One of the many, many things I love about Catholicism is how tangible it is; the Church makes use of all of our senses to teach us the riches of the Faith. Once upon a time, when most people were illiterate and couldn’t read the Scriptures or stories of the saints, images were made that tell the stories. Stained glass windows and paintings across the world always depict the saints the same ways. Each has special symbols, drawn from important moments in their lives, that indicate to the viewer who it is the image is of. I love that! It’s such a wonderful way of making the treasures of the Church accessible. Today of course, most people can in fact read, but we are much more illiterate about the signs and symbols of the saints (or maybe that’s just me).

Two years ago, I made my first foray into the world of painting saint peg dolls. If you haven’t yet heard of this crafting craze, check out Catholic Icing .She’s got a great explanation of the how to’s and some fabulous resources. I took a baby step that first painting session, and used her templates- which only requires you to paint the head free hand. It was easier than I thought it would be, and my kids were hooked. They love, love, love their peg dolls. Since then, I’ve ventured into painting whichever saints Gianna requests. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the symbolism behind each of the saints and teaching my children the stories of the saints using the images that have been used in the Church for centuries. Peg dolls may be a new medium, and perfect for educating children through play, but they are still steeped in all of the Church’s richness.

I want to put in a quick plug for our favorite saint book here, because it’s where most of the peg dolls that Gianna asks for are found. It’s an amazing little book called Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times. The Easter Bunny brought this for our kids last Easter, and it is consistently a bedtime favorite. I love the idea of teaching saints through rhymes, because it makes them so much easier for a child to learn. This book is an absolute gem- the illustrations are beautiful, the rhymes are delightful, and Meghan Bausch has a gift for expressing the truth of a saint’s life in a way that is accessible for children. Saints that I might have shied away from as a parent, like Maximilian Kolbe or Josephine Bakhita, because I wouldn’t have known how to introduce them at a three year old’s level, are now Gianna’s favorites.  I also love that it is filled with some of the saints from the last century. If you’re looking for a birthday or Christmas gift, look no further.

(In case you feel that you aren’t crafty enough to paint them, and goodness knows a quick Google search of “saint peg dolls” will show you a plethora of beautifully and intricately painted dolls, I’ve included photos of mine in this post. If you look closely you’ll find plenty of mistakes and imperfections. And that’s okay. My kids don’t even notice. Yours won’t either!)

Saint peg dolls are amazingly versatile- my kids play with them in their dollhouse and their barn, they ride in cars and trains, sometimes they are lined up in their prayer space, sometimes they fly on rocket ships. But no matter which way Gianna and William are playing, and whether they realize it or not, they are interacting with their faith and the saints. Saints are becoming a part of the fabric of their lives in a real and tangible way. I’ve noticed that as G has gotten older and is recognizing more and more saints, she is also more naturally asking for their intercession in her own life. It’s simple, just asking if we can ask St. Therese to pray for us when she notices a rose while we take a walk, or for a St. prayer when she gets scared by a bad dream at night.

I would encourage everyone to give painting them a try, but if you don’t think you have the artistic talent (or the desire), there are some fabulous places you can buy them. My absolute favorite is Grand Expressions.