Our Easter Octave 2015

We had a great Easter octave and have enjoyed adding some Easter fun into our week.

Easter Morning Fun

Park Picnic as one of our daily Easter fun calendar activities.

Easter Party with our Co-op after Friday morning Mass

Divine Mercy Sunday Fun!

Thanks for reading!

April Saints and Feast Days

I made a commitment a couple of years ago to try to teach my children about the saints and to incorporate their feast days into our daily learning time.  Honestly, most of the time I don't get further than handing them a coloring page at the beginning of the day and reading a short bio, but that is definitely better than nothing!  I know my kids love learning about the saints and how various members of our Catholic family lived and died.  Since I didn't grow up learning much about saints, it is fun for me too!

Every month I put together a Pinterest list and word document full of ideas for celebrating feast days but have never really thought about sharing them with the world.  I noticed how many views my other resource lists have received so I think this is something that people might be interested in seeing!  Enjoy!

General April Resources 

April Saints Crossword @ Real Life at Home
10 April Activities for Catholic Families @ Real Life at Home
April Book Basket and April Links @ Shower of Roses
 
April 11^th – St. Stanislaus
Coloring Page:
St. Stanislaus

April 12^th – Divine Mercy Sunday

Resources and Links @ Homeschool is Where the Heart Is

April 16^th – St. Bernadette Soubirous

Coloring Pages:
Bernadette at Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes @ Catholic Playground
St. Bernadette @ Catholic Playground
B is for St. Bernadette @ Saints to Color

Books:

St. Bernadette: The Miracle of Lourdes by Brunor
Bernadette – the Little Girl from Lourdes by Sophie Maraval-Hutin

Movies:

Bernadette – The Princess of Lourdes
Bernadette
The Passion of Bernadette
The Song of Bernadette

April 23^rd – St. George

Books:
St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges
The Saint Who Fought the Dragon by Cornelia Mary Bilinsky

Coloring Pages:
St. George @ CHC
George & Dragon
2 St. George coloring pages and stories @ Crusaders for Christ

Activities:
Make a St. George Pinata and beat it!  Talk about the battle between good & evil.
Fire breathing dragon craft

Food:
Fish n Chips
St. George and the Dragon Vegetable Plate
Dragon Cake
Red Cross Crispies

School Work:
Copywork
Learning Packet

April 25^th – St. Mark

Coloring Page:
St. Mark @ Waltzing Matilda

Food:
Various recipes @ Catholic Cuisine
 
April 27^th – St. Zita
Coloring Page:
St. Zita @ Catholic Playground
Z is for Zita @ Saints to Color

Crafts:
St. Zita Finger Puppet @ Catholic Icing

April 28^th – St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Coloring Page:
G is for St. Gianna

Food:
Coffee Cannoli @ Catholic Cuisine
 
April 29^th – St. Catherine of Sienna
Coloring Page:
St. Catherine @ Waltzing Matilda
Catherine of Siena @ Crusaders for Christ
St. Catherine of Siena @ Catholic Playground

Food:
Pasta Santa Caterina @ Catholic Cuisine

Thanks for reading!
Follow Andrea's board Liturgical Year: April on Pinterest.

Easter Resource Megalist

One of the things I love about being Catholic is that we know how to party!  At Christmastime, when the whole world is packing up the decorations and moving on with life, we still get several more weeks to sing Christmas carols, enjoy our decorated trees, and reflect on the beauty of God incarnate.

The same thing goes with Easter!  While everyone else crams as much Easter fun into one day, we get 50 whole days of Easter to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord!  I’ve compiled a megalist of activities you can do to celebrate the Easter season, which lasts all the way to Pentecost.  To learn more about the Easter season, take some time to explore the Easter Workshop @ Catholic Culture.  Also, if you need a place to organize/keep all your Easter season plans, Sanctus Simplicitus has a great planning page download available for free!

1. Start and follow an Easter countdown calendar (similar to an Advent/Christmas/Lent calendar) to help you count the days of Easter leading up to Pentecost.

Easter Countdown Calendar @ Catholic Icing
50 Plastic Egg Easter Calendar @ Equipping Catholic Families
Easter Calendar @ Wee Little Miracles
50 Days of Easter Cross @ Family at the Foot of the Cross
The Garden of the Good Shepherd Sticker Calendar @ Amazon
 
2. Pray the Stations of the Resurrection!  These are a counterpart to the Stations of the Cross and showcase the events after the Resurrection.
Stations of the Resurrection Box @ The Bookworm
Via Lucis Art Appreciation & Prayer Cards @ Family in Feast and Feria
The Way of Light Minibook @ Look to Him and Be Radiant
The Way of Light Easter Sunrise Craft @ Look to Him and Be Radiant
The Way of Light Story in a Bag @ Look to Him and Be Radiant

3.  Learn about Easter legends and symbols.
The Legend of the Dogwood Flower Symbolism @ Catholic Icing
The Legend of the Dogwood Flower Craft @ Catholic Icing
The Legend of the Dogwood story & printable craft @ Catholic Inspired
Mary Magdalene and the Red Egg Story @ Catholic Icing
The Legend of the Three Trees Craft @ Teach Beside Me
The Legend of the Three Trees Video @ Youtube
The Tale of the Three Trees Craft @ God Family Crafts
The Tale of the Three Trees Homeschool Printable Pack @ Homeschool Share
Easter Symbols Booklet @ Waltzing Matilda
Easter Symbols Download @ Sanctus Simplicitus

4.  Make a cross craft or two!

Oil Pastel Light Ray Cross @ Housing a Forest
Easy Toddler Tape Resist Cross @ Catholic Icing
Salt Cross Painting @ Catholic Icing

5.  Make an Easter egg craft as well!
Crayon Resist Easter Egg Cross @ The Crafty Classroom
Hidden Cross Easter Egg @ Amy’s Free Ideas
Symbol of the Easter Egg Craft @ Catholic Inspired

6.  Use food to learn about and celebrate Easter.
Resurrection Rolls @ Catholic Icing
Easter Cross Krispies @ The Celebration Shoppe
Easter Tomb Treats @ Free n Fun Easter

7.  Read a few Easter books (or one for every day of Easter!).  The library is our best friend with this one.
Best Picture Books of the Easter Story @ Catholic Icing
Children’s Picture Books for Eastertide @ Two O’s + More
8 Picture Books for Lent and Easter @ Carrots for Michaelmas
Picture Books for Easter @ Shower of Roses

8.  Decorate your house for Easter!

Easter 8x10 Prints @ Catholic All Year
Easter Cross Wreath @ Cheerios and Lattes
DIY Paschal Candle @ Shower of Roses
 
9.  Jesus’ resurrection comes during Spring, a season of new birth and beauty.  Get out in nature and have some fun!
Easter Story Nature Walk @ Our Journey Westward
Bird Seed Eggs @ Tutti Fiori
Paint with Dandelions @ The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman
Jellybean Prayer Nature Walk @ Our Journey Westward

10.  Who says you can only hunt Easter eggs on Easter Sunday?  Go on a unique egg hunt any day of Easter!

Jesus is Our Guiding Light Nightime Egg Hunt @ Catholic Inspired
Easter Egg Prayer Hunt @ Our Family for His Glory
You’ve Been Egged @ Fab n Free

10.  Reenact the Easter story through imaginary play.
Toilet Paper Tube Resurrection Set @ Catholic Icing
Resurrection Set @ Do Small Things With Love

11.  Spend some time working with your hands to put together an Easter themed handicraft.
Resurrection Pearler Bead Pattern @ Catholic Playground
Easter Story Lego Challenge @ Proverbial Homemaker
String Art Cross @ Dippity Dot
Simple String Art Cross @ Sun Hats and Wellie Boots
Easter Origami @ Housing a Forest
Cross Stitch Easter Egg @ Shower of Roses
 
12.  When all else crafty fails, there are always coloring pages!
Resurrection of Jesus Lego/Playmobile @ Catholic Inspired
He is Risen @ Ministry to Children
Stained Glass Crosses @ Homeschool Encouragement
Just Color Easter Pages @ 1+1+1=1
 
13.  Host an Easter Party!
Easter Party – Preschool Style @ From the Hive
Joyous Easter Tea @ Shower of Roses

14.  Switch up your homeschool or afterschool routine with some Easter themed learning!
Make an Egg Bounce @ Science Sparks
Easter Resurrection Printable Pack for Kids 2-7 @ 3 Dinosaurs
Egg Heads @ Nurture Store
Learning with Easter Eggs @ Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
Easter Math Crosses Mystery Picture @ Real Life at Home
Easter Word Search @ Real Life at Home
 
Special Feast Day/Liturgical Year Link Lists
Divine Mercy Sunday @ Homeschool is Where the Heart Is
Good Shepherd Sunday @ Homeschool is Where the Heart Is (Coming Soon!)
Feast of the Ascension @ Homeschool is Where the Heart Is (Coming Soon!)
Pentecost @ Homeschool Is Where the Heart Is (Coming Soon!)
April Saints and Feast Days @ Homeschool is Where the Heart Is

Thanks for reading!

Follow Andrea's board Catholic Kids: Easter on Pinterest.

Divine Mercy Novena Links

The Divine Mercy Novena can easily become lost in the jam-packed observances of Holy Week.  The Novena begins today, Good Friday, and ends on Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday after Easter.  The Divine Mercy novena is a wonderful way to remember the promises of loving mercy that Jesus shared with us through Sister Faustina.  If you are interested in learning more about this tradition and how to pray the chaplet using a standard rosary, check out these links:

Chaplet of Divine Mercy @ EWTN
The Divine Mercy Chaplet @ Catholicity

Last year we prayed the novena together as a family instead of our usual decade of the rosary.  If your children need a more hands on visual to help pray the chaplet, there are some great resources out there!
Divine Mercy Chaplet Coloring Page @ Wee Little Miracles
Pop Out Chaplet Decade @ Look to Him and Be Radiant
Divine Mercy Counter @ Catholic Icing
Divine Mercy Chaplet Craft @ Making Music, Praying Twice
Divine Mercy Novena and Chaplet Printable Prayer Ring @ The Diary of a Sower

And when the novena is over, there are so many fun ways to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday!

Coloring Pages:

Divine Mercy

The Divine Mercy

Divine Mercy @ Catholic Playground

Divine Mercy @ Catholic Inspired

Food:

Divine Mercy Sundae @ Catholic Icing

Divine Mercy Fruit Tray @ A Slice of Smith Life

Divine Mercy Pancakes @ Catholic Cuisine

Schoolwork & Crafts:

Hands of Mercy

Worksheets & Stories

Watercolor Art Page @ Look to Him and Be Radiant

Toilet Paper Roll Craft @ Catholic Icing

You can see all these links on Pinterest for easy pinning!  Thanks for reading!
Follow Andrea's board Divine Mercy on Pinterest.

Updated Holy Week Printable & Links

Happy Palm Sunday!

I updated the Holy Week printables that I shared last year.  Click the picture below to access a free Holy Week minibook and blank Holy Week Planning Calendar. (UPDATED 2016)

Looking for activities to fill up your blank calendar?  Look no further!  I've compiled a list of resources and ideas below!

Holy Week:

Holy Week Printables @ Teaching Heart


Holy Week Meditation Journal @ Kids and Glitter


Holy Week Box @ It's An Always...Always Kind of Love


Holy Week Activities Post 1 and Post 2 @ Eyes on Heaven


Holy Week Day by Day @ Eyes on Heaven


Holy Week Mobile @ Drawn 2B Creative

Housecleaning Tradition @ Catholic Culture


Animated Passion Trilogy


Holy Week in Handprints @ Catholic Icing


Jerusalem Lesson and Godly Play @ Catholic Icing


Holy Week Lesson Plan @ The Catholic Toolbox


Peg Doll Holy Week Calendar @ Catholic Missionary Family


Holy Week 3-part or Sequencing @ Tired, Needs Sleep

General Triduum:

Triduum Bracelet @ Loyola Press


Triduum Notebooking Page @ Sadlier


Triduum Links @ The Catholic Toolbox


Triduum Craft @ Catholic Inspired


Triduum Coloring Page @ Look to Him and Be Radiant

Holy Thursday: 

Last Supper Craft @ Catholic Icing


Holy Thursday Learning Pack @ Eyes on Heaven


Watch Prince of Egypt to understand the Passover.


Last Supper Notebooking Page @ Catholic Icing


Unleavened Bread Recipe @ Catholic Icing


Passover Themed Snack @ Family in Feast and Feria

Good Friday:

Pray the Stations of the Cross.  (We use the Happy Saints version).


Begin Divine Mercy Novena.


Good Friday Nature Walk @ The Unlikely Homeschool


Good Friday Crafts @ Catholic Inspired


Good Friday Schedule and Printable Activities @ Eyes on Heaven


Watercolor Crucifix Craft @ Do Small Things With Love


Crown of Thorns Snack @ Free-N-Fun Easter


Crucifixion Notebooking Page @ Catholic Icing


Printable Resurrection Eggs @ Teaching Heart

Holy Saturday

Easter Story Cookies @ Catholic Icing


Lenten Supper @ Shower of Roses

Thanks for reading!

Check out my Holy Week board for more ideas:
Follow Andrea's board Catholic Kids: Holy Week on Pinterest.

8 Quick Ways to Celebrate the Annunciation

The Solemnity of the Annunciation is the day we celebrate the angel Gabriel coming to Mary to tell her that she will be the mother of Jesus.  It is always nine months ahead of Christmas, on March 25th.  Though it is not a Holy Day of Obligation, there are so many wonderful ways to celebrate this special day!

Food
1. Eat Waffles!  It is a tradition in Sweeden to eat waffles on this day, owing to the fact that "Vaffelsdagen" (Waffle Day) and "Varfrudagen" (Lady Day) sound so similar.  (Source).

2.  Enjoy a Mary ParFIAT.  Enjoy a blueberry yogurt parfait for breakfast or a snack and make sure that your children understand what the colors of the various elements mean.

Coloring & Crafts
3. Print and color - probably the easiest way to celebrate this special day!
Family Feast and Feria - 4 different coloring pages
St. Anne's Helper

4. Create a Marian triptych.

Prayers
5. Pray the Joyful Mysteries

6. Pray the Angelus.

Songs
7. There is nothing I love more than a good Mary song!  Sing some of your favorite Marian Hymns in honor of our Blessed Mother.  My favorites are Sing of Mary, Hail Mary - Gentle Woman, and Holy is His Name.

Art Appreciation
8. There are so many beautiful paintings and works of art that showcase this amazing moment in Jesus' life.  Some of my favorites are listed below.  Find your favorite piece and discuss it with your children.
The Annunciation by Maurice Denis
Annunciation by J. Kirk Richards
The Annunciation by Frederic James Shields

For more great ideas, check out these awesome posts:
12 Simple Ways to Celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation
Spiritual Adoption of the Unborn
Celebrating the Feast of the Annunciation
8 Activities for the Feast of the Annunciation
Kids Don't Forget a Thing Like Waffles for Dinner
Feast of the Annunciation
On the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord


Thanks for reading!

Puzzle Checklist: How to Turn Completing Schoolwork into a Game

Do you have a younger homeschooled child who moans and groans when it comes to finishing schoolwork?  Perhaps your child has problems staying on task, or perhaps just wants to know when they can finally be done so they can go play outside!

Once upon a time I had a laminated visual checklist hanging on the classroom wall with pictures of our subjects along with little checkboxes which we would check as we worked through them.  My little type-A daughter inherited my love of checklists so this setup worked very well for her.  When I started teaching my son last year, however, he could absolutely care less.  I knew I had to find something else to help him get through his work.

I ran across this great classroom completion chart a couple of years ago, and finally decided to implement my own version at the end of last year with my kids.  I was amazed at how well it worked!  It gives a great visual of how many subjects they have left in a fun, engaging way. 

Want to make your own?  It is so easy!  Print and laminate a picture of your child's choosing.  Cut it into as many pieces as you have subjects for.  Ours are for our "core subjects".  This year Rafael has 4 main subjects (phonics, handwriting, math, grammar) so we cut his puzzle into 4 pieces.  Add magnets to the back and you are done!  We use workboxes so I put each puzzle piece into the corresponding workbox drawer.  They get to put up each puzzle piece onto our whiteboard after we finish each subject.

Thanks for reading!