September 15, 2019 WBB Ordinary Time, WBB Primary, WBB Junior High, WBB Intermediate, REL Seasons - Ordinary Time, REL Asset - Activity, REL Catechetical - K–6, REL Catechetical - Jr High, REL Topic- Saints
By: Allie Johnston
During the season of Ordinary Time, we learn about the saints. To celebrate the saints during Ordinary Time, download a Saints Card Game Activity to share with the students in your religious education program. Available in English and Spanish!
Printable Catholic Saints Game Children Can Play at Home
Saints are followers of Jesus Christ who lived lives of holiness on earth and who now share in eternal life with God in Heaven. The lives of the saints teach us about true discipleship and are models of holiness for us and for the students we teach. The saints’ love and prayers for the Church are constant. Mary, Mother of God, was Jesus’ first and most faithful disciple, and our perfect example of discipleship. As the Mother of God’s Son, Mary shares in God’s holiness in a special way. Mary is the greatest of all saints.
How it works...
Depending on the size of your group, make a determination about how many sets of the game you will need to print. Each group of 2-6 players will need one deck.
Print the required number of game card sets on heavy stock paper. To make one set of the game, print the first four pages of the Saints Card GameActivity download twice. Use page five, the last page of the download, as the back for pages one through four. Then, cut out each card on the dashed line. Remove from the deck one of the Mary, Mother of God cards so that each saint in the deck has a matching pair, except for Mary, Mother of God. Shuffle the deck.
Review the names, images, and stories of the saints featured in the deck with the students before you begin game play. Talk together about the ways the saints teach us about true discipleship.
Once you have created the decks of cards and reviewed the stories of the saints, play the Saints Card Game Activity. Begin by dividing your class into groups of players (2-6 per group), and appointing a dealer for each group. The dealer will shuffle and deal all of the cards to the players so that there are no cards remaining. Each player will then assess the cards in her or his hand and discard any matching saint pairs by placing them face up. Once any pairs in their hands have been discarded, players will take turns offering their hand facedown to the player seated left. The player seated left will select any card and add it to his or her hand, discarding any pairs that are formed. Then, that player will offer his or her hand to the next player seated left and the game continues in this way until all the pairs have been discarded except the last single and unmatchable card which shows Mary, Mother of God. The player holding this card is the winner; he or she holds the card of the greatest saint.