Sparkle Stories Blog
A home for Sparkle audio stories, crafts, recipes, and kind words!
Featured Free Stories: A Shareable Playlist for Older Kids
This week, we've created a special playlist of five stories perfect for older kids. The best part? Each is free until July 5. Listen now and share with friends and family who you think would love Sparkle Stories as much as you do.
Why Audio? What are the benefits of audio stories for kids?
We want our stories to help the world go a little bit slower and be a little bit kinder. This is why all our stories are audio-only. Think about the characters from stories your parents read to you. Your imagination stitched their clothes, built their houses, and formed every expression on their faces. That's the magic of audio!
Storybox Playlist: Most Played Stories of 2021
This week, we've gathered our most-played stories of 2021 and we are sharing them with you! Did your favorites make the list?
Storybox Playlist: Seven Days of Sleepy-time Stories (and other tips for your summer routine!)
Shared Routines and Rituals can be game-changers! Most children thrive with a solid rhythm to their day. This can sometimes seem hard to stick to, especially in the summer. Providing even just a bit of structure can help establish the sense of security and safety that kids need to feel grounded.
Storybox Playlist: Stories About Strong Girls Like You
This week, we have put together a playlist of stories about strong girls. Through these stories, your little ones will hear different examples of what it means to be strong.
Stories to Inspire Wonder... and Hope
It can be easy to lose hope in today's world. One way to reconnect with what can seem like lost hope is to take a step back to see things from a bigger perspective. This sense of wonder is something that we can begin cultivating when our children are young!
A Message about our Popular History Collection FIFTY: Fifty Stories for Fifty States
The FIFTY collection was created as an investigation of the United States of America (and its territories)... In attempting to tell stories of kindness, empathy, and compassion, we chose to represent historical figures and events with a perceived latitude afforded to historical fiction.
Storybox Playlist: Cultivating Empathy Through Play
Recently, Sparkle Stories Spinner David Sewell McCann went live for a discussion with Tinkergarten’s Chief Learning Officer, Meghan Fitzgerald. The two discussed the developmental importance of — play! Why is making time for fun, play, and silliness for our little ones so important?
Storybox Playlist: Stories to Keep Kids Engaged (So Mom Can Relax)
Sparkle moms, we’ve curated this playlist with you in mind — to help us express that gratitude! These are some of our most engaging, captivating, can’t-stop-listening, play-it-over-again stories, grouped by age. Use this playlist to keep everyone’s ears busy so you can get an hour of downtime this Mother’s Day!
Our Favorite Sparkle Moms and Why We Love Them
In Sparkle Land, we love to honor mothers and all of those who “mother” us in our hearts, even if they aren’t strictly related to us. These Sparkle mothers have inspired us to do the best we can in our lives — and we hope you receive that encouragement from them too!
A Companion Guide to Dory Horde: Dawn of the Jaguar
Over in Sparkle Land, we've been embracing a growth mindset. Take a behind-the-scenes look at a process we're working on to ensure we fully research the cultural and historical details in our stories. These experiences help to keep us in a learning mindset!
Storybox Playlist: Stories for When Things Go Wrong
We've curated a storybox full of growth mindset examples so that you and the children in your life can envision a world where mistakes aren't failures — just opportunities for more growth.
Storybox Playlist: Stories About Learning to Listen
The focus of our latest podcast, The Storying Project, is asking our guests: "What do children need to hear right now?" We've curated this storybox to explore the treasures one finds through listening carefully to each other and the world around us. Enjoy!
Social Media Giveaway: What Do Children Need to Hear Right Now?
In our weekly newsletter and on our upcoming podcast, The Storying Project, we have been asking the question, "What Do Children Need to Hear Right Now?" These messages are important — and we are asking you, our fellow Sparklers, to weigh in on this topic. As an incentive, each participant will be entered into a Giveaway Contest.
Make Mistakes (We All Do)
If you want to learn something — if you want to get good at something — then welcome mistakes. Make lots of them. Learn from them. Experiment and be willing to look bad. The more mistakes you make, the better you will get. Nothing keeps someone from mastery more than success.
What Do Children Need to Hear Right Now?: You Are Loved
At Sparkle Stories, we are reflecting on what children need to hear right now, and this concept comes to mind right away. “You Are Loved.”
Storybox Playlist: Stories to Help Children Know They Are Loved
At Sparkle Stories, we are reflecting on what children need to hear right now, and this concept comes to mind right away: "You Are Loved."
friday's kind words
"Our family is looking forward to listening to Martin & Sylvia's Easter Story again. We have listened every year for many years now, and — as with the Christian story — more and more layers reveal themselves each time we listen to it." ~ Heather
Storybox Playlist: Your Best Easter Stories
Kids can explore nature, creativity, and participate in fun Easter-themed festivities in this darling Easter Playlist with four stories containing accompanying crafts and interactive activities.
friday's kind words
"I am in awe at the creativity and knowledge that flourish in each story (not to mention the ridiculously marvelous storytelling). The messages empower and inspire my parenting and I look forward to listening as much as my kids do!" ~Tamara
