SPREADING HOLIDAY CHEER...AND STORIES

Hi All,

Grab the hot chocolate, marshmallows, paper, scissors and stapler! Join us in creating some 3D snowflakes to kick off the start of winter! Just follow the link below to the step-by-step video tutorial. Feel free to post your creations on our Facebook Page or send your very own flurry to us at nightlightstories@gmail.com! 

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How to Make a 3D Snowflake

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And while you're crafting a snowflake, enjoy listening to our collection of holiday stories! Below, you can find all the links to the audio as well as the blog posts with activities. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

 Chilly's Christmas: (20:08)

An ornament is accidentally placed on the back of the Christmas

 tree and must learn to experience his favorite season using his 

other senses with a little help from his friends!

Free audio download: Chilly's Christmas 

Blog with activities: Chilly's Christmas

       Inky's Christmas: (21:24)

Inky, a nervous octopus, has to figure out a way to control his inking 

so he can attend all of his friends' holiday festivities.

Free audio download: Inky's Christmas

Blog with activities: Inky's Christmas

Red vs. Green: (22:21)

When a team of Christmas elves goes against a team of
St. Patrick's Day in the Holiday Hockey Winter Classic, who will win?

Free audio download: Red vs. Green

Blog with activities: Red vs. Green

Candy Cane Catastrophe (14:56)

Tragedy befalls a boy and his candy cane on a long car 
drive to Grandma's for the holidays.

Free audio download: Candy Cane Catastrophe

Blog with activities: Candy Cane Catastrophe

Sled Ride: (6:06)

A little boy tells of his exciting sled ride down the hill while 

trying to avoid a collision.

Free audio download: Sled Ride

Blog with activities: Sled Ride

Click here to listen to: Ohwhatfunitis (13:33)

Carol is way behind with her Christmas preparations when 

she starts to experience some strange symptoms. 

Can her family step up to help her out?

HERE COMES SUMMER

Summer is coming! Are you traveling by plane, train, automobile, duckboat...or horse?  If you are, we have just the thing to keep you entertained. Below, find links to some of our favorite audio stories. If you like what you hear, be sure to share! And don't forget! You can download all 60+ of our stories at iTunes. 

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 

Bird Seeds (21:10)

When Agnes, an old woman who lives alone in the woods, discovers a mysterious packet of seeds she finds more than just vegetables can grow in her garden. 

Free audio download: Bird Seeds

Blog with activities: Bird Seeds

The Farm Girl and the Feather (22:59)

A fairy tale that proves warriors and their weapons come in different shapes and sizes.

Free audio download: The Farm Girl and the Feather

Blog with activities: The Farm Girl and the Feather

Mojo's Outdoor Adventure (17:01)

Mojo the ferret takes an unexpected trip outside but will he be able to find a way back in?

Free audio download: Mojo's Outdoor Adventure

Blog with activities: Mojo's Outdoor Adventure

The Turns of the Seasons (13:58)

One by one, the seasons take turns impacting people's lives. 

Free audio download: The Turns of the Seasons

Blog with activities: The Turns of the Seasons

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

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

Alien Pursuit (11:12)
A family has to figure out how to lose the alien ships hot on their tail on their ride home from the grocery store.
Free audio download: Alien Pursuit
Blog with activities: Alien Pursuit

If you are participating in 
Escape the Room with Instructional Strategies, 

go to:  bit.ly/emazeetr

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Each member of the Night Light Stories household had a conference about which is their favorite story. We put this list together for your listening pleasure. 

Enjoy!  

TUCKER'S CHOICE (age 11): 

Alien Pursuit (11:12)
A family has to figure out how to lose the alien ships hot 
on their tail on their ride home from the grocery store.

Free audio download: Alien Pursuit
Blog with activities: Alien Pursuit

MAGGIE'S CHOICE (age 9)

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

POPPY'S CHOICE (age 16) 

 The Basement (16:26)

A boy works to keep his imagination from getting the best of him 

in order to complete a chore for his mother.

Free audio download: The Basement

Blog with activities: The Basement

MR. CHRIS' CHOICE (age 43)

Red vs. Green: (22:21)

When a team of Christmas elves goes against a team of 

St. Patrick's Day leprechauns in the Holiday 

Hockey Winter Classic, who will win?

Free audio download: Red vs. Green
Blog with activities: Red vs. Green

MS. MEL'S CHOICE (age 39)

The Leprechaun Trap (6:35)

Two leprechauns are caught in a leprechaun trap and try to find 

different ways to escape.

Free audio download: The Leprechaun Trap
Blog with activities: The Leprechaun Trap

If you are participating in 
Escape the Room with Instructional Strategies at #ATIA17, 

go to:  bit.ly/emazeetr

PODCAST UPDATE

The Night Light Stories Household has been busy. This Spring and Summer we packed up and moved to a new house. Before we knew it, the Summer was gone and the school bell was ringing. 

Due to all of this excitement, we're going to be on hiatus. We will be back as soon as possible with new content for your listening pleasure. 

Welcome back to school to all of our listeners! 

Terrapene Ornata Part 3

Click here to listen to: Terrapene Ornata, Part 3 (35:23)

During the summer before his fifth grade school year, Haver Hawkings sets out to find all 21 geocaches hidden by an expert named Babatoochee. Having found 20 of the 21 caches, Haver searches for the final one hoping it will be the secret that unlocks the entire mystery. 

Hi All,

We want to thank our sponsor this week, Bags By Betty. Betty's creations are beautifully unique works of art that have a practical purpose. Browse her online store at bit.ly/bagsbybetty to see samples of all her fabulous creations and like her Facebook page at facebook.com/bagsbybetty54 .

Check out the magic she worked on Mr. Chris' old Buffalo Bill's jersey. 

If you remember from the last episode, we had mentioned that Terrapene Ornata, Parts 1 and 2 are the next installments of the Pogona Vitticeps series. They’re stand alone stories and you don’t NEED to have listened to the Pogona Vitticeps stories before listening to these two, but it does add a little something extra magical to the experience if you listen to those first.

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)

Amidst tragedy, 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

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.

Free audio download: Terrapene Ornata, Part 1

Blog with activities: Terrapene Ornata, Part 1

Terrapene Ornata, Part 2 (16:18)

Haver, a bit of a neat freak, heads out to find the first of the 21 caches hidden by expert geocacher, Babatoochee. Unfortunately for Haver, obtaining the cache isn't as 

easy as he had hoped.

Free audio download: Terrapene Ornata, Part 2

Blog with activities: Terrapene Ornata, Part 2 

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.

acquisition: the act of gaining possession 

hoist: to raise or lift.

obstacle: something that obstructs or hinders progress.

silt earthly matter, fine sand.

squelch: to make a splashing sound.

JUST ADD IMAGINATION!

Try these activities to keep your imagination glowing

after hearing the story.

1. Locate scientific names for different animals. Make a matching game with a picture of the animal on one card and their scientific name on the other using the collage option at http://picmonkey.com. In your family see who can match them all correctly!

2. Name the world that Haver sees through the back of the metal turtle (Hint: You need to listen to Pogona Vitticeps, Part 2 to know the name). 

3. Step out of your comfort zone and get messy by making this Paper Mache Patchwork Turtle. 

COMPREHENSION CHALLENGE

After listening to the story, can you recall the

details to answer these questions?

1. Who asked the question that gave Haver the idea about how to organize the messages within the caches?

2. When did Haver begin his search for Babatoochee's caches? 

3. Where did Haver have to reach his hand to retrieve the last cache? 

4. Why didn't Haver quit after realizing what he was looking for?

5. What did Haver see when he looked into the open back of the metal turtle?

Bella K of Maine

Morgan of Virginia

Hayden of Virginia

Landon of Virginia

Liv of Ohio

Kai of New Hampshire

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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