Icebreakers for Becoming Better Known • Gather Us In

These games are designed to lead a group into a slightly deeper knowledge of each other. Many of them can be modified to ask more in-depth questions of a group that has already bonded as a community. Community is some- thing that can never be taken for granted. Because you have established the first step well does not mean it no longer needs attention. Communities are like plants: they need sunshine, food, and water to grow. It is easy to rush into the lesson, once a group has become a community, but it will not remain a community without nurturing. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Icebreakers for Learning Names • Gather Us In

These games are designed for learning—and remembering!—names. Some of them may seem silly, and adults may, at first, feel foolish playing them. They are a leveling force in any community, asking us to be willing to risk surrendering a little of our self-assurance in order to be truly known by others. All of them can be played several times, and most are more enjoyable the second or third time through. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Icebreakers for Working Together • Gather Us In

These games are an attempt to offer adults and children fun ways to work together. There may be problems to be solved, races to be won, etc. The competition is not the key here. The important issue is the cooperation. Groups of like ages also benefit from games that prepare them for more serious work together. The game helps develop a cooperation mind-set before the work actually begins. Frequently, what is most needed in a group is the ability to have fun together. Remember to take Time to Play. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Autumn Social Activities • Gather Us In

Ideas meant to jump-start your own brainstorming for social activities for families. They are tentatively placed according to season, but many would work at different times of the year, particularly in different climates. These are an aid to your ingenuity, not a replacement for it. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Advent & Christmas Social Activities • Gather Us In

A party, a cookie swap, and caroling -- three activities to help your family celebrate the season. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Winter & Lenten Social Activities • Gather Us In

Ideas meant to jump-start your own brainstorming for social activities for families. They are tentatively placed according to season, but many would work at different times of the year, particularly in different climates. These are an aid to your ingenuity, not a replacement for it. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Easter Season Social Activities • Gather Us In

Ideas meant to jump-start your own brainstorming for social activities for families. They are tentatively placed according to season, but many would work at different times of the year, particularly in different climates. These are an aid to your ingenuity, not a replacement for it. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Advent & Christmas Service Activities • Gather Us In

Try some of these service activities to help your family embrace the spirit of the season. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Easter Season Service Activities • Gather Us In

Ideas meant to jump-start your own brainstorming for service activities for families. They are tentatively placed according to season, but many would work at different times of the year, particularly in different climates. These are an aid to your ingenuity, not a replacement for it. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Winter & Lenten Service Activities • Gather Us In

Ideas meant to jump-start your own brainstorming for service activities for families. They are tentatively placed according to season, but many would work at different times of the year, particularly in different climates. These are an aid to your ingenuity, not a replacement for it. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Autumn Service Activities • Gather Us In

Ideas meant to jump-start your own brainstorming for service activities for families. They are tentatively placed according to season, but many would work at different times of the year, particularly in different climates. These are an aid to your ingenuity, not a replacement for it. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Summer Social & Service Activities • Gather Us In

Ideas meant to jump-start your own brainstorming for social & service activities for families. They are tentatively placed according to season, but many would work at different times of the year, particularly in different climates. These are an aid to your ingenuity, not a replacement for it. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Saints Alive • Gather Us In

Family Day Activity

This activity forms an excellent opening for a religious education program, whether in family or classroom. It can also be used as an All Saints' Day celebration, a Holy Family Sunday celebration, or a closing activity at the end of the religious education year. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Advent Wreath-Making Session • Gather Us In

This activity is designed to encourage families to celebrate with Advent wreaths by giving them the opportunity to make them together. It will be necessary to have the families sign up in advance so that you will know how much material you will need. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Jesse Tree Session • Gather Us In

A Jesse tree is a bare branch that holds symbols of all the people who waited and prepared for the coming of the Messiah. It is this love and preparation that make flowers burst forth from the branch, and this is why a stark branch, rather than an evergreen tree, is used. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Sacrament Scavenger Hunt • Gather Us In

This lesson can be used quite successfully for sacramental preparation programs, particularly Eucharist and Confirmation, as a whole family experience to close a year on the study of sacraments, or as part of a family retreat that takes place in a church setting. The entire experience will take approximately two hours, depending on the ages of the children involved. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Forgiveness Session • Gather Us In

This activity was originally designed to help those families who are preparing a child for the sacrament of reconciliation for the first time. It has been modified, to review the concept of forgiveness and celebrate reconciliation outside the sacrament. It makes an excellent preparation for Lent. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Lenten Crosses • Gather Us In

This activity is similar to Advent wreaths. The entire activity will take less than an hour. It can be done in conjunction with a related prayer service, if you have more time. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Calvary Walk • Gather Us In

This reflection on the Way of the Cross was designed to help families recognize how Jesus is suffering in the world today. Although preschoolers can easily be incorporated into the activity, it is not particularly appropriate for those families who only have small children. School age children will gain far more from the experience. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Parish Easter Egg Hunt • Gather Us In

This is a variation on the traditional Easter egg hunt. Its purpose is to have a good time while reviewing the concept of the new life we celebrate at Easter. This hunt was originally designed as an at-home activity. If you are doing this in a church setting, you will need to be creative about things like a “bed” (a blanket on a pew will do), a tub, etc. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

The Body of Christ • Gather Us In

The purpose of this activity is to remind us that we are all different parts of the body of Christ, and the body must work together in the world. It is appropriate as either a lenten or Easter season activity. It is an excellent family activity in preparation for First Eucharist. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Holy Spirit Kites Activity • Gather Us In

The purpose of this activity is to focus families on the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Throughout Scripture, the Spirit is portrayed as wind and breath and air. Building kites is a reminder that all good deeds are powered by the Spirit, as kites are powered by the wind. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Bread Ritual • Gather Us In

Ritual focused on bread and the Bread of Life. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Beauty of Autumn Ritual • Gather Us In

A ritual for the fall, for areas where leaves change color. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Beginning of the School Year Ritual • Gather Us In

A ritual for helping families to transition into the school year. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Advent Waiting Ritual • Gather Us In

A ritual focused on the waiting of the Advent season. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Winter Ritual • Gather Us In

This is a ritual for places that experience snow in winter. Ask families to think about what snow means to them and to bring a symbol of winter to the meeting. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Desert Ritual • Gather Us In

Two options for desert-themed rituals to use at a parish gathering, especially for the Lenten season. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

New Life Ritual • Gather Us In

A simple ritual focused on signs of new life in the world and the movement from Lent to Easter. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Summer Vacation Ritual • Gather Us In

A ritual for transitioning into summer vacation. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Water Ritual • Gather Us In

A ritual focused on the symbol of water. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Wind Ritual • Gather Us In

A ritual focused on the symbol of wind, with connections to the Holy Spirit. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Fire Ritual • Gather Us In

A ritual focused on the symbol of fire, with connections to light and darkness. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Rainbows Ritual • Gather Us In

A ritual focused on the symbol of rainbows, with connections to covenant. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Time Ritual • Gather Us In

A prayer service focused on the symbol of time. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Cross Ritual • Gather Us In

A ritual focused on the symbol of the Cross to be used in a parish setting or at home. A ritual for presenting crosses is given as the closing of this particular prayer. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Circles Ritual • Gather Us In

A ritual focused on the symbol of circles, with connections to community and eternity. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Stars Ritual (Epiphany) • Gather Us In

A ritual focused on the symbol of stars and the Feast of Epiphany. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Celebration of Mercy Prayer • Gather Us In

This is a ritual of forgiveness outside the sacrament of reconciliation. Its purpose is not only to seek God’s forgiveness for ourselves, but to ask God to help us to forgive those who have hurt us. It is appropriate for Lent or Advent, or during family preparation for the reception of any of the sacraments. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Holy Spirit Prayer • Gather Us In

This prayer is designed to be celebrated by families during Pentecost, in preparation for confirmation, at the beginning or end of a confirmation retreat, or whenever a prayer service of the Spirit seems particularly appropriate. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Session on Covenanting and Naming • Gather Us In

Activities, ritual, and prayer for helping a group become a community and make a commitment. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Holy Family Sunday Events • Gather Us In

The feast of the Holy Family falls on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and is the perfect time for a celebration of family life. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Gather Us In • Gather Us In

Full Resource in a Single File

Bring families of all ages and backgrounds together through play, learning, and prayer! If you're looking to strengthen your parish community—to encourage families to work and play together while sharing and living out their faith—the tools in this resource will make it easy. This extensive toolkit offers a wealth of fun and thought-provoking suggestions for jump-starting the process, drawn from Kathleen O'Connell Chesto's decades of experience leading whole family catechesis. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto