Holy Spirit Thaumatrope

 Make thaumatropes!  Mine is based on Pentecost Thaumatropes and Flipsticks.  I used chopsticks.  Pencils work, too.  I had to sub last minute for a CCD Confirmation class.  There are over 500 kids in our RE program.  Yes, we sub a lot!  It just helps the kids to have a little activity to drive the lesson home.  Here is a Garden of Eden thaumatrope; here is Jesus Loves Me .  A couple kids finished everything early: the two lessons, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit Worksheet, the word find, and the first the first thaumatrope.  I had a last minute idea of a dove with an olive branch.  The seventh graders were very engaged.

Holy Week

My husband and I subbed for a fifth grade CCD class who were studying the fifth grade lesson, The Acceptance of the Father’s Will, the events of Holy Week.  I downloaded a free mini-book from TPT.  Together the class and I laid out the events occurring from Palm Sunday to Holy Friday.  We jotted down devotions which coincide with these events: such as the fifth Luminous Mystery, Stations of the Cross, the Last Seven Words of Jesus, Veneration of the Cross, Adoration, and Stations of the Cross.  It took about thirty minutes to go through the events in order together and identify the devotions.  The kids spent thirty minutes assembling and coloring the pages.  We felt two keys events, the Scourging at the Pillar, and the Way of the Cross were omitted from the mini-book page.  The kids drew their own images and labeled them.  I feel kids learn more when the lesson is interactive.  The kids were upbeat and engaged.

LEGO Sets

 Our CCD office has Fr. Leopold Celebrates Mass, which I’ve used during VBS.  Holy Heroes has an Advent wreath and Father John Hears Confession.  Did you know there are LEGO Bible books, too?  Etsy has custom mini figures so you can build your own scenes.  Amazon has sets, too!  Who knew?  Add some fun to your program!