Planning Ahead For CCD

Another year of CCD is behind us and now is the time to think about what you will do next year. Preparation is necessary prior to CCD starting and during the summer it is the right time for the catechist to begin. With thorough planning before hand, the catechist will have an easier time and the students will learn to their fullest potential.





Time To Think- Since CCD is over for most it is time to think of what will be needed for the next school year. What will you be doing? What will you need? What worked, what didn’t? Did you learn from your mistakes? These questions and more will inundate the catechist the next few weeks. Before you know it, classes will be starting again and you need to be prepared. This overwhelming task is examined and planning should be done way before so you can be ready and prepared.


CCD Program Parent/Student Handbook- To establish what the responsibilities are for the CCD student and the parent(s) it is a good idea to have a CCD Program Parent/Student Handbook. The handbook can specify the rules and regulations that the students and parent(s) must follow so there will be no misunderstandings. Having a handbook allows the CCD program to run smoothly and without any problems. It can also inform how the CCD program plans to educate your child and answer many questions that the parents might have.


CCD Registration Form- Before a student can attend CCD, the parents must fill out a registration form. The form differs from parish to parish, but most are relatively the same. Posted are what registration forms may consist of as well as some tips and suggestions.


CCD Volunteer Form- Before a person can volunteer to help in the religious education at your parish, they must fill out and sign a Volunteer Form. By having prospective volunteers fill out this form it will let them know what help is needed and what the responsibilities are for that particular job. It can also inform them what is required to be able volunteer at the parish. Tips and suggestions of what can be included in this form are posted.


Catechist Handbook- It is a good idea to have a Catechist Handbook to acquaint volunteer catechists with the policies and procedures in the Religious Formation Program. The Catechist Handbook will clearly define what the responsibilities are for the catechist and the procedures that they are to follow.


Catechist Training- Most dioceses and/or parishes require some kind of catechist training before they can teach a class each year. By providing assistance and training to all catechists before CCD starts it will prepare the catechist so they can be an effective teacher. Certified catechist should also participate in the training because no catechist can know everything and they could also benefit from new ideas and activities. Suggestions of what can be in the catechist training is posted.


CCD Open House- Before CCD starts it is a good idea to have an Open House. The ideas posted should be helpful and allow you to have a great CCD Open House.


Parent Volunteers in Your Classroom- Volunteers in your CCD classroom can be a blessing IF done correctly and IF it is planned ahead. Nothing is worse than having a volunteer not know what to do or be in the way. Here are tips that should be done to have a good volunteer program in your classroom.


Classroom Newsletters- Classroom newsletters are an excellent way to keep in touch with parents and help them be a part of their child's education. Parent’s love to know what is going on in their child’s classroom and frequent and regular class newsletters enable parents to sense the feeling and momentum of the class and gain insight into what their child is learning.


Parent Involvement in CCD- Since parents and guardians are the primary teachers of the Faith their involvement in CCD is vital. Without it the child will not learn to their fullest potential. Tips are posted on how to get parents involved in CCD.


Classroom Assignment Sheets- An organized student stays current on assignments and will achieve success in CCD. Assignment Sheets help students develop sound organization skills that will teach them a successful lifelong journey through school and CCD. Parents and students like having assignments written down so they can keep track of them and a good way of doing it is having a Classroom Assignment Sheet.


What should a catechist do when they are absent?- From time to time a catechist must be absent for various reasons. When this happens a substitute must take over your classroom and be able to teach your students. Here are some tips and suggestions that every catechist should do if they are absent so your class can run smoothly and your students will learn to their fullest potential.


What makes a good catechist?- Tips on how to be a good catechist.


What do students like to do in CCD?- The key to being a good catechist is knowing what your students like to do in CCD. Here are some tips and suggestions for activities to do in the classroom that are age appropriate.


Teacher Tools- A teacher’s time is limited and to be an effective teacher you must be prepared for any situation. Here are some of my favorite free teacher tools that just might come in handy in your classroom.

Zacchaeus, Come Down

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.





Zacchaeus, Come Down! Be the first one to help Zacchaeus down and win the game.


Directions- Print out Directions, cut it out, and glue on front of file folder.

Game Board- Print out Game Board, trim, and glue on the inside of the file folder. Make sure the directions are on the front of the file folder. Laminate or cover file folder with clear contact paper to make it last.

Xerxes (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.


Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrating the salvation of the Persian Jews from Haman’s evil plot to have them all killed. It is tradition to use noise makers (gragger as they are called in Hebrew) to make as much noise as possible whenever Haman’s name is mentioned when you read the story. The purpose is to stamp down or blot out Haman’s name which comes from the book of Deuteronomy which says, “You shall blot out the memory of the Amalekites (Haman’s people) from under the heavens.” Encourage the children to boo or hiss when the name of Haman is mentioned and cheer when Esther and Mordecai are mentioned.


Xerxes: Be the first player to collect 4 Xerxes cards and win!




Directions: Place the Xerxes cards near the game board. Each player places a marker on START. Players take turns rolling the die and moving clockwise the number of spaces rolled on the die. Players follow the directions on the space they land on. If a player lands on a picture of a crown that player takes a Xerxes card. If a player lands on LOSE A CARD, they must put one of their Xerxes cards back into the pile. If a player lands on a picture of Haman all players boo and hiss. The player that landed on Haman gets to take a Xerxes card from any player they choose. If you land on LOSE A TURN you lose your next turn. When a player has collected four Xerxes cards, that player is the winner.



Optional: Play may continue until every player collects the four Xerxes cards.


Directions- Print out Directions, cut it out, and glue on front of file folder.

Game Board- Print out Game Board, trim, and glue on the inside of the file folder. Make sure the directions are on the front of the file folder. Laminate or cover file folder with clear contact paper to make it last.

Game Cards- Print a few pages of Game Cards out on card stock. Cut out Game Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last.

Who Gave Thanks To God (card 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.


Who Gave Thanks To God: (card game) Are you thankful to God? Here is a fun game about Biblical characters that are thankful to God.



The object of the game is to match more pairs of cards than the opposing player(s). On each turn, the player will turn over two cards (one at a time) and will read them out loud (or someone else can read the cards for them). The player keeps them if they match (the question card is answered correctly by matching it with the proper picture card). The cards are color coded to avoid confusion of which pair of cards match (each matching pair shares the same text box color). If the player successfully match a pair of cards, that player also gets to take another turn. When a player turns over two cards that do not go together, those cards are turned face down again where they were found and it becomes the next player’s turn.


Directions- Print out Directions and cut it out.

Game Cards- Print Game Cards out on card stock. Cut out Game Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last.

Which came first? (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.



Which Came First?





When this question is asked, most people think of the chicken or the egg. Here is a game that wants to know which Bible story came first. In this game players are asked which story appeared first in the Bible as they make their way around the board. The first player to FINISH wins. (You can also use this game to review what happened in the correct order of a certain Bible story or several of your own choosing. Just write up questions about key events in the story and play the game.)





Directions- Print out Directions, cut it out, and glue on front of file folder. (Title is in Impact font. Text is in Tahoma font.)

Game Board- Print out Game Board, trim and glue on the inside of the file folder. Make sure the directions are on the front of the file folder. Laminate or cover file folder with clear contact paper to make it last. (Title is in Impact font. Spaces are in Andy font.)

Question Cards- Print Question Cards out on card stock. Cut out Question Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last. (Use only the cards that reflect your student’s abilities.) Questions are in MS Word and can be changed easily to whatever you want. Feel free to change the questions or use your own.

The Wedding At Cana 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.

The Wedding At Cana File Folder Game: Answer questions about the story and receive a jar token. The first player to collect 6 jars wins. (Younger students do not have to answer a question and can just collect a jar token.)


Directions- Print out Directions, cut it out, and glue on front of file folder. The teacher can read the question cards to the students.

Game Board- Print out Game Board, trim, and glue on the inside of the file folder. Make sure the directions are on the front of the file folder. Laminate or cover file folder with clear contact paper to make it last.

Question Cards- Use these questions or make your own. Print out Question Cards on card stock. Cut out Question Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last. Use only the cards that reflect your student’s abilities.

Jar Tokens- Make several copies of the token cards on card stock. Cut out token cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last.

Walls of Jericho (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.

Walls of Jericho: The first player to go around Jericho 7 times and receive 7 tokens wins.


Preparation: Print out black and white pages of gospelhall.org-The Walls of Jericho (page 2) for the children to color or print out the color version on page 3 and cut out. Make into a 3D model and put in the center of the game board (you might have to tape the two pieces together smaller so it can fit inside the game board). You can make the 3D model in a circle or in a rectangle, which ever you prefer.

Place Question Cards in a small basket near game board. Use another basket for discards. (Use only the cards that reflect your student’s abilities.)

Directions: Place your markers on GO. Players take turns by rolling dice and moving that many spaces on the game board. Players must follow the directions on the space they land on. When a player lands on or passes GO the person to their right draws a card and asks them a question about the Walls of Jericho (if they cannot read it someone else can read it for them). If the player answers correctly, they receive a token. If they are incorrect, the player must go back to where they were. Land on a picture of dice, the player rolls again. Land on +2, +3, +4, etc., the player moves ahead that many spaces. If a player lands on a ram’s horn, they proceed directly to GO and can answer a question to receive a token. If they are incorrect, they stay on GO and try to answer a question on their next turn. Land on the Ark of the Covenant you can change your position with any player (if one is in front of you), but you cannot pass GO. Play continues counter clockwise. The first player to go around Jericho 7 times and receive 7 tokens wins. (Younger students do not have to answer a question. They receive a token every time they land on or pass GO.)


Directions- Print out Directions, cut it out, and glue on front of file folder.

Game Board- Print out Game Board, trim and glue on the inside of the file folder. Make sure the directions are on the front of the file folder. Laminate or cover file folder with clear contact paper to make it last.

Question Cards- Print Question Cards out on card stock. Cut out Question Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last. (Use only the cards that reflect your student’s abilities.) Questions are in MS Word and can be changed easily to whatever you want. Feel free to change the questions or use your own.

Tokens- Print out several pages of Tokens on card stock. Cut out Tokens. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last.

Virtues 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.


Virtues Game: The objective of the game is to get the most points by answering questions about theological and cardinal virtues.

Set a timer for a specified time. Have a player roll the die on the floor in front of the class. If the die lands on a blank space, they do not answer a question. If the die lands on "?", they are asked a question by the teacher about theological and cardinal virtues. If the player answers correctly, they receive a point (you can use tokens, write it on the board, etc.). If they are not correct, they do not receive a point. Players must collect as many points as they can. The game is over when the timer goes off. Whoever has the most points, wins. You can play this game individually or in teams. For an added challenge, you can also have "Lose 1 Point" and "Take 1 Point" on one or a couple of the sides of the die. When a player rolls "Lose 1 Point", they must lose 1 point. If a player rolls "Take 1 Point", they may take a point from any player they choose.


Directions & Questions- Print this out and play the game.

Cube Signs- Print, cut out, and glue on die to play the Virtues Game.

The Unforgiving Servant 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.

The Unforgiving Servant File Folder Game: Players move around the board by apologizing correctly for things they have done wrong while other players forgive their transgressions. The players must say what they should do to correct their mistake and/or what consequences should happen to them so they will learn to take responsibility of their actions. Players must also answer questions about the story “The Unforgiving Servant” to receive a token. The player who reaches FINISH and has the most tokens wins the game.




Directions- Print out Directions and keep inside file folder when not playing game.

Game Board- Print out Game Board, trim, and glue on the inside of the file folder. Make sure the directions are on the front of the file folder. Laminate or cover file folder with clear contact paper to make it last. (Text is in Cooper Black.)

*Use these Game Cards or make your own. Print Game Cards out on card stock. Cut out Game Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last. Only use the questions that are age appropriate for your students.

70 x 7 Game Cards- Print 70 x 7 Game Cards out on light yellow card stock. Cut out cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last.

I’m Sorry Game Cards- Print I’m Sorry Game Cards out on white card stock. Cut out cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last.

Tokens- Print out several pages of Tokens on card stock. Cut out Tokens. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last.

Tower of Babel Jenga 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.


Tower of Babel Jenga Game:


Preparation: Stack tower according to Jenga directions. Put question cards in a small basket nearby. Use another basket for discards. (Use only the cards that reflect your student's abilities.)

Directions: Players take turns by drawing a card and asking the player to their left a question about the Tower of Babel. If the player does not answer the question correctly, they must carefully remove a block with one hand (you can switch hands whenever you wish) from anywhere BELOW the highest completed story. Then stack it on top of the tower, at right angles to the blocks just below it. If the player answers the question correctly, the player that asked the question must remove one block from the tower. Play continues clockwise. As the game proceeds and the weight of the tower shifts, some blocks become looser than others and are easier to remove. You can touch other blocks to find a loose one - but if you move a block out of place, you must fix it (using one hand only) before touching another block. While stacking, always complete one 3 - block story before starting a higher one. Your turn ends 10 seconds after you stack your block-or as soon as the player to your left touches a block. The last player to take a turn without making the Tower of Babel fall wins the game.



Directions- Print out and keep with Question Cards.

Tower of Babel Jenga Question Cards- Print Question Cards out on card stock. Cut out Question Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last. (Use only the cards that reflect your student’s abilities.) Questions are in MS Word and can be changed easily to whatever you want. Feel free to change the questions or use your own.