Easy French Easter Craft for Kids

Thanks so much to Diane F., who wrote me to share about the following fun Easter craft she's created:

"I just published an article about how to make a French Easter bell, along with an explanation of the French Easter custom of church bells flying to Rome on Holy Thursday, returning with Easter eggs and joyful chimes on Easter Sunday."

Click here to view and make Diane's fun French Easter Craft for Kids

Three great kids activities

We have so many people contributing wonderful kids projects for CatholicMom.com! I've posted three terrific activities for kids today and would encourage you to check both out:

• "Lenten Helper" - help the kids focus on doing one good deed per day (Contributed by Erin R., Denver, CO) - print the "Lenten Helper" and trim 2/5 inches off the bottom and fold according to directions.
• "I Share Windsock" CCD Project by Cheryl Butler
• Saint Bingo Game (contributed by Trish T.) - this is a super activity and can be played at many different levels
  

If you have children's activities, CCD projects or games you'd like to share, send them to me at lisa@catholicmom.com. We have families and religious education classes from around the world visiting the site and downloading projects. It's so exciting. For more great lesson plans and Sunday Gospel activities, check out CatholicMom.com.

Wayside Shrines in Miniature

Be sure to check out our latest, adorable "Living the Liturgical Year" craft by Alice Gunther. These little "wayside shrines" can be decorated for your favorite season or saint. Thanks Alice!

Cutest Craft Ever for All Saint's Day!

I'm so happy to announce the arrival of Alice Gunther of the wonderful blog Cottage Blessings as our newest CatholicMom.com columnist. Alice will be sharing her wonderful craft and project ideas for living out our beautiful Church year in our homes in her "Living the Liturgical Year" column. This is something I've prayed for years would someday be a part of CatholicMom.com, so Alice is truly a gift from the Holy Spirit. Please check out today's column entitled "Saints of the Season" where Alice shares all of the simple instructions you and your family will need to create your own saint parade! Thank you Alice for sharing your talents with all of us!

Reader Request

I received the following email from Stephanie and am wondering if anyone here may be able to help with information about this particular craft/activity idea for Lent:

I'm looking for a printable activity that a friend sent me ages ago and I don't have on my computer any more. It's a sheet with a crown of thorns printed on it and (I BELIEVE THIS IS HOW IT GOES) another graphic that is roses. I think the way it is used is that each child gets a crown and a batch of roses and with each Lenten sacrifice gets to color and put a rose on the crown so that by Easter the crown is covered with roses -- does this sound at all familiar to you? Thanks for your time!

Spoon Saints

If you're looking for a wonderful craft idea for All Saints Day, you have to take a look at Alice's Cottage Blessings blog and her wonderful Spoon Saints Craft - it's truly amazing what can be done with a package of wooden ice cream spoons! I know that when I show this to Adam, he's going to want to go immediately and buy wooden spoons and fill our mantel with "projects"!

Both of my boys have done many fun All Saints projects in the past - everything from dressing and speaking as their favorite saint to decorate a 2 foot poster-board cut out of their favorite saint in 3D. Those are treasures! What do you do to commemorate All Saint's Day? We have a few ideas listed at CatholicMom.com, but I'd love to add more!