Saint Francis of Assisi gave away everything he had, and found joy in God and in every creature God made. His feast day is October 4. Here are ways to celebrate it with children aged 4 to 9, at home, in class or in your parish, on his day or at any time of year.
Francis was born more than 800 years ago in Assisi, Italy, the son of a rich cloth merchant. He loved fine clothes and parties and dreamed of being a knight. But after war and a long illness, he found that his heart longed for God. He gave away his riches, cared for the poor and the sick, and lived simply and joyfully. He saw all creation as one family, and many people came to live the way he did, including his good friend Saint Clare.
Our picture book tells his story gently for reading aloud, and ends with a simple prayer and three small ways to love God's world this week. See the book.
Francis is the patron saint of animals, and many parishes hold a blessing of the animals on or near his feast day. Bring your pet, or, if you don't have one, let your children bring a favorite stuffed animal. Check your parish bulletin or website in late September.
At home, you can say a simple family prayer for a pet: “Dear God, thank you for our friend [name]. Help us to care for this creature you made, gently and lovingly, the way Saint Francis cared for every creature. Amen.”
Near the end of his life, Francis wrote a song of praise called the Canticle of the Creatures, one of the earliest poems written in Italian. In it he thanks God for Brother Sun and Sister Moon, Brother Wind, Sister Water, Brother Fire, and Sister Earth, our mother.
Go for a nature walk and greet God's creation the way Francis did: “Thank you, God, for Brother Sun!” “Thank you for Sister Water!” Back home, let your children draw their own canticle, with everything they want to thank God for.
Or use our free Song of Creation coloring page (PDF, opens in a new tab): six pictures from Francis's canticle to color, from Brother Sun to Sister Earth, and a box for children to draw their own thank-you to God.
The story told about Francis is that he once stopped to preach to a great crowd of birds, reminding them how good God was to give them wings and songs, and that they listened quietly before flying off singing.
Make a simple bird feeder: spread a pinecone with sunflower seed butter (a nut-free choice), roll it in birdseed, and hang it from a tree or a window. Then watch together to see who comes to visit.
Francis treated every animal as a brother or sister. Help your children care for a pet, a garden or the birds outside, and talk about how God made each creature and loves it. As a family, you could also collect old towels and blankets for a local animal shelter, which most shelters are glad to have.
Francis gave his fine clothes and money to people who had none, and he hugged a sick man whom everyone else avoided. Help your children choose a toy or some clothes in good condition to give away, and talk about how they can be kind to someone who is often left out.
In 1223, at a village called Greccio, Francis set up a manger with an ox and a donkey so that people could see how humbly God came into the world as a baby. He is remembered for making the first Christmas nativity scene. Tell your children this story, and when Advent comes, let them help set up your family's nativity scene.
End the day with the prayer from the book:
Dear God, thank you for the sun and the rain, for animals and people, and for everything you made. Help me to love your whole wide world the way Saint Francis did. Amen.
For a printable page with this prayer and the three challenges from the book, with tick boxes for the week, download our free Be a Little Saint pages (PDF, opens in a new tab). Saint Francis's page is the second page.
The well-loved prayer that begins “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace” is often called the Prayer of Saint Francis, but it wasn't written by him: it first appeared in France in 1912. It's a beautiful prayer in his spirit and is still worth praying, but if you'd like words Francis wrote himself, the Canticle of the Creatures is his.
More ideas for catechists and teachers are on our parishes and schools page.
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Loving all of God's creation
Long ago, in the sunny hills of Italy, a boy who had everything discovered the one thing that finally made him happy.
Meet Saint Francis of Assisi — the boy who gave away his riches, embraced the outcast everyone else feared, and preached to the birds. His story gently shows little hearts that the greatest treasure of all is a life full of love: for God, for people, and for every creature under Brother Sun.