Catholic Date Night Ideas for Married Couples


I've discussed with many couples how often we put time with our spouse lower on our priorities for a multitude of excuses. Well, I'm here to say it's time to shake it up and refresh your relationship with 144 ideas to discover your love and joy for each other all over again. Whether you're a newlywed, seasoned spouse or empty nester, you'll find something you'll enjoy together.

 
It's just the ticket! Created for the Catholic Christian couple in mind. 
 
New Floral Version (2022)! A perfect gift for a wedding or bridal shower!

Created for the Catholic Christian married couple in mind. On the occasion of our 20th Anniversary, I wanted to share a new look for the CATHOLIC DATE IDEAS AND DEVOTIONS FOR MARRIED COUPLES cards. This PDF Digital File for you to print has 144 ideas to make date planning easier, and keep God at the center of your relationship. That's more than one idea per week for two years! It covers the five love languages, a variety of locations and price ranges, and encourages virtue. A sheet of blank cards included for personal ideas.


Celebrating St. Valentine's Day and attending weddings are always great reminders that we need to nourish our relationships with extra love and care. It's also a nice resource for those Phase 2 NFP moments. Not every idea is Catholic, but there are several cards that refer to praying together, visiting shrines, starting a novena together, gathering with other couples, renewing your vows, and helping ignite your desire to include your faith in any adventure you embark.

Colored categories include:
Faith Integrated Ideas
Inexpensive & At home Ideas
Outdoor & Active Ideas
Enriching & Cultural Ideas
Group & Community Activities




Tickets for Love Languages include:
Quality Time
Give a Gift
Affirmation
Physical Touch
Acts of Service
Acts of Faith



THIS PDF FILE IS ON MY ETSY SHOP

VERSION: JUST THE TICKET

VERSION: LOVELY FLORAL

This is a digital item, so you will be given a link for a PDF download. 
I suggest printing two boxes on 60lb+ cardstock, and cards on 30lb paper.
Now includes several colorful options for printing on the backside of the cards for a more finished piece. Use one or a variety. Add rounded corners for a professional look.


They look great with rounded corners!

THE CARD BOX
Print two boxes to hold all 144 cards!

Chose an image to print on the reverse side if you want the inside to be decorated.
Cut out as directed on the page.
 
The tabs should keep the box together, but you could glue or tape it.

With this many ideas, we'd have enough to last us a few years. However, I'd love to add to this collection. Please comment with anything else you've done that was a real hit for you and your spouse.

More ideas might include:

Plant a Mary Garden
Tour a new Adoration Chapel each week
Study a Saint
Start a Novena
Read the Love Dare
Read The Five Love Languages
Take a Dave Ramsey Class
Chose a Procrastinated Project to do during Phase2 (NFP)
Write new vows for your upcoming Anniversary
Make plans for your Silver (25th) Anniversary
Create a Pinterest board of things you'd like to do
Plan a Family Vacation or Activity
Hold hands in public today
Sit next to each other in Mass
Attend a Marriage Encounter



MARRIED COUPLES EXAMEN
Have I said I love you today both in words and actions?
Do I speak with words that are good, true, lovely, and beautiful? Or do I use harsh, judgemental, and condemning words when speaking to him/her?
Have I complained about my spouse (interiorly or aloud)?
Do I share with others information about my spouse that isn’t meant to be shared? Specifically failings or faults?
Do I give him/her the benefit of the doubt or do I always assume the worst?
Do I offer loving patience when my spouse is having a difficult time or do I lose patience and lack compassion?
Am I empathetic with my spouse’s sufferings?  
Have I held on to small hurts or harbored resentment or anger?
Do I choose to smile and bring peace to the home even when I don’t feel like it?
Am I a reflection of the unconditional love of God to my spouse?
Did I use my spouse in any way today as a means to an end?
Have I loved him/her as a child of God with intrinsic value?
Have I worked to make life more bearable for my spouse today?
Have I prayed with and for him/her?
Have I forgiven wrongs immediately or do I hold on to them?
Have I taken myself or my spouse too seriously and failed to be a source of joy?
Have I read, listened to, prayed about, or watched at least one small thing today to build up the relationship?
Did I do any acts of love or service for my spouse today?
Was I pure in thought while away from my spouse?
Have I kept unhealthy friendships or allowed others to take priority over my married relationship?
Have I supported or watched any shows or media that devalue Christian marriage?
Do I say I’m sorry and admit wrongs openly?
Do I blame my spouse for my own failings?
Do I cling to pride when my spouse brings up grievances or do I bear wrongs patiently?
Have I honored my spouse with my presence and time today?
Has gambling, video games, novels, movies, or other created things taken precedence over my marriage today?
Do I love as Christ would have me love?


Written July 25, 2013 by Melissa @ Homegrown Catholics

I remember in the first year of our marriage, our refrigerator door was bare except for a dry erase board where every morning my husband wrote me a love note. Just a few years later it included potty training charts, finger paintings and ABC magnets. In that same time my task list went from a little post-it note to a
notebook page. In recent years, that same task list is now the prominent paperwork on the fridge door and tablet. Drawings get neatly tucked away, and love letters are few. That place for cherished things is now focused on what needs to get done. If it wasn’t for the food inside, I swear they’d avoid that area. While the “to do’s” of chores, schoolwork, yard work, and phone calls are important, I’ve somehow made them a prominent point of my life. What does that say to my family about where my focus is? What does it show of what we have accomplished? Where do we then share our love notes?
The list of priorities in most Catholic and faith-filled families is “First God, then Spouse, then Children and Family, then Others, then Self.”  While my task list is filled with great objectives, it is missing these categories all together! Perhaps we, who cherish our task lists on our fridge or on our electronic devices, should come up with a new way of prioritizing our tasks. It might look a little like this:

What I need to accomplish today
1. Spend time with God.
2. Love my Spouse by:
3. Enjoy my children as we:
4. How can I connect with others?
5. Taking care of myself.
6. This needs to get done too:
A Printable Task List is available HERE
I have a lot of self help books. After looking on my shelves there are plenty books about my faith, being a mother, about children, health, and homeschooling. Yet, there are only two books about being a good spouse. Somewhere along the line I forgot to add my marriage to my task list. When we become busy people and parents, we often forget to schedule in time with each other. That can leave you feeling as if you have a roommate more than a spouse.  When you take care of your car with regular oil changes, washes, waxes, adding gas, vacuuming, etc it will last longer, wear out less, get better mileage, and you are proud to be seen in it. Others see your car and notice your care of it. When one person in our neighborhood washes their car or mows their lawn, it’s like a chain reaction of all other neighbors doing the same. The same can happen with our marriages. As we nurture it with regular care and tune ups where needed, it will last longer, wear out less, get better mileage, you will be proud to be together, and others will be inspired to nurture their own marriages.

Those two books I have about marriage are great resources. They helped us realize that in order to have a better relationship, you can’t focus on changing the other person or be waiting for them to do something – you instead need to first change how you approach your spouse, take time to learn about him/her, and make the first move. Learn what is their love language (how they love and want to be loved), as well as what ways can you best show your love.
So when I put together my new task list, what might it include for loving my spouse?
  • Read about improving my marriage 
  • Go on a Marriage Encounter (www.wwme.org ) 
  • Renew our vows 
  • Be intimate with each other 
  • Be open to life (www.ourcatholicmarriage.org/family/life/) 
  • Be the first to: 
    • Go in for a kiss 
    • Roll over to snuggle 
    • Change the diaper 
    • Stop arguing 
    • Ask how his/her day went 
  • Leave love notes: 
    • Next to the task list or on the calendar 
    • In his lunch box (that you packed) 
    • Write “I Love You” in permanent marker inside the lunch box 
    • On the bathroom mirror, steering wheel, fridge or bouquet 
    • Thank you notes 
    • Doing a chore the other might usually do 
  • Have a regular date night: 
    • A long walk 
    • Coffee at a café 
    • Kids at Grandma’s night 
    • Dinner and a Movie 
    • Dance lessons 
    • Adoration Hour together 
    • Bowling 
    • Join a team or volunteer together 
    • Get a sitter to go shopping 
  • Dating with Kids: 
    • Family movie, but you sit next to each other 
    • Eat at a fast food with a playland or picnic at the park, kids play and you two can talk 
    • Have the kids plan your date
    • Have the kids make and serve dinner 
  • Other ways to be together: 
    • Wake up together and pray 
    • Making meals or washing dishes together 
    • Rosary before bedtime
Prioritizing your marriage by adding it to your task list, calendar and heart will eventually become part of a regular maintenance plan. Coming up with ideas together and writing them down will show your spouse that to you they are important and cherished. Checking off those tasks will have a whole new level of joy and appreciation. If the list is getting too long, perhaps some projects could be moved to a separate “It can wait” list to make room for what matters now. You should never be too busy for the real priorities in life.
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Ten Resolutions for the New Year


While praying about my New Year's resolutions,  I utilized the ten commandments as a starting point. At a glance,  I'd often think there's no way I could break any of the commandments, and it seemed I was doing pretty well by these base standards. Yet,  continued reflection through beautifully written examinations of conscience,  I eventually learned how much deeper they go and require of us. While I may never kill someone,  how do I hurt others with words or actions? I will never covet my neighbor's wife, but do I have good relationships with my husband, family and friends? Let's fill our hearts with a focus on all we can do as much as the cannots. I pray these reflections will inspire your resolutions to reach for your potential in God's eyes.

1. Put God first in everything. Pray to Him in my decisions. Contemplate His Passion in the trials of my day. Put an end to behaviors that keep me from living out His plan for me.

2. Only speak words of truth and kindness. Only use the names of God and the holy souls with utmost respect. Make the sign of the cross every time I hear someone use the Lord's name in vain.

3. Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy days of obligation, not just because it's what we should do, but because I am realizing what a significant gift it is to be able to attend. Invite others to join me.

4. Be mindful of my parents' needs, be they physical or spiritual. Pray to the Holy Family to enrich and mend our family's relationships. Be determined to be the kind of parents our children want to respect and be around.

5. Refrain from harsh language, name calling, gossip, pridefulness, or any behavior that hurts the spirit of another. Make efforts to improve my impact on God's creation especially by reducing waste.

6. Open my eyes to the things I and my family watch, read, wear, etc that they be uplifting to our mind and soul in purity, truth, and goodness. To strive for chastity in my marriage, rooted in self giving love, and be a holy example to other couples.

7. Make time for the important things. Don't steal time that is better spent elsewhere. Give thanks often to God and others who bless my life. Don't waste money on frivolous things that could be better spent, saved or donated.

8. Stop gossip at its beginning, from your lips or deterring others from speaking ill of another. Save even "venting" for a prayer with Jesus. Refrain from justifying a desire that is frivolous or sinful for your own gain.
 
9. Be joyful in the blessings of your friends and neighbors. Love one another. Seek out and nurture holy and fruitful relationships.
 
10. Live humbly, and let go of things that cause a sense of pride or anxiety. Embrace opportunities for fasting and abstinence.
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Planning Our Home Life

GOOD MORNING! I like to start my day with prayer, stretch a bit, getting myself ready, grab that cup of coffee and have a moment to myself. After that, the kids get up and THAT is when we either get a good or bad start to the morning. We've trained ourselves fairly well to follow a few steps to set the mood. Sometimes being a homeschooler, not being on the rest of the world's schedule, involves several pajama days, or the occasional "whatever" days. Most of the time it helps us set the mood for a productive day if we took the time to get ready for it. There are a few things we've implemented to make smooth transitions; some are habits and some are charts. I LOVE LISTS! For us, this seems essential to the workings of our large family life.
Every morning my kids wake up to this COMMAND CENTER that reminds them what they need to today. If there is a special occasion or event I write that on the blackboard. The prayer and list is laminated for longevity and to check off with a dry erase marker. The lists I have can be modified for one person with days of the week, or a family with initials above the column. It's right outside the shared bathroom, so I know they have time to mull it over while they are waiting for their turn.

 

I found that adding the morning offering or other prayers in places my children frequent has helped with memorization. I have kids that are forgetful about glasses, deodorant, and making their beds. For them, I have adapted this list to include those items. I even changed it up to say "Make Someone Else's Bed" to teach charity and working together to make our house a home.  When we get to the afternoon, I get some wanderers back upstairs by the bedrooms. I hope this list reminds them what they needed to accomplish today. Our children have developed great habits in self care and accountability using this list.
Because we HOME EDUCATE our children with a Charlotte Mason philosophy, it is important that we add structure to our day to introduce the children to a wealth of information and activities. However, we are flexible knowing that we set the pace and this tool is to help, not to rule, our home. If you home educate your children, you are the boss and learning can happen in so many ways! If you can't comprehend a busy day today, slow it down and read a good book out loud, visit a friend or relative, or take a spontaneous field trip. We only have today. They're only kids once. It's going to be okay.
"When we remember that planning is guessing, we keep our plans in their place. We remember that curriculum and lesson plans are only meant to be tools, wielded by us but not to rule over us." - Sarah Mackenzie {article here}

If you're not familiar with CREATING SPREADSHEETS, I highly recommend it. It's my sanity, making it easy to edit and reprint as needed. Each child receives a copy in their planners. Many of the scheduled subjects are enriched with time for reading living books, educational activities, and paired student projects. We have short spurts to keep everyone energized, rotating reading and hands on lessons. This schedule includes my 2 high schoolers, 2 middle schoolers, and 2 kindergartners. The baby will have our full attention in the morning with group time, and will nap in the afternoon when I'm needed by the others.

NORMALIZE FAMILY PRAYER TIME: You may notice I did add in family prayer time, because if you don't schedule it or set an alarm, you'll probably forget in the midst of a busy day. We have an alarm for 3pm Divine Mercy Chaplet and 8pm for Family Rosary. My tip is to use the Relevant Radio app for the 7 minute chaplet, and turn on a favorite YouTube reciting of the rosary with images that help your children focus. If it is not part of your routine now, start with one day a week or one decade a day. Small efforts are better than none.
After lunch we each have CHORES TO COMPLETE. This chart helps us know what is expected of us every day. The tasks I've set are what I think to be the essentials of keeping a tidy home. With a large family, we pair older kids with younger kids on similar chores for training and support. However, if there is conflict between two children, we will pair them up for a week to teach the skills of working together and getting along peacefully. This "punishment" has been an immense blessing in our home. It's the year round responsibility of the parents to instill virtues, discipline, self control and a sense of natural consequences. I've included a blank version for you to print and jot down what load you feel is necessary to share with the family. I include tasks for everyone ages 2+.
There are days that no matter how we've planned, prepared, and discussed expectations - CHAOS DOES BREAK LOOSE, children refuse to help, someone gets sick, etc. When the crabbiness, laziness or defiance increases, more often than removing a privilege, we tend to add chores for that person's week. That may be doing the chore they did poorly for the entire week, taking over someone's chore, or adding something not on the list.
This is when they choose from THE CHORE JAR. 

Our children have daily chores, but if they misbehave they grab a bonus chore from The Chore Jar.  It's a win-win, either I get kids more inclined to behave and participate, or I get a tidy house.  The jar is filled with popsicle sticks that have all those things that no one wants to do, or maybe happen a few times a year. I am so grateful to my friend who introduced this to me. 

Another big question people ask me is HOW DO I FEED MY LARGE FAMILY? The simple answer is that I MEAL PLAN. It's just a few simple steps. 

1. Write down what food you have in every fridge, pantry, freezer. I've often taken a picture for my smartphone so I can refer to it when planning and shopping.

 2. Pull out the recipe box or old lists, open your food Pinterest board, then decide what meals are possible with what you already have. This will help you avoid wastefulness.

 3. Write a list of what you need to complete a meal, and any ingredients to make more meals to last a week or two (as you prefer). I find that I shop for fresh food meals on week one, then week two is usually things from the freezer. More than two weeks is crazy, because you WILL end up with something in the garbage. If you can last longer, you might want to take a closer look at what kind of food your putting into those precious tummies. 
I like my reminder app for making checklists. My grocery list is all items I buy,  and I simply check or uncheck as needed. A reliable and reusable list. I uncheck when I make my menu, and I check it as I put it in my cart. I organize it based on where it is in the store. 

 4. Type or write a menu either by the day you plan to eat it, or categorized by meal time. I find it SO much easier to sort by meal type. Then it's a list to choose from, with the make ASAP items starred and at the top. Sometimes we're just not in the mood for Tacos on Tuesday. ;-)


 5. Post the Menu for everyone to see. Everyone will know what is available or "What's for Dinner?"

*KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: Our family has decided that they want to learn more about cooking. Each child is assigned a kitchen day (on the chore chart) for helping me. They learn to make a part or all of the meals. It has been very successful. Consider that my 10 year old Jonathan's day is Thursdays, so he'll probably be making PB & J sandwiches for breakfast, chicken nuggets and fries for lunch, and something else simple for supper. Little Molly and David are learning to chop, measure, spread, stir and mix so they help when they want to help. Our 12 year old Sabrina wants to own a bakery, so dessert night is all hers. While 15 year old Stanley might make manly food like scrambled eggs, tacos, and burgers on the grill. Then 17 year old Mikayla who is taking a Kitchen Chemistry & Culinary Arts Class will make a Eggs Benedict, Hawaiian Salad, and Korean BBQ Pork Chops with green beans and rice. It is really fun to see what they create and how much you DON'T have to do!

 *THEMED FOOD DAYS: Taco Tuesday, Fish Friday, Slowcooker Saturday.  Some families find it helpful to have certain themes or ethnic foods on certain days. Many Catholic families adhere to the tradition of not eating flesh meats on Fridays year round. Find your groove and refine it!

 *BUDGET, well... I can't help you with that. It's a weekly struggle for us too because we have food sensitivities, food allergies, picky eaters, and special diets for almost everyone. It can be costly buying in bulk for 9, buying organic, finding substitutes, etc. The best suggestion is to set a budget with your spouse for groceries, eating out, and special treats. Sometimes you have to give a little and reevaluate to make it work. We found by giving up flavored drinks, we could save a few thousand a year! Stick to the essentials: Water, Meat, Vegetables, and possibly some fruit and grains for a treat.

 @--}----

I hope this post has been inspiring as you plan out your family life. Before I got into the thick of motherhood and homeschooling, I wished I could peer into the life of other families to gather all the best tips. It has been such a blessing to witness to and inspire others through this Homegrown Catholics blog and Facebook posts over the years. I've enjoyed reading so many I've found. It's been a window into the reality that we're all doing our best. Sometimes the window is smudged with fingerprints, sometimes the curtains are closed, and we often skip sharing the hard days.  Don't forget, it is what you make it, and God WILL take care of the rest.

 For those days it feels like you're not sure you can handle what comes your way:
Jesus, help me come to you in all decisions. Build my courage to trust in you completely. Show me how to do your will and let go of mine. Help me sort through ways I approach my life's choices so I can better live for you. Remind me that even in my difficulties, you are there sanctifying me. Amen
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." - John 12"23-27


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Summer of Family Fun

A Summer of Family Fun. Dedicated to our #Adventures4Eddie

This post is all about Summer Fun with your family! There are a few highlighted Saints to join you on your journey. I'm not sure I could cram this all into one summer, but instead I plan to come back to this list year after year to find a new adventure. Please comment with any links or ideas you have, too! I want this list to grow and be shared, because we're all in this together.
 
We have 8 children, currently ranging from ages 5 months to 17 years old, so it was important that the activities incorporated all age groups. In 2017 we lost our 5yo son, Eddie, in a tragic back yard accident. He loved being outside, creating, and spending time with the family. He often reminded us in his own way when it was time to step away from our tasks and just have fun. Since then we've gained a renewed spirit about letting go of the excuses and fears that keep us from having adventures with our children. We're visiting new places, trying new things, and continuing the focus on our faith and family - but with much more vigor than before. Sure, there are days I let the excuses be the reason we just stay at home without any pressure to go big, and that's good too. A good read-aloud, family rosary, card game, or a puzzle can satisfy our interests.
Every time I write up a list, lesson plan or take pictures of our family activities, I am thinking someone out there would enjoy this too. Thank you for your encouragement as you join the conversation with your comments. Check out all the ideas and lesson plans on this web page, and join my daily sharing of ideas and inspirations on  www.facebook.com/HomegrownCatholics .  You can follow our family's adventures on  FB Adventures4Eddie as well as the St Brigid's Academy blog  If you have 4 or more children and homeschool, join the conversation on our Facebook support group: Homeschooling a Largely Blessed Catholic Family .

I'm keeping things short - so I can get back to my family! I'm praying for you, dear families and friends, that your lives be full of JOY and ADVENTURE as you take this journey towards our eternal home.

STAYCATIONS & LOCAL ACTIVITIES
- Blanket Fort Sleepover
- Family Bike Ride, check out a new trail
- Rent a Pontoon to cruise, fish or swim
- Go Geocaching!
- Visit a New Playground each week
- Attend your church summer camps
- Grandma's Day Camp
- Attend your Parish Festival & City Fun Days
- Visit a Theme Park
- Visit a Working Farm or Zoo
- Check out your local movie theater's summer kids club
- KidsBowlFree.com
- Attend a Parade, or better yet be in one!
- Visit your local Farmers’ Market. Check if they have a kids program.
- Any road trips must include sing-a-longs, car games, audio books, and roadside picnics and pitstops!
- Create Chalk Villages and Homes
- Raise Butterflies
- Build a Puzzle together
- Frisbee Golf
- Host a Teen Extreme Game Day
- Mini Golf
- Make a Home Video or Commericial
- Field Sports
- Relay Races
- Play Flashlight Tag
- Get Artsy

- YOU GOT THIS!

SPECIAL CHALLENGES
*Garage Sale Challenge: Everyone gets $10 to spend. Awards for Best Deal, Most Unique, Silliest Outfit/Costume, etc
*Photograph Scavenger Hunt: Capture a scene from a unique angle; a unique subject; or choose a theme (boredom busters, my city's highlights, sunrises, little & unnoticed, chores before & after). Share your collage!
*Fly Over My Favorite Place: Paint a morning or evening sky. Decoupage an image of a famous monument or place. Add a painted image of a hot air balloon. Paint or decoupage an image of you in the air balloon!
*Senior Moments: Design inspirational and colorful placemats to bring to a senior home. Choose a short story or selection of poetry to read aloud to seniors. Sing to them. Play chess, cards, help with crafts, etc. Whatever your talent, share it with the elderly.

We do this as part of our #Adventures4Eddie 
and you can see this, our story, and more activity ideas 
at www.facebook.com/Adventures4Eddie/
*Adventure Rocks: Paint Inspirational Rocks and leave them on trails, near geocaches, or at different places you visit.  (Tag your pictures with our hashtag!)


READING CHALLENGE
- Have afternoon tea with storytime.
- Library’s Summer Program
- Create a Lego Scene for each book you read. Photograph it.
- Create bookmarks using a cutout photo of yourself, friends or family.
- Find a new book at a thrift store, or library’s free shelf.
- Video chat with a friend, reading a book aloud to one another. Be dramatic!
- Memorize a Bible verse. Make a poster and hang it up where you’ll see it often.
- Draw the characters of a book that is not already illustrated.
- Host or Join a Book Club
- Redesign a book cover. Print and recover your book.
- Create "Blackout Poetry:" Photocopy a page of a book. Blackout words leaving only those that create a poem. Black out completely, or intertwine a corresponding image.
- Read to a sibling, friend, elderly, hospitalized, or a pet.
- Read one whole book of the Bible, or do a Bible Study.
- Read "St Patrick's Summer: A Children's Adventure Catechism"
- Pick a book of Saints and write a personal prayer, asking for the intercession of your favorite Saint.
 
 St. Jerome & St Catherine of Alexandria, Patron Saints of Librarians, Libraries, Teachers, Archivists

WHERE WILL YOUR FEET TAKE YOU?
- Plant and Tend a Mary Garden of flowers
- Plant and Tend a food garden, learning about food preservation
- Take a barefoot beach walk
- Get a pedicure at home or a spa, or gift a pedicure to someone you love.
- Footprint painting
- Game: Find objects in a tub of Orbeez with your toes! Race a friend.
- Shopping with friends, find a unique/fun pair of socks!
- Go for a nature walk. Bring a journal and pencil along.
- Draw an architectural sketch of a space on grid paper, using your footsteps to measure it.
- Decorate flip flops with tying on fabric scraps.
- Join a summer track team.
- Nature Scavenger Hunt
- Build a Sandcastle
- Learn dance moves online or in a class
- Host a Field Day with friends


St. Servatus, Patron Saint of Feet
St. Christopher & St. Archangel Raphael, Patron Saints of Travelers

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR
- Invite neighbor friends over to have a Driveway/Sidewalk Chalk-Fest. Eat popsicles and get creative! Watch “Sidewalk Artists” online to get inspired.
- Neighborhood Fun: 4-Square, Catch, Biking, Playground, Tag, Human Knot, Kickball…
- Setup a Neighborhood Picnic/Potluck
- When mowing the yard, offer to mow your neighbor’s lawn.
- Write a Pen Pal
- Offer summer babysitting service.
- Everyone enjoys a good Smore over a campfire!
^Click image to visit our homeschool blog

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:31

THAT’S SEW INTERESTING
- Sew crafts for future gifts or donations
- Weave items from nature on a stick and string loom.
- Make Daisy Chains with dandelions, clover or other flowers.
- Sew your own clothes and accessories: skirt, dress, boxers, hair tie, bowtie, library tote, adventure satchel, makeup case…just to name a few ideas.
- Sew many ideas and patterns online. Visit www.pinterest.com/HGCatholics/needle-arts-for-kids/
- Embroider a set of dish towels or napkins
 
 St. Anne, Patron Saint of Housewives

YOU NAILED IT
- Build a: balance board, corn hole game, washer toss game, bike ramp, picnic table, lap desk, yard dice, mini golf course, a new invention.
- There are many Shop Class & Engineering ideas online. Start looking here www.pinterest.com/HGCatholics/shop-class/
- Learn woodworking in simple steps from peeling carrots, to carving soap blocks and creating stamps from potatoes, to whittling a walking stick, to cutting using a jigsaw and arm saw, and then onto bigger projects.
- Pick a few engineering projects to create using things around your home.


St. Joseph the Carpenter


WATER WEEK
- Homemade slip n slide using a large sheet of plastic, landscaping stakes. and a hose. Add soap to slicken the run.
- Make homemade popsicles! Our favorite silicone mold can be found here: Popsicle Mold Link
- Create a watercolor nature study of your favorite summer places
- Have a Squirt Gun Fight
- Fill waterguns with watercolors or watered-down tempura paint, and spray a canvas
- Have a rainy day spa day (inside or outside!)
- Have a carwash in your swimsuits
- Visit a local pool, lake, waterfall, river, waterpark or splashpad
- Go fishing, boating, canoing, or other watersports
- Blow bubbles, creating homemade wands
- Water Balloon Fight
- Run through your sprinklers 
St. Nicholas, Patron Saint of Sailors
St. Adjutor, Patron Saint of swimmers and boaters
 
Bl. Peter Gonzales, Patron of sailors
https://www.tomie.com/news/2018/4/14/new-st-peter-gonzalez


You can write out this list on your calendar (schedule in the fun), or perhaps create a Summer Countdown with a display like this:



Thank you for visiting my post. I hope to add to my growing list of family activties, so your comments are helpful. Check out all the ideas and lesson plans on this webpage, and join my daily sharing of ideas and inspirations on Facebook  www.facebook.com/HomegrownCatholics

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