Sparkle Stories

12/18/2025

Brighten your tree with a handmade Solstice Sun Topper ☀️✨

Celebrating the shortest day of the year with this vibrant tradition inspired by the At Home with Martin & Sylvia story: "The Shortest Day" 🌞 Just like Martin & Sylvia chasing sunlight through winter play, we're inviting warmth into our homes—one golden felt ray at a time.

Here at Sparkle HQ, this sun doesn't go up until Solstice Eve. First the Yule log, then the topper, then we light the tree... all in the dark for that extra magic. Visit the blog post here to see how easy it is to make your own: https://www.sparklestories.com/blog/post/sparkle-craft-solstice-sun-tree-topper/ All you need: wool felt in sunny yellows, a glue gun, and a little winter crafting time magic! ✨

Who else celebrates the return of the light? 🕯️

12/17/2025

Christmas is a week away! It's time to start really embracing the season and all the holiday festivities, and there's no better collection of stories to help us get into the festive holiday spirit then "Martin & Sylvia's Christmastime." 🎧🎄

Enjoy these three stories from our Martin & Sylvia series! The stories follow the events that unfold over the weeks before Christmas as the creative brother and sister enjoy their favorite holiday traditions. You can listen to all three stories now via the link in our bio. 🔗

12/16/2025

✨ Kind words from fellow Sparklers ✨

How many hours of Sparkle do you think you and your family listen to each day!? We'd love to know!

12/15/2025

Give more than a gift—give an experience they will cherish for years to come. 🎧✨

Save 20% on a Sparkle Stories gift subscription during our Biggest Sale of the Year! Original audio stories for kids ages 3-9+ that parents love and children can't get enough of.

Their favorite holiday gift is just a click away. Gift yours now: www.sparklestories.com/gift-subscription/ 🎁

Have A Gift Subscription? You can apply a gift subscription code to your account at any time.

12/15/2025

On the twelfth day of the Martin & Sylvia Audio Advent Calendar "Spunderful Day", Martin takes stock of the gifts he's making his family for Christmas. He realizes he'd like to make one more thing for Sylvia and visits the Spunderful Shop with Momma for wooly supplies. 🐑
..Just the place you might visit to find the materials for this dear little holiday craft by Toy Making Magic (https://www.youtube.com/)! Click the link here: https://www.sparklestories.com/blog/post/crafting-the-holidays-needle-felted-matchbox-with-toymaking-magic/ for a full tutorial for how to create a needle felted matchbox cover. A sweet little gift for loved ones! 🕯️

🚨 A Message for Parents: This is a project for older kids (7+) like Martin, who are able to manage the sharp needle. Remind your child to keep their fingers far away from the needle while felting. We’ll be making some to give to grandparents, close neighbors, and maybe even to tuck into Momma’s stocking!

12/12/2025

Tomorrow is Santa Lucia Day! ✨ Here's a charming craft to celebrate this festival of lights that marks the beginning of Christmas season. Franziska Shelton of My Seasonal Treasury () is sharing printable Santa Lucia silhouettes for window art—simply print, cut out, and display in a sunny window! Download here: https://www.sparklestories.com/blog/post/crafting-the-holidays-santa-lucia-window-art/ Happy crafting! 🕯️

12/11/2025

Inspired by the Martin and Sylvia: More Adventures audio story, “Friend Cake”, where Sylvia wakes one morning remembering a curious dream. In the dream she helped a group of little ants, and in return, they give her some “friend cake”. 🍌🍫

It may not be "cake" but these cute personal-size Chocolate Banana Breads are perfect for gifting to friends and loved ones this holiday season—because who doesn't love banana bread!? Bonus: mason jars are relatively inexpensive and can be reused over and over again. So it's like two gifts in one! Learn how to bake this classic sweet (and healthy!) treat here: https://www.sparklestories.com/blog/post/sparkle-kitchen-chocolate-chip-banana-bread/

12/10/2025

✨ Featured Collection of the Week ✨

Libby & Dish's Good-Deed-a-Day Club—25 stories celebrating kindness and giving! When Libby learns the "dog trick" (the powerfully positive effect of doing nice things for others), she and her friends start a Good-Deed-a-Day Club for December.

Each story explores holiday celebrations across cultures and faiths while inspiring children to spread joy and compassion. Perfect for families wanting to make kindness their holiday tradition! 🎁💫

Press play to listen to all twenty-five stories here: https://www.sparklestories.com/blog/post/announcing-libby-and-dishs-good-deed-a-day-club/

12/09/2025

✨ Kind words from fellow Sparklers ✨

We love that we're able to offer a little something for the whole family! 😊

12/09/2025

✨ Light up the season with our Woodblock Menorah craft! Inspired by the Martin & Sylvia story "Festival of Lights," where Martin discovers how holidays connect us all—and decides to create his own festival. Now it's your turn! Grab a few simple supplies from your local hardware store and make this sweet DIY menorah with your family. 🕎 Check out our full how-to guide here: https://www.sparklestories.com/blog/post/sparkle-craft-woodblock-menorah/

12/08/2025

Give children the gift of storytelling magic this holiday season (and beyond) with a Sparkle Stories gift subscription and let their imaginations soar! 🎧 ✨ Now available for 20% off until December 31!

Our 1,500+ original audio stories are designed to captivate young minds and take them on engaging journeys through the magic of storytelling. With Sparkle Stories, kids can explore a wide range of tales that cover various themes and settings, sparking their creativity and nurturing their love for reading.

This subscription is not just a gift — it’s a gateway to a world of wonder and excitement. Purchase one today here: https://www.sparklestories.com/gift-subscription/

Have A Gift Subscription? You can apply a gift subscription code to your account at any time.

12/08/2025

Who else already has their tree up for the holidays!? 🎄

Our Creative Content Manager, Trish, and her kids couldn't wait and hand-picked the perfect little tree this past weekend! But no Christmas Tree is complete without some homemade ornaments!

Enter: our very own Sparkling Fruit Ornaments Craft! With just a little bit of time for prepping and drying your fruit, this is a great DIY project for tiny hands as they help to add Mod Podge, glitter and then (once dry) find the perfect hanging spot on the tree!

You can check-out the full how-to here: https://www.sparklestories.com/blog/post/sparkle-crafts-sparkling-fruit-ornaments/. 🎧 We recommend listening to the Martin & Sylvia Audio Advent Calendar story "The Tree" while you craft!