How to make a Catholic children's bulletin for Mass

A children's bulletin works best when it gives a child one clear way into the Gospel. It does not need to summarize the whole Mass or fill every inch of the page. For most parishes, one coloring scene on the front and one short activity on the back is enough.

Use ordinary Letter paper, leave the background white, and make sure the lines are dark enough for a parish copier. If you print on both sides, choose long-edge binding so the back is right-side up when the sheet is turned like a book.

Start with the Gospel for that Mass

Pick the Mass date before choosing an activity. The coloring scene, puzzle words, and takeaway should all come from the same Gospel. A generic church picture may keep small hands busy, but it will not help a child recognize the story that was just proclaimed.

Read the Gospel once and choose a concrete moment a child can picture. A boat in a storm, a shepherd finding a sheep, or a crowd sharing bread gives an artist something specific to draw. Abstract themes such as mercy or discipleship need a scene from the reading to make them visible.

Give each side one job

The front is for the Gospel coloring page. Keep the title short, print the Gospel citation near it, and leave a wide area for coloring. Large shapes suit younger children better than crowded scenes.

Put one activity on the back. A word search is familiar and easy to explain. Story order, a missing word, a secret code, or a prayer prompt can ask for a little more attention. The companion guide to Catholic Mass activities for children explains where each one fits.

Choose for a real age group

A single sheet rarely works equally well for a four-year-old and a twelve-year-old. Early readers need large pictures, short directions, and room to draw. Children in the middle elementary years can handle a small word search or three story steps. Older children usually need a puzzle with a little resistance, followed by a question they can answer in their own words.

If your Family Mass includes a wide age range, print two versions and place them in separate stacks. Labeling them "younger" and "older" is often more useful than printing exact ages on the page.

Test one copy before printing the stack

Download the PDF and print one sheet on the copier you will use on Sunday. Check that the artwork is black on a white background, nothing sits inside the printer's clipped edge, and the second page is upright. Then try the page with an ordinary crayon or pencil. Thin gray details that look fine on a laptop can disappear after copying.

• Paper size: US Letter, 8.5 by 11 inches.
• Scale: actual size or 100 percent.
• Two-sided setting: flip on the long edge.
• Color setting: black and white is usually all you need.

Decide when children will receive it

Some parishes hand out sheets before Mass. Others give them to children after the dismissal so the activity continues at home. Either can work. Tell parents what the parish expects, and keep a small cup of quiet crayons nearby if the pages will be used in the pews.

To make a sheet in Weeve, open the children's handout builder, choose the Mass date and age group, then prepare the Gospel coloring page. The free download contains the coloring sheet. Subscribers can add a back-page activity and leader answer key.