All Souls’ Day Lesson Plan & Activities

Teach your students about All Souls’ Day (The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed) with this lesson plan and the collection of activities, crafts, worksheets, and teaching ideas.

All Souls’ Day Lesson Objectives

• Students will be able to explain the purpose of All Souls’ Day.
• Students will be able to remember and pray for someone who has died.

All Souls’ Day Lesson

1. All Souls’ Day Video

Share this video with your students as an explanation of the meaning and purpose of All Souls’ Day:

After the video, ask the students to volunteer explanations of each word in the official name of the feast day:

• Commemoration: We remember those who have died. We pray for them. We offer up Masses in their name.
• All: Everyone who dies in a state of grace are destined for union with God in heaven. It is Jesus Christ who is the source of our salvation.
• Faithful Departed: We are united in prayer with those whose time now in purgatory allows their souls to be purified in preparation for unity with God in heaven.

2. All Souls’ Day Candle Craft

Pass out copies of the printable candle handout (download below) or have students draw pictures of candles on paper.

As the instructions state:

1. Cut out the candle.
2. On the front of the candle write the name of a family member, friend, or someone you know who has died.
3. On the back of the candle draw pictures or write words that remind you of your favorite memories with this person.

3. Eternal Rest Prayer Worksheet

Teach the students the meaning of the Eternal Rest Prayer by defining each term in the prayer:

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.

You can use the Eternal Rest Prayer Worksheet (download below) to encourage the students to pray for someone who has died.

This worksheet is a part of The Religion Teacher’s Prayer Worksheet Collection.

4. Pair Prayer

Have students sit in pairs to share one or two stories about the person they wrote about on their candles.

After the stories, have students pray the Eternal Rest prayer for their partner’s person.

5. Collect the Candles

Invite each student to bring up their candles to post them on the wall or place them on your class prayer table.

Together as a class, pray the Eternal Rest prayer for all those who have died.

Download the All Souls’ Day Worksheets

Download the handout for the candle craft and the Eternal Rest Prayer Worksheet here:

Download the Handouts >

More All Souls’ Day Activities, Crafts, and Worksheets

Here is a collection of All Souls’ Day activities from other websites that you could use in class:

All Saints Day and All Souls Day Lesson Plan (Loyola Press)

All Souls Day Activity Ideas for Families (Catholic Culture)

Ora Pro Nobis Candy Boxes (Shower of Roses)

Holy Ghost Cupcakes (Catholic Icing)

All Souls’ Day Prayer (CRS)

Printable Prayer for the Faithful Departed (Look to Him and Be Radiant)

Memento Mori Activities (Look to Him and Be Radiant)

Day of the Dead Activities

November 1st and 2nd are occasions for a special celebration of the Day of the Dead in families of Mexican and Central American descent. This could be a special opportunity to teach about the traditions associated with the Day of the Dead in class or invite students to share their practices from home.

Celebrating Dia de los Muertos (Alliance for Catholic Education)

Celebrating the Day of the Dead as Catholics (Catholic Icing)

Day of the Dead Arts and Crafts (Catholic Icing)

Day of the Dead Activities for Kindergarten (4 Kinder Teachers)

24 Day of the Dead Activities for Kids (Homeschool Super Freak)

Day of the Dead Activities for Kids and Classrooms (Spanish Mama)