Have you ever heard of a Saint peg doll exchange? My sisters do this with their families, and I think it is such a genius idea! It is a wonderful way to celebrate the saints, learn together, and enjoy a little creativity too. Most people have this party around All Saint’s Day as a special way to celebrate the Saints! These are such great collectables to have over the years. And my kids even love playing with them!
Begin by deciding how many families you would like to invite. Each family chooses one Saint and paints enough identical dolls for everyone attending. For example, if seven families are participating—including your own—each family paints seven dolls of the same Saint. At the party, everyone exchanges their dolls, and each family goes home with seven different Saints!
Send the invitations about two to three weeks in advance so everyone has enough time to purchase supplies, choose a saint, plan the design, and paint their dolls. Because the paint needs to be applied in layers and allowed to dry, this project can take several days to complete. Be sure to include clear instructions in the invitation, along with the required peg-doll size. I recommend using 3½-inch wooden peg dolls so everyone’s finished collection matches.
To keep the party simple, ask each family to bring a dish to share. You could also invite the children to prepare a short presentation about the saint they painted here are the free ones we use pictured at bottom. By the end of the celebration, everyone will have learned about several new saints and will take home a beautiful collection of peg dolls to display for All Saints’ Day and enjoy for years to come. This would be especially fun for a group of Catholic families, parish friends, or a homeschool community!
One of my favorite ways to enjoy the finished Saint peg dolls is to display them around the dinner table on All Saints’ Day. They make such a beautiful and meaningful centerpiece—and the children can point out the saints they recognize and share what they learned about them. Afterward, you can keep the dolls on your family’s home altar or bring them out each year as a special All Saints’ Day tradition.
This will be our family’s first Saint peg doll exchange, and we are so excited to try it! If you have hosted one before, I would love to hear your favorite ideas or helpful tips in the comments. I hope this inspires you to gather a few friends and begin this fun tradition too. It is such a joyful way to bring faith, creativity, friendship, and fellowship together!
