Book Review: The Shorter Catechism Activity Book

The Shorter Catechism Activity Book: Learning theTruth with Puzzles  by Marianne Ross contains 107 puzzles and activities, each one corresponding with a question and answer pair from the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Additionally, each catechism question and answer is accompanied by a Scripture reference or two to be read.

Targeted at seven to eleven-year-old children, this activity book utilizes a wide variety of puzzle formats which are sure to captivate young people. My nine-year-old daughter is thoroughly enjoying solving the crossword puzzles and cracking the codes in The Shorter Catechism Activity Book. It is a fun and engaging supplemental resource for young people who are studying the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, "The shorter catechism covers the following important doctrines: God; Sin; Christ; The ten commandments; Baptism; The Lord's Supper and The Lord's prayer" (CF4K). It seems that this activity book is best suited to supplement catechism instruction as it has no answer key and lacks helpful commentary which would aid young people in more clearly apprehending the truths presented. The Scripture references presented with each question and answer do aid understanding to some extent, but those new to catechism instruction will likely be assisted by more in-depth explanations.

All-in-all, The Shorter Catechism Activity Book is a unique and interesting resource that should prove helpful to those wishing to encourage kids to interact with the text of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. My daughter has eagerly anticipated working out the puzzles in this book each day, and it has provoked some excellent discussions as she has asked me to explain various words and concepts. I am very grateful to have this useful resource to complement our studies!

*Many thanks to Christian Focus Publications for providing me with a complimentary copy of The Shorter Catechism Activity Book in exchange for my honest opinion!