Activities for other special Catholic events in September, especially Mama Mary's birthday

Besides the Feast Day of Blessed Mother Teresa, there are a couple of other memorable events coming up this September, namely Mama Mary's birthday (or Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary) on September 8, The Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14 and The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15. Exciting huh?! ;-) 


Let's take a look at what two of my favorite Catholic mommy bloggers have posted with regard to ideas and activities for celebrating these feast days:


First of all, may I just say that Lacy is really one of my favorite Catholic mommy bloggers?!! She is so blessed with creativity and resourcefulness, and I always refer to her blog for crafts and activities that highlight the beauty of the Catholic faith. Here is her compilation of ideas (from other amazing Catholic moms!) for celebrating Mama Mary's birthday:

So the most obvious idea for celebrating this feast day is to make a birthday cake for Mary. Anything blue is a great idea since that's Mary's traditional color.

You can decorate your cake with candles, like Sweetness and Light- 

and don't forget to put out your Mary statue!

At These Thy Gifts, they pulled out all their normal family

traditions for birthdays, including the special birthday 

plate and this funny hat! :-)

But here's my favorite idea for celebrating this day with the kiddos-

Our Little Catholic Corner put out a "Baby Mary" doll for their

table centerpiece. What a great visualization for kids! Love it!

Next, another great Catholic stay-at-home mommy blogger, "Amazing Grace," of Catholic Toolbox has these ideas to share with us (she and Lacy usually exchange ideas and comments - great minds think alike!):



(*Be sure to check out pflaum.com- for activities and worksheets. Click on Seasonal Family Pages. Register for FREE. Then click on Feasts of the Season.)

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

americancatholic.org- Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary

catholicism.about.com- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

thatresourcesite.com- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (coloring)

*You can have a birthday party for Mary and have the students plan it. Have them bake an angel food cake, cupcakes, etc. to celebrate her birthday.

catholiccuisine.blogspot.com- A Blueberry Waffle Cake for Mary’s Birthday

catholiccuisine.blogspot.com- A Birthday Cake for Our Lady

catholiccuisine.blogspot.com- Blueberry Cheesecake for Our Lady’s Birthday

*More activities for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary below under Activities For Both Feasts


Our Lady of Sorrows

americancatholic.org- Our Lady of Sorrows

ewtn.com- Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows

newadvent.org- Feasts of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

fisheaters.com- Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

catholicculture.org- info and activities

tiredtwang.blogspot.com- Our Lady of Sorrows #1 (coloring)

tiredtwang.blogspot.com- Our Lady of Sorrows #2 (coloring)

thatresourcesite.com- My Mini Book about the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. Students create a mini book that they either illustrate, write or write and illustrate. The mini book has 8 pages including a title and end page. Print out, fill in, cut apart and staple together. Glue onto our My Books Keepsake pages to create a library of your child's work or document their learning. Even advanced learners can use these little books for narration, defining terms, drawing diagrams or just simple fun.

catholiccuisine.blogspot.com- Our Lady of Sorrows recipes

thatresourcesite.com- Our Lady of Sorrows Worksheet Packet


Activities for Both Feast Days

Rosary- references, activities, coloring, crafts, games, puzzles, worksheets

fcpeace.com- Memory game on the feast of Mary

thatresourcesite.com- What is your favorite title for Mary? Our Holy Mother Mary is known by many titles. Many of them correspond to her apparitions around the world at various times in our history. Introduce young Catholics to Our Lady with this matching game using titles and classic images of our Holy Mother.



The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

wf-f.org- The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

americancatholic.org- The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

catholicculture.org- info and activities

catholiccuisine.blogspot.com- The Exaltation of the Holy Cross food ideas


Favorite Cross Crafts:

Mosaic Cross- Easy cross necklace/magnet that all kids can make.

Stained Glass Window- I make this craft in the shape of a cross by folding one sheet of black construction paper in half and tracing a cross in the center on the top sheet. I then cut the cross out of both sheets of paper for the students. We then follow the rest of the directions given here.

The Colors of Christ Cross- Neat tip at the bottom for younger students.


Sign of the Cross Activities

Activity:

thatresourcesite.com- F3 - Flip, Flap & Fold Folder to Teach About the Sign of the Cross
Help explain some of the everyday traditions used in the Catholic church to your learners with this lapbook style resource. Perfect for use in your homeschool, CCD class or religious education, this resource is designed for simplicity. With a total of only eight F3 pieces, it can easily help teach or reinforce your lessons whether you use a formal curriculum or just put together your own.


Coloring:






Sign of the Cross- with hand movements coloring sheet

Craft:


Here is a cute craft I found to help little ones learn the Sign of the Cross.

loyolapress.com- Sign of the Cross Necklaces


Worksheets:

thatresourcesite.blogspot.com- The Sign of the Cross handwriting sheet to trace in print or cursive.

pflaum.com- I Know the Sign of the Cross (worksheet)
Trace the words at the bottom of the page. Then cut them out and paste them where they belong in the prayer. Say this prayer every day.

pflaum.com- Reviewing the Sign of the Cross (worksheet)
Can you supply the words missing from the Sign of the Cross? Follow the steps from 1 through 5, and choose the correct words from the box.