Young Catholics

Shoe Sort is a fun youth group game where people try to match shoes with their owners. It makes a great icebreaker or team building game.

A prayer rock is a simple way to remember to pray each day. Parents can lay them on their children's pillows so they remember to pray. Teens can keep them in their backpacks or lockers. Anyone can put them on a desk or carry a small one in a pocket or purse.

This is an easy game for your youth group or Vacation Bible School. It is fun but also provides a lesson about the Holy Spirit. See the reflection questions and scripture passage at the end of the game for how to turn this game into a teaching experience.

Paper airplane prayers are a way to offer prayers in a group setting. It works well for Vacation Bible School or youth group. It would also be appropriate for Children's Liturgy of the Word. It can be done indoors or outdoors.

This is a prayer inspired by Psalm 139. Use it for your youth ministry meeting or youth group activity focused on authenticity and being your true self. This is a good lesson for teens who are feeling overwhelmed by the need to be popular.

This reflection will help youth consider the reality of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How does Jesus help us overcome our fears?

This paper plate dove craft is simple enough for your Vacation Bible School or Children's Liturgy of the Word.

Water Transfer is a wet silly game for VBS or youth ministry. It also builds team spirit because group members need to work together to determine the best strategy to move their water. It would work well for middle school Vacation Bible School, as a camp game, or as a youth group icebreaker.

You might know that Pope Francis has promoted devotion to Mary "Our Lady Untier of Knots". The Human Knot game is a fun activity to add into a teaching about this devotion. Since it is a cooperative game also makes a fun team building activity.

The traditional guardian angel prayer is something we teach young children, but it is a wonderful prayer for Christians of all ages. Praying it connects us with our guardian angel who is always with us, watching over us. October 2 is the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels.

Are you studying the Beatitudes in youth ministry, Vacation Bible School, or Children's Liturgy of the Word? This printable cryptogram gives the eight beatitudes in random order. Children can figure out the key and substitute the letters to solve the puzzle and complete the beatitudes.

Walk the Plank is a game for Vacation Bible School or a youth ministry meeting. This will be difficult for younger children but it would be appropriate for middle school VBS or youth group. It has a problem solving and team building aspect to it which tweens and teens will enjoy.

Christ has no body but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world

This simple lesson plan is for a youth ministry meeting focused on the problem of hiding yourself to seek popularity. Letting our true selves shine will allow us to be the people God created us to be and will lead us to true joy in Christ.

The sin of racism has been on my mind lately. Our communities are so divided. We don't understand or listen to each other. We seem unable to make the sacrifices necessary to even the playing field for all of God's children.

Ship Wreck is a running game. The game requires a combination of speed, teamwork, and listening skills. So this is one of those games that is not necessarily won by the most athletic team. Some teamwork strategy can really even the odds.

Do you need a quick and easy activity for your Shipwrecked VBS? This word search puzzle is a good way to keep everyone busy while gathering or to fill some unexpected free time.

Water Balloon Relay is a fun wet game for your Vacation Bible School or church camp. Have plenty of water balloons on hand! Your VBS kids will want to play this over and over again.

St. Michael the Archangel is a warrior who fights evil. He is a protector. Children can understand St. Michael as a spiritual superhero whose nemesis is Satan. He is often depicted dressed in armor, but maybe a cape would be more representative of St. Michael's role to today's youth. The feast day of the archangels is September 29.

Bail the Ship is a fun large group game. It pits two groups against each other and burns off a lot of energy. I have seen it played at Vacation Bible School and at camp. It's always a lot of fun!

Here is a cute story about why being a Christian is like being a Jack O Lantern. Share it with your children while you are carving a pumpkin for your own Jack O Lantern. Little children will be especially excited to share this with their friends.

This is a variation on tag which the person who is it tries to tag the last person in line. The people at the front of the line try to protect the last person. This game could be used with a theme of how God protects us and loves us even better than a mother hen protects her chicks. Or it could be used for a social justice theme about protecting the marginalized.

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