate it. Then have everyone write a special note for that person to put inside. To make it easy, Oprah has made printable note cards for you.

What I love about you . . .

Thank you for . . .

My holiday wish for you . . .


Print these notes out and write your special message to that “special” person.


'Tis the season to let someone know how much you appreciate them and making it a wonderful Christmas for years to come.





Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Family Time




With today’s hectic life we spend less and less time together as a family. Most families are having a hard time making ends meet, but there are many activities they can do that won’t dent the budget. Here are a few just to get your creative juices going.


1. Play a favorite game or board game.

2. Pop some popcorn and watch a movie or DVD.

3. Make some cookies from scratch.

4. Watch a home movie/DVD or look at family photos.

5. Play a fun game outside.

6. Make an obstacle course and see who can get through it the fastest.

7. Make up a board game on poster board and play it.

8. Play a video or computer game and have teams.

9. Make something as a family (craft, toy, bird house, garden, etc.)

10. Rake the leaves into a pile from your yard and jump into it.

11. Ride bikes or go for a hike.

12. Go fly a kite.

13. Read a book or a Bible story together.

14. Plan and cook a dinner together to eat as a family.

15. Go camping (you can even do it in the back yard).

16. Make ice cream the old fashioned way.

17. Go pick berries, apples, oranges, etc.

18. Go fishing.

19. Make a calendar using family pictures to give to relatives.

20. Go to the park.

21. Do a family life blog. Fill it with family news, musing, tips, etc.

22. Volunteering for community service together as a family is a wonderful way of creating a special bond and lasting memories for families.

23. Walk the dog together.

24. Do a Scavenger Hunt or Treasure Hunt.

Scavenger Hunt- Make a list of things to find. Divide the family into teams. Set a time to find as many things as possible on the list. The team with the most items from the list at the end of that time wins.

Treasure Hunt- Plan a Treasure Hunt for the family by hiding something and making a map that everyone must work together to find it.

25. Make your own putt-putt course and play it.


~*~

Successful Family Activities
familieswithpurpose.com

Planning fun and successful family activities shouldn't be a chore for busy parents. Most just require a little fore thought and a little planning to be successful. So don't get bogged down in the details or overwhelmed with the planning. The first thing to spoil family activities is a stressed parent, so go slow and ease into your routine.

*Alternate between planned and unplanned family activities. Not every family activity has to be an elaborate outing. Sticking around home and just "hanging out" can be just as fun. Just don't let the TV, computer, and video games become a distraction.

*Be flexible. Sometimes family activities don't go as planned. The baby is tired, the car had a flat tire, or it rained when it was supposed to be sunny and hot.

*Make sure the family activity is something everyone will enjoy or at least tolerate. Talk over the family activities ahead of time and get everyone's input. This will help prevent resistance later on.

*Schedule your family activities on the family calendar. Plan out for a month when the family will be together and schedule the family activities accordingly.





Monday, November 24, 2008

Gifts For The Baby Jesus File Folder Game



This game is free, however it is only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on all activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.


Gifts For Baby Jesus File Folder Game





Directions: The object of this game is to collect gold, frankincense and myrrh. The player rolls the die and follows the directions. If they land on a GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, or MYRRH space, the player to their right draws a card and reads the question out loud. (If they cannot read, the teacher or someone else can read it for them). On each card is a question about Jesus’ birth. If they answer correctly, they receive a gold, frankincense, or myrrh card (which ever space they landed on). If they are not correct, they do not receive a card. Younger students do not have to answer a question and just receive a card. Players collect a gold, frankincense and myrrh card as they move around the board. Whoever collects all 3 cards first, wins. Continue playing to find out who comes in second, third, fourth, etc. place. NOTE: If the player lands on a space labeled GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, or MYRRH and they already have that card, they do nothing and the game continues.


Gifts for the Baby Jesus Game- Directions, Game Board, Question Cards, Game Cards, Spinner


Friday, November 21, 2008

Lesson Plan- Mary and the Angel (1st grade on up)



Mary and the Angel

Objectives: The students will be able to
- retell the story Mary and the Angel
- explain that God can use ordinary people to carry out his plans
- explain that Mary showed love and faith to God with her obedience
- identify who Jesus’ foster father was


Review:
Prayer, questions and vocabulary words from last week’s lesson



Vocabulary Words: (Write the words on the board and discuss with class)

Nazareth- a town in Israel where Jesus spent most of his life (show students this on a map or have one of the students find it on a map).
Galilee- region of ancient Palestine, now part of northern Israel. Galilee is between the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee (show students this on a map or have one of the students find it on a map).
Engage- to be married to
Carpenter- someone who makes things out of wood
Angel- a messenger of God



Plan:

Read story: “Mary and the Angel” and then ask questions



Activities:

Introduce activities: Who told Mary that she was going to have a baby and he was going to be the son of God? The angel Gabriel.

sermons4kids.com- A Visit From An Angel object lesson with group activities, coloring, puzzles, quiz, worship bulletin

sermons4kids.com- You Shall Call His Name Jesus object lesson with group activities, coloring, puzzles, worship bulletin

childrensermons.com- Mary, Mother of Jesus object lesson

calvarycurriculum.com- Gabriel Visits Mary lesson #167 with memory verses, circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, and color sheets.

missionarlington.org- A Virgin Will Have A Baby: Promises Kept lesson with activities and word search

missionarlington.org- A Virgin is Going to have a Baby! Lesson with activities and puzzles

clutheran.org- Announcing A Miracle Child lesson with multiple choice, identifying miracles

childrenschurch.wordpress.com- The Angel Gabriel Brings Good News lesson with activities

jesuswalk.com- Mary's First Lesson in Discipleship (Luke 1:26-38) lesson

therichsoil.files.wordpress.com- Learning to Say Yes lesson plan

bible.org- Lesson 10: Mary, Most Blessed Of Women

thereichsoil.files.wordpress.com- RCIA Pre RCIA Pre-Catechumenate lesson plan



Crafts:

Introduce crafts: Who told Mary that she was going to have a baby and he was going to be the son of God? The angel Gabriel.

sermons4kids.com- Visit From An Angel group activities (crafts)

Jacob’s Ladder- Just make the angel that is in this craft using cupcake liners and construction paper. You can also make the angel into a magnet by putting sticky-backed magnets on the back of the angel. (Crafts from Your Favorite Bible Stories by Kathy Ross, pages 16 & 17).

Christmas Angel- A cute craft of an angel that is made from using the child's handprints. (From The Hands Of A Child by Anthony Flores, page 25).

jesus-without-language.net- Angel Craft

thecraftymummy.com- Tutorial: Paperclip Angel

allsorts.typepad.com- Angel Craft

flamecreativekids.blogspot.com- Angel Craft

activityvillage.co.uk- Angel Crafts

daniellesplace.com- Angel Crafts

freesundayschoolcurriculum.weebly.com- 2 Angel Crafts (scroll down to these)

iheartcraftythings.com- Beautiful Christmas Angel Craft for Kids

thebestideasforkids.com- Angel Craft Ornament

buggyandbuddy.com- Paper Strip Angel Ornament Christmas Craft (with Free Template)

youtube.com- How To Make Paper Angel for Christmas Decorations



Games:

sermons4kids.com- Visit From An Angel group activities (games)

Introduce game: Mary had some good news to tell. What was her good news?

daniellesplace.com- Mary Tells Her Good News

Surprise Ball- God’s people were expecting God to keep His promise to send the Savior. They were probably surprised by the humble way the Messiah was born. Today we are going to play a game where we get surprised. (The Really Big Book of Bible Games, page 150).

kevinmccaughey.com- The Paper Wrapped Surprise Game
At the end, all students can receive a prize as well or you can just have several pieces of candy wrapped inside for the whole class. (Use the introduction on Surprise Ball for this game.)



Snacks:

Introduce snack: Who told Mary that she was going to have a baby and he was going to be the son of God? The angel Gabriel.

pastrywiz.com- Almond Angel Cookies

pillsbury.com- Holiday Angel Cookies

pillsbury.com- Almond Angel Cookies



Puzzles, Mazes, Worksheets:

More 365 Activities for Kids (do any of the Mary puzzles, mazes, dot-to-dot, spot the difference, etc. from July 23 - 27).

wordsearchfun.com- Mary Meets The Angel (word search)

sermons4kids.com-An Angel Visits Mary (word search)

biblepathwayadventures.com- An Angel Visits Mary (word search)

web.archive.org- Word Search

sermons4kids.com- An Angel Appears to Mary (jumble)

sermons4kids.com- An Angel Visits Mary (decoder)

sermons4kids.com- Visit From An Angel (cryptogram)

sermons4kids.com- An Visits Mary (crossword)

sermons4kids.com- Visit From An Angel (crossword)

web.archive.org- Crossword

sermons4kids.com- Visit From An Angel (multiple choice)

sdc.me.uk- Luke 1:26-38 Worksheet

calvarycurriculum.com- Gabriel Visits Mary lesson #167 circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, etc.

biblepathwayadventures.com- An Angel Visits Mary (matching)

gospelhall.org- Match the Promise to the Fulfillment (worksheet)

clutheran.org- Multiple choice, identifying miracles (page 3)

freesundayschoolcurriculum.weebly.com- An Angel Visits Mary Worksheets (page 9 & 10)

tes.com- The Annunciation (Angel Gabriel appears to Mary) Worksheet and Activity

jesuswalk.com- Mary's First Lesson in Discipleship (Luke 1:26-38) lesson with questions at bottom that can be made easily into a worksheet



Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Lesson Plan- Advent (1st grade on up)



Advent

Objectives: The students will be able to
- identify who God promised to send to be our Savior
- explain that Advent as a time for preparing to celebrate Christ’s birth
- explain why we use an Advent Wreath
- discuss the significance of each part of the Advent Wreath
- explain how we pray using the Advent Wreath
- identify what color each candle is on the Advent Wreath, when it is lighted, and what order



Review:
Prayer, questions and vocabulary words from last week’s lesson



Vocabulary Words: (Write the vocab words on the board and discuss with class)

Advent- the four week period leading up to Christmas, beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, the season of the church year during which we prepare for Christ’s coming
Wreath- a hollow circular arrangement of flowers or greenery used as a decoration
Christmas- an annual Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25
Jesse Tree- It is a tree branch decorated with symbols representing the stories of people in Jesus' family tree.



Plan:

Introduce Advent to your class.

Advent Adventure- Take the children on an Advent adventure. (Big Book of Ideas for Children’s Faith Formation, by McNamara, McKeever, and Robinson, page 6).


Then show your students an Advent Wreath and discuss Advent with your class. Some questions that you might want to ask:

What does the circle of the Advent wreath represent? A circle has no beginning or an end. The circle of the Advent wreath represents that God is so great that God never had a beginning and will never have an end. The wreath is a circle, causing us to remember the eternity of God's love for us and for all humanity.

What do the evergreens tell us? Evergreens stay green all year. The evergreens tell us that God never changes. It is decked with green boughs, causing us to remember the newness of life we have in Christ Jesus.

How many candles are on the outside of the Advent wreath? 4

What does each candle represent? One week

Three candles are what color? Violet

Which candle is lighted first? Violet

What does the first candle represent? Represents the hope of the people of Israel that someone would come save them and the period of waiting for the birth of Christ. The first candle reminds us of the prophets' hope for God's salvation to come, as Isaiah prophesied.

What candle is lighted second? Violet

What does the second candle represent? Represents the peace that God has given through His son Jesus Christ and the preparation for the Christ Child.

What candle is lighted third? Rose.

What does the third candle represent? Represents the joy of sharing Christ. The third candle reminds us of the joy of the shepherds as they heard the good news of Jesus' arrival.

What candle is lighted fourth? Violet

What does the fourth candle represent? Represents love sent from God through His son, Jesus Christ.

What candle is lighted Christmas Eve or day? The white candle.

What does the white candle represent? The Christ candle reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world, come into our darkness to enlighten us and give us the life of God which we share with others.

What does the first Sunday of Advent begin? The first Sunday of Advent is the start of a new liturgical year in the Catholic Church. (Show students a Liturgical Year Calendar and discuss.)

What color is the primary Sanctuary color of Advent? Violet



Activities:

Introduce activities: What is the time before Christmas called?

sermons4kids.com- Advent~ Christmas object lessons

christiancrafters.com- Christmas Lessons & Advent Season Talks

thereligionteacher.com- The Religion Teacher’s Advent Activity Pack provides a large variety of resources to help religion teachers and catechists prepare their students for Christ’s coming into the world. The easy-to-use resources focus on important topics of Advent: the meaning of the season, Advent wreaths, the Second Coming, the names and titles of Jesus, and John the Baptist.

loyolapress.com- Advent Activities for the classroom, family, and parish

loyolapress.com- Advent Lesson Plan Grades 1 – 3

loyolapress.com- Advent Lesson Plan Grades 4 – 6

loyolapress.com- Advent Lesson Plan Grades 7 – 8

Advent Adventure- Each class session during Advent you will reveal a different Advent activity, project, or storybook that relates to the week’s Advent theme. (Big Book of Ideas for Children’s Faith Formation by Beth Branigan McNamara, page 6).

Advent Prayer Cube- Introduce a new prayer each week during the four weeks of Advent with a prayer cube. (Big Book of Ideas for Children’s Faith Formation, by McNamara, McKeever, and Robinson, page 10).

The Catholic Toolbox- Advent Lapbooks

raisinglittlesaints.blogspot.com- Advent Activities (printables)
Just click on Advent Activities for Children to download activities.

looktohimandberadiant.com- “Seeking Our Savior”
The concept is that the kids are looking for clues during Advent, leading them up to the real meaning of the season, which is to prepare our hearts for Jesus, not to celebrate Christmas starting the day after Thanksgiving. Complete with lots of little hands-on activities, but this could also be adapted to be a take home activity by just using the coloring book, or to a more classroom-friendly activity by using the coloring book as a group and looking up all of the scripture references.

prayingincolor.com-Advent Calendars

childrens-ministry-deals.com- Advent Coloring Calendar



Crafts:

Introduce craft: What is the season of the church year during which we prepare for Christ’s coming?

Advent Calendar- A take home Advent calendar that you make. (Big Book of Ideas for Children’s Faith Formation, by McNamara, McKeever, and Robinson, page 7 & 8).

catholicicing.com- Advent Wreath Crafts For Kids (The Ultimate List!) 15 posted!

first-school.ws- Advent Wreath craft with templates

spelloutloud.com- Names of Jesus Advent Chain

spelloutloud.com- Advent Paper Chains

activitiesforkids.com- Advent Calendar Paper Chain

flandersfamily.info- Advent Christmas Chain (scripture chain)

todayscreativeideas.com- Paper Chain Advent Calendar

catholicplayground.com- Paper Chain Advent Calendar

The Catholic Toolbox- Printable Advent Chain
An Advent chain that you can print out with activities written on it. Print out, color, and make into a chain. Remove the link on that day and do the activity.

confessionsofahomeschooler.com- FREE Printable Advent Ornaments
Print the ornaments as directed on cardstock then cut out each triangle and laminate for durability. Use mini-clothes pins to attach ornaments to a small Christmas tree, a string of garland, or a rope hung across the mantle! Starting on December 1st, each day take one down and do whatever activity is on the back. For this you can print my activities on the backs (they are included in the download) or you can print just the ornaments and write in your own activities.

originally from catholicmom.com- Advent Wreath Craft
"No Burn, Construction Paper Wreath - Made with your Child's Handprints"

christiancrafters.com- No Flame Advent Wreath

catholicicing.com- Advent Wreath Craft for Catholic Kids

catholicinspired.com- Easy Advent Wreath

crayola.com- Advent Wreath Placemat Craft



Games:

Introduce game: What do you know about Advent? Let’s find out.

christiancrafters.com- Bible Win, Loose, or Draw
Use Advent words to play this game. (Example: Angel, shepherds, baby, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Lord, afraid, magi, gifts, star, manger, warned, candle, wreath, etc.).

christiancrafters.com- Bible Tic Tac Toe
(Scroll down to bottom.) Use Advent trivia questions to play this game.

Hangman- (Players try to solve the Advent mystery word). The teacher picks an Advent word that is written on a piece of paper out of a bowl. The teacher then starts the hangman game by writing a blank line for each letter in the word. Teacher then picks someone to guess a letter. (Write on the chalkboard the letters that were guessed that were not in the mystery word). If a letter is guess correctly, it is written in the appropriate blank(s) and that person who guessed correctly gets another turn. They can guess another letter or guess the mystery word. If the person is incorrect, another player gets a turn. Whoever guessed the mystery word gets to pick an Advent word out of the bowl and start the hangman game.

Advent Guessing Game- Familiarized the children with some of the signs and symbols of Advent while having fun. (Big Book of Ideas for Children’s Faith Formation, by McNamara, McKeever, and Robinson,, page 9).

Advent Prayer Cube- Introduce a new prayer each week during the four weeks of Advent with a prayer cube. (Big Book of Ideas for Children’s Faith Formation, by McNamara, McKeever, and Robinson, page 10).

Preparation Station- This game will help your kids understand what it means to prepare their hearts, minds, and lives for Jesus’ coming during Advent season. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children’s Ministry, page 156).

loyolapress.com- Advent Bingo

jeopardylabs.com- Advent Jeopardy

jeopardylabs.com- Advent Jeopardy!!!

thecraftyclassroom.com- Names of Jesus Advent Game

alphamom.com- Advent Calendar Printable Game

Advent Bingo- (scroll down to Games)

Advent True or False Game- (scroll down to Games)




Advent Wreath- The object of the game is to color all of the Advent wreath correctly.

To Play: Place 2 small baskets or boxes on the table to put question cards in. Put the question cards in one basket (the other basket will be for discards). Give each player a copy of the “Advent Coloring Sheet”. Place your markers on START. Roll the die and move that many spaces. Follow the directions on the space you land on. If the player lands on a “?”, the person to their right draws a question card and reads it out loud. If the player answers correctly, they can color what is stated on the card on their Advent wreath coloring sheet. If they have already colored that part of their wreath, they do nothing. If a player lands on a space with the leaves, they may color some of the greenery on their wreath. When a player has completely colored their Advent coloring sheet correctly, he/she is the winner. Play continues until all players have colored their sheets.










Snacks:

catholicculture.org-

Introduce snack: Stir Up Sunday

Rich Fruit Cake

Dried Fruit Bread

Dutch Treat- This Advent cookie from the Netherlands is full of the rich flavor of Dutch chocolate.

annes-recipes.com- Advent Cookies

Edible Advent Wreath by catholicicing.blogspot.com- Super easy and fast craft/snack that any child can make.



Puzzles, Mazes, Worksheets:

loyolapress.com- Advent Decoder

churchyear.net- Advent Crossword

armoredpenguin.com- Advent Crossword


The activity below is free, however it can only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of this, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. *All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on this activity are not my own and are from various internet sources.



Advent Mini Book- printable book that the children can color



Worksheets

thereligionteacher.com- The Religion Teacher’s Advent Activity Pack provides a large variety of resources to help religion teachers and catechists prepare their students for Christ’s coming into the world. The easy-to-use resources focus on important topics of Advent: the meaning of the season, Advent wreaths, the Second Coming, the names and titles of Jesus, and John the Baptist.

pflaum.com- Four times during the school year, Pflaum Gospel Weeklies provides three ready-to-print activities for each level; Seeds (Preschool), Promise (Grades K-1), Good News (Grades 2-3), Venture (Grades 4-6) and Visions (Grades 7-8). Plus each season special features for the entire family.

stpetersmendota.org- Advent and Christmas Worksheets

sdc.me.uk- 1st – 4th Sunday of Advent Year A (scroll down to these)

sdc.me.uk- 1st – 4th Sunday of Advent Year B (scroll down to these)

sdc.me.uk- 1st – 4th Sunday of Advent Year C (scroll down to these)



Lunchbox Love Notes



My son has special needs and had a very hard time in elementary school so I would hide a little “Love Note” in his lunchbox every day to let him know how special he was to me. It really brightened up his day and he looked forward to them each and every day. I made my own back in the dark ages, but now they have some online that you can print, cut out, sign, and keep nearby so you can put one inside your child’s lunchbox every day. Even if your child does not bring a lunch, you can put a "Love Note" in their book bag to bring a smile to their face.





For the above “love note” and 3 others designed by Theresa Sheeley, click on this for a FREE download to print out.



*Here are FREE Lunchbox Love Notes Links so you can print them out for your kids.


hubpages.com- Lunchbox Notes For Your Child: Ideas and suggestions for all ages.





Monday, November 17, 2008

Preparing Your Classroom





The first thing you should do every Sunday is prepare your classroom to enhance your student’s learning.

1. Clean your classroom. Make sure your classroom is clean, neat, and in order. Clutter distracts the students so all unnecessary items should be removed. Be sure to arrive to your classroom each Sunday early to clean up any mess that was left over from the previous users.

2. Display posters, pictures, etc. on the walls and/or bulletin board. Put up posters, pictures, etc. of things that can reinforce your lesson. If you share your classroom and cannot hang things up, use something portable that you can remove easily. Make sure that you do not put up too many colorful items. Classrooms that are over decorated can distract and stimulate students and it can sometimes lead to behavior problems. Decorating & Organizing Your Classroom: Considerations For Children With Sensory Processing Disorders- ideas for the classroom.

2. Have name tags. Any blank sticky labels will suffice. Have a name tag for each student filled out to give to them when they walk into the classroom. Knowing each student’s name lets them know that you care and it will also cut down on disruptive behavior because you will be able to call them by their name.

3. Write on the chalk board vocabulary words for today’s lesson or any key words that you want your students to know before class starts.

4. Have all materials and equipment ready and in the classroom before class starts. The attendance list, worksheets, puzzles, coloring sheets, crafts, etc. should be within easy reach and organized on your desk or table. If crafts need to be pre-cut and/or patterns copied onto construction paper for younger students, be sure to have this done before class. Crayons, glue, pencils (sharpened), etc. should be organized in containers so you do not need to interrupt your lesson to go to search for them when they are needed. Keep these supplies nearby within easy reach. Only put supplies on the student’s desk/table when they are needed and not before. This will help keep distractions down to a minimum. All technical equipment (VCRs, computers, overhead projectors, CD/DVD players, etc.) should be ready to go and you know how to use them.

5. Clean up classroom before leaving. Have your students help with straightening up the classroom by putting things away and gathering up their work.


Do you have any preparing your classroom tips to share?



Friday, November 14, 2008

National Catholic Partnership On Disability (NCPD)





NCPD was established in 1982 to further implementation of the 1978 Pastoral Statement of U.S. Catholic Bishops on People with Disabilities, which calls for full inclusion of all persons with disabilities in the Church and in society. They publish a newsletter, offer various information resources and present Catholic perspectives on disability issues.


These web pages link directly to information about disability ministry or ministry for the deaf and hard of hearing in each of these dioceses.



*Contact the Office for Ministry with Persons with Disabilities for your diocese. This Office is pastoral in nature and serves as a resource and information center for pastors, parish leaders, persons with disabilities, their parents, caregivers, educators and service providers and all who wish to embrace in fellowship and love those among us who have been excluded or ignored by church and society because of their disabilities. The Office also provides:

-Advocacy leadership training
-Accessibility evaluations and suggestions
-Awareness programs
-Catechetical leadership training
-Family support
-Education
-Spiritual programs
-Sacramental preparation





Special Needs Curriculum



Children with special needs can have a hard time participating in most Sunday school classes. Well-written curriculums designed to meet the needs of these special children are extremely rare, but here is one that I found- Special Buddies from Lifeway.




Special Buddies (for kids with special learning needs)

Fast-paced typical church activities can be overwhelming for children with special needs. Bible Teaching for Kids Special Buddies intentionally slows things down and makes time for plenty of repetition, application, and review of biblical concepts. Two Bible stories are presented per month, rather than beginning a new story every week. Lesson plans are in a pick-and-choose format. Teachers choose from more than 12 activities for each story. This enables you to select activities based on the individual skill levels of learners.

Special Buddies works well in all kinds of situations with children of varying developmental levels.

Try it out with...
• a self-contained classroom of school-age children with special needs.
• an individual child who receives one-on-one care at church while parents attend Bible study.
• a child with special needs who attends a typical Sunday School setting but responds well to modified lessons and individualized attention.

And that’s not all! Any teacher who works with any child with special needs at any time during the church week can pick up Special Buddies and use activities to review and boost learning that began last Sunday.

Special Buddies Leader Guide provides multisensory activity ideas for two Bible lessons each month that match stories found in all other Bible Teaching for Kids books. Each lesson includes enough ideas to use for two weeks.

Special Buddies Learner Guide goes hand-in-hand with the Leader Guide. With adult assistance, children complete the activities on each page with little or no reading or writing. Parents may repeat the activity for review and also use the included Parent Tip to build on Bible truths at home.


Learn more about Special Buddies Curriculum


Free samples of Special Buddies

Learners Guide

Leader Guide





Special Needs Children at Church



Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” What does that mean? It means all children are loved by Jesus and that they are welcome. Ask yourself; are special needs children and their families welcome at your church? It is a hard question to contemplate and can be very troublesome to most. Children with special needs and their families want to come to church, but many feel that they will not be welcomed and that there are no religious education classes that are available.

Jesus also said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” What does this mean? It means we should treat others the same way you want them to treat you. That is easier said than done. Do you respect everyone and treat them kindly at all times? During our daily contact with others we can show compassion and generosity by treating them with respect and courtesy. This dignified and respectable behavior that we give to others is part of what Jesus was talking about. Try your best to treat others as you would like to be treated and you will find that it will help you so much in everyday life with getting a long with others. This also goes for children with special needs and their family. We need to show them compassion and generosity and treat them with respect and courtesy.




Jesus also said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Who is my neighbor, who am I to love? Who isn’t my neighbor? Everyone is your neighbor. Your neighbor lives next door, the person you go to school or work with, the person who lives far away, even someone you don’t know. "Love your neighbor as if he was you" means to look at someone and realize that you are just like them, vulnerable, and different. We are all different and God loves each and every one of us and we should love others too because they are just like us.

So is your church a welcoming place for families whose children have special needs? It can and should be. All it takes is a little love and understanding from all for it to happen.





Thursday, November 13, 2008

Worksheets for Prayers




catholiccatechist.org- Prayers and To Live By (scroll down to this for worksheets)

smp.org- Prayer worksheets

dioseseofjoliet.org- Catholic Prayers Worksheets

teacherspayteachers.com- Catholic Prayers Worksheets

thereligionteacher.com- Catholic Prayer Fill in the Blank Worksheets



Act of Contrition Activities- (scroll down to worksheet)

Apostles Creed Activities- (scroll down to worksheets)

Glory Be Activities- (scroll down to worksheets)

Grace Before Meals Activities- (scroll down to worksheets)

Guardian Angel Prayer Activities- activities, crafts, coloring, etc.

Hail Mary Activities- (scroll down to worksheets)

Nicene Creed Activities- (scroll down to worksheets)

Our Father/Lord’s Prayer Activities- (scroll down to worksheets)

Sign of the Cross- (scroll down to worksheets)



The Catholic Toolbox- Handwriting Sheets for Prayers (scroll down to Prayers)
Apostles Creed
Glory Be
Grace Before Meals
Hail Mary
Memorare
Our Father/Lord’s Prayer
Rosary
Sign of the Cross



Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Memory Activities and Games For Prayers and Scripture



Here are some memory activities that you can use for prayers or scripture. (These activities used to be online, but thankfully I made I copy of them before it was removed.)


Apple Tree
Make a poster with a large tree (like an apple tree). Make apples with one word of the verse on each apple. Make a way to attach the apples to the tree (like Velcro, buttons, or tape). Play one of two ways: 1) Scramble the apples and have children come up and put the apples in order and everyone read the verse together or 2) Place the apples on the tree in order and have each child come up and remove one apple. Then have everyone say the verse together. You may want to attach a small piece of apple candy (like sour apple Jolly Ranchers) to each apple for each child to keep.


Ball Pass
While the teacher says, "Pass, pass, pass," the kids, who are in a circle, pass a ball to their right. When the teacher says, "Stop," the child holding the ball, and the persons to his right and left say the verse together.


Bible Verse Olympics
Have the children do different exercises as they say their verse. For example, touch your toes as you say the verse; do sit-ups as you say the verse; stand on one foot as you say the verse, etc. You could have contests to see who could do an activity the longest or most times, or you could give awards that state how many times/how long a child did a given activity!


Cakewalk
Use paper plates for this activity. Write one or more words of the memory verse on each paper plate. Arrange the plates in a circle- like a cakewalk- with the words in order. While music plays, the children walk around the circle of plates. When the music stops, the person behind the first word starts. Each child reads the word he/she is standing behind until together they have said the memory verse! Continue playing several times.


Copy Cat
Have the children stand in a circle. Have one child say the memory verse with the teacher. He then tags another child, who says it together with the first child and the teacher. THAT child tags another child, and so on until everyone in the circle is saying the verse together.


Correct Me If I'm Wrong
Divide the class into two teams. Each team sits in a circle around a bell. The teacher says the memory verse and the kids wait for her to purposely make a mistake. When they think they've heard a mistake, they try to be the first one to ring their team's bell. They must then say the verse correctly and point out the teacher's mistake. Award points for most corrections, if you like!


Driving it Home
Divide into two teams and have each team decorate a large box to look like a car. When the cars are completed, attach balloons to the cars. Balloons should have slips of paper inside containing the words of the memory verse (one set per car). Children line up in teams, and, one at a time, get in their car and "drive" it, Flintstones-style, to the other end of the room, where they get out, take a balloon off their car, pop it and retrieve the word. They use tape to attach the word to the side of a paper cup, then get back into their car and drive back to their team where the next team member is waiting to make the same road trip. Each child places his/her cup in order to make the verse slowly appear! The winning team is the one who has its verse in the correct order and all its drivers safely home first!


Ice, Ice, Baby
Have children form a line. Hand the first child a square piece of ice. The child must hold the ice in his hand until he says the verse. He then passes the ice to the next child who must say the verse while holding the ice, etc.


Jack-In-The-Box
Line kids up. Have each child jump and say the next word of the verse. First child says first word, second child says second word, etc. The children should get quicker and quicker at this after they've said the verse a couple times.


Kitty, Kitty
Explain that kittens often like to play with a ball of yarn. Have your little "kittens" sit in a circle. Toss a yarn ball to one child, who says the verse, then passes the ball to another child. Play continues and children keep hold of the yarn each time so that they create a giant web. At the end, toss a balloon into the "web" and have children try to bounce the balloon with the web by moving the yarn together as they say the verse.


Lunch Box
(This one's a little messy!) Pack a lunch for each team. Place a word from the memory verse in each item. (Words should be written on index cards.) Children must unpack their team's lunch, one item at a time, find a word, and place it on a tray, in order. The catch is this: the word may be in the middle of pastrami on rye or inside a thermos of juice. (To protect the words, you may want to place each one in a Ziploc bag). First team to have all their word cards in order and say the verse out loud wins!


Memory Verse Knight
Scotch tape a needle to the end of a plastic or cardboard sword so that it isn't visible to the children. Write each word of the memory verse on a different balloon and hang them from a clothesline using clothespins, in order. Have the children say the verse by reading the balloons together, then use the sword to pop a balloon! Repeat the verse with one word missing. Continue on until the children are saying the verse without any balloon words left!


Name that Verse
Play like "Name That Tune". Have two teams challenge each other to say a verse in so many words. For example, if the verse is John 3:16, team one says, "We can say that verse in 10 words". Team two says, "We can say that verse in 8 words". Team one says, "We can say that verse in 6 words". Team two says, "We dare you to say that verse!” Team one must say the verse, word perfect, after hearing only the first 6 words: "For God so loved the world…"


O Taste and See that the Lord is Good
Have a food/drink item for each player. Have two teams and give each team the same items to eat/drink. Each player must eat or drink the item you give them in the manner you instruct them to, and then to say the verse before the next person gets a turn. The winning team is the one to have all its players eat/drink items and say the verse.

Here are some items you may want to use:

Cracker- (chew it up and swallow it; whistle, and then say the verse)
Bubble Gum- (open it, chew it up, blow a bubble, and then say the verse)
Can of Soda- (open it, drink it all, burp- or not- J then say the verse)
Bowl of Jell-O- (eat it, open your mouth to show that it's gone, then say the verse)
Baby Food- (fruit is best- eat it all, screw the lid back on, and then say the verse)
Banana- (peel it, eat it, toss the skin in the trash, then say the verse)
Goldfish Crackers- (eat ten of them, one at a time, taking a drink of water in between each one, and then say the verse)
M&Ms- (pick out only the red ones, or green ones, and eat them; put the rest back in the bag, then say the verse)
Lemon- (squeeze half a lemon into a cup, take a drink, whistle, then say the verse)
Cold Peas- (eat 5 of them, take a drink of water, then say the verse)

Please be very careful in your food choices for this game! Don't use anything that could gum up and be a choking hazard OR that is a common allergen. Bad choices include grapes, raisins, gummy candy, hard candy, nuts, peanut butter items, marshmallows, licorice, etc.


Pillow Talk
Fill a pillowcase with hats, masks, etc. to represent different characters. Play Hot Potato, and the child holding the bag when the music stops must put on the mask or other item and say the verse "in character." For example, a child pulls a clown nose from the bag and must put it on and say the verse in his silliest clown voice! Use any items you have on hand. Some ideas: Cowboy hat, Old lady scarf, king's crown, etc.


Take Away
Write each word of the memory verse on the side of a paper cup. Place the cups, in order, along the edge of a long table and let kids take turns tossing a small ball or beanbag at the cups. Have the whole class say the memory verse each time, even with cup-words missing! Continue until no cups remain and the class is saying the verse together.


Talking Trash
Attach words from the verse to empty, clean grocery containers (like frosting containers, baby food jars, butter bowls, Jell-O boxes, etc.) Make one set of "garbage" for each team. Give each team a large trash bag. Pile the garbage on the floor in front of each team. The first player picks up a piece of garbage, puts it in the bag, and carries it to a clean garbage can (or other large container) at the other end of the room. That player then brings the bag back for the next player to do the same thing. When the last player returns, the entire team runs up to the trash can, picks out one item each, and runs back to the starting point to put the items in order (according to the words on them) and shouts the verse out loud together!


Walk and Clap
Make a circle of construction paper shapes on the floor. Make sure there are at least 2 of each shape. When the teacher says, "Go!" the children move around the circle of shapes, clapping. When the teacher says, "Stop!" the children each stop behind a shape and stop clapping. The teacher calls out the name of a shape and all the children standing behind that shape must say the memory verse together.


Mother
Play "Mother, May I?" but have children recite the verse before each move instead of asking "Mother, May I?"


Nap
Have all but one child pretend to be asleep on a small pillow with a word from the verse attached to the fronts of the pillows. The child who is "it" goes around to each of the other children, tapping them gently on the head, and says the first word of the verse. If that child does not have that word, he doesn't move. If a child has the word on his pillow, he "wakes up" and hands the pillow to the first child. The first child takes the pillow and stands on a designated line at the other end of the room, holding the word pillow in front of him so that everyone can see it. The child who gave up the pillow then goes around saying the first and second word of the verse, searching for the pillow with the second word, etc. Play continues in this manner until all the children are in line. (Give the last child a pillow with the reference on it.) Next, have each child, one at a time, lay down his pillow, come to the front, and say the verse- it will be with one pillow word missing, of course!


Octopus
Have four kids stand back to back to form a backward circle. (Children should interlock arms and be facing outward.) They should then walk, still attached to one another, to the other end of the room and find a way to bring back a word from the verse without using any of their 8 hands! One player may take off his shoe and use his toes. OR one player may use his mouth to pick up the word and carry it back. However they choose to do it, they must bring back all the words of the verse and put them in the correct order!


Packing
Pack a suitcase with the exact number of items, as there are words in the verse. The first child runs up, opens the suitcase, and pulls out one item at a time as he/she says each word of the verse. When all items are removed, he closes the suitcase and brings it back to the next player, who carries it up to the clothing items and places them inside, one at a time as he/she says each word of the verse. Then that player closes the suitcase and carries it back to the next player, who carries it up and empties it…play continues in this manner until each person has completed their packing task!


Quarter
Make a grid on the floor using masking tape (or make a grid on a large piece of poster board and tape it to the floor). The grid should have enough spaces for each word of the verse. Place a word from the verse (on index cards) in each square. Players from each team take turns tossing a quarter onto the grid from a specified spot. Each time the quarter lands on a word, the team gets to keep that word. When both teams have finished tossing quarters, or when all the words are used up, have the teams race to put their words in order and shout out the verse.


Rock & Roll
Have children sit in a circle. Give a large ball to a child. The child "rocks" (from side to side or back and forth) as he recites the verse, then rolls the ball to another child who does the same thing.


Snake
Divide kids onto two teams. Have the team members line up and hold onto the shoulders or waists of the child in front of them to form a long snake. The teams must go to the other side of the room in this fashion (without losing any members) and pick up each word to their verse. They must then bring each one back, leave a member of the team behind to put the word in the correct place, and go back for the next word. Children who are "dropped off" with the words may work together to complete the verse. Team with all its words in order should yell out the verse.


Tiny
Write the words in extremely small print on cards. Give each team a magnifying glass. Teams compete to put their words in order by viewing them through the lens of the magnifying glass. In order to give each player a turn, tell children they must race up, find the next word in the verse, and bring it back.


Umbrella
Open an umbrella and tape the words of the verse to the outside of the umbrella. Teams compete to put the words to their verse in order as each player puts on large boots and carries the umbrella to the other end of the room where the team leader is waiting to rip off a word and place it on a table or board. Play continues until a team has its verse completed, all its players back home, and the team yells out the verse. (You may want to add an extra twist by having the team leader wear thick gloves when pulling off the words and putting them in order.)


Memory Vests
Using inexpensive kitchen-size white garbage bags, make enough vests for each child. Cut out two armholes and a larger hole for the head. Write, in permanent marker, a word of the verse on each vest. Make two verse sets in order to have two teams. Make extra vests with smiley faces on them. Instruct the teams that when you say, "GO!" they are to each put on a vest and put themselves in order according to the verse. Tell them that children with smiley faces may be anywhere, but that all words must be shown. In other words, if a child has on a smiley face vest, but a word is missing, he must go and find the vest with the missing word and change his vest. The first team in the correct order wins! Have teams, lined up correctly, face each other and say the verse. Have one child at a time from both teams remove their vests as the teams continue to say the verse, until they are finally saying the verses without any words showing.


Word Wave
Have children do the "wave" you see at ball games and say the next word to the verse as they rise and fall.


Xylophone
Play one note on a xylophone. Everyone should sing the first word of the verse to that note. Play that note and another note. Everyone should then sing the first two words to those two notes. Continue until they have sung the entire verse!


Yell
Divide into two teams. Have team one be the "yellers" and team two be the "whisperers". Have the two teams say the verse in this manner: Team one yells the first word, team two whispers the second word, team one yells the third word, etc. Next round, have both teams yell, then both teams whisper.


Zoo
Give an index card with the name of an animal on it to each child. Have more than one of each animal. When you call out an animal's name, all the children with that animal's name on their index card, should say the verse and make their animal's sound in between each word. For example, "Love one another" to the ducks would be: "Love…quack…one…quack…another…quack". To the dogs, it would be "Love…woof…one…


Sign Language
Teach the verse in sign language. Keep repeating the verse using sign language, but each time don't say one new word out loud. Continue until you're signing the whole verse without saying the words!


Question Box
Prepare questions from recent lessons. Write them on 3" x 5" cards and place them in a box. Choose one child to be "It." He takes a question from the box. The rest of the children stand in a circle. The pupil with the question walks around the circle and gives it to someone. This child may "confer" with whoever is standing to his right and left. An answer is given. If correct, that student then becomes "It," takes another question from the box, and repeats the procedure.


Is That Right?
Have a puppet say the Bible verse to the class. He always makes a mistake. At the end he says, "Is that right?" Have the class correct the mistake and repeat it correctly.


Color Stand
Give each child a color card. Be sure that at least 2 children have the same color.
Pull a color from the box. All children who have that color card stand and say the verse.


Number Hop
Scatter number sheets on the floor. Play music (or simply say "walk, walk, walk") as children step from one number to another, trying not to touch the floor. When music stops, each child freezes on a number. Draw a number from a bag and read it. The child standing on that number, and the child standing on preceding two numbers say the verse together.


Memory Verse Cards
Break up memory verses into phrases and write them on index cards. Make a set of 8 cards (one complete verse) for each child, plus four extra sets. Decorate the other side of the "card" to make the "deck of cards." Shuffle the deck of cards and pass out 8 cards to each child. Put the rest of the cards in the middle with one card face up. Let one child begin play. If the child needs the card that is face up to complete her memory verse, she takes the card - if not, she takes one off the top of the deck and discards a card from her hand. Continue around the circle until someone gets all the cards needed to complete the memory verse. When this happens, the child yells out, "Praise the Lord!"


Popcorn
Write the memory verse on a piece of poster board. Make sure that all of the kids can see it. Then have one student pick one letter from the memory verse. Everyone now says the memory verse together out loud and every time a word with the chosen letter is said, all the kids stand up!


Rubber Band Snap
Tape index cards to the end of clothespins (the part that you pinch). Attach a string to hang across one end of the room (not against the wall). Clip the pins holding the index cards onto the string with the letters WWJD facing the players. Determine a 'shooting line' ~ about 2-4 feet. Players take turns shooting a rubber band at the cards. If a player hits a card, turn it around and discuss the question with the group. If you're playing in teams, that team must respond. If a player doesn't hit a card, play passes to the next person or team. Play continues like this until all the cards are turned over and discussed. If you're playing on teams, the team to hit all the cards and discuss them, is the winning team!


Bible Boggle
Pick a Bible category. Example: "Books of the Bible", "Kings of the Bible", "Women or Men of the Bible", "Psalms 23" (or any chapter that the kids have studied), "Beatitudes", "Spiritual Gifts", "Books beginning with a certain letter of the alphabet", etc. Give the players one minute to list as many items as they can think of dealing with that category. After one minute, the kids take turns reading their list. If two or more players have the same item, they must cross it off. Players get one point for each item that remains on the list. (The teacher is the judge - and makes the decision of what is allowed for a point.) Do as many categories that you have time for and the one with the most points wins.


Bible Name Game
The Bible can be divided into 10 parts, five in the Old Testament & five in the New Testament (below is a Protestant version but it can easily be adapted to a Catholic version).

OLD TESTAMENT
Law - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
History - Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Esther, Nehemiah, Esther
Poetry - Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Major prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Minor prophets - Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

NEW TESTAMENT
Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
History - Acts
Paul's letters - Romans, I Corinthians, II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus, Philemon
Other letters - Hebrews, James, I Peter, II Peter, I John, II John, III John, Jude,
The Future - Revelation

Divide the room into 5 sections and post the name of each section on each area. Call out the name of a book and have the kids race to the section of the room with that book in it.


Bible Tic-Tac-Toe
For Two Players or Two Teams. You will need a pack of Bible trivia questions to play this game. You can write your own questions, or purchase them. If playing in a class, divide class into two teams, "X's" and "O's". Draw a large Tic-Tac-Toe grid on the chalkboard and number the squares 1-9. Players/teams take turns answering the Bible trivia questions called out by the teacher. Players may confer with their teammates to give an answer. If a correct answer is given, that player or team scores an "X" or "O" in one of the numbered positions of their own choosing on the grid. If a player/team is unable to answer a question, the opposing team may have an opportunity to answer it and score an "X" or "O". If no one is able to answer the question, the grid space remains blank and play continues as before. First player or team to get three in a row wins!





Prayer Memorization Ideas



My first grade students are given 5 prayers to do by the end of the year. I make a “We Know Our Prayers” chart on a large piece of poster board with the names of students and prayers. It’s nice and colorful and I display this in my classroom where my students can see it. After the students say the prayer correctly, I have them put a star sticker in the appropriate spot showing that they have completed the prayer and they can pick a prize out of the prize bag (toys from the Dollar Store, McDonald’s Happy Meals, etc.). I also give them an award certificate with their name on it. This seems to work and my students learn the prayers quickly and go on and do others.




Since most my students cannot read or write well, teaching prayers to them is rather tricky. Here are a few games that we do to help them remember the prayers.


Prayer Review:

1. Say a line from a prayer and have the students say the following line. Go back and forth until the prayer is finished.

2. Have the students sit in a circle. Tell the students that they are going to recite the ____ prayer. Have each student say one word in the prayer and the next person will say the following word. If someone makes a mistake or gets stuck, he or she begins over again with the first word of the prayer. The last person that says, “Amen” finishes the prayer.

3. Ball Pass: Have the students sit in a circle. The teacher turns her back to the students and she says, "Pass, pass, pass." The students then pass a ball to their right around the circle. When the teacher says, "Stop," the child holding the ball and the person to his right and left say the prayer together.


How do you help your students memorize prayers?





Friday, November 7, 2008

Lesson Plan- Moses and the Laws of God (1st grade on up)



Moses and the Laws of God (be sure to change the activities to your faith teachings)

Objectives: The students will be able to
- retell the story Moses and the Laws of God
- explain that we need to follow the Ten Commandments and why
- identify which are commandments from a list
- explain what each commandment means and give examples
- locate Mount Sinai on a map
- recite the Ten Commandments from memory



Review:
Prayer, questions and vocabulary words from last week’s lesson



Vocabulary Words: (Write the words on the board and discuss with class)

10 Commandments- 10 laws given to Moses by God
Laws- rules
Mount Sinai- the mountain where God gave laws to the Israelites (show students this on a map or have one of the students find it on a map).



Plan:

Read story: "Moses and the Laws of God" and then ask questions



Activities:

catechist.com- How to Teach the Ten Commandments to Children

thereligionteacher.com- A Ten Commandments Activity


Introduce activity: What laws did God give Moses that people must always keep?


This activity is free, however it is only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.

10 Commandments Worksheet- (Catholic version)

Directions: Have students fold the paper in half separating the two columns with the print facing up. Students then cut on the black line through BOTH papers. Students then open paper and cut paper in half on the fold to make two tablets. Students then fill in the blanks with teacher during class discussion.


christiancrafters.com- Ten Commandments Lessons

childrensermons.com- Ten Commandments lesson

calvarycurriculum.com- Ten Commandments, Golden Calf, Moses Talks With God lessons with memory verses, circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, and color sheets.

dltk-bible.com- The Story of Moses #4 lesson

sermons4kids.com- Guidance from God object lesson

sermons4kids.com- Rules Are Cool or Rules Are Cruel? object lesson

sermons4kids.com- Staying Within the Lines object lesson

go.sadlier.com- Teaching the Ten Commandments to Youth Toolkit (available in English & Spanish)

catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com- Ten Commandments – Two-Minute Drills
Mini-session for each of the Ten Commandments that is comprised of an easy game or demonstration to illustrate the main point of that Commandment.



Crafts:

sermons4kids.com- Rules Are Cool or Rules Are Cruel? group activities (crafts)

sermons4kids.com- Staying Within the Lines group activities (crafts)

crayola.com- Ten Commandments Tablets
(Students can use the above activity to help them write the Ten Commandments.)

catholicteacher.com- Ten Commandments Craft
Follow directions. Cut out the ten strips that list the commandments. Have students put them in order and space them out on the tablet with five on each side.




Games:

sermons4kids.com- Rules Are Cool or Rules Are Cruel? group activities (games)

sermons4kids.com- Staying Within the Lines group activities (games)


Hot Bricks
Played like musical chairs except you pass around a toy brick and the person that is holding it when the music stops has to state one of the commandments. If they can't give one, they are out.


Ten Chairs
Played like musical chairs except you number chairs 1 – 10. Teacher blows a whistle to start for kids to begin walking around the outside circle. After a few seconds, blow the whistle again, signaling kids to sit in a chair. Teacher then calls out a number and the student sitting in that chair must state what that commandment is. If they are correct, they can continue to play. If they are incorrect, they are out.


catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com- Ten Commandment Games



Introduce game: What laws did God give to Moses? What do these laws want us to do? Are they duties to each other and to God that we must do?

What Commandment is it?

Directions: Tell the students a sin and have them tell you what commandment it broke.



Ten Commandments Drill One, Two, Three, and Four- Fun and educational games about the Ten Commandments with flash cards, key word cards, outline page, and answers provided. This book is spiral bound to make copying easier. (Faith Facts for Young Catholics by Kieran Sawyer, page 17-22).

Beach Ball Madness (The Ten Commandments)- This game will help your students discover that life is much easier with guidelines, rules, and standards such as the Ten Commandments. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children’s Ministry by Group Publishing, page 36).



These games are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.



Directions: Cards are laid out in a grid face down, and players take turns flipping pairs of cards over. On each turn, the player will first turn one card over, then a second. If the two cards match, the player scores one point, the two cards are removed from the game, and the player gets another turn. If they do not match, the cards are turned back over.

The object is to match more pairs of cards than the opposing player. (One point is scored for each matched pair, and the player with the highest score after all cards have been matched wins.) When cards are turned over, it is important to remember where they are for when the matching card is turned up later in the game.


Ten Commandments Memory Game Cards- Print two copies of each page on card stock. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last. (All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on this game are not my own and are from various internet sources.)







Ten Commandments In Order Game- Mix up cards and place them on a table face up. Students then put the commandments in the proper order lining them up from top to bottom. The first student that can put the commandment cards in the correct order wins. This game can be played individually or in teams.





Ten Commandments (file folder game)- The objective of the game is to identify which one of the Ten Commandments (Catholic) the sin broke.

Directions- Directions: Players place their marker on START. The players roll the dice and follow the directions on the space they land on. If they land on a “?”, the player to their right draws a card and reads the question out loud (only use the questions that are age appropriate for your students). On each card is a question about sins and the player must tell which commandment the sin broke (they may say the commandment number or the commandment). Younger students can say whether or not it is a sin and why. If they answer correctly, they receive 1 token (milk caps, poker chips, etc.). If they are not correct, they do not receive one. When a player gets to the end of one game board, they keep going on the second game board and continue to FINISH. All players must land on FINISH with the exact number. When the player reaches FINISH they will count their tokens. After all players have made it to FINISH, the player with the most tokens wins.







Snacks:

Introduce snack: At Mount Sinai what did God give Moses that the people must always keep? The Ten Commandments.

dltk-bible.com- ‘O’bey Donuts
Tell the children that we must obey God's Commandments and God's rules. The donut represents the letter "O" in obey.



Puzzles, Mazes, Worksheets:

The Great Bible Big Fun Activity Book: From the Old and New Testaments by Toni Lind
The Ten Commandments color by number

365 Activities for Kids- Moses spot the different on March 23rd.

More 365 Activities for Kids (do any of the Ten Commandments puzzles, mazes, dot-to-dot, spot the difference, etc. from March 27 - 31).

freeprintable.com- find the hidden picture

dltk-bible.com- Moses (anagrams, crossword, cryptograms, mazes, word mining sheets, word searches)

calvarycurriculum.com- Ten Commandments, Golden Calf, Moses Talks With God lessons with circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, etc.

thereligionteacher.com- A Ten Commandments Activity
Download the Rewrite the Ten Commandments Worksheet (scroll down to this)

thereligionteacher.com- The Religion Teacher’s Ten Commandments Worksheets

smp.org- Living the Ten Commandments
When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, he gave his Law to all people. The Ten Commandments give us a summary of how we are to live. The following tablets contain the Ten Commandments, with an example of how to live several of them. In the empty spaces, explain in your own words what each commandment means.

smp.org- The Ten Commandments
A worksheet focused on what the Ten Commandments teach us about living in right relationship with God and with our neighbors.

smp.org- The Ten Commandments
This handout asks students to keep a running record of how they observe the Ten Commandments in their actions throughout a week.



This puzzle is free, however it is only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.

Ten Commandments crossword puzzle- Catholic