Category: family friendly

Handmade Holiday Gift Ideas for Children

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn family, family friendly17 Comments

I think most of us are facing a different Christmas this year – one that looks a little less like our normal traditions. And while we may be celebrating differently, some of us may be choosing to shop differently as well. Maybe going into less stores and opting for more online shopping, like me – in which case I am thinking the sooner I get started the better, as shipping may be a little slower than normal. As I consider my list this year, I want to try to patronize small businesses and artists more than usual as well, since this year has been tough on makers, so I will be purchasing a mix of gifts for the littles in my life this Christmas, and trying to be mindful. Here are a few things that have caught my eye this year! (Just make sure to check shipping dates if something happens to grab you!) This list is geared for younger kids, and I am sure a lot of it will find it’s way under our tree or as a gift to one of my nieces.

UPDAT 11/22: As this was originally posted in 2020, some of the items are no longer available. I have tried to find suitable alternatives and linked to those as well.

Wooden Play Dough Stamps: These are so adorable! I love how sturdy they seem, and easier on little hands to push! Wyatt and all of his cousins are play dough fanatics and I can see them all having a good time with these. I linked to the woodland set, but there are a few others like dinosaurs and unicorns, sea creatures and mushrooms. **This shop is taking a break – you can find a similar set here.

DIY Personalized Puzzle Kit: There is so much about this that I love. All of my nieces have non-traditional names and can never find anything personalized, and at least two of them love art and putting puzzles together. If ever there was a more perfect gift! UPDATE: This shop is on break but this shop sells something very similar!

Preschool Sewing Kit: I actually bought this for Wyatt to practice with over the summer and he really liked doing it! I thought it was creative as well as teaching hand-eye and fine motor skills.

Personalized Baking Set: This one ships from the UK, so if you are not in the UK, make sure it can be sent to you and what shipping costs and time will be before ordering! I just can’t with it’s cuteness though.

Wooden Puzzle for Kids: So, I have puzzles on here twice… but they were so different I thought it would be ok. These are so cute and I am a fan of wooden puzzles for kids. Update: This shop is not available right now but this shop has cute puzzles as well

Wooden Toy Kitchen: Ok, so this is brilliant. One of the best things we ever bought Wyatt was his toy kitchen – but it is so big and takes up so much space in our house! He still loves it and plays with it everyday though so although it has its own area, it stays up. However, had I seen this I may have been considered this as an option! It is perfect for small spaces or even for people who may not want to give up house space for a toy kitchen. ** This item is no longer available but this one is another option for small spaces.

Handmade Knit Fox: I am totally in love with this fox. We bought Wyatt a knit badger for Christmas his first year, and he still loves it and sleeps with it every night. His name is Henry and I am always afraid something will befall Henry and then where will we be. I am tempted to pick this fox up just in case.. (update: I had a different fox here originally, but it sold out so I added another)

Stocking Stuffers:

Felt Mask for Pretend Play: The kids in my life love pretend play, and wearing masks and headbands and capes and clothes – and I thought this unicorn was super cute.

Felt Beard: This is definitely making its way into Wyatt’s stocking this year. Billy has a beard and Wyatt always pretends he has one like his dad’s – now he can have a play one!

Personalized Patches: I just think patches are neat. I like to get them and put them on Wyatt’s backpacks that we use for exploring.

Wooden Owl Pendant: I can see just about every kid I know wearing one of these. And they have different versions available as well!

Letter Subscriptions:

Writings from the Wild: I love these monthly letters from the “wild” and so does Wyatt. I signed him up for this two months ago, and they are informative and beautiful – plus Wyatt loves getting mail so that makes it even better. It is inexpensive as well, only a few dollars a month, and right now they are having a sale, 15% off if you enter Christmas15 (off 6 or 12).

Letters from Afar: These are neat, and if Wyatt was older I would definitely get it for him. They look gorgeous!

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The Wild Hunt

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn family friendly, nature15 Comments

A week ago I had an idea that very quickly snowballed and took shape – a Wild Hunt. I wanted something similar to geocaching, but for my fellow outdoor loving, hiking friends and family. When I mentioned it to Billy, we just started coming up with ideas left and right and started working on it immediately.

We quickly printed out this invite for the two family teams we were inviting, respectively named Team Veggiesaurus Rex and Team Unicorn Sparkles. We were Team Corvid, because Wyatt really enjoyed our ravens unit the other day and even picked a raven/crow costume for Halloween. We distributed them on a Wednesday, and gave them the basics: On the following Saturday we would text them a set of coordinates at noon, and the race would be on. There were three locations, and teams needed to put the clues back in place after finding them so that the other team could continue to play.

We really leaned into our team name too – Billy carved out a rough feather from a chunk of wood to use as a stamp for our clues, and it turned out really cool.

Early Saturday morning Wyatt, Billy, and I headed out to hide the clues. We had to start in reverse order in order to get the coordinates to put on each note, so we started with the spot we were going to hide the treasure. It was a very cold morning, especially near the water where we ended up. It wasn’t our first choice of a spot either actually – we got to the area where we planned to hide it and saw that one of the participating family’s car was there too – meaning they were somewhere in the woods! We had to change it up at the last minute and try to do it fast so that they didn’t see us; it added an extra sense of adventure and urgency!

It’s hiding spot was the stump – it turned out better than our original plan. After hiding it well, we scurried back to the car and headed to location #2! Wyatt was feeling a little tired and we were running short on time so Billy ran it out to the spot on the trail while Wyatt and I waited in the car.

Then it was on to spot one, the starting point, and this time all three of us trekked out to the spot together.

Then all we had to do was send out the group text with the reminder to leave the clues and to text me only when they found them. And they were off! They both found the first clue, no problems. But the second clue gave them a bit of a challenge – and they ended up looking for it together before Billy needed to call with a hint..

From there the teams headed off to the final spot, and the treasure! I love that they actually found it at the same time. I had a surprise for the kids – two treasures, one for each team, as I did not want any disappointed little treasure hunters!

The treasure itself was pretty simple but enough for little girls – some tiny little animals, and an assortment of polished crystals and such, like jade and moonstone. The teams decided who was going to do the next round, and we are all looking forward to it! We had a blast setting it up, and our friends had a great time doing it. Apparently the kids were so excited, which made me so happy as that was my goal all along.

And onward to the next Wild Hunt!

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn autumn, day in the life, family, family friendly, Michigan15 Comments

One of our most beloved family traditions every year is our trip to the pumpkin patch and orchard. We have been doing it since I was a little girl, when we would go with my cousin and follow it up with chili for dinner and cake to celebrate my uncle’s birthday. This year, it almost didn’t happen, for obvious reasons. But the kids have been studying pumpkins all week and we needed to find a way we felt comfortable going, if possible.

So we did! Billy, Devin, and Chrissy took a day off of work for our “field trip” this year, we got up early so we could arrive right when it opened, and we chose to go one of our favorite orchards, one that is a favorite because it is just about the pumpkins there. No rigmarole or fair like atmosphere – just an orchard, pumpkins, and for adults, a hard cider tasting room, where they make the cider onsite. We didn’t do any tasting this year but we definitely bought some to go.

We pulled up around the same time almost exactly, and headed off through the grounds, which we had all to ourselves. We kept our masks on, as good practice for the kids, and my mom as well, and maintained our distances although it was just us.

Well, us and this dog. He was with us our whole excursion and didn’t stray too far from my niece’s side. He lives there and decided to hang out with us.

It was an absolutely glorious morning – sunny, warm, a bit crisp. The perfect day for our adventure. We messed about in the orchard, laughed about our dog friend and honorary group member – we are the James Herriot Primary school after all..

Then we headed to the store area to shop for our gourds and pumpkins and all the good things. All the pumpkins were really up there so no picking through the patch for one but that is ok, much easier to lug them the two feet back to the car then all that way. We did have to run in to pay and to pick up our cider, and I also added a jar of honey from their hives to my order.

And the dog’s name turned out to be “Greater”. All Creatures Great and Small, anyone?

Happy Fall everyone!

Mini-Post: Feeling Squirrely for Chestnuts

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn autumn, Detroit, family friendly9 Comments

Last Sunday was a gorgeous autumn day. The light was perfect, the trees were on fire, it was warm but not too warm, it had just enough crisp in the air to make you know that fall has arrived. In short, perfect. My favorite kind of day. I was happy too, because we had planned a small new-to-us adventure – chestnut foraging! I am calling it foraging although it was more like collecting at a chestnut farm, which I didn’t even realize was a thing. But foraging sounds better to me, so I am going with it.

When we arrived, I was surprised to see the place was hopping! Getting chestnuts is serious business – people were leaving with pounds and pounds of them. These are the type of chestnuts you can eat – the type that grow in our neighborhoods, the Horse Chestnut are toxic and inedible. These are the sweet English variety, the kind you hear about in old Victorian stories, or even stories from your own father who grew up in the sixties and has memories of buying roasted chestnuts from a cart and enjoying them. We had sort of anticipated just grabbing a pound or two and then figuring something out after, we were going for the experience and to enjoy the day out together doing something new and outdoors. This figures importantly later, you will see why.

Despite it being busy, I was so happy to see everyone had a mask on, and was distanced. The only place that was crowded was the roasting area, where Farmer Mike was showing people how to roast their own chestnuts, and it seemed like the people crowded around it were usually family groups. We skipped that part anyway, but for the most part, everyone had masks on and was staying well over six feet apart. We sanitized a bucket and headed out to the stand of chestnut trees, and got to work.

We were scrambling around on the ground like squirrels, gathering nuts, going from tree to tree, to pile to pile, exclaiming over the shiny conkers. Lots of getting up and kneeling back down, crawling about, throwing the chestnuts into the bucket as we went. It was a workout for my thighs as well, which were a bit sore the next day… and Billy even had Wyatt strapped to his back in the backpack carrier, so he had a bit more of a workout even. They were a good team though.

Once we filled our bucket up halfway, we decided we had enough, considering we had no idea what we were going to do with them anyway. Roast them for sure. But then maybe cake, like Rowan’s on the Bake Off? Soup? We tossed ideas back and forth as we walked back to the front to pay. I decided to stand in line (which was outside so bonus) while Billy and Wyatt went back to the car.

I waited patiently and then overheard the cashier tell the person in front of me some alarming news – they only took cash or check, and the nearest ATM was miles away. Guess who didn’t have any cash or checks on them? Yep me. I sadly had to dump my bucket out under the trees, consoling myself as I went that some people were going to find the piles and be excited over the jackpots they were finding. I walked back to the car, slightly disappointed, and informed Billy and Wyatt that the good memories of our adventure were to be the only things going home with us.. good thing at least that was the objective. Although, some chestnuts would have been nice too. We decided to consider this a scouting mission, and that we would return next year having learned two things: the first, bring cash. Second, bring work gloves, those sea urchin like protective seed casings are prickly!!

So, we went home empty-handed but at least it had been a good time. And Michigan was at its best, all lit up for fall.

Mini-Post: A Morning in the Country

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life, family friendly14 Comments

Every summer, we take a family trip to the orchard to pick peaches (and sometimes blueberries). This year we realized it was a pretty perfect family activity, even with our present circumstances. So, Friday Billy took a vacation day, we packed our lunch and our blanket, and headed out to the country.

When we got there, we found we were not the only ones with this idea, even on a weekday morning. We hadn’t planned on masking up, except for in the store of course, but we put them on for the first part of our adventure due to the amount of families also wandering the orchard. We didn’t need them on long though, after ten minutes everyone else left, and we had the place to ourselves.

We took our time, looking for the peaches we wanted. It was slim pickings due to a late frost that had affected the peach crop but we still had fun. After we picked as many as we thought we could possibly use, we set up our blanket and had a little early lunch. And it was so quiet. So quiet. We are used to always hearing something – cars, people mowing their lawns, sirens, whatever. The sounds of living in the suburbs, you know? But this was so peachful (I meant to type peaceful but peach came out and I rolled with it). The weather was gorgeous, just warm enough. There was a breeze, the sky a brilliant blue, and just the sound of bird song and the rustling of the leaves. I could have stayed there all day! But Wyatt was ready to explore more, so on we explored.

It was a perfectly perfect lovely day. And now we have a ton of peaches, for jam and cobbler and pie!

We had such a great time, such a great time that I think we will organize a larger family trip for later this month with my mom and brother and his family. I am looking forward to it!

Summertime..

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn family friendly, mom life16 Comments

This week has been a mix of busy and just simply being and enjoying. I gave us a week off of schooling, and we had some good times playing outside as well as time inside in the A/C. Neither of us enjoy sun or heat that much…

We headed outside in the mornings and evenings, but in the heat of the day we tucked up in the house to craft or read or watch tv or just play and veg. Lots of that happened this week.

I am still catching up on the yard and garden areas – most of it is still wild and crazy but we have some semblance of actual garden areas coming together. I planted lots of lavender, and my lavender from last year is forming a wonderful little hedgerow in front. I love it. I also got some herbs and veggies in the ground, and some flowers, finally. Today we mulch and I am going to plant a few more seeds, which hopefully will grow for me. Fingers crossed all!

I signed up for a virtual conference/workshop for a homeschooling philosophy I wanted to learn more about, and this week there was pre-conference coffee chat every morning. While I did my work, so did Wyatt. I am such a huge researcher of everything . So before I move forward I have to do tons of research – reading, conferences, speaking with homeschool moms (looking at you Lisa!) Wyatt seems to enjoy doing work with me so that is a bonus. Although, he does do the Mom, Mom look thing every 5 seconds. Lol.

Sunday we also made soap together as a family – we did the melt and pour variety so that Wyatt could be involved, and it was so fun and easy! I wanted to show Wyatt some different things that could be made using honey, and I thought soap would be an interesting one. And then we could also use this adorable bee mold too, which was sort of for Wyatt but mostly for me. The soap turned out really well. It has a great lather and smells good too – I added lavender oil to it. If you are interested, I used this DIY recipe. We are hooked now though, and have a cart full of oils and soap making things filled over on Bramble Berry to make more. My sister-in-law makes soap from scratch, using lye, and is going to teach me next weekend, which should be really neat! Since we have to wear PPE anyway, it is almost the perfect activity to do with a friend.

Billy took some much needed vacation time this weekend, Friday and Monday off, so we have a long weekend of family time ahead of us. We have no real plans but I am sure we will have fun!

Review: Peaceable Kingdom Board Games

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn family friendly, homeschooling3 Comments

For Wyatt’s birthday this year, I ordered him his first board game, Hoot Owl Hoot by Peaceable Kingdom. We had gone on a little mini family trip (right before all the COVID-19 really blew up here in the US) and I thought playing a board game together one night would be a fun activity for our trip. It turned out to be a good move, and one that Wyatt loved too, thank goodness. He wanted to open it and play right away, so we set it up and started playing, before we even had breakfast – Billy and I did have coffee though, I can’t function in the morning without tea or coffee. I don’t think I could have even handle a preschool level game before coffee…

Anyway, we enjoyed Hoot Owl Hoot so much that we ended up adding a few more Peaceable Kindgom games to Wyatt’s birthday wish list. My dad bought him Snug as a Bug and I recently bought him Count Your Chickens for Easter, and we are having so much fun playing them. They are great to have right now, while we are sheltering-in-place, and also are great for play based learning for Wyatt. Overall I am very happy with them!

They all have very simple objectives, that are easy for kids to understand. In Hoot Owl Hoot, the point is to get all the owls back to their nest before the sun comes up. With Count Your Chickens, Mother Hen’s chicks have flown the coop and you need to get them all back home. And Snug as a Bug in a Rug you need to get all the stink bugs under the rug before they stink up the place – a concept that Wyatt finds hilarious.

Hoot Owl Hoot:

I think the game board for this game is so inviting! The rainbow swirl of colors leading to the big nest in the middle, the night sky, and of course those cute little owls. Players simply play a color card and move to that space – although if you have a sun card, that card must be played, moving the sun one step closer to dawn. This is a cooperative learning game, meaning that everyone works together on their turns, making a strategy to get all the owls to the nest without leaving one too far behind. I loved that concept, especially as this was Wyatt’s first time playing a game. It made everything so much easier, and teaches him about turn taking, which seems to be something we will need to continue working on… lol. It teaches skills like working together and problem solving as a team, such great and needed skills!

Count Your Chickens:

Ok so this game board is pretty cute too, with all of those adorable farm animals and bright colors. It makes me feel springy! In this game, you spin the spinner and move to the animal that the spinner lands on, counting the spaces as you go. Then you gather the same number of chicks as spaces you moved to the coop. This is a great game to work on counting skills, as you can count the squares and also count out the chicks. Again, this is a cooperative game, with no winners or losers. Everyone plays together, and wins and loses together.

Snug as a Bug in a Rug:

Snug as a Bug in a Rug is all about colors and matching and comparisons, like big and little. Before game play starts, you roll the die to see which attribute will be matched – color, number, or shape. Then for play, you simply spin the spinner, and find the matching bug. Once you do, you slip it under the rug! Another cooperative game, where the goal is to beat the game, not each other.

My husband teased me a little over the cooperative aspect of these games, and told me that of course I would find the most “hippie” games for Wyatt, although he did think it worked out well for our kiddo and is finding the cooperative part beneficial. I know this is a world that does often focus on winning and losing, and sometimes that is a reality yes that kids need to learn, that they may not always “win” but learning to cooperate, collaborate, and work together are also important to navigating life as well. I think our current situation in this country illustrates just how important it is to work together! Wyatt is learning to take turns, something he is kind of struggling with, and to play together as a team, skills he can take with him anywhere.

One other awesome bonus to these games – they are environmentally friendly! The plastic is corn based, and there is very little of it. The ink is soy, and the wood is FSC. They are 100% green which is fantastic, so I can feel good about that too. They are sturdy, attractive, and affordable at less than $20 each. I found mine online at Amazon and Target, but I imagine they can be found at other retailers as well.

Overall, we love these games. Wyatt loves playing, we love the family time and the learning, and I am planning on ordering more to add to our collection!

A Sunday of Foraging and Gathering

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn autumn, day in the life, Detroit, family friendly, food, garden, mom life, nature, Uncategorized15 Comments

After a week of not feeling well, by the time Sunday rolled around I was feeling well enough to get out. And I wanted to. Needed to really. Cooped up for so long at home we all needed to stretch our legs and breathe in some fresh clean air. Greenfield Village is closing for the season in two weeks, and we wanted to get a last trip in before they close. We have had so many fun day trips there this year that we wanted to take a last walk around. And I knew it was decorated for their Halloween event so it was bound to look pretty cool too!

The air was brisk and cool, the day was a bit overcast, but it all added to the moodiness of the moment, with the jack o’lanterns lining the streets as far the eye could see, the hay bales, the spooky scarecrows – we felt like we had entered some sort of creepy children of the corn type town this trip.

We meandered our way over to the gardens, which in the summer time is bursting with blooms and busy bees, little birds darting here and there, and elegant butterflies floating from flower to flower. A garden in fall can be just as beautiful, but I think they are in spite of the lack of life. The beauty is a stark one, a lone candle in the window, if you will. The colors shine so much brighter, mimicking the colors on the trees around. There is glory in the brightness of fall, the last flare before winter.

Billy is naturally an outgoing person, and he and Wyatt strolled around that red house while I poked about in the garden. He ran into a friendly gardener who gave him two seed heads, from a sedum and a blackberry iris. She told him that if saw anything in the garden that we liked that was either off the plant and on the ground, or had gone to seed, we could gather and save for our garden next year! I usually have my seed envelopes with me because I am a nerd so we spent some happy time gathering seeds from flowers that we will plant in the spring. Wyatt enjoyed playing among the rows like a little bunny, some of the flowers taller than him. He is such a sweet kid, smelling the flowers and enjoying time in a garden.

Needless to say we found some things. We harvested seed pods and black walnuts, just a few and left the rest for the squirrels, and nicked a few blooms that had been already been bent practically off by overzealous wildlife, or perhaps other people, or their purses and bags or strollers. We felt so lucky leaving with our bounty!

It was nearing lunchtime so we picked one last spot in the village to visit before heading home – Daggett Farmhouse, my favorite. It makes me think of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and it was so perfect to visit so close to Halloween.

If I could move into the village, this is the house I would pick. I love it so much. The colors, the simplicity, the squareness, the big garden, and the windmill next door. Lol. So very New England. It was built before America was America, this house, can you believe it? We poked around outside and headed inside where the reenactors were sitting down to a lunch of pies and cabbage. It looked delicious honestly. Wyatt really enjoyed the mention of pie – I am pretty sure he is going to dig our month or so of pie making. Or at least the eating of them.

We headed home to our lunch soon after, bowls of warm chicken lemon rice soup, which I think did much magic for our colds. It was a good day!

Flannels and Farm Markets

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life, family friendly, Michigan, Michigan maple syrup, Uncategorized7 Comments

This weekend was one full of fun, flannel, and a fall farmer’s market! After being cooped up for a week or so with coughs and respiratory issues, we were able to get out of the house and have some adventures over the weekend.

We started strong on Saturday morning, by heading to Greenfield Village and hitting their Fall Farmer’s Market. I love this every year! So much to see and do and buy! It is not just fruits and vegetables sold at this one, they include traditionally made brooms, honey, soap, maple syrup, flowers, tea, coffee, chocolate, and homemade pasties to name a few.

And these dried flowers, candles, and smudge sticks are gorgeous! I have never smudged anything but I did recently read that apart from the whole bad energy thought behind it, that it actually can help eradicate germs in your house. Maybe that is the origin behind the idea? I might give it a whirl if it will help to cleanse my house of germs, especially in cold and flu season! These are from Anchored Roots and are sold at Grayes Greenhouse. I am always so tempted by all the lavender items on display but I try not to go crazy and buy it all. Lol. And that popcorn looked so lovely! We are reading Farmer Boy right now as a family read aloud, and in it Wilder describes popcorn as such an American food, and she is so right.

I am always in love with these brooms from Brooms by Henry. Handmade in the traditional ways, there is just something about them that I love. So I bought a hearth broom although I don’t have a hearth. I just really liked the twist in the handle and the craftsmanship of it. I really don’t know what I am going to do with it, but for now I have it hanging in my kitchen. We also always buy the maple syrup from Doodles Sugar Bush. This year we bought the Bourbon Maple Syrup and it is funny, we talked to my brother later and they had bought the same one while they were there! It is really good. Also pictured up there is wool from Aunt Bea’s place. It is made from sheep at their own farm, and they spin the wool themselves.

After shopping at the market, we walked around the farm at the village a bit, watching the hay get processed. They shake the seeds from the stalks, then it shoots out the other end and gets baled. It was pretty cool to watch. We also watched corn husk dolls being made, which was neat as well. We were told that they originated with the Native Americans, who made them after the corn harvest. We could have made one but we didn’t have any cash on us, just our debit card. I really need to start carrying a few dollars in my pocket! We were thinking we could still make them at home – and get the corn husks at a store where they sell tamale ingredients. Is that cheating? Lol.

After taking in the events at the village, we went home for a bit for lunch and because Wyatt kept asking to play. Lol. So we went home and chilled out before heading to an event called the Fire and Flannel Festival. Billy really wanted to see the big draw, the Jack Pine Lumberjack show. The Jack Pine Lumberjack show can usually be found in Mackinaw City, but they were here for the event and we had a great time watching! People were supposed to wear their flannels to the event, so it was good of the weather to sort of cooperate. Lol. It was the first year for this event, and while it was good, I think next year if the event planners stick more to the theme, it will be more fun, if that makes sense. Plus, it was in a parking lot instead of green space, and for some reason that bothered me. Lol. But, first year kind of stuff. I am sure they will work the details out as they move forward in the future. The Jack Pine Lumberjack show though was really fun! If you are ever in Northern Michigan and get the chance to see them, I definitely recommend it!

We spent the rest of the weekend being lazy, and even had pie for breakfast on Sunday! Coffee and pie warm from the oven on a chilly morning was a pretty perfect moment. I might have to do it again over the winter as a surprise for my guys!

It’s Wednesday! What are you listening to?

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life, family, family friendly, mom life, Uncategorized15 Comments

So, this is obviously a little riff on Monday’s What Are You Reading post that is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. I don’t really intend for this to be a weekly feature, but I thought this would be pretty fun, maybe once a month or three. And I would really really love to know what you guys are listening to!

Let’s start with podcasts.. I am in love with them. I have some that I listen to when I am sans child, since they are not appropriate for his little ears, but we have a few that we listen to together too.

Family Podcasts

Storynory – This is a great storytelling podcast! They share classic stories, fairytales, myths, even poems and all told in a fun, easy listening way for kids. Stories have great sound effects too, to make it more of an experience! Our favorite episode: The Owl and the Pussycat (super short, but I LOVED this poem as a kid and so does Wyatt now)

Circle Round – Another storytelling podcast, presented by NPR. This one is based mainly on folk tales, and some even are read by actual actors. I love the different range of stories that they present on this podcast, and they often pair with orchestras to add music as well. Our favorite episode: The Piper and the Pooka

Ear Snacks for Kids: This is a new one for us, we just found it, so no favorites yet but we are having fun discovering all of their quirky songs based around art and science and culture. We listened to one about teeth and teeth brushing this morning and it was so fun – who knew that topic could be so funny?

Classics for Kids: So, this one, I am pretty sure Wyatt is not paying too much attention to what the hosts are saying, but is just enjoying the music they play. Lol. However, I have learned from this one! Another one new to our lineup.

My List:

Lore by Aaron Mahnke: The first podcast I ever listened to, and I still love it. Mahnke has a way of unfolding a tale! I love his eerie, spooky tales that he slowly unwinds for us, bit by bit. So good! I actually listen to this if Wyatt is around, most of the time, unless the topic is too macabre. Lore is also a show on Amazon and Mahnke has a few books out too! Favorite episode: Black Stockings

America’s National Parks (L.L. Bean): I love this one!! Different stories about the history of our national parks, the people who have visited or worked there, and celebrates the wild nature of them all. I have so many favorite episodes, but here are three that I have made family members listen to because I wanted them to hear these tales: Favorite Episodes: 37 Days in Yellowstone, Alone on a Winter Island, and The Strange World of National Park Gift Stores.

My Favorite Murder: Another old favorite- Karen and Georgia and their quick witted banter lends a much needed mood lifter at times during this true crime podcast. However, this one is not safe for children to listen to, due to language and violence. Favorite Episode: The Live in Glasgow episode

Living Homegrown: A new one to my list, all good stuff about sustainability and how to live on the farm without actually living on the farm, tips on how to live closer to your food source while living somewhere you don’t really have access to land. The podcast was on a hiatus due to Theresa Loe’s cancer, but I think the podcast is starting back up again.

I usually use Spotify pretty exclusively, because I can listen to music and podcasts all in one place. Plus I have the app on my television now, so I can just play everything right from my tv, which has way better speakers. I have to be honest, my music lists are pretty bare! I could use some suggestions and help!

What we are listening to – music:

The National Parks – I had never heard of this band until I was searching for the National Parks podcast. Lol. They are pretty good, mellow for slow mornings or evenings, and coffee or wine.

Lord Huron: Sort of similar in sound to the National Parks, I discovered them for the first time while watching a vlogger on YouTube that we love, Trout and Coffee (jeez, I could do a post on vloggers too!)

The Okeedokee Brothers: So this one is Wyatt’s choice. They have so many albums for kids, and they are folky, bluegrass music, lots of nature imagery. We listen to them a lot! So much that now I actually am a fan too. Lol. Particular favorites here are Jamboree, Through the Woods, Evergreen, and Thousand Star Hotel, and Howl. Look them up on YouTube too, they have little movies!

And some people need no introduction – Tom Petty, Carol King, Van Morrison, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Luke Coombs. We also listen to a really cool playlist called Classical Nature – I found I love Gustav Holst’s The Planets! Wyatt loves Flight of the Bumblebee. There is of course other stuff that we listen to, but these get the most play. This list is so different from what I used to listen to! I had no idea musical taste could change, but ours seems to have. My husband was a Skinny Puppy, Misfits kind of guy- I listened to a lot of alternative stuff and wore a lot of black. But now? We are country music, folk music type of folk. Lol.

So… I would love to hear what you are listening to! I could always use more suggestions! Do you listen to any of these?