Sparkle Stories Blog
A home for Sparkle audio stories, crafts, recipes, and kind words!
Storybox Playlist: On Costumes
Here are some stories about dress-up that takes place all year long.
Friday's Kind Words: Giggles and Inspiration
They are sweet stories that help my children slow down a bit. We are happy to be part of the Sparkle family and happy to support this family enterprise. ~Marygold
Sparkle Craft: DIY Microscope
This week’s craft project is very easy to put together, but — as with Martin’s microscope — getting it to work well will take a little bit of inventive tinkering. If you stick with it, however, it’s really neat to see how common objects and creatures look at a microscopic level.
Sparkle Kitchen: Elephant Snack Mix
Sending snacks to school can be so hard. I absolutely want to be supportive of my children's friends who have allergies, but that can get complicated fast when you're trying to provide a snack for 20 kids — many of whom have different sets of concerns. This snack mix is my answer to that problem!
FIFTY Study Page: Nebraska — "Omaha Claim Club"
This story from the FIFTY collection uses historical fiction to explore the history of Claim Clubs and justice in the American Wild West, as well as early feminism in the territories.
Storybox Playlist: True Colors
Here are some stories that also celebrate the beauty that comes with truth.
American "Discovery?" and Cheers to all the Ways We Discover Every Day
Christopher Columbus’ achievement is certainly important and a major part of the story of America — but “discovery” might not be the most accurate way to describe it.
Sparkle Craft: Halloween Special - Keepsake "Switch Witch" Plate
This simple handprint art commemorates both the Halloween season and my daughter's sweet, tiny hands.
Friday's Kind Words: So Many Great Ideas
I can't tell you how much we love you at Sparkle Stories and how much you have influenced our family culture. ~Hsiaolei
Sparkle Craft: Recycled Paper Mache Scarecrow
This kid-friendly recycled paper mache scarecrow is a great project to start on a bright Saturday morning. Find all the instructions in this helpful tutorial post!
Sparkle Halloween Craft: Mixed Media Flashlights
While these flashlights will not transform children into their Halloween costume characters (at least, I don't think they will), they are handy for keeping little ones extra-visible when trick-or-treating as the sun sets. And they're extra-fun to carry because, in addition to their utilitarian function, they're little works of art.
Teal Pumpkin Project
As a mom of kids with food allergies who struggles with food sensitivities herself, Halloween is always a mixed bag.
Sparkle Kitchen: Halloween Special: "Apples in a Row" Tart
Inspired by the apples left neatly in the orchard, this Sparkle recipe features a bit of autumn magic. With just five ingredients, this tart is easy to whip up on a whim for dessert or a decadent breakfast.
Sparkle Kitchen: Gumbo
In the FIFTY story for Louisiana, “Gumbo and the Petticoat Insurrection,” Ambroisine Melange sets out from Paris to seek adventure and opportunity in Louisiana — a place where, so she was told, anything was possible.
Sparkle Craft: Halloween Special - Magician's Cape
Whether you're costuming a magician or a princess, a witch or a king, this cloak is versatile enough to have your trick-or-treater covered. A magic cloak, indeed!
Sparkle Craft: Halloween Special - Four No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas
Enjoy these four ideas for no-carve pumpkins that are beautiful, simple, and delightfully spooky.
Sparkle Craft: Halloween Special - Pillowcase Cross-Body Trick-or-Treat Bag
This cross-body trick-or-treat bag takes its inspiration from the pillowcases you may have used of yore but has a handy added design feature — a cross-body strap — that makes it easy to drop candy into the bag but hard to drop the whole thing on the sidewalk.
Podcasts for Homeschooling: The Wild West of Homeschool Resources
The podcast world, or Internet-based radio episodes found via subscription services like iTunes, is blowing up. When we started our podcast in 2011, we won “Best New Podcast” in part because we didn’t have a lot of competition.
Sparkle Kitchen: Halloween Special - A Jack-o'-Lantern Crust Topped Chicken Mini-Potpie
For this week's recipe, we've taken Garrith's jack-o'-lantern idea and turned it into something that a more typical baker might create: a chicken pot pie. But these pot pies have a little something extra. In a nod to the season, each one has a smiling jack-o'-lantern face grinning from the top of the crust.
Storybox Playlist: American Discovery
Here are some stories of discovery — not only of the Americas but many unknowns.
