10 Catholic Resources for Kids

catholic apps for kids

“Train the young in the way they should go; even when old, they will not swerve from it.” // Proverbs 22:6

“Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." // 3 John 1:4

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” // Matthew 19:14

Scripture is layered with reminders of our responsibility to educate children in the Faith, to lead them on the path of Truth, and to invite them into relationship with Jesus. The Lord delights in the evangelization of children, and He charges us with this important responsibility. But engaging children can be difficult, and they often have tough questions about the Faith.

In my own experience as a Catholic school teacher, I have found that my students want to go deeper in their faith, and they want answers to their difficult questions. So I am constantly searching for resources that will help me answer their questions, engage their intellect and faith, inspire them, and encourage them to pursue a relationship with Jesus. Over time, I have curated a list of resources that I have found helpful in educating kiddos of all ages on our Catholic faith. I hope these can help you!

YOUCAT

YOUCAT (Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church) has a website, books, and an app appropriate for multiple age groups. The website provides an informative introduction into the purpose and products that YOUCAT offers as well as free study resources. Both the YOUCAT (appropriate for adolescents and youth) and YOUCAT for Kids (appropriate for children ages 8-12) break down the Catechism of the Catholic Church into kid friendly questions and answers. The app is a valuable resource for adolescents and youth, providing daily Gospel readings, a quick teaching from the Catechism, and a challenge or reflection for the day.

All of the YOUCAT resources are very user friendly, brightly colored, and clearly organized, providing many opportunities for youth to dive deeper into their faith.

Catholic Sprouts Podcast

“To plant one little seed of faith each and every day.”

I love this essential goal of the Catholic Sprouts Podcast. Appropriate for kiddos of all ages, this fun podcast offers short daily episodes on a Catholic topic and concludes with a simple, concrete challenge for listeners. If you are looking for a fast resource to introduce or reinforce a topic your children are exploring, Catholic Sprouts Podcast is the perfect place to go!

Catholic Central

These short, entertaining, and informative videos are appropriate for middle school and high school students. Hosts Kai and Libby begin each video with a brief, humorous introduction and then tackle common questions about Catholicism. The videos are full of appealing graphics, entertaining dialogue, and valuable information. This is a great resource to use as a catalyst for conversation or instruction about Church topics ranging from why we believe in God to understanding Catholic Social Teaching.

Lectio Divina Meditation

I love doing a guided lectio divina meditation with children, because it not only provides them an alternative way to pray, but it also invites them to dive into the Father’s heart through His Word.

Guiding children in this prayer practice anchors them in understanding that the Word was made for them, in the here and now. Reading a Bible passage several times and creating sacred silence to allow the children to ponder a word or phrase that God is calling their attention to helps them to focus their prayer and to identify one specific takeaway from the scripture.

Lectio divina meditation makes Scripture accessible to kids, and is a great way to help them practice physically looking up verses in the Bible. This website is a great place to get started in planning a lectio divina meditation for kiddos, and depending on their ages, you can cater this prayer practice to meet their needs.

Rise Up: Shining with Virtue

This cute devotional book, written by Blessed is She writers, is divided into fifteen chapters that focus on different virtues. Each chapter is organized into daily reflections that include quotes, Scripture verses, prayers, and fun illustrations. Appropriate for ages 8-12, Rise Up invites children into a deeper faith and understanding of the Father’s heart.

I especially love how the reflections end with the reminder of the Lord’s steadfast love: “I love you with my whole heart.”

St. Mary’s Press

This dynamic website offers religion resources for all ages. Most of the resources are catered towards a classroom lesson plan but can still be used for any sort of religious education for kids.

From prayer meditations, to videos about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to instructional PowerPoints, this website has something for everyone, and the search bar and filter option make the website easy to navigate. If you are looking for multiple kid-friendly resources on a specific topic, this is an excellent place to begin your search.

Life Teen

While this user-friendly website is mostly intended for youth ministers, their blog offers tons of consumable information for teens. Coherently organized and attractive, the Life Teen blog is an excellent resource if you are looking for relevant and relatable articles to engage your teenagers. Ranging on topics from faith, prayer, relationships, life, and culture, the Life Teen blog gives advice, offers meaningful reflections, and invites teens to become more anchored in their faith.

Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz Videos

If you are looking to seriously address tough topics and questions with your teens, Fr. Mike Schmitz has the answer. In these brief videos, Fr. Mike candidly tackles many difficult subjects by giving concise and coherent information, sharing anecdotes, and providing concrete takeaways.

Ranging in topics from gossip, to race and reconciliation, to healing from sexual sin, Fr. Mike profoundly articulates truths of our Faith for both teens and adults. Watching these with your teens can renew your own convictions, spark meaningful conversations, and challenge you both to grow in holiness.

Formed

Formed provides a myriad of resources for all ages.You need a subscription to access their materials, but most parishes have a code available to parishioners. If you don’t have one already, your parish bulletin may have it listed.

The Youth Programs tab on Formed offers a diverse range of video series appropriate for young children to high school age teenagers. Each series provides a short but informative summary about what to expect from the series, as well as an instructor’s guide and printable resources to supplement the videos.

The kid’s movie section on Formed offers both movies and series episodes ranging in topics from the Eucharist to Catholic Saints and heroes. Many also include discussion guides and supplemental activities.

With tons of variety in topics, Formed is an excellent place to go when looking for faith formation resources.

Holy Heroes

In addition to selling Catholic books, CDs, and games for kids, Holy Heroes also has some awesome free resources that change depending on the season.

My favorite freebie is their Sunday Mass preparation program. It includes a short video, coloring page, quiz, and readings. This can be great for a classroom setting or to encourage your kiddos to find one takeaway from the Mass readings.

You can also subscribe to the Holy Heroes blog, and they will send you emails with relevant articles to support you in educating the important children in your life.

What Would You Recommend?

Whether a teacher, a mother, a godmother, an aunt, or a friend, we all have youth in our lives that need to be nourished in our faith. Hopefully these resources help you in educating the spiritual and intellectual sides of your kiddos!

What’s your favorite Catholic resource for kids?

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Mercedes Shirts works as a sixth grade teacher in Idaho. When not indulging in a good read and black coffee, she enjoys cooking, traveling with her husband and working in her garden. You can find out more about her here.