Sparkle Stories Blog
A home for Sparkle audio stories, crafts, recipes, and kind words!
Sparkle Weekly Wondering
This week we revisit and add to the collection of stories that has transformed me as a teacher, storyteller, and citizen of the United States - "FIFTY: the Stars, the States, and the Stories".
Friday's Kind Words: Thanks to Your Stories
Thank you so much for all the little moments of calm we get thanks to your stories.
~ Denise in Texas
Sparkle Craft: Soda Bottle Rocket
There are few things more inspirational than the thought of rockets blasting into space. While this week's craft won't quite get you to the stars, it is a great science project to get your future astronaut on the path to space exploration.
FIFTY Study Page: Washington, D.C. "The Dress"
This story from the FIFTY collection uses historical fiction to explore the History of the United States capitals. We also cover the history of the White House construction, burning, and rebuilding, as well as the biography of Dolley and James Madison.
Sparkle Kitchen: Johnny Cakes
Made with just a few ingredients, and often fried over a campfire, these cornmeal Johnny Cakes were a staple for Civil War soldiers, particularly in the South. Inspired by the FIFTY story "Kansas: The Rivalry", here is a delicious recipe for making them at home!
Storybox Playlist: America — The Great Experiment
As we conclude our FIFTY: The Stars, the States, and the Stories collection by including the five districts and territories, we review what we learned over the past year. Here are some of those stories.
Conflict Is a Gift
Without conflict there is no growth, no learning, no healing, and no revelation. We need the conflict to inspire the joy of resolution. Thus, avoiding conflict is not only a bad idea, it takes you out of the best parts of life!
Sparkle Crafts: Collaborative Splatter Paint
Inspired by the set painting that occurs for the Dry Gables play, this week's craft project is similarly collaborative — it's a family splatter paint project.
Sparkle Kitchen: Double Berry "Rock" Cakes
Inspired by J.B.'s stack of stones, this week's recipe will help you make your own stack of rocks — the edible kind!
Exploring the Dry Gables Series - “This is Our Moment”
The stories in this collection, Dry Gables: Good Neighbors, give us insights into how we resolve conflict and strive to get our needs met — and what we do when they are not met.
Storybox Playlist: When Kids Clash - Stories and Suggestions for Conflict Resolution
Conflict exists everywhere — even within households. Since this is natural and normal, the question is not about how to avoid clashes, but how to address conflicts with integrity. Here are some stories that use tactics and hold context for authentic conflict resolution.
Sparkle Craft: Rainy Boot “Hens and Chicks” Planters
While you could plant your hens and chicks in many different containers — because they're cute and plentiful at our house at this time of year — I think an outgrown pair of rain boots is just adorable with a bevy of hens and chicks sprouting out of the top.
Sparkle Kitchen: Daffodil Tarts
If you're feeling ready for some of the sunshine a bouquet of daffodils can bring, bake up a batch of these “daffodil” lemon tarts. Even if it's still winter where you live, the bright, tangy lemon curd will have you dreaming of spring in no time.
Storybox Playlist: Stories of Freedom and Renewal
This year's Easter and Passover overlap, which means we can enjoy all the powerful imagery that both festivals bring to the beginning of Spring. Here are some stories of transformation, liberation, and renewal.
Magic at the Heart of Sparkle Storytelling
In this season of birds and blossoms and so so many spring fairies, may we all pause to notice the thickness in the air, the wonderful tension of magic as it attracts the impossible to your door.
Friday's Kind Words: It's Perfect!
The stories are the perfect length, they are engaging, they focus on character values, and they are recorded so pleasantly! ~Chelsea
Flower Pot Fairy House: Make Your Own!
If you want to see fairies in your own woods or garden, consider encouraging your imaginative eyesight with one of these tiny, flower pot fairy houses.
Community: What We Are Learning from the Austin Bombings
Over the past 3 weeks, Austin has been on edge as bomb after bomb has killed or injured people around the city. People have been afraid and confused and not sure what to do.
Libby's Adventure Snack: Vegetarian Pemmican
Libby and Dish prepare for Libby’s outing to the city with their Adventure Checklist. All four items — including a Mask of On-and-Off Invisibility and a Shelter Cloak of Safekeeping — serve to provide Libby with everything she needs for the trip.
Storybox Playlist: Making Room for Magic
Here are a few stories that help us expand our relationship with "magic."
