Children
Children – Easter 2B
Updated every Wednesday – Children PDF handouts, videos, scripts, activities, “Virtue of the Week”, reflections on the Sunday readings
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HANDOUTSVIDEOSSCRIPTSACTIVITIESVIRTUESERMONS
Kim Scott is Director of Family Faith Formation at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach, California. - WATCH VIDEO
Kids’ Bulletin
Click on image to go to this week's THE KID'S BULLETIN.
Word Search
Click on image to download Word Search activity handout. CATHOLIC MOM is a ministry of Holy Cross Family Ministries offering children's handouts of Gospel Reading, a coloring page, lesson plans, Mass Worksheets for ages 7-10 and 11-14, Word Search, and Crossword puzzle.
Worksheet
The S.D.C., a Catholic Society in the UK, provides worksheets for use in Sunday Liturgy groups for children.
Crossword
Click image below to view all handouts from Sermons4Kids
Catholic Kids
Peace Be With You! (Easter 2B)
Every Wednesday Isabella D’Angelo releases a new video on her YouTube channel “Catholic Kids Media” that illustrates the meaning of the readings along with a reflection. The 21-year-old Catholic evangelist understands the importance of adhering to truth and faith, especially when addressing young impressionable children. She said her goal is to help children understand that Jesus is a real person with unique character traits, with whom they can have a real relationship. READ MORE
Primary Grades
The Story of Doubting Thomas (3:58)
Intermediate
The Story of DoubtingThomas (3:07)
Junior High
Superbook: Thomas Believes (2:51)
High School
Jesus Resurrection Appearance to Thomas (3:23)
Click on image above to play video.
Holy Heroes
Role Play
Each week the Holy Heroes perform some kind of script, either through role playing, coloring, or puppets, etc. Watch the video with your students and then have them perform their own skits. GO TO LESSONWord Sunday
The Perfect Day
Catechists may adapt these stories to use as skits for their students (i.e. class reads story out loud, and then have a group of students act the story out afterwards using their own words based on what they can remember).
In the story for the first reading, James shared a field trip experience with his class mates. They became united in their excitement and their stories of the field trip. In a small way, this was like the excitement and purpose the early Christians felt united in faith. In the story for the gospel, Taya enjoyed the perfect morning, despite her brother's grumpiness. She felt at peace and full of energy, just like the followers of Jesus must have felt when Jesus first appeared to them. READ STORIESSOURCE: Larry Broding at Word-Sunday.com (Copyright 1999-2017).
Church Skits
Knowing the Hiking Guide
Catechists may adapt this skits to match the needs and age level of students (i.e. use only a small portion of the skit).Here is a preview:
Each week Kristin Schmidt offers two videos on the upcoming Sunday readings. You will find one of them here. To view the other, and to access lesson plans and activities, go to Ministry-To-Children website. Click on image above to play video.
Ministry-To-Children
Craft Ideas: Doubting Thomas
In these crafts, consider the story of Thomas and the importance of having faith, even when we can't see God physically. "Seeing is not believing glasses" remind children to trust with their hearts. An "evidence bag" includes a Bible bookmark and cross as reminders of our assurance that our faith is true. And a "saved by grace" door handle recounts the story and recalls the importance of Christ's sacrifice.
Our Sunday Visitor
Family Activites
- In today's Gospel, Jesus breathes new life into the disciples. Find the Risen Christ in the world around you. Go for a short walk every day this week. Have family members take note of everything that breathes.
- Jesus asks us to forgive others. How do you practice forgiveness in your family? Is there anyone you need to forgive?
- Read a story about someone who was a witness to Jesus. You may want to find a book of stories about the saints. Check your parish library or a religious bookstore.
- Jesus gave his followers the gift of his peace and the Holy Spirit. Together with your family, draw pictures that illustrate how people can share Jesus’ gift of peace.
SOURCE: Our Sunday Visitor
Classroom Activities
RCL Benzinger
Primary Grades
Peace be with you: For today’s session provide crayons and outlines of doves cut out of white paper. Explain to the children that the dove is a symbol for peace and for the Holy Spirit who helps us to live in peace. Invite the children to write the words “Peace be with you” on their dove. Discuss...
READ MOREIntermediate Grades
Peace be with you: Provide pencils, strips of construction paper and a stapler. Have each child write a prayer for peace on a strip of construction paper. Then staple the strips of paper, interlocking them together to form a peace chain. Discuss...
READ MOREJunior High
Peace be with you: To begin, place a globe or world atlas in the center of the meeting space. Provide index cards and markers for the youngsters. Brainstorm with the young people what peace means to them. Invite them to draw a symbol of peace on their index card. When they are done, have the youngsters come forward and place their symbols of peace around the globe or atlas. Discuss...
READ MORESOURCE: RCL Benziger
Loyola Press
Jesus calls the Apostle Thomas to faith in him
Reflection Questions for Grades 1-3, 4-6, and 7-8 which help connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.Below you will find only the beginning part of each grade level's "Sunday Connection" activity. Follow link above to view entire lessons.
CAFOD
Divine Mercy Sunday
Ask the children to colour in the accompanying illustration and to write on the back their message of peace and hope for the world and how they can help anyone who is afraid.
If there is time they could write or think of their own prayer for peace.
Ask the children to go home and share all that they have heard and thought about today. If they have written a prayer, ask them to say it at home together during the week. Ask them to try and spread Jesus’ message of peace in the way they treat others in the coming week. DOWNLOAD LESSON (.docx) -
SOURCE: Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (UK)
Pilgrim Kids Classroom (3:00) - This video is about Thomas The Doubting Disciple Narrated by: Miss Becky
Book of the Week
The Conquerors
In this story, a general who rules a large country convinces his people that their “way of life” is the best and that they have an obligation to conquer other nearby nations so that “they can be like us.” Eventually, the general and his army come upon one final nation that has not yet been conquered, for they are a peaceful people. As the story progresses, this small country does not resist. Instead, they welcome the soldiers, and when new recruits continue to be sent in, they are also welcomed. Soon, the soldiers who return home bring new foods and customs, and the general is oblivious to what has happened from this interaction with this peaceful nation. The book title’s irony and the futility of war are evident in this modern fable.
Peace
“First keep peace with yourself, and then you can also bring peace to others.” Thomas à Kempis
First Reading
Today’s account from the Acts of the Apostles presents an idealized portrait of the early Church: a Church united under apostolic leadership, guided by the Holy Spirit, and spreading throughout the Roman Empire. The community of believers is described as a Church with one heart and mind. This description is indicative of a peace that was very present. If there is anything that history and the present teach us, it is that for true peace to be a reality, the needs of all must be addressed. Until this occurs, there will always be unrest among individuals and nations.CONTINUE READING
Second Reading
Saint John’s letter begins by referring to the community as Beloved, a salutation that was common for him to use. Throughout this book, Saint John will also address the people as the children of God. Both Beloved and children of God go beyond terms of endearment because they carry with them the obligations to love God and obey God’s commandments. In order to love God and obey God’s commandments, one must also be a person dedicated to peace.CONTINUE READING
Gospel
In this resurrection account, Jesus appears to the disciples with the greeting Peace be with you. This time, Thomas is present, and Jesus challenges Thomas’s doubt. Jesus wishes for all of his disciples to be at peace. When we think about it, Jesus’ greeting peace be with you is quite a beautiful greeting to offer to a group of people who denied him and ran when things looked desperate. Jesus is true to himself and presents himself as the very definition of peace.CONTINUE READING
SOURCE: Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University; "Build. Plant. Grow." = a free faith formation resource which aligns with the Liturgical Year of the Roman Catholic Church. The accompanying video is NOT associated with Markkula Center.
Catholic Kids Bulletin
Teacher and mom, THERESA, creates Kids’ Bulletins, a resource for Catholic kids about the readings for Sunday's Mass every week. More resources from Theresa can be found at Teachers Pay Teachers website. Click on image/text to download entire bulletin for your children.
Sermon Writer
The children's sermon excerpts below are linked to Sermon Writer, which was operated by Niell Donavan, a United Christ clergyman from 1997 until his death in 2020. His wife Dale is graciously keeping his website online FREE, subscription no longer required. As Catholic Catechists, be sure to adapt if necessary before presenting to children.
FOCUS: FIRST READING
One Heart and Soul
Objects suggested: Various vegetables and, if situation permits, a finished pot of vegetable soup.
SERMON: If you like to cook with your mom or dad, soup is a fun thing to make. First you will need a big pot. Next you choose the ingredients you would like in your soup. Vegetable soup is a favorite because you can just look in the refrigerator, see what you have – almost anything works.
How about starting with carrots? Peel them, cut them into small pieces, and throw them into the pot. (You always need to work with an adult when you are near a stove and chopping things.) Then you may want to wash some potatoes and add them to the pot. Onions give good flavor. If you’ve worked with them before, you may know they cause tears. How about celery, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes, squash, beans, turnips, peas? Can you think of other things you may want in your soup?
Yes, you will need some water, broth or tomato juice. You will also want some seasonings like salt, pepper, and perhaps some herbs.
The wonderful thing about soup is that it begins as several individual things, but as it cooks the flavors blend and it becomes one thing – soup! Delicious and so healthy!
In the Bible, where we learn about the early Christians, we find this verse: “The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul” (4:32).
FOCUS: SECOND READING
How to Make a Bad Day Better
Do you ever have bad days? Those days when nothing seems to go right? Perhaps you got to bed late and you wake up grumpy. Then someone does something that irritates you and you can’t find the things you need to take to school. And it’s raining and your feet get wet.
When you get to school you have trouble with the work or you are bored and you can’t wait for lunch time and then when lunch comes it’s a tuna fish sandwich when you wanted peanut butter and jelly.
On the way home from school you fall down and skin your knee and it hurts! And then you have chores to do when you’d rather play and before you know it, it’s time for bed again and you feel as if you haven’t had any fun.
Well, maybe your day wasn’t exactly like that, but at times we all must deal with problems and difficulties. What are we to do?
FOCUS: GOSPEL
Enjoy Peace
OBJECTS SUGGESTED: Pillow or a child’s special blanket
What causes you to feel peaceful? Do you like being rocked in your mother’s lap? Do you feel peaceful when your father reads to you? Perhaps you have a special blanket that you use to help you feel calm and secure when you need to rest. A comfortable pillow can also help you drift off to sleep peacefully.
Some people are calmed by the sound of the sea. Others feel peaceful when they are warmed by sunshine or watch snowflakes fall. The sound of wind blowing through trees or seeing cows in a meadow can be a relaxing experience. What are other things that cause you to feel peaceful?
Feeling peaceful is a pleasant experience. Jesus talks about peace and his words are recorded in the Bible. Three times, as Jesus talks with his disciples before he ascended into heaven, he says, “Peace be to you” (John 20:19, 21, and 26). It seems Jesus wants his followers to feel peaceful.
