Substitute Teaching CCD

When asked to substitute teach a CCD class, a fill-in teacher may not know what the teacher intended to teach, where the class is in the book, or what they’ve already covered. There are some catch-all lessons that are surefire winners for almost any age child that a substitute CCD teacher can use to fill a class time productively.

Getting-to-Know You Games

Ice breakers aren’t just for the first day of class. A substitute teacher can spend part or all of a class period playing getting-to-know-you games and activities that the students will love. It’s never too late for students to get to know one another better, and children love to talk about themselves.

A sub only needs balloons and small pieces of paper for a balloon toss ice-breaker game. Give each child a deflated balloon and a tiny slip of paper. Tell them to write a fun fact about themselves, something that might be unique. Give examples (“I went to Italy on vacation last year,” “I have two dogs, a cat, a lizard and three fish.”) Tell them to fold the paper up as small as possible and stuff it inside the balloon. Then blow up the balloons and tie them. With the group sitting in a circle, the teacher yells, “Go!” and the students begin to toss the balloons back and forth, batting them around the circle every which way. At the teacher's signal, everyone grabs the closest balloon. The students pop their balloons, one by one, and read the fun fact. Everyone tries to guess who wrote it.

After the icebreaker, the class can discuss how God made everyone as an individual and all God's creations are unique.

Easy Crafts

Some religious theme crafts are quick, easy and require only a few materials. Bookmarks can be made by cutting strips from card stock paper, decorating them with markers or crayons, punching a hole through the top and threading through a looped ribbon.

Pre-cut door hangers are sold at craft supply stores and can be decorated with markers or crayons as a child’s nightly reminder to say his prayers.

Make a Rosary

Lessons on how to pray the rosary, the mysteries of the rosary and meditative prayer can be adapted for any age.

Make-your-own rosary crafts range from the super easy to more complicated knots and designs for older kids. A substitute CCD teacher, with a big bucket of multi-colored beads and some string, can fill a class session with a make-your-own rosary project just by putting beads onto a string. Bead colors and sizes can be varied to separate decades, to avoid complicated knots.

Every Day is Valentine’s Day

With paper and crayons, students can make “Valentines in October” or any time of year, and show their love and appreciation to a parent, the parish priest, or someone else in their lives. The only materials you need are red, pink and white construction paper, scissors and crayons, however, scraps of fabric, paper lace doilies, stickers and old valentines can be cut and glued for more creative valentines.

After the craft, the class can talk about who they made their valentine for and how many people in their lives do loving things for them.

Rosary Project Materials

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