Sparkle Stories Blog
A home for Sparkle audio stories, crafts, recipes, and kind words!
Nature School Project: Nature Bracelets
These autumn nature bracelets are so simple the impact can be deceiving, but they are tons of fun. Mom and Dad, you will not be able to resist making one of your own!
Being Present with Big Emotions with Dr. Carrie Contey. SparkleCast Episode 1.
In this episode of SparkleCast, Carrie, David, and Rebecca discuss how children can healthily experience their rich emotional lives and how parents can be present and guide their children without being “plugged in” to their experience.
Calming Down with Jonathan Hewitt. SparkleCast Episode 2
In this episode of SparkleCast, we discuss how children can ground themselves in their bodies when they are feeling "out of sorts" – and offer practical ways in which children can find calm during a Halloween season of darkness and fear.
Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts
While store-bought pop tarts are undeniably delicious, for those of us seeking less processed, sugar-y snacks, they have to be confined to a rare treat.
Storybox Playlist: Stories to Help You Feel Better
Feeling out of sorts? Ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Feel anxious, irritable, grumpy or just... off? We all have days like those and there are many ways (and stories) to help turn your day around and feel better. Here are just a few that we'd like to suggest to help your or child feel better.
Friday's Kind Words: Rainy Sunday Afternoon
A rainy Sunday afternoon means art projects and Sparkle Stories. ~ @wholenessmom Instagram
Nature School Project: Homemade Fire Starters
We are joined by Sparkle contributor Rachel Wolf, writer of the lovely blog "Clean." She shares with us her tutorial for making homemade fire starters.
Sparkle Kitchen: Bird Seed Energy Bites
This combination of peanut butter and nuts provides a one-two punch of protein and satisfying fats that help my little birds keep flying happily. And the honey and maple make them a bit of a treat, too.
Storybox Playlist: Stories for Understanding Your Child
The story is only the beginning — and that is uniquely the case with stories that help us understand each other. Stories that build empathy, stories that model different personality types and stories that give us a window into why people behave the way they do.
Friday's Kind Words: Tiny Fairy Doctors
I wanted to thank you for helping me by giving me some tools to create little stories throughout the day with my children. ~Jenn
Sparkle Kitchen: "Marfa" Huevos Rancheros
While I've never been to Marfa Burrito, this is how I'd imagine that my favorite Mexican dish, huevos rancheros, would be served up there.
Storybox Playlist: Stories of Fairy Magic
These stories will help children enter the magic of the natural world, encounter fairy folk, and meet questions of ecology and sustainability with their imaginations.
Friday's Kind Words: Colouring Pages
Some post dinner Martin and Sylvia, the colouring pages are very successful :)
~ @bunkle_pops on Instagram
Sparkle Kitchen: Onigiri
Onigiri are balls of rice with filling. Sometimes they're fried. Sometimes they're covered with seeds or nori on the outside. Sometimes they're fancy, sometimes they're humble. But if you can cook a pot of rice, you can make them. The recipe below includes a variation for two fillings — spicy tuna and pickled plums.
On Dragons and Navigating Big Emotions
David Sewell McCann talks about dragons, where to find them, and how they can help with our big emotions.
Storybox Playlist: Stories About Dragons (and Navigating Big Emotions)
These are our best stories for kiddos with big emotions, all featuring dragons!
Friday's Kind Words: Delicate Dispositions
Thanks for this work you do. We adore Sparkle Stories. I can hardly imagine our days without them!
~@ladyaga on Instagram
Sparkle Craft: Nature School Craft Round-up
This week we've gathered all the accompanying crafts and recipes that go along with the first four stories from Martin & Sylvia's Nature School.
Artistic Smoothie Bowls
In the story, “Art Walk,” Martin and Sylvia decide that they are going to be artistic in everything they do during the Art Walk — from what they wear to what they eat. Here's a recipe to help you get creative and artistic with smoothie bowls!
The Importance of Wilderness Stewardship
We've gathered a few tips for both children and their grown-ups to learn how to take good care of our wild spaces – just like Martin and Sylvia do.
