[Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash.]
For the classroom, faith formation class, or at home, check out these lesson plans for the whole year. There are tons of links below, but we’ll go month at a time starting this month. Some can be mixed into other times, and all are modifiable for one kiddo or a classroom, younger to older. Save them for later, let them inspire other ideas, or use them to kick off your curriculum to catechize your kids all year long.
September: Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael the Archangels
Lesson
The Bible tells us about three archangels: Michael (Daniel 10:13, Jude 1:9, Revelation 12: 7-8), Gabriel (Daniel 8:16-17, Luke 1:26-38), and Raphael (Tobit 5-12). Their feast day is September 29. They’re heavenly helpers and God’s warriors. Michael brings protection, Gabriel brings God’s message, and Raphael is a healer and guide. If we put on God’s armor (Ephesians 6:10-17), we can bear the gospel by standing up for others, proclaiming Jesus’s message, and helping those in need.
Discussion
After reading the above Bible verses, talk about what it means to be a warrior for Christ. What kind of armor do we wear? (Discuss truth, righteousness, etc.) In what kind of situations would we use this armor? (Discuss bullying, helping others, obeying parents/teachers, etc.)
Activity
Check out these coloring pages to cut out and put the armor of God on your paper’s person. For older kids, create your own cardboard armor using materials at home. For ideas and templates, check this out.
October: Month of the Holy Rosary
Lesson
October is the month of the Holy Rosary. Jesus gave us Mary as our Mother (John 19:27), and we remember the words of Gabriel and of Elizabeth when we pray the Hail Mary (Luke 1:28, 42). Praying the Rosary has had massive impacts on individuals and whole societies. It’s simple but powerful.
Discussion
Dive into the rich history of the Rosary here (depth depending on the age of your kids.) Discuss how our Mother protects us as her children and leads us to her Son. Discuss the mysteries and how to pray the Rosary. Check out this video from Father Mike Schmitz which tackles distractions and how to focus.
Activity
Make your own Rosary from beads using this guide, or try a corded Rosary with this guide. No materials? You can use your fingers anytime to count to ten and go through the Rosary.
November: Parade of Saints
Lesson
The Saints are our role models and champions in heaven. They pray for us and intercede on our behalf before the Lord. There are so many patronages. Let the kids find their favorites and model after them.
Discussion
Discuss various patron saints. You can use Catholic Online to help. Search by everyone’s sport, job, or hobby. Also discuss challenges (illness, unemployment), holidays (St. Valentine, St. Patrick), and roles (mothers, grandparents). Talk about how to pray for their help. The saints pray on our behalf.
Activity
Play a game to guess the saint. This game can be played many ways, but Catholic Toolbox has it written out. You can give clues, act it out, have a list of saints and their patronages or not, and play with teams or individuals. Find what works best for your kids.
December: Advent/Christmas
Lesson
There’s a distinct difference between Advent and Christmas. Advent is waiting on the Lord, Christmas is celebrating Jesus’s arrival. There’s a million lesson plans out there for each of those seasons, so here’s a lesson to distinguish between the two.
Discussion
Talk about the differences between the Advent and Christmas seasons (colors, liturgies, what we do and don’t say in Mass, and even in decorations.) Dive into this Catholic Lectionary site for a breakdown and resources to aide your discussion. Keep it simple for little ones, but challenges older kids. Key points would be the Advent wreath, the colors, and when Baby Jesus comes out.
Activity
Find two images appropriate for the ages you’re teaching. You can search online or use pictures you’re your own parish. (Use detailed photographs for older kids but maybe simpler images for younger kids.) Try to find all the seasonal differences between the two. Additionally, you could create or draw a model of the altar for Advent and another for Christmas, showcasing the differences.
January: The Holy Family
Lesson
The Feast of the Holy Family is the Sunday after Christmas, but we celebrate the Christmas season longer than that. So, why not keep the topic going this month. The Holy Family is a model family. Joseph protects his family. Mary cares for Baby Jesus. Jesus obeys his parents. How can we be more like the Holy Family in our own lives?
Discussion
Talk about the journey of the Holy Family: the Annunciation (Luke 1:26); Jesus’s birth, presentation (Luke 2), and their escape the Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15); and Jesus’s teaching in the temple (Luke 2:41-52). What might it have been like to have those experiences? How did the Holy Family support one another? How does your family support one another through difficult challenges?
Activity
Create the Holy Family with this craft from Catholic Mom. You can also check out these resources from Sadlier (printable activity), Catholic Culture (family activities and discussions), or Homeschool Connections (more family activities and crafts).
February: Lent
Lesson
Lent is a time of waiting and self-reflection through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These things can be observed by even the youngest through simple acts. Through sacrifices big and small, we draw ourselves closer to Christ.
Discussion
Discuss Jesus’s time in the desert, including prayer, fasting, and resistance to temptation (Matthew 4:1-11). Talk about ways we can give our suffering to God. (For young children, it might be waiting a long time for something they want. For older children, it could be standing up for their faith or bearing a difficult situation.) How can we give ourselves to Christ by being patient in our suffering, enduring like Jesus endured in the desert? Discuss ways to pray, fast, and give to the poor. Help younger kids find simple ways to fast, like giving up a video game or a favorite food.
Activity
Create a donation box to collect clothes and/or toys. Put something in it every week of Lent. Then, during Holy Week, bring the box to your local donation center. Talk about the items people will receive and how they might feel to receive them. Want more? Catholic Icing has loads of Lenten activities for kids.
March: Palm Sunday & Holy Week
Lesson
From Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday, there’s something special for each day of Holy Week. Jesus’s journey from palms to thorns is the story of Salvation. This can be a short discussion or a week long lesson depending on how you want to run it.
Discussion
Read the story of Jesus’s Passion: entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11), Last Supper (John 13), The Agony in the Garden (Luke 22:39-46), the arrest (v. 47-53), and Crucifixion and Death (John 18:1-19:42). For young children, you can abridge the story or use this sweet video by Minno.
Activity
There’s lots to do for Holy Week. For Palm Sunday, you can create hand palms (get it) with this activity from Cross Catholic Outreach. For the rest of Holy Week, check out Allison Auth’s ideas on Catholic Mom. There’s also printables on House Mix and Lily Jade. There’s so much more you can find online.
April: Divine Mercy
Lesson
Through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ, we receive the boundless mercy of God the Father. Divine Mercy Sunday is the second Sunday in Easter. It closes the Octave of Easter, and our recognition of this day is now heavily influenced on the visions of St. Faustina Kowalska. Jesus desires us to receive his mercy.
Discussion
Talk about Jesus’s great mercy for us. What does mercy mean? How does Jesus have mercy on us? How can we have mercy with one another? What are some tangible ways to show Jesus’s mercy to each other? (Forgiving each other, asking for forgiveness, being kind, etc.)
Activity
I have to start with Catholic Icing and the amazing Divine Mercy Sundaes. There’s loads more on that link too. There’s also more ideas here and here. To go your own way on this, you can simply cut out a heart and find blue and red to stream down from it. Use streamers, paper, or ribbon. Talk about the mercy of Jesus while you craft with your kids.
May: Holy Spirit
Lesson
Pentecost is fifty days after Easter, and it’s the birthday of the Church. It doesn’t always fall in May, but we’re always in need of the Holy Spirit, the third Person in the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit is mentioned several times in the Bible (Matthew 28:19, John 14:16, Romans 8:26, Galatians 5:22-23, Acts 2:38). St. Paul mentions the Spirit’s fruits, Jesus calls the Spirit our Advocate or Helper, and the Church teaches us about the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Discussion
Talk about the ways in which the Holy Spirit helps guide us throughout our lives. How do we know if something is right or wrong? Do you ever get a feeling you should go a certain way? How do we know if it’s the Spirit talking to us? There’s not always a solid answer, but the discussion is important.
Activity
The Holy Spirit is often represented by a dove (Matthew 3:16) or by fire (Acts 2:3). There’s lots of ways to make those with pictures or cutting out paper. Use this craft from Catholic Icing to focus on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. You can also check out these crafts from Ministry to Children and Children’s Ministry Deals.
June: Sacred Heart month
Lesson
June is Sacred Heart month. The tradition goes back hundreds of years to when Jesus appeared to Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque. Just as Jesus desires us to receive mercy, we are asked to devote ourselves to his Sacred Heart. You can read more about that at EWTN.
Discussion
Talk about Jesus’s divine love for us. How can you measure your love for your family or friends? How much greater than us is God? God’s love is so powerful and immeasurable, we can’t imagine how much he loves us. Jesus wants us to receive his love, and to share that love with each other.
Activity
Caitlin Kennell Kim has some great ideas for observing Sacred Heart month. For crafts and printables, head over to Catholic Inspired and get all the materials. (It’s as easy as some paper plates and crayons.) Like painting? Check out what Little Holy Hearts has here.
July: Celebrating the Ordinary
Lesson
Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you’re not still teaching and guiding your kids. Just because it’s Ordinary Time doesn’t mean we’re not still focusing on God. Ordinary Time is a time to grow, and it’s color is green. We’re growing all year long, even when school’s out.
Discussion
What kinds of things do we experience in the summer? How can these experiences be part of learning? How can our faith continue to grow all summer, even though there’s no additional liturgical season? Talk about what kinds of stories we might here during Ordinary Time. Go to USCCB and check out the Daily Readings to pick something to target.
Activity
For activities focused on Ordinary Time, check out Loyola Press, Teaching Catholic Kids, or Sadlier. For summer-focused Catholic learning, you can learn about some summer saints at Catechist Café, find 10 Meaningful Summer Activities by Ricardo Valdez, or head over to Catholic Sprouts for a Catholic Family Summer Checklist.
August: Assumption of Mary
Lesson
One of the biggest beliefs that sets Catholics apart is our belief in the Assumption of the Blessed Mother. If the Arc of the Covenant was holy to hold God’s Ten Commandments, how much more holy is Mary to become the new Arc of the Word Incarnate? Her body was assumed into heaven by God’s power. Franciscan Media explains it well here.
Discussion
Talk about how we keep precious items. Would you put a diamond in a dirty box? How would you keep it? How precious is Jesus? He needed a holy vessel, so Mary was made holy. Since she was made holy, and because Jesus loved and honored his mother, she was brought to heaven to be with him after she died an earthly death.
Activity
There’s a few fun activities at The Religion Teacher, including 2D pictures, 3D pictures, and even a floating lantern. There’s also some printable activities at Catholic Printable Club. We are all heaven bound, so let’s keep our focus there, ask for our Mother’s intercession, and give all the glory and honor to God as go about our day, our week, our month, and our whole year.