Best of 2023: KID STUFF!!
Hey friends! Welcome to the first of our Best of 2023 series! For the next two weeks, we’ll be sharing our favorite books, kids resources, faith resources, and planning resources!
Today we’re sharing our favorite KID STUFF from 2023! Stephanie and I are each sharing the things our kids MOST enjoyed throughout this year.
Ready? Let’s dive in!
- Yoto Player Mini << get 10% off through my link!
I’m not exaggerating when I say this is the best thing we bough the kids all year long. Yoto players are these little speakers with cards you insert to play books, music, and podcasts. They have a huge library to choose from, and you can even make your own cards! We have LOVED these for the kids as a screen-free option where they can listen to whatever they want on these little guys (with or without headphones) instead of iPads. Huge win.
Don’t hate me but I have never read through this series before! We started it this year since we are studying American history, and I had my doubts that Nathan would enjoy it, since it’s about three girls. I was VERY wrong – he loves it because there’s so many great hunting and adventure stories from Pa in there! We all really enjoy these books now, and it’s been a really fun series to read through together. (It’s a “one more chapter?!?!” sort of read-aloud!)
This is the most gorgeous way to learn Luther’s Small Catechism I’ve ever seen. We’ve been working through memorizing the Small Catechism at home, going through one page each week. The actual catechism is written out in this book, along with a corresponding hymn and a little summary. PLUS, there’s a full coloring page for each part of the catechism, which is hugely helpful as we work on memorizing! Keeping hands busy while we practice reciting the catechism is a won for everyone. (Yes, I even got one for myself!!)
My Nathan has been a “graphic novels only” kind of reader for quite a while, and I wanted to find something with a little more substance that might act as a bridge to some different types of books. (Chapter books, I’m looking at you!!) Enter the Nathan Hale series!! These are graphic novels about real battles + historical periods of history, written in a comic format that’s both engaging AND educational. Nathan devoured every single one of these books, and it truly did open his eyes to how fun reading is, and he’s been venturing into chapter books a bit now, too! Huge success.
I have loved HP forever – my mom and brother and I read them all together, and they are just really special to me. I’ve read a couple of the books to the kids, and we’ve seen all the movies, but Emily (12) is really JUST getting into the magic (no pun intended!) of these books. She hasn’t been able to put them down, and that’s saying a lot for my kid who usually gets distracted by another book before she finishes the one in her hands. I have loved watching her fall in love with reading through these! (Especially fun because I remember my brother doing the same thing!)
P.S. These illustrated versions are fantastic, and sometimes Costco has them!!
The first of a trilogy, this story of a robot who finds herself alone on an island took a minute for us to get into, but after a few chapters, my girls and I were hooked! I highly recommend the audiobook!
Full of rebus puzzles and mind-bending riddles, my middle daughter loved this prequel to the equally excellent Escape from Mr. Limoncello’s Library.
My oldest daughter was enchanted by the story of Aven Green, a girl born without arms who moves across the country when her parents buy a western theme park in Arizona. Quirky, insightful, and heart-warming, this one led to many great discussions!
Colorful, fun and informative, this volume from DK includes snippets of history for every day of the year and has sparked many rabbit trails and juicy conversations.
We have many drawing books in our home, but clear, step-by-step instructions for adorable doodles make this one a winner that gets pulled out often. We have several in this collection, including How to Draw Cute Animals and How to Draw Cute Stuff: Around the World.
What about you? Share YOUR favorite kid resources in the comments below!
Kayse Pratt serves Christian women as a writer + designer, creating home + life management resources that help those women plan their days around what matters most. She’s created the most unique planner on the market, helped over 400 women create custom home management plans, and works with hundreds of women each month inside her membership, teaching them how to plan their days around what matters most. When she’s not designing printables or writing essays, you’ll find Kayse homeschooling her kids, reading a cheesy novel with a giant cup of tea in hand, or watching an old show from the 90’s with her husband, who is her very best friend.