Friday, August 30, 2019
Cranium Catholic Edition
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 It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit.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 this game are not my own and are from various internet sources.
Cranium Catholic Edition is based on the game Cranium.
Cranium Catholic Edition- For 2 teams of 2 or more players. If you are a large group, you can divided into as many as 4 teams as long as each team has 2 players. The game is longer, but just as fun! The Cranium Catholic Edition Game is outrageously fun and gives players a chance to show off their talents. Players team up to cruise around the board completing activities in 4 color-coded categories.
Directions:
Each team chooses a marker and places it on the Planet Cranium space labeled START. On your first turn and on every time you are on a Planet Cranium space, your team can choose from any of the 4 character cards: Creative Cat (blue), Data Head (red), Star Performer (green), and Word Worm (yellow). The team to your right draws your card and reads it out loud. Then they turn over the timer and your team must successfully complete the activity before the time runs out. After successfully completing an activity, you roll the die at the end of your turn. You must though, stop at every Planet Cranium- even if your roll would otherwise take you past it. The color of the space your marker lands on matches the color of the Cranium activity card you will play on your next turn. If you are not successful, you stay where you are and wait until your next turn to try again. If you roll purple, zoom straight ahead to the next Planet Cranium. When the die lands on white, the teacher reads an All Play card aloud and all teams try to answer the question. The first team to shout out the correct answer before time runs out wins an Instant Bonus Roll. After an All Play card is played, the winner takes one bonus roll and moves. Then the team whose turn is was when the All Play card was drawn takes its regular turn. To win, enter the Cranium Circle on a roll at the end of a turn. On your next turn, the other team collectively chooses a character card for your final activity. If you are unsuccessful, you can try again on your next turn. If your team is the first to successfully complete an activity in Cranium Central, congratulations! You won Cranium!
Creative Cat (blue)- A player must clue a word to his or her teammates by drawing it, sculpting it in clay, or drawing it with their eyes closed.
Star Performer (green)- Players must hum a prayer or song, impersonate a character from the Bible, or act out a clue.
Word Worm (yellow)- Players unscramble words, spell challenging words, guess definitions, or spell words backwards.
Data Head (red)- A variety of Catholic trivia questions.
All Play (white)- A assortment of difficult Catholic questions all teams compete at the same time to win an Instant Bonus Roll.
Preparation:
Need- 5 small baskets, markers (one for each team), timer (1 minute), 1 can of play dough, paper and pencils, 1 die (place colored stickers on 5 sides of the die- blue, green, yellow, red, and purple. Place a white sticker on the other side).
Playing pieces can be coins, colored buttons, game pieces from other games, fish rocks for the bottom of aquariums, craft foam cut into shapes, glass rocks for vases, etc. You can paint small objects such as rocks, small plastic tops or caps, etc. You can also buy pawns at dollar stores.
Print out cards on colored card stock. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last. Creative Cat (blue), Word Worm (yellow), Star Performer (green), Data Head (red), All Play (white). Store cards in individual Ziplock bags until ready for use.
Print out Game Board and glue on the inside of a file folder. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make it last.
*Use the Game Cards that are provided or make your own. You can also make cards specific to what you have been learning in your classroom. There are 500 Game Cards for you to choose from. Note: Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these question cards to the best of my abilities. I tried to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I probably made a few mistakes and it was not intentional.
Cranium Catholic Edition Game- Directions, Game Board, 500 Game Cards
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Special Events for September

*This month’s special events are: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows and The Exaltation of the Holy Cross and I have quite a number of activities for you to check out.
*Be sure to check out pflaum.com- for activities and worksheets.
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
americancatholic.org- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
catholicism.about.com- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
catholicicing.com- Mary Garden Ideas and Crafts
*You can have a birthday party for Mary and have the students plan it. Have them bake an angel food cake, cupcakes, etc. to celebrate her birthday.
catholiccuisine.blogspot.com- A Blueberry Waffle Cake for Mary’s Birthday
catholiccuisine.blogspot.com- A Birthday Cake for Our Lady
catholiccuisine.blogspot.com- Blueberry Cheesecake for Our Lady’s Birthday
*More activities for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary below under Activities For Both Feasts
Our Lady of Sorrows
americancatholic.org- Our Lady of Sorrows
newadvent.org- Feasts of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
fisheaters.com- Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
catholicculture.org- info and activities
tiredtwang.blogspot.com- Our Lady of Sorrows (scroll down for this coloring page)
catholiccuisine.blogspot.com- Our Lady of Sorrows recipes
catholicicing.com- Our Lady of Sorrows Crafts
catholicicing.com- Seven Sorrows of Mary- Printable Mobile Craft
traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com- Lots of great ideas that you can use with this free printable
Activities for Both Feast Days
Rosary- references, activities, coloring, crafts, games, puzzles, worksheets
fcpeace.com- Memory game on the feast of Mary
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
americancatholic.org- The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
catholicculture.org- info and activities
catholiccuisine.blogspot.com- The Exaltation of the Holy Cross food ideas
Favorite Cross Crafts:
christiancrafters.com- Mosaic Cross
Easy cross necklace/magnet that all kids can make.
momontimeout.com- Stained Glass Cross Craft
kindercraze.com- Stained Glass Cross Craft
christiancrafters.com- The Colors of Christ Cross
*Neat tip at the bottom for younger students.
Sign of the Cross Activities
Activity:
thewholetroubleis.blogspot.com- Sign of the Cross Lapbook
Coloring:
Craft:
Here is a cute craft I found to help little ones learn the Sign of the Cross.
loyolapress.com- Sign of the Cross Necklaces
Worksheets:
catholicmothersonline.com- Sign of the Cross Prayer Handwriting Pages (print, cursive, and D’Nealian style of printing)
crusaders-for-christ.com- Sign of the Cross copy book, print and cursive (scroll down to this)
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
FREE Children’s Worship Bulletins and/or Mass Worksheets
*If you know of any more FREE Children’s Worship Bulletins and/or Mass Worksheets, please comment so I can add them to the list.
catholicmom.com- Scroll down to the date for Coloring Page, Mass Worksheet, Crossword Puzzle, Word Search, etc.
sermons4kids.com- Click on Sermons Index, then Lectionary Calendar. Click on Year A, B, or C and scroll down for the sermon (object lesson) that you want. Scroll down under object lesson for Group Activities, Coloring Pages, Puzzles, Quizzes, and Worship Bulletins.
calvarycurriculum.com- Old and New Testament activities with memory verses, circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, and color sheets. Great to use for activities about certain Bible stories. Ages 3 – 6th Grade.
catholickidsbulletin.blogspot.com- Download a FREE bulletin to help your kids learn more about our Catholic Mass. Each week's bulletin contains coloring pages for a saint and activities based on the Gospel. The coloring pages may also include a maze, dot-to-dot, find the picture, and many other activities.
thekidsbulletin.com- A fun way for Catholic kids to learn about the Faith every week.
holyheroes.com- Has a weekly quiz and coloring page on each week's readings.
sdc.me.uk- This section provides worksheets for use in Sunday Liturgy groups for children. They can be downloaded and printed on A4 paper and used both on Sunday during mass or handed out to children at school prior to the weekend. They are also used by parents who download them to use with their children at home.
Want to make your own Worship Bulletins for your children or students? Here are a few templates that might come in handy:
concordiasupply.com- Several templates to choose from
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
FREE Catholic Handwriting Sheets
Need FREE Catholic Handwriting Sheets for your classroom or home? Here are some that I found online.
crusaders-for-christ.com- Catholic Handwriting Books
Download handwriting books and sheets for free
The Catholic Toolbox- Bible Alphabet Handwriting Sheets
All activities on this blog are free; however they are 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.
Mass
Liturgical Objects at Mass-
Objects Used in Mass Handwriting Worksheet #1- chalice, ciborium, altar, stoup, pew
Objects Used in Mass Handwriting Worksheet #2- cruets, tabernacle, Body of Christ, Blood of Christ
Objects Used in Mass Manuscript Handwriting Worksheet- Body of Christ, Blood of Christ, tabernacle, bells
Objects Used in Mass Handwriting Worksheet- Book of the Gospels, ambo, lectern, Lectionary
Holy, Holy, Holy/Sanctus-
crusaders-for-christ.com- Sanctus and Benedictus Latin and English translation in manuscript and cursive
(Scroll down to Holy Sacrifice of the Mass)
Lord, Have Mercy (Kyrie Eleison)-
Lord, have mercy. Kyrie, eleison. in manuscript
Mystery of Faith-
Mystery of Faith acclamation #1
Mystery of Faith acclamation #2
Mystery of Faith acclamation #3
Lamb of God-
Lamb of God (handwriting in manuscript)- Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
crusaders-for-christ.com- Agnus Dei in manuscript and cursive
(Scroll down to Our Father: the Blessed Trinity)
Prayers
Act of Contrition-
crusaders-for-christ.com- Act of Contrition in manuscript and cursive
(Scroll down to Holy Sacrifice of the Mass)
Apostles Creed-
crusaders-for-christ.com- Apostles Creed in manuscript and cursive
(Scroll down to Holy Sacrifice of the Mass)
Glory Be-
Glory Be (handwriting)- Glory Be handwriting sheet to trace in manuscript.
crusaders-for-christ.com- Glory Be Copywork, Glory Be in manuscript and cursive
(Scroll down to Catechism)
Grace Before Meals-
Grace Before Meals Handwriting Sheet (manuscript)- 2 versions
The Catholic Toolbox- Grace Before Meals Handwriting Sheet in manuscript
Hail Mary-
saintanneshelper.com- Hail Mary in manuscript
saintanneshelper.com- Hail Mary in cursive
crusaders-for-christ.com- Hail Mary Copy Work, Hail Mary in manuscript and cursive
(Scroll down to Marian Handwriting)
Memorare-
crusaders-for-christ.com- Memorare in manuscript and cursive
(Scroll down to Marian Handwriting)
Our Father/Lord’s Prayer-
crusaders-for-christ.com- Our Father Copy Book, Our Father manuscript and cursive
(Scroll down to Catechism)
crusaders-for-christ.com- Pater Noster in manuscript and cursive
(Scroll down to Our Father: the Blessed Trinity)
Rosary-
crusaders-for-christ.com- Mysteries of the Rosary & Last Prayer of the Rosary in manuscript or cursive
(Scroll down to Marian Handwriting)
Sign of the Cross-
reallifeathome.com- Sign of the Cross in print, cursive, and D‘Nealian Print
crusaders-for-christ.com- Sign of the Cross Copybook, Sign of the Cross in manuscript and cursive
(Scroll down to Holy Sacrifice of the Mass)
Or make your own:
The Catholic Toolbox- Handwriting/Copy Work Worksheet Makers
Monday, August 26, 2019
FREE PowerPoint Games

internet4classrooms.com- Links to PowerPoint Game Templates
wwild.coe.uga.edu/pptgames- Homemade Powerpoint Games
template.net- Besides the jeopardy game, others such as fling the teacher, learn your vocabulary and other cool game templates can be used by teachers in a classroom.
thebalance.com- Free PowerPoint game templates for teachers
tidyforms.com- PowerPoint game templates
rusnakcreative.com- This is THE place for the best FREE PowerPoint game show templates, ever. The purpose of this site is to provide teachers, educators, trainers, youth directors, and anyone else with top quality games and templates. Every game here strives to be as close to the actual game show as portrayed on TV, from the look, sounds, to the actual game-play. These games are the perfect idea for reviewing or studying material, or for a great way to have a lot of fun with your students or youth group.

Saturday, August 24, 2019
FREE Catholic Games Online
Need some FREE Catholic games? Well, here is a list of some that are online for FREE.
thereligionteacher.com- Games
cdowncym.org- Project YM’s Free PowerPoint Game & Games For The Ride
sporcle.com- Free online Catholic trivia quizzes
trivia.stanneaz.org- Online trivia game
loyolapress.com- Games
smp.org- Ready To Go Game Shows: Essential Catholic Beliefs Edition
catholicbrain.com- Catholic games for kids are a fun and interactive way for kids of all ages to aid in Catholic faith formation. Enjoy our variety of Name Match, Fill-in-the-Blank, and Bible Order Catholic games with more in development.
young-catholics.com- Youth Ministry Games
google.com- Catholic Trivia
apple.com- Catholic Game
The Catholic Toolbox- FREE Catholic games that are printable. Over 150 posted!
Friday, August 23, 2019
Religious Worksheets, Puzzles, & Quizzes

Need worksheets? I have found several places online where you can obtain religious worksheets, puzzles, quizzes, etc. for FREE. Here are a few of my favorites:
catholicmom.com- Sunday Gospel for the Mass activities: Mass worksheets, coloring, puzzles, crafts, games, quizzes, lessons, etc.
catecheticalresources.com- Teacher Resources for Grades 1 – 12
catholickidsbulletin.com- Download a FREE bulletin to help your kids learn more about our Catholic Mass. Each week's bulletin contains coloring pages for a saint and activities based on the Gospel. The coloring pages may also include a maze, dot-to-dot, find the picture, and many other activities.
calvarycurriculum.com- Old Testament with memory verses, circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, and color sheets.
calvarycurriculum.com- New Testament with memory verses, circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, and color sheets.
gardenofpraise.com- Christian Bible stories with puzzles, tests, multiple choice and fill-in the blanks quizzes
sdc.me.uk- Worksheets for the Liturgical Year
thekidsbulletin.com- A fun way for Catholic kids to learn about the Faith every week
dltk-bible.com- Tons of printable Christian activities and puzzles listed
sermons4kids.com- Puzzles, multiple choice, fill in the blanks, etc.
4catholiceducators.com- Mark, Luke, and John crossword puzzles
teacherspayteacher.com- Free Religious Worksheets
biblestoryprintables.com- Bible Worksheets
christianpreschoolprintables.com- Free printable Bible puzzles
sundayschoolresources.co.uk- Activity Booklets and single activity worksheets for printing out for various age ranges (scroll down for these)
4catholiceducators.com- Worksheets for Religious Education
smp.org- Saint Mary’s Press Worksheets
thereligionteacher.com- Catholic Worksheets
thereligionteacher.com- Bible Worksheets
joanyedwards.com- Crossword and Word Search Puzzles for Year A, B, & C (click on Puzzle PDF Books on header)
FREE Catholic Printables- Here is a comprehensive list of FREE Catholic Printables that are online.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
FREE Religious Coloring Pages
Trying to find free religious coloring pages is sometimes like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Here is a list of my favorite sites for religious coloring pages.
supercoloring.com- Christianity & Bible coloring pages
squidoo.com- Old Testament coloring pages
squidoo.com- New Testament coloring pages
saintanneshelper.com- Scroll down to the Free Sample Coloring Pages To Print and More Free Printable Coloring Pages To Print
paperdali.blogspot.com- Free Coloring Pages
calvarycurriculum.com- Old or New Testament. In each lesson there are coloring pages to print out
bible-printables.com- Old & New Testament coloring pages
christiananswers.net- Coloring Through the Bible
free-coloring-pages.com- Bible Coloring Pages, Sheets & Pictures (Old & New Testament coloring pages)
gardenofpraise.com- Bible Coloring Book
crusaders-for-christ.com- Coloring Pictures
catechismclass.com- Catholic Coloring Pages
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
FREE Catholic Printables
Here is a comprehensive list of FREE Catholic Printables. If you know of any more, please comment and provide a link.
Worksheets, Games, Bulletins, Puzzles, Booklets
religion.sadlierconnect.com- Sadlier Religious Resources
Gain access to valuable resources for programs you are using.
web.archive.org- Teacher Resources for Grades 1 – 12
smp.org- Printable worksheets (elementary level to high school)
sdc.me.uk- This section provides worksheets for use in Sunday Liturgy groups for children. They can be downloaded and printed on A4 paper and used both on Sunday during mass or handed out to children at school prior to the weekend.
mycatholicsource.com- crossword puzzles, word searches, coloring book, mazes, etc.
catholicmom.com- Sunday Gospel for the Mass activities: Mass worksheets, coloring, puzzles, crafts, games, quizzes, lessons, etc.
4catholiceducators.com- Mark, Luke, and John crossword puzzles
catholickidsbulletin.com- Download a FREE bulletin to help your kids learn more about our Catholic Mass. Each week's bulletin contains coloring pages for a saint and activities based on the Gospel. The coloring pages may also include a maze, dot-to-dot, find the picture, and many other activities.
thekidsbulletin.com- A fun way for Catholic kids to learn about the Faith every week.
holyheroes.com- Has a weekly quiz and coloring page on each week's readings.
raisinglittlesaints.blogspot.com- FREE Liturgical Printables
reallifeathome.com- Catholic Printables
crusaders-for-christ.com- FREE Catholic Downloads (click Downloads to see Catholic Homeschool Study Guides, Handwriting, Coloring, St. Catherine Academy Gazette, Printable Books, etc.)
thereligionteacher.com- Catholic Worksheets (many are free)
sadlierconnect.com- Gain access to valuable resources for the programs you are using
The Catholic Toolbox- FREE Printables (worksheets, puzzles, games, flash cards, handwriting sheets, booklets, etc.)
Coloring
waltzingm.com- (scroll down for these and they are in alphabetical order)
saintanneshelper.com- Scroll down to the Free Sample Coloring Pages To Print and More Free Printable Coloring Pages To Print
paperdali.blogspot.com- Saint coloring pages, liturgical year, and Catholic goings on that you can download for free. Scroll down and click on what you want. The link will take you directly where you can download a black and white PDF file.
catholicplayground.com- Saints Coloring Pages
crusaders-for-christ.com- Coloring Pictures
Saturday, August 17, 2019
My Top Ten Must Have Items For CCD

To have a safe and educational classroom here is a list of My Top Ten Must Have Items For CCD.
1. Be Organized- To be a good CCD teacher you must be organized. Be sure to have your lesson plans organized to keep you from leaving things behind and you can find what you want when you need it. Organize your CCD activities at home so you can find what you want when you need it. Searching for certain items can be stressful and since most catechists are volunteers time is something they do not want to waste.
2. Classroom Rules- Every classroom needs rules so that everyone can learn to their fullest potential and the class can run smoothly and effectively. When establishing classroom rules you should identify behavioral expectations for your classroom. Having a well behaved classroom is critical for proper learning. For the students to learn to their fullest potential they need an environment that is quiet, without distractions, and organized. To be able to achieve this is to keep disruptive behavior down to the minimum. Classroom management is rather tricky and teachers need ideas and strategies on how to manage their classroom effectively and efficiently. Teachers therefore need to use good behavior classroom strategies and games for managing classroom behavior. When behaviors become a problem in a classroom an effective strategy is to implement a behavior contract.
3. Tool Caddies- A great place to store classroom supplies (pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, etc.) so they will be ready and easily accessible. *TIP: Just put what supplies the students need to do the activity in the caddy and place it in the middle of the table. Avoid putting extra supplies in the caddy that are not needed. Students will probably use them and supplies can be limited in some CCD programs. Students will also tend to make a bigger mess when too many supplies are available for them to use.
4. Dry Erase Board or Chalk Board- A great place to write vocabulary words, assignments, key words, etc.
5. Agenda Book/Student Planner- An organized student stays current on assignments and will achieve success in school. Agenda books help students develop sound organization skills that will teach them a successful lifelong journey through school.
6. Student Folder/Binder- To cut down on lost papers and to be better organized, give your students folders or binders. What teachers use for student folders depends upon the grade level and what kind of work the student does in class. It can be as simple as a folder with two pockets with or without brads and be as elaborate as a small binder with dividers.
7. Assignment Sheets, Progress Reports, Grade Sheets- Keeping accurate records of student assignments is necessary for good parent/teacher communication. It also helps students be more organized and be able to turn assignments on time.
8. Homework- To encourage my students to do homework I have them play HOMEWORKOPOLY. In order for a student to play HOMEWORKOPOLY, he or she must complete their homework and hand it in to the teacher on time. This is how the student moves around the game board and can receive prizes. If the student does not have their homework finished, they do not get their chance to roll the dice and move for the day. Throughout the year, day by day we keep the game going. By starting at the beginning of the year everyone gets into it and by the end of the year everyone is doing their homework regularly.
9. Computer/Copier Machine- Print worksheets, puzzles, crafts, etc. for your students. Make extra copies just in case you get a new student or if someone brings a friend to class.
10. Supplies- Every classroom must have classroom supplies to survive. I need paper, crayons, colored pencils, glue, glue sticks, construction paper, glitter, clear contact paper, folders, etc. Since classroom supplies are limited at our parish I buy what we need way before CCD starts when all the stores have sales for Back To School items. I store all my CCD crafts and games in a closet and all my craft patterns and file folder games in portable file box with a handle and everything is in individual labeled file folders.
What are your tops things that you must have for CCD? Please comment and I will add it to the post.
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