Catholic Children’s Treasure Box: A First Catechism

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This year with my preschooler we will be using the Catholic Children’s Treasure Box magazines for a gentle catechesis. I love using the Catholic Children Treasure Box books with my pre-schoolers and kindergartners.  These books are, like many older books, beautifully illustrated and written in graceful language. True living books. They are gentle but to the point and truthful. Their content is very rich and ignites many great conversations.
Let’s visit the books, shall we?

Inside Covers

Let’s explore these books page by page. They really are an open and go living book. I have never had to refer to my Catechism to be able to explain topics to my children. It’s all in the book!  The inside covers contain great parenting tips to broaden the stories without turning them into lectures. They are conversation starters as well as catechesis for the parent. Sometimes I will read directly to my children from the inside cover, but oftentimes it is just a great reminder of questions to ask and how to answer them accurately. It’s the only preparation I usually have to do: read the inside covers.

The stories

The book starts with a main story. This story is either about a saint, our Lord’s early life or children and the challenges that they face, just like my children do. These stories are written in episode style and are beautiful. I love the fact that they help children understand why catholics have a devotion to the saints.

Then there is Wupsy, everyone’s favorite guardian angel! Wupsy has just been assigned to his human, Sunny. He is learning how to be a good guardian angel, to protect his human and lead him closer to Christ. Such a beautiful way to teach about the role of our Guardian Angels in our life! Absolutely delightful! Also in episode installments. 

Games

How Would You Play If You Had no Games, or Books or Toys. I love this section! It fires up children’s imagination. In an age where children are rarely bored it is very refreshing to be able to show them that anything around them can be used to provide amusement. They can figure something out themselves, just by looking around. They are not entitled to entertainment. Boredom is a wonderful trigger to send your imagination into overdrive. I love it when my kids are bored. They know that they just can’t come to me expecting me to entertain them, they will have to solve their boredom themselves. And these little prompts are perfect for that.

More games

The old fashioned games with their simple rules have entertained generations of children, without much needed supplies other than a head, a set of arms and legs and willingness to do something for yourself. These games are light and easy, better played with many but can also be enjoyed with just mother and child. Lovely and refreshing. 

Poems and fables

Poems and stories, all with simple morals, are great conversation starters and can be read over and over without tiring of them. They can also be a great starting point to write out your own silly poem or story. My favorites are the ones where some words are replaced by pictures. My child and I read those together. I will read the words and she will insert the name of the pictures. My finger pauses slightly under each word and picture. This is a wonderful way to teach pre-reading skills and help the child grasp the concept that each word has to be read in its right place for a sentence to make sense. 

Crafts

The crafts are lovely, simple, with easy to have on hand materials. Again they inspire many hours of imaginative free play. These are just simple basic crafts but they are full of great skills to have and to explore.

Catechism

I honestly do not remember how I discovered these beautiful books, but they have been one of my best investments for my children’s spiritual growth and formation. Each child has had the entire set read to them at least once, most likely more. They create a solid and strong faith foundation. They provide a clear understanding of the Catholic church’s teachings and of the early life of Our Lord, of His mother’s life and the life of Saint Therese of Lisieux. Even by just reading the stories, they teach more than any catechetical lecture would. The conversations prompted by these stories are lovely and refreshing, even the difficult ones about hell and the devil. 

Keeping it simple

As always, I am tempted to add much to it, other picture books and stories, even other games or crafts. But truly this is a gem that is best left alone. Just follow where the books take you and your child. Enjoy the ride, listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and witness your child growing closer to Our Lord. Being my child’s primary educator in the faith has never been better, or easier. We will be taking our time reading about one book a week. The only downside: there are only 20 books… I wish there were many more. Thank you Maryknoll Sisters for this treasure!
Love,
Mattie