BRING IT WITH ZAMZEE

Our family is currently working together to achieve a common goal. It actually started about a year and a half ago with a fantastic product called Zamzee.  Zamzee is a meter that measures activity and makes moving fun. The Zamzee website provides different challenges where you can "BRING IT." Each challenge is set by time, pointz and zams. Zams are the currency that allow you to earn prizes from their site for being active. It's as easy as that. There are a variety of different challenges that you can choose from to cater to your pace and level of activity for the day.  

In order to earn something we all want from the site, our family motivates each other to keep on moving. How are we doing it during these crazy, snowy, winter months? We've been having dance parties in the kitchen, playing soccer in our basement and jumping along to some workout videos. But, as you know from our stories below, we are counting down the minutes until we can go for our usual walks around the mountain, bike rides through the park and hikes along the Appalachian Trail. 

The Walk: (11:46)

A description from a little boy of all the sights he sees on 
a walk with his family.

Free audio download: The Walk

Blog with activities: The Walk

The Hike: (13:26)

The sequel to "The Walk" describes the boy's adventures 
he has on a hike with his family.

Free audio download: The Hike

Blog with activities: The Hike

Pedal Power (14:21)

While learning to ride a bike, a boy learns perseverance 
breeds confidence.

Free audio download: Pedal Power

Blog with activities: Pedal Power 

And you can be sure when the first warm day hits,  we'll be 

carrying along our Zamzee meters with us.  

BUT WAIT! ONE MORE THING BEFORE YOU GO! 

ZAMZEE IS GIVING ME A METER 

TO GIVE AWAY! 

Simply enter in the Rafflecopter 

below for a chance to win. 

Deadline is February 7th, 2014.

Good luck, guys! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terrapene Ornata, Part 1

Click here to listen to: Terrapene Ornata, Part 1 (19:30)

Haver Hawkings loves geography and maps, but hates getting dirty. When his teacher introduces him to a global hobby called Geocaching, Haver learns there's a world of hidden objects for him to discover.

Note: This story is the next part in the series started in Pogona Vitticeps, Part 1 and Pogona Vitticeps, Part 2. Although this story stands alone, some listeners might enjoy contemplating how the two stories might connect. 

Pogona Vitticeps, Part 1 (16:00)

Strange images seemingly appear out of nowhere when Vivien 

spends time with a special animal. 

Free audio download: Pogona Vitticeps, Part 1

Blog with activities: Pogona Vitticeps, Part 1

Pogona Vitticeps, Part 2 (23:45)

Admist tradgedy, Vivien learns the secret behind her visions 

and discovers she has a difficult decision to make. 

Free audio download: Pogona Vitticeps, Part 2

Blog with activities: Pogona Vitticeps, Part 2

We'd like to send out a special thanks to Ryobi for sponsoring this episode. Click on the image below to enter their January Project Challenge. "Anything is possible if you have the right tools!" 

VORACIOUS VOCABULARY

What did you say? A word of the day! 
In our story there are many juicy words 
that are fun to use and say.

amateur: a person inexperienced or unskilled in a particular activity.  

cache: a hiding place, especially one in the ground, for treasures. 

geocaching: the outdoor game or sport of searching for hidden objects by using Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates posted on the Internet.

gossamer: a fine, filmy cobweb.

JUST ADD IMAGINATION!

Try these activities to keep your imagination glowing

after hearing the story.

1. Haver finds different geocaching names such as, HideyBone, Looking4TubsInAllTheWrongPlaces, SeekNFind79, and GeoGeorge. What would your Geocaching name be? Share with us in the comments.

2. Interested in Geocaching? This article, called "Geocaching with Kids" is a great place to start to learn the basics of the hunt. 

3. Find out if there are Geocaches near your neck of the woods at the Official Geocaching website.

4. Summarize one of the scenes in the story by creating a comic strip at Bitstrips. Send us your finished product to nightlightstories@gmail.com.   

COMPREHENSION CHALLENGE

After listening to the story, can you recall the

details to answer these questions?

1. Who was running the Geocaching activity at school?

2. What does Haver do when he finds the first cache at school?

3. Where was the second cache at school hidden? 

4. Why did Haver decide to take pictures of the caches as documentation?

5. How did Haver manage to lose even though he was the first one to finish finding all of the caches?

Robert of Virginia
Lily of West Virginia
Taylor the Teenager of Georgia
Reagan of Kentucky
Heidi of South Dakota

Anna of Pennsylvania

Camden of Maryland

Papa of Massachusetts

Uncle Mark of Massachusetts

Maggie of the Night Light Stories Household

Mr. Chris of the Night Light Stories Household

Did you know...our fully illustrated version of Dragonfly, Dragonfly
Show Us The Way is now available in English and Spanish as an in-app purchase from the Flying Books app. It is available for download 

on your iPhone or iPad. 

Illustration by Reg Silva

PEOPLE'S CHOICE

Happy New Year! We look forward to watching the glow grow brighter in 2014 with all the new (and old) stories we can share together. Feel free to share them with your loved ones, friends, second cousins twice removed and anybody else you can think of at the moment. They can find us here on the blog, on our Facebook page, on Twitter, on our Pinterest board, and on iTunes.

Each member of the Night Light Stories household chose a 

favorite story for your listening pleasure. 

Enjoy!  

TUCKER'S CHOICE (age 8): 

Sled Ride: (6:06)

A little boy tells of his exciting sled ride down 

the hill while tryingto avoid a collision.

Free audio download: Sled Ride

Blog with activities: Sled Ride

MAGGIE'S CHOICE (age 6)

Lulu and Her Lavender Lion: (12:31)

A girl's journey through her memories with her imaginary friend.

Free audio download: Lulu and Her Lavender Lion

Blog with activities: Lulu and Her Lavender Lion

MR. CHRIS' CHOICE (age 39)

Agent Tissue Has an Issue: (14:21)

Agent Tissue is hot on the trail of a runaway nose that is hiding on the playground. Can his two new recruits help him catch the slippery culprit?

Free audio download: Agent Tissue Has an Issue

Blog with activities: Agent Tissue Has an Issue

MS. MEL'S CHOICE (age 36)

The Watermelon Seed: (10:18)

A little boy and his grandmother exchange letters describing the different changes he is seeing in his mom after she swallows a watermelon seed.

Free audio download: The Watermelon Seed

Blog with activities: The Watermelon Seed

If you had to choose a story, which one would it be? 

Share with us in the comments below or over at our Facebook page.

BRING ON 2014!

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Click here to listen to: An Interview with a Zombie

A talk show host interviews a popular guest 

about his latest viral video.

It's that time of year when you often hear…"I'm not feeling very well." Viruses are spreading like wild fire. I know our house has been hit hard this winter break. All of us have had a turn dealing with the stomach bug. Many sleepless nights and sick bellies have left us wandering around the house feeling like zombies. How do you keep your house healthy? Share with us in the comments below. 

As always, we look forward to watching the glow grow 

brighter with the many words we can share together.

Christmas Tree I Spy

Look at the Christmas tree behind us in the picture below. 

See if you can find the following items hidden in the tree:

1. Hulk action figure
2. Wolverine action figure
3. Superman
4. Minion
5. Four Voodoo Dolls
6. Buffalo Bills brick

7. Ironman

8. A Queen

9. Wonder Woman

10. Furby

11. Cadbury Mini eggs

12. Sock Monkey

13. Storm Trooper

14. T Rex

15. Bearded Dragon

We hope you all have a magical holiday season!

Warm Wishes,

Mr. Chris and Ms. Mel