Summer gives you a chance to slow down, soak up some sun, and create meaningful moments that nurture your child’s faith. Even when school is out, faith development does not need to stop. Learn how you and your child can enjoy a faith-filled summer with these simple, enriching activities.
Create a Faith-Friendly Summer Bucket List
Fill each day of this summer break with activities that spark joy, strengthen faith, and bring your family closer together. You can print out or create a “Family Fun and Faith” calendar and fill it out together with your children. This is a great way to involve everyone and generate excitement about a faith-filled summer. Include activities like picnics by the water, reading faith-supportive books, and writing notes of encouragement to those who may need a little extra support.
Practice Gratitude With Random Acts of Kindness
Gratitude means more than just saying “thank you.” It is about seeing the good and sharing it with others. Practicing random acts of kindness is a powerful way to support your child’s faith development. Extend this kindness to your community by donating toys, delivering homemade goods to neighbors, or offering help where needed. Do not forget—gratitude starts at home. Encourage small, thoughtful gestures within your family, like writing notes of appreciation, helping with chores, or simply offering a kind word. These everyday acts plant seeds of compassion that grow all summer long.
Listen to Faith-Based Podcasts
Faith-based podcasts offer children a wonderful way to nurture spiritual growth in a relaxed yet engaging way. There is a wide selection available on popular platforms, so you can find podcasts that fit your family’s interests. Whether you listen during car rides, quiet afternoons, or bedtime, these talks and stories reinforce faith and spark meaningful family conversations.
Cook With The Bible
Cooking and eating foods associated with Bible stories can be both fun and meaningful for faith development. With extra free time during summer, prepare biblical recipes together. While cooking, talk about the significance of these foods in biblical history and how families and communities shared them. This hands-on activity offers a new way to learn about faith, and it is something all ages can enjoy together.
Celebrate a Saint of The Day
Explore the lives of Catholic saints during the summer. June and July include many feast days that provide excellent opportunities for faith development. You can base family activities and discussions on these feast days or select a few saints to focus on. Use the liturgical calendar to decide which saints to celebrate. This does not have to be elaborate. Something as simple as reading about a saint and their contributions, then lighting a candle during meals or prayer times, can be very meaningful.
At Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, a Catholic high school near Tampa, we believe that faith development is a lifelong journey that extends beyond the classroom. Through everyday moments of kindness and compassion, families can nurture strong values and a deeper sense of faith, no matter the season.
