Free printable Catholic Christian Advent calendars, Advent wreaths, Christmas crafts

Advent is the Catholic Christian season leading up to Christmas. In the weeks before Christmas, Catholics practice Advent values pf prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Each week focuses on hope, expectation and joy. Here are free printable advent calendars for kids to make, to guide Christmas devotions Free printable Catholic Christian Advent calendars, Advent wreaths, Christmas crafts

Free Printable Advent, Christmas, Catholic, Bible Coloring Pages

Catholics celebrate several religious days, referred to as Holy Days. Based on the Bible, these days center around an event in the life of Jesus or His Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. Holy Days are All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), Christmas (preceded by the holy season of Advent), Solemnity of Mary (Jan 1), Ash Wednesday (movable feast which kicks of the holy season of Lent and leads up to Easter), Ascension Thursday (movable feast) and the Assumption of Mary (August 15).


Our tradition is rich in Biblical teaching, prayer, sacraments and tradition. Our liturgical calendar is full of other specials days. We also commemorate the lives of saints. To help children learn about Catholic faith, here are free printable coloring pages for Bible stories, holidays and holy days, Lent, Advent, life of Jesus, Catholic saints, feast days, rosary and stations of the cross.  Free Printable Catholic Saints and Christian Bible Coloring Pages

Free Advent O Antiphons Activities, Prayers, Printables

The O Antiphons (names for Jesus) begin the last week of Advent on December 17. Sorry I'm a day late with this. Each day a different title for Jesus is the focus. These ancient messianic titles are referenced in the Old Testament of the Bible. They can be found in the hymn "O Come Emmanuel." The titles are Emmanuel God with Us, Wisdom, Dayspring, Lord and Ruler, King of Kings, Root of Jesse, Key of David. These seven titles are listed in Latin and English. Advent tradition of praying the O Antiphons (names for Jesus) began in medieval times. Orthodox and some protestant churches pray them too. Here are printable prayer guides and coloring sheets to help children learn and pray the O Antiphons.   Advent O Antiphons Activities, Prayers, Printables

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Activities

December 12 marks the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Catholic liturgical calendar. The Blessed Mother, Mary Mother of God, appeared to Juan Diego, an Aztec farmer at Tepeyac Hill in Mexico in 1531.

Following her apparition, millions converted to Christianity. We honor her as the Patroness of the Americas. The story of the Virgen de Guadalupe is one that appeals to many. Conversion has been thrust upon people by acts of imperialism (such irony). Tyranny, violence, holy wars (which should be called unholy wars) are anathema to the gospel.   Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Blessings to You

Free Christmas Clipart and GIFs

I just wanted to share a cool website with free holiday clipart. There's a lot of secular Christmas clipart and .gif images (moving ones). And some religious Advent themed clipart. Not as much as I'd like, but I think there may be some I haven't found. Anyway, hope it helps for your Christmas card-making or decorating. Free Christmas Clipart and GIFs - News - Bubblews

Free Printable Pilgrim Crafts for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in the US celebrates the survival of the pilgrims who came on the Mayflower. We wrongly refer them as pilgrims. A pilgrim is a religious adherent who journeys (makes a pilgrimage) to particular shrine or holy place. San Juan Compostela in Spain, Glastonbury Abbey were two common medieval pilgrimage sites for Catholics. Muslims make pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina. A Jew might travel to Jerusalem.

The American "pilgrims" were actually Puritans who came to the New World seeking religious freedom. We remember the difficulties they faced and the help they received from local native American Indians. We celebrate their survival at Thanksgiving. Here are free printable pilgrim crafts.  Free Printable Pilgrim Crafts for Thanksgiving

Free Printable Advent Calendar Activities

Advent is a penitential season that starts four weeks before Christmas in Catholic and Orthodox-christian churches. As in lent (before Easter) we pray, fast and give alms to prepare our hearts for the "coming" (advent) of Christ (from the Latin "adveniat regnum"--coming of Christ's kingdom.) The first Sunday of Advent in 2013 is December 1. Here are printable advent calendars for families. Photo is free advent calendar from The Toymaker. Great site. Free Printable Advent Calendar Crafts for Kids

Free Printable Advent Calendars, Religious and Secular

Advent is a penitential season that starts four weeks before Christmas in Catholic and Orthodox-christian churches. As in lent (before Easter) we pray, fast and give alms to prepare our hearts for the "coming" (advent) of Christ (from the Latin "adveniat regnum"--coming of Christ's kingdom.) The first Sunday of Advent in 2013 is December 1. Here are free printable advent calendars (secular and religious)  Free Printable Advent Calendar Crafts for Kids

Free Day of the Dead Crafts, Activities to Print

I'm seeing a lot of advertising Day of the Dead schmaltz--beer, food, parties etc. But El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, in Latino culture, commemorates the lives of beloved dead. It's not a gimmick.Day of the Dead coincides with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, November 1 and 2, in the Catholic Church.

For many of us, these holy days mark the countdown to our advent preparations. I started planning advent lessons, as a homeschool mom, after All Saints. So back to dia de los muertos. Need free printable activities for this holiday? You've come to the right place.

Traditionally commemorative altars are brought to the cemetery so that the family may visit with the dearly departed. The human skull is an integral symbol. Candies are made in the shape of skulls and people may paint their faces to represent a skull. Some of the United States Halloween traditions stem from the Day of the Dead celebrations. The Day of the Dead is a religious holiday, connecting Catholic All Saints, All Souls Day and old Aztec, Mixtec, Olmec and Toltec pre-Columbian traditions. Read on for ways to celebrate Free Printable "Day of the Dead" Crafts, Lessons and Activities

Epiphany Party Activities, Crafts, Games

Epiphany isn't technically part of Advent. It's a high point of the Christmas Octave--the eight days following Christmas. It's also the culmintation of the 12 days of Christmas, called Twelfth Night in many cultures. Epiphany commemorates the visit of the wisemen to the manger in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The holiday is the major gift-giving occasion, more than Christmas, in some countries. It's also called Three Kings' Day, in honor of the Magi's visit. Here's an epiphany party planner with games, crafts, lesson plans, recipes and Bible activities. Read more

Ways parents can develop awareness of poverty, teach generosity

If I had a buck for every time I heard someone say "kids today are so insensitive and selfish," I'd be rich. If kids lack sensitivity, it's because we parents have failed to teach empathy. Kids need to learn empathy, especially with those in need. Disparity between "have" and "have not" are greatest during the holidays. Lavish feasts rub shoulders with hunger; excessive gift-giving coincides with poverty; kids' Christmas "gimmes" coexist with homelessness and despair. Here are ways to develop awareness of world poverty and teach generosity at Christmas.  read more

Free Printable Christmas Bible Story Coloring Pages for Advent

Psst--I've got a secret! Jesus is coming soon! Dec. 2, 2012 began the Catholic church new year and Advent. Yes, I know, Jesus was born some 2K years ago. But we Catholics and Orthodox Christians (and many other protestant Christian denominations) relive that most blessed event annually. We commemorate the birthday with a special season called Advent (that means "beginning" or "coming."). We believe that we need to open our hearts to Jesus and let him be born again there. We celebrate with generosity and good deeds. We practice virtues of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We look for Jesus in everyone we meet. We live out Our Lord's command to "love one another as I have love you." To help kids get closer to Jesus and his Holy Family, here are free Christian Christmas printables. Use these to count down to the feast of Christmas. Let kids follow the penitential season advent and the Octave of Christmas and epiphany by coloring one page each night. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Advent Activities for Kids

Dec. 12 marks the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Catholic Church. It dates to back to 1531 when Catholics believe the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to an Aztec peasant named Juan Diego (now Bl. Juan Diego) at a hill called Tepeyac in Mexico City. Here are activities to help parents teach children about this Catholic holiday and its part in Mexican heritage. Activities include historical lesson plans, information on miracles attributed to Our Lady's image, plus crafts, recipes, games and activities to explore. read more

Free Printable Thanksgiving Activities and Lesson Plans

As a former homeschool family, we celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday as a natural lead-in to Advent. Thanksgiving activities connect well with Advent virtues of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. I recently came across a website that is one of the most comprehensive and helpful internet resources that I've seen in five years writing online. If you need free printable Thanksgiving lesson plans, crafts, activities, recipes, games and resources, read on... read on

Free Printable 'Stone Soup' Crafts, Games, Activities, Lessons

The legend of "Stone Soup" is timeless. With it's focus on sharing and generosity, itt's the perfect Advent book. "Stone Soup" has been retold many times, notably by Marcia Brown, Ann McGovern and Jon J. Muth. Stone Soup is sacred text in preschool and elementary classrooms. If you are teaching Stone Soup, here are free printable activities. As an educator and homeschooler, I've used "Stone Soup" over the years. read more

Student volunteer service credit opportunities: Tips for parents

 Volunteering is a buzzword in educational circles. It's also an important component of Catholic advent activities. To raise student awareness, groups like United Way coordinate student volunteer programs. Home schoolers and families can take advantage of this program to help kids gain volunteer experience. Many schools require kids to perform a set number of community service credits to graduate. Elementary and middle schools are getting in on the act, too. If your student needs earn community service credits here are some suggestions.  read more

Simple life parenting: Teaching kids how to slow down

Whenever I ask fellow parents how they are, the first answer is always "busy." Parents are under a lot of pressure from work, family, school and community. It's easy to get so caught up in our busy lives that we forget to live. We disconnect from spouses and kids because we're stuck in a too-fast lifestyle. We complain that kids are too busy, but they learn from our example. As we begin thinking about Advent, here are ways parents teach kids, by example, how to slow down.  Advent slow-down tips

Free Printable Medieval Middle Ages Crafts, Coloring Pages

Some Advent observances date back to medieval times. I read Ellis Peters' "Brother Cadfael" and Susannah Gregory's "Mathew Bartholomew" books as well as some individual books set in the Middle Ages. All of them mention advent. With that in mind, here are free printable Medieval crafts, including castle, bailey, keep and chapel. I have a penchant for history, especially of the medieval period. I'm sure that my idea of the Middle Ages is pretty romanticized, but I can't help thrilling to words like dovecote, kirtle and merlon. If you share my predilection, here are free printable coloring pages from the medieval period. Social studies and history teachers might use these images in lessons on the period. Catholic home school students might use them in church history classes. I suggest assigning students to create a notebook of data, images, maps, timelines, diagrams and pictorial artifacts from the period. Read on

Free Printable Jesse Tree Advent Devotional Craft Tips

"And a shoot shall spring forth from the stump of Jesse: a branch out of his roots." Isaiah 11:1. This Biblical passage from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah foretells a new branch in the family tree of King David. Jesse was the father of David. David was the king of Israel during her Golden Age. After Solomon, David's son died, the kingdom fell to quarreling and heathen practices. The two kingdoms finally split and ultimately were carried off into slavery by a succession of eastern rulers from Assyria, Babylon, Medea and Persia.

David's lineage from Jesse is said to have withered or died. Isaiah refers to the family tree as a stump (great imagery). But we are also promised a new branch which will bring new life to the old dead tree. Many Christians us The Jesse Tree during Advent to guide their devotions. The Jesse Tree traces the lineage of Jesus through Jesse. It was also called the Adam and Eve tree and was decorated with apples and white wafers to remind us of the Host used in the Eucharist. The Jesse or Chrisom Tree as it is also called, is often confused with the Christmas tree. An evergreen is generally used and is decorates with ornaments that represent different people and stories in the life and family of Emmanuel or Jesus.

You can make your own Jesse Tree easily for use in your home, Church, catechism or Sunday School. Here's how.  read on

Free Printable Advent Countdown to Christmas Activities for Catholic Families, Homeschoolers

We homeschooled our four children for over 10 years. As a Catholic family, we set aside the month of December for advent activities. Advent begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas and countdowns to the feast of Christmas. Here are countdown activities, including Advent calendars, crafts, devotions, Jesse Tree, prayers, kids almsgiving and family activities. read on