Sparkle Stories Blog
A home for Sparkle audio stories, crafts, recipes, and kind words!
Sparkle Craft: Marionettes
What kind of person are you – which do you like better, cats or dogs? Today you get to create your very own perfect pet marionette – or string puppet – whether it’s a cat or a dog (or both!)
Sparkle Kitchen: Popcorn Balls
While you could make these popcorn balls any size you want, I recommend aiming for a large golf ball so that all of your small elves and black cats can enjoy them in a few quick bites.
Martin & Sylvia's: Saturdays! Printable Project Page: Inspiration Cards
Ready to write your own story? Use words or pictures to answer the questions on these Narrative cards, and then wait for the story to come!
Sparkle Kitchen: Herb-y Squash Risotto
While we love pumpkin pie as much as the next person, more often than not we end up roasting autumn gourds into more savory preparations. One of our favorites is this herb-y squash risotto.
Martin & Sylvia's: Saturdays! Printable Project Page: Silks
Use this Printable Project Page for some ideas you can use with your silks or any other fabric: wings, a crown, a skirt, a headdress, a cape, a decorative sash, and a tunic. See what else you can make!
Sparkle Craft: Hand-Dyed Playsilks
Imagination is a beautiful, wonderful thing. With a bit of imagination and a few simple tools, you can do virtually anything!
Sparkle Kitchen: Caramel Apple Bites
While I think I probably consumed some of those big, juicy caramel apples in two or three bites back then, as a grown-up I find that it’s hard to eat a whole caramel apple in one sitting. These days I prefer to make little caramel apple bites, like the recipe that follows, instead.
Sparkle Craft: Shoo-Crow Garland
Farmers and gardeners use all sorts of unexpected things to shoo unwanted birds from munching on their crops. It’s easy to spook a crow with unexpected movement, flashes of light or sound. Why not make a shoo-crow garland of your own to scare crows (or just look beautiful) in your own backyard?
Sparkle Kitchen: Apple Sandwich Stackers
The apple “sandwich” stackers are easy to customize. Think yogurt, cheddar cheese, or any flavor of nut butter you have on hand. Try different kinds of nuts and grains for the crunchy parts, depending on what you like. And if you aren’t afraid of a little mess, lay out the ingredients and let the kiddos stack them together!
Martin & Sylvia's: Saturdays! Printable Project Page: Medals
Use this printable project page to learn to make your own cookie medals!
Sparkle Craft: Winning Ribbons Garland
This week we’re going to be making a watercolor winning ribbons garland listing the things you feel proud of doing well!
Sparkle Kitchen: Maple and Browned Butter Baked Oatmeal
There’s only one antidote for that cold wind — a hot dish of baked oatmeal.
Martin & Sylvia's: Saturdays! Printable Project Page: Lunch Boxes
Use this free printable project page to design your own lunch boxes, just like Martin & Sylvia do in the "Saturdays!" story, "Lunch Boxes".
Three FREE Scripts for Magical Halloween Events
Imagine: it’s Halloween evening.
You and your children join with friends on the edge of the woods, and follow a candle-lit path, in search of the answer to an exciting mystery.
Sparkle Kitchen: Train Car French Toast
I’ll admit, I find the mechanical information of trains a little boring, but I love the history. Especially, that of the glamorous era of train travel, when you slept in Pullman cars and awoke to a special breakfast in the dining car. This French toast recipe is one of those historic breakfast options.
Sparkle Craft: Pressed Leaf Wreath
Whether the leaves you collect are red and orange and yellow or still a brilliant green, this pressed leaf wreath is fun to make!
Martin & Sylvia's: Saturdays! Printable Project Page: True Colors
Use this printable project page to learn how to preserve colored leaves using waxed paper.
Sparkle Kitchen: Blackberries with Cream
While berries are good in a variety of dishes and desserts—pie, cobbler, ice cream, and on and on—really good, fresh-picked berries rarely require that much fuss. In season, our local blackberries are so big, fat, and juicy that we often have them plain for dessert or with just a little whipped cream.
Martin & Sylvia's: Saturdays! Printable Project Page: Apple Faces
Would you like to make apple faces of your own? Follow the instructions on this free printable project page to learn how!
Sparkle Craft: Funny Food Faces
Playing with your food can be crazy amounts of fun. Toss in a special porcelain plate and you’re all set to make fun food faces at snack time or anytime!
