My daughter came to me recently and said that her classmate only plays with the same friends every day. She only asks the same people to help her pass out birthday treats. My daughter was disappointed that, despite her attempts to be inclusive, not everyone in her class is that way. My initial response (in my head of course) was “Oh well! No big deal.” However to her, this was a huge deal. And for me as a parent, this should have been a great opportunity to teach her a lesson and also remind her that God is always there. I missed the mark.
In my haste to get her through her sadness, I forgot what she really needed. I just wanted to justify behaviors and make her feel better. Being a kid is hard and raising them is equally as difficult. Teaching them life lessons and figuring out how to do it while strengthening their faith is a tricky task. Thank goodness for the Frolic books from Sparkhouse. I started reading them to my kids last week and they are an great resource for parents and kids.
We read the hardcover books designed for kids their age. The colors are bright and pages are thick. The story follows characters like Hal the hedgehog, Jo the goat, Ava the sheep and Rufus the dog. The characters experience real problems that young children can relate to. For examples, Ava and Hal were great friends, but then one day Ava is playing with a new friend, Jo. Hal is so sad because he feels like Ava has replaced him.
The book illustrates who Hal talks through the problem, prays (including the words to the prayer, which can be applied to any child’s situation) and then resolves the problem by talking to Ava. The back of the book, like every book, features parent resources, including a prayer and talking points.
While my daughter is a little old for the books, I was able to read it to my younger daughters and take the talking points back to my older daughter and start a conversation with her.
The other books focus on such topics such as patience, dealing with anger and friendship. There is a complete list on the Sparkhouse Family Frolic Books web page.
We were also lucky enough to get the Sparkhouse Frolic First Bible. My two-year-old was very excited. The pages are thick and the book is built to withstand her use. The pictures are bold, big and colorfully illustrated, making it extremely kid friendly. As I start to dabble in Bible journaling, I love the idea of each of my kids having a Bible that is to their level and this is certainly designed for my youngest. At $14.99, this Bible is not a bank-breaker, either. My daughter will use this for several years.
She’s also in love with the Frolic board books. At 6-inches square, these books are the perfect size for my little gal to “read” in the car and carry around. The pictures are colorful ad cheery and engage my daughter. The characters are the same as the hardcover books, meaning the kids recognize them from book to book. The board books illustrate several topics including how God made everyone different, praying, God’s creations and how God is always with us. The familiar characters live out the stories in a very simple way that is easy for preschoolers to understand. The board books are priced at $6.99 and the hardcover book are $12.99 at the Sparkhouse Family book store.
And if my opinion isn’t enough, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) recently recognized the Frolic books as a product worth purchasing. You all know how much I like MOPS.
If you want more information about Frolic, check out the blog posted on the Sparkhouse blog.
I was provided a set of Frolic books for review purposes, but I was not compensated for this review and these opinions are my own.
