Family Formation Resources

Shelter-in-Place / Modified Sessions

Many parishes may not be able to gather families in large groups as we are accustomed for some time. Restrictions will be loosened as prudent over a period of time. As leaders, we will need to be thoughtful as we consider how to help parents continue to share faith with their children, while keeping families connected to the parish community.

There are various logistics to consider. Instruction and activity pages from reproducible resources could be emailed to parents, but some families may not have a home printer or art supplies. If you can, make packs of supplies including all materials that can be picked up at the parish or delivered by postal mail.

It is important to coach parents and keep a personal connection as best we can, rather than simply sending "homework" home and hoping for the best. Ideally, the materials we send home are designed for parents and lead them step-by-step. But even so, we shouldn't completely rely on just the resources.

Here are the kinds of events we may be looking at:

Find great resources for any of these models below.

Resources for Whole Family Sessions

Designed for Parent-Child Sessions

The following resources are explicitly designed for facilitated parent-child sessions that coach parents and put them in an active role. They generally include parent handouts with step-by-step instructions requiring no advanced preparation by the families.

Title Description Language Reproducible & Sharable* Downloadable Print option Price
Growing Up Catholic Faith Stories
God Calls / Dios llama
15 Whole Family Sessions

Story-based sessions for facilitated parish gatherings and/or at-home formation (e.g. host six parish sessions and send nine home). Includes family activity booklets (for young children or ages 11-14), family retreats, and more. God Calls (Year 1) introduces the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures).

English & Spanish

$6.00 / child
(annual)

$12.00 (physical + download)

Growing Up Catholic Faith Stories
Jesus Lives
15 Whole Family Sessions

Story-based sessions for facilitated parish gatherings and/or at-home formation (e.g. host six parish sessions and send nine home). Includes family activity booklets (for young children or ages 11-14), family retreats, and more. Jesus Lives (Year 2) presents the gospel story—the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

English & Spanish

$6.00 / child
(annual)

$12.00 (physical + download)

Growing Up Catholic Faith Stories
Spirit With Us
15 Whole Family Sessions

Story-based sessions for facilitated parish gatherings and/or at-home formation (e.g. host six parish sessions and send nine home). Includes family activity booklets (for young children or ages 11-14), family retreats, and more. Spirit With Us (Year 3) illustrates the work of the Spirit with stories from the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the lives of saints and modern believers.

English & Spanish

$6.00 / child
(annual)

$12.00 (physical + download)

Growing Up Catholic Sacramental Preparation
First Communion (Eucharist) Prep Sessions - Legacy Edition
Growing Up Catholic / Crecer en la Fe Catolica

Six facilitated whole family sessions guide parents in preparing their children for First Eucharist, with separate handouts for children, parents, and catechist leaders (editions for ages 7-9 and 10-14).

English & Spanish

$3.68 / child
(annual)

Growing Up Catholic Sacramental Preparation
Confirmation in restored order Prep Sessions
Growing Up Catholic / Crecer en la Fe Catolica

Four facilitated whole family sessions guide parents in preparing their children for confirmation in Restored order, with separate handouts for children, parents, and catechist leaders (editions for ages 7-9 and 10-14).

English & Spanish

$2.68 / child
(annual)

Growing Up Catholic Sacramental Preparation
First Reconciliation (Penance) Prep Sessions
Growing Up Catholic / Crecer en la Fe Catolica

Six facilitated whole family sessions guide parents in preparing their children for First Reconciliation, with separate handouts for children, parents, and catechist leaders (editions for ages 7-9 and 10-14).

English & Spanish

$3.68 / child
(annual)

Growing Up Catholic Faith Activities
Faith Activities on Prayer

These 45 fresh, joy-filled activities can help children and families see prayer in a whole new light, covering traditional, spontaneous, creative, and even meditative prayer. Perfect for parishes, schools, homeschoolers, and anyone who enjoys finding new ways to engage children in prayer.

English

$14.00

Growing Up Catholic Faith Activities
Faith Activities on Service

This resource offers 33 activities for groups of any size, age, or ability—all designed to help children and families make Christian service a way of life. This easy-to-use resource will fit into any faith formation program—whether it's parish, school, or home-based—to help children become caring and compassionate followers of Christ.

English

$14.00

Growing Up Catholic Faith Activities
Faith Activities on the Bible

Give students the keys to unlock Scripture with these 30 fun and engaging lessons that equip them with concepts and skills needed for biblical literacy. Drawing on children's familiar experiences, each activity helps you teach about everything from salvation history to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

English

$14.00

Growing Up Catholic Faith Activities
Faith Activities on Saints

These 55 engaging and creative activities help students of all ages celebrate the saints. This resource highlights 18 saints while also teaching core faith topics. Brimming with craft ideas, games, maps, writing projects, and more, each chapter of this indispensable resource makes the saints accessible to everyone, no matter their age or learning style.

English

$14.00

Growing Up Catholic Faith Activities
Faith Activities on What Makes Us Catholic

These 33 engaging and creative activities and lessons show leaders step by step how to introduce young minds and hearts to all these wonderful ways of being Catholic. Each activity includes background for catechists, step-by-step parent instructions (for whole family use), materials lists, reproducible blackline masters, lesson starters, instructions, prayers, and options to extend the activities.

English

$14.00

Conversations about L.I.F.E.
Conversations about L.I.F.E. / Conversaciones acerca de L.I.F.E.
Family Life & Safe Environment Program

One engaging, age-appropriate whole family session per year that fulfills safe environment requirements while focusing on healthy, loving relationships.

English & Spanish

$1.00 / child
(lifetime)

Fashioning Faith (Annual Subscription)
Resource Archive for Parish-Wide & Family Formation

An Amazing Toolkit for Parish-Wide & Family Formation

A faith formation subscription providing access to hundreds of programs, strategies, and resources for forming people of all ages. Gather your whole community of faith, connect families to children's faith formation, and build faith in families at home. All an unbelievable value at a low annual subscription fee.

English & Spanish

$120.00 / parish
(annual)

Fall Learning Centers for Whole Family Catechesis

Three themed whole family events (on Mary, All Saints Day/Beatitudes, and Thanksgiving), each with seven short activities that parents can lead their children through.

English

$14.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Centros de Aprendizaje de Otoño
Para la Catequesis de Toda la Familia

Three themed whole family events (on Mary, All Saints Day/Beatitudes, and Thanksgiving), each with seven short activities that parents can lead their children through.

Spanish

$14.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Advent & Christmas eResources
Jesse Tree Whole Family Event Kit

A fun, prayerful whole family event based on the Jesse Tree, Jesus' family tree. Includes schedule, talking points, handouts, and artwork for making ornaments.

English

$15.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Advent & Christmas eResources
Children of the Light
Advent Wreath-Making Workshop & Prayers

Instructions and tips for a fun intergenerational event for families to make their own Advent wreaths, plus reproducible prayers and readings for use at home when lighting the candles.

English

$6.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Lenten eResources
Lenten Plans for Busy Families
Whole Family Catechesis Session Kit

An event to help families learn about and set their intentions for Lenten, with talking points and four interactive activities (including step-by-step instruction sheets).

English

$18.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Lenten eResources
Planes de Cuaresma para familias ocupadas
Sesión de catechesis para toda la familia

An event to help families learn about and set their intentions for Lenten, with talking points and four interactive activities (including step-by-step instruction sheets).

Spanish

$18.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Experience the Saints
Experience the Saints
Activities for Multiple Intelligences - Volumes 1-4

All twelve themed whole family events (on different saints), each with eight short activities that parents can lead their children through.

English

$30.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Experience the Saints
Experience the Saints
Activities for Multiple Intelligences - Volume 1

Three themed whole family events (on St. Patrick, St. James the Greater, and St. Hildegard of Bingen), each with eight short activities that parents can lead their children through.

English

$10.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Experience the Saints
Experience the Saints
Activities for Multiple Intelligences - Volume 2

Three themed whole family events (on St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, and St. Margaret of Scotland), each with eight short activities that parents can lead their children through.

English

$10.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Experience the Saints
Experience the Saints
Activities for Multiple Intelligences - Volume 3

Three themed whole family events (on St. Joan of Arc, St. Thomas Becket, and St. Agnes), each with eight short activities that parents can lead their children through.

English

$10.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Experience the Saints
Experience the Saints
Activities for Multiple Intelligences - Volume 4

Three themed whole family events (on St. Peter, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Scholastica), each with eight short activities that parents can lead their children through.

English

$10.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Gather Us In - Tools for Forming Families
Icebreakers, Social & Service Activities, Events, Rituals & Prayer

This extensive toolkit offers a wealth of fun and thought-provoking suggestions for whole family gatherings, including ice breakers, seasonal social and service activities, family day events, rituals, and prayer services.

English

$24.00 / parish
(lifetime)

$33.00 (physical + download)

Learning Centers series
Learning Centers for Confirmation

Fifteen creative learning centers designed to help children preparing for confirmation and their parents to grow in their faith and have meaningful conversations.

English

$14.91

Compatible with Parent-Child Sessions

The following resources include short learning center style activities. These types of activities can be easily combined into facilitated whole family events that coach parents and put them in an active role. You may need to create parent handouts with step-by-step instructions to make it easy for parents to lead their own children along.

Title Description Language Reproducible & Sharable* Downloadable Print option Price
Sensing the Seasons
40 Learning Centers for the Church Year

This collection of 40 short learning center activities explores eight significant periods of the liturgical cycle: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time, and the year as a whole. Each chapter features a period, offering one learning center activity for each of the five senses.

English

$14.00 / parish
(lifetime)

$18.50 (physical + download)

Seeing Jesus
60 Social Justice Activities for Today Based on Matthew 25

60 creative, interactive learning activities for all ages based on the parable of the last judgment (Matt. 25:35-45): "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry... thirsty... a stranger... naked...sick or in prison...?"

English

$24.00 / parish
(lifetime)

$33.00 (physical + download)

LearningCycles series
All 24 LearningCycles Topics

Each of the 24 titles in this collection offer a creative approach to faith formation with a variety of activities based on different learning styles, appropriate for K-5th graders. Titles are also sold separately.

English

$129.00 / parish
(lifetime)

Praying by Number series
Praying by Number - Volume 1
20 Creative Prayer Lessons & Activities

Use these 20 stimulating, fun, faith-filled activities to bring prayer to life, utilizing drama, dance, games, music, storytelling, and art.

English

$9.00 / parish
(lifetime)

$12.00 (physical + download)

Praying by Number series
Praying by Number - Volume 2
20 Creative Prayer Lessons & Activities

An additional 20 stimulating, fun, faith-filled activities to bring prayer to life, utilizing drama, dance, games, music, storytelling, and art.

English

$9.00

$12.00 (physical + download)

30 Creative Classroom Crafts, Lessons, & Prayers

Thirty creative, hands-on crafts and projects that can be adapted for any faith formation program.

English

$8.50

Enriching Faith series
Lessons, Prayers and Activities on Mary

Use these 32 kid-friendly lessons and activities to teach memorable lessons about Mary and invite your learners to deeper reflection and prayer.

English

$13.15

Enriching Faith series
Lessons, Prayers and Activities on the Teachings of Jesus

Over 30 strategies, ideas, and activities to help catechists, teachers, and parents share the Beatitudes and Jesus’ teachings about loving God and neighbor.

English

$13.15

Learning Centers series
Learning Centers for Advent & Lent

30 engaging learning center activities for getting to know Advent, Lent, and the Triduum from different angles.

English

$14.91

Learning Centers series
Learning Centers for First Eucharist & Reconciliation

Use these 37 creative and formative centers for children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist to help families share church teaching, Scripture, prayers, conversation, and a fun activity that reinforces the teaching.

English

$14.91

Teaching Kids to Care for God’s Creation
Reflections, Activities and Prayers for Catechists and Families

Thirty lessons and practical activities inspired by Pope Francis' On Care for Our Common Home to engage children, catechists, and families in the good work of keeping our planet livable and sustainable for coming generations.

English

$8.75

Teaching Kids to Care
Reflections, Activities and Prayers on Practicing Virtues

Activities, conversation starters, reflections, prayers, and suggested Scripture passages that encourage caring, organized by 25 virtues.

English

$9.95

* Reproducible and sharable resources are licensed in multiple ways. Resources priced per child can be printed or shared electronically with the number of children paid for. Resources priced per parish can be printed or duplicated in full for use within the parish community (sales price includes lifetime license). Print books that do not come with download access allow duplication of any child/family pages, but not leader pages.