Classic Movies with Classic Moral Lessons

Posted on by Bob Richley
Audience seated in a vintage movie theater watching a black-and-white Warner Bros. film

I love the classic movies from Hollywood’s golden age. There’s something to that Golden Age of Hollywood (roughly the 1930s to early 1960s). Hollywood operated under real constraints that, paradoxically, often produced better storytelling than we get today.

The dialogue was often theatrical in the best sense, because so many writers and actors came from Broadway and radio. Screenwriters like Billy Wilder, Preston Sturges, and Ben Hecht (the “Shakespeare of Hollywood”) treated banter as a kind of sport, rapid-fire and layered with subtext, every line doing double duty (advancing plot and revealing character).

The era’s screenwriting remains legendary for its sharp, stylized delivery. The most iconic lines include:

Casablanca (1942): “Here’s looking at you, kid.” and “We’ll always have Paris”
Gone with the Wind (1939): “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
Some Like It Hot (1959): “Well, nobody’s perfect.”
To Have and Have Not (1944): “You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.”

The old-fashioned morals resonate with me.

The restrictive Hays Code dictated Classic Hollywood’s morals. This code mandated that good triumphed over evil, that crime never paid, and that authority remained largely respected. These films championed civic duty, romantic idealism, and personal sacrifice, but also subtly explored mature psychological nuances beneath the surface propriety

The moral fabric of the Golden Age rested on several key pillars:

The “Grey” Areas: While explicit sin was punished, directors—like Alfred Hitchcock or the pioneers of Film Noir—used complex character studies to examine the destructive nature of ambition, human flaws, and moral ambiguit

Strict Consequences for Wrongdoing: Under the enforcement of the Production Code, filmmakers could never cast sympathy on the villain, and characters had to face punishment for unlawful behavior. This ensured characters experienced absolute moral accountability.

The Sanctity of Marriage and Family: Romance was governed by chivalry, long-term commitment, and fidelity. Even married couples were famously depicted in separate beds on screen to adhere to the strict decency standards of the era.

Patriotism and Community: Classic heroes often embodied self-sacrifice for the greater good. Films tackled social injustice and political corruption while relying heavily on themes of civic duty, as in Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939).

I’m a proponent of discussing lessons from what we watch, not just ingesting. Movies, TV shows, books, magazine articles, and even blogs like this convey moral messages. I don’t want to be programmed by the messages; I want to think them through. The same for my kids; I want them to think and decide. So we discuss what we watch, asking questions like what choices the characters made, and what the consequences of the choices were. We filter everything through scripture.

These are some of my favorite classic movies and some of the lessons that can be gleaned from them.

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)


Three servicemen return home from WWII to a country that has moved on without them, each struggling to reintegrate into work, marriage, and identity. One man returns to his wife of 20 years. One to the wife he married just before going to war. The last returns to his girlfriend, who expects to be married soon. The film doesn’t offer easy triumph—one man battles alcoholism, one unemployment, another loses his hands and fears he’s now a burden to those who love him.

The moral weight here is in perseverance and honest reckoning: characters have to face what the war cost them rather than pretend it didn’t happen.

A good discussion question around this overarching theme is: What do the characters owe each other in rebuilding trust, and what do they owe themselves?

Two Great Scenes

In keeping with the code, the sanctity of marriage is preserved. One man’s marriage is struggling, so the young, compassionate daughter of the older veteran is very alluring. The chemistry is obvious. There are two scenes I absolutely love around this potential affair. The young woman, Peggy, played by Thersa Wright, says she’s going to break up the marriage because she can see that the man’s marriage is broken. When her parents confront her, she says they wouldn’t understand because they had a perfect marriage.

Her mother responds:

  • Milly Stephenson: “We never had any trouble.” How many times have I told you I hated you and believed it in my heart? How many times have you said you were sick and tired of me; that we were all washed up? How many times have we had to fall in love all over again?

The reality hits Peggy and convicts her.

The other is when Peggy’s father confronts the man, Fred, whose marriage Peggy wanted to break up.

Al: I happen to be quite fond of Peggy, and I, uh…

Fred: …don’t want her to get mixed up with a heel like me.

Al: I haven’t called you a heel, yet. I just don’t want to see her get into this mess…I don’t like the idea of you sneaking around corners to see Peggy, taking her love on a bootleg basis. I give you fair warning. I’m going to do everything I can to keep her away from you, to help her forget about you, and get her married to some decent guy who can make her happy.

Fred: Then, I guess that’s it, Al. I don’t see her anymore. I’ll put that in the form of a guarantee. I won’t see her anymore. I’ll call her up and tell her so. Does that satisfy you?

I love it. Al is a real father who defends his daughter and preserves the sanctity of marriage.

These scenes have many possibilities for discussion. Is it all right for a bad marriage to end? Under what circumstances is it, and under what circumstances isn’t it? The bible speaks of adultery being one reason that divorce is permissible. Are there others? Do any of those apply to Fred? Is it all right for Peggy and Fred to marry if Fred is divorced? Did Al make the right choice confronting Fred, or should he have left that choice to his daughter?

The scene that brings tears to my eyes every time is between the man who lost his hands, Homar, and his girlfriend. Homar thinks he’ll be a burden and doesn’t want to marry Wilma. He’s ashamed. Wilma is persistent. I love the dialogue in the climactic moment in their relationship.

Homer: I’m lucky I have my elbows. Some of the boys don’t, but I can’t button them up.

Wilma: I’ll do that, Homer.

Homer: This is when I know I’m helpless. My hands are down there on the bed. I can’t put them on again without calling to somebody for help. I can’t smoke a cigarette or read a book. If that door should blow shut, I can’t open it and get out of this room. I’m as dependent as a baby that doesn’t know how to get anything except to cry for it. Well, now you know, Wilma. Now you have an idea of what it is. I guess you don’t know what to say. It’s all right. Go on home. Go away like your family said.

Wilma: I know what to say, Homer. I love you and I’m never going to leave you, never. [She kisses him]

Homer: You mean you, you didn’t mind?

Wilma: Of course not. I told you I loved you.

Homer: I love you, Wilma. I always have and I always will.

I love it! What a loving character Wilma has. She sees beyond Homer’s handicap and sees the man she loves.

There are many questions that could be asked about this relationship. Why does Homer pull away? Is he right to do so? Would Wilma be right to leave as her parents suggested? Why does she stay? How do we see handicapped people? How does God want us to see them?

Casablanca (1942)

Set in WWII, Casablanca follows cynical American expat Rick Blaine. When his former lover, Ilsa, arrives at his Moroccan nightclub with her husband, a heroic resistance leader, Rick must choose between personal happiness and helping them escape Nazi persecution to fight the war.

One of the most iconic lines in movie history is spoken by Rick (Humphry Bogart): “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”

Rick speaks this line after Isla Lund (Ingrid Bergman) walks into his gin joint with her husband, the well-known Czech resistance leader Victor Laszlo. They had shared a passionate affair in Paris, just before it fell to the Nazis, when Isla believed that her husband had died in a concentration camp. Rick is left alone at a train station where he had been waiting for Isla, who never came.

Rick Blaine, a cynical expatriate, has to choose between personal happiness with Ilsa and the larger cause of resisting fascism—ultimately sacrificing his own desire for her safety and the war effort. It’s a study in delayed gratification and putting duty above self-interest, but it’s also honest about how much that costs Rick.

Once again, per the code, the sanctity of marriage is preserved. The film grapples with the love between Rick and Isla. It pits love against duty and the greater good of others. Was Rick’s sacrifice noble, or does the film ask us to question whether love should have won out?

Rick confronts the evil on Nazizism. How should we confront evil? Fight against it? Resist it? Let it happen as long as it doesn’t affect us? These are questions Rick wrestles with. Did he make the right choice?

Boys Town (1938)


Father Flanagan’s (Spencer Tracy) belief that “there’s no such thing as a bad boy” drives the founding of a home for delinquent youth, tested most severely by Whitey Marsh (Micky Rooney), a hardened kid who resists redemption at every turn. The film argues for the transformative power of trust and mentorship over punishment.

Whitey goes to Boys Town reluctantly because his other brother does not want Whitey to turn out like him.

One question to ask about Whitey’s brother is this: Is Whitey’s brother trying to earn redemption by helping his brother? What do you think is his motive? Can anyone earn redemption?

Whitey’s journey in the movie follows a very specific arc:

Redemption: Through Father Flanagan’s tough love and patience, Whitey eventually learns the value of the town’s democratic rules, takes his responsibilities seriously, and changes his behavior.

Initial Rebellion: When Father Flanagan (Spencer Tracy) brings Whitey to the self-governing community, the boy scoffs at the rules, tries to leave, and picks fights with fellow residents.

The “Boss” Mentality: Whitey attempts to seize control by running for campus mayor, campaigning against the incumbent Freddie Fuller.

He His breaking point is when he decides to leave, and the little punk kid who follows him everywhere is hit by a car.

I tear up every time I watch that scene. It’s Pee Wee’s love for Whitey that finally breaks him. His tough-guy demeanor and mask break off, and the real Whitey emerges.

Lessons

Father Flanagan continually shows grace to Whitey but always leaves the choice to him. He doesn’t stop Whitey from leaving. This parallels God’s pursuit of us. God offers grace but doesn’t force us to stay.

Where’s the line between giving someone grace and enabling bad behavior? The film has a clear answer. Do you agree?

Whitey’s run for mayor illustrates his change.

The First Election: He campaigns on a rebellious platform with the slogan “Don’t be a sucker!” However, the boys elect a disabled boy, Tony Ponessa, instead.


The Boxing Match: After a bitter outburst over the loss, Whitey challenges the outgoing mayor to a boxing match and loses that as well.


Becoming Mayor: After leaving the facility, getting caught up in a bank robbery, and risking his life to protect the reputation of Boys Town, a reformed Whitey is elected the new mayor of Boys Town by acclamation at the end of the film.

Like his brother, is Whitey now trying to earn redemption, or has his change of character caused him to respond and behave differently out of gratitude? Is he still prideful, or has he become humble?

What does the movie teach us about redemption, sacrifice, and grace?

Meet John Doe (1941)


A fabricated “everyman” letter-writer becomes a media sensation and then a tool for a media mogul’s political ambitions, forcing the ordinary man hired to play “John Doe” to decide whether to expose the fraud or let it ride. Frank Capra’s populism is on full display—the film distrusts manipulation by power and money, and elevates the conscience of the common man. Good conversation starter: what does the film say about how easily people can be swept up in movements, and what does it take to break from the crowd?

Frank Capra Movies

Frank Capra made some of my all-time favorites. These include:

It Happened One Night (1934): The ultimate screwball comedy starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, which swept the “Big Five” Oscars.
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936): A heartwarming tale of a small-town tuba player inheriting a fortune and taking on city corruption.
You Can’t Take It With You (1938): An eccentric comedy about living life on your own terms that won Best Picture. [1]
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939): A deeply patriotic and politically stirring drama about an idealistic junior senator fighting corruption.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): The iconic Christmas classic. It follows George Bailey, a selfless man who gives up his personal dreams of travel to run his family’s building-and-loan company. With the help of his guardian angel, Clarence, he learns the profound impact he has had on his community.

Meet John Doe Synopsis

Meet John Doe begins with a publicity stunt. As a parting shot at her boss, fired reporter Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck) prints a fake letter from unemployed “John Doe,” who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper rehires Ann and hires John Willoughby (Gary Cooper) to impersonate “Doe.” Ann and her bosses milk the story for all it’s worth. The made-up “John Doe” philosophy starts a whole social movement, and people form “Joe Doe Clubs”. People, including Ann, start to believe in the movement. Publisher D.B. Norton (Edward Arnold) has a secret plan to benefit himself and gain power.

Biblical Element

The whole John Doe movement is based on “Love your neighbor,” which Jesus called the 2nd greatest command. Matthew 22:36–40

I love the end of the movie because it points back to the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

There are a few lessons to discuss in the movie. As with many Frank Capra movies, it pits the common man against the big and powerful men. What does the Bible say about how we are to treat those in power? Romans 13:1-6. Is there any room for resistance or fighting against corruption and greed, and the abuse of power? Acts 5:29

How is loving our neighbor portrayed in the movie? Is it done out of selfish ambition or genuine concern? What does the Bible say about our motives for doing good? Matthew 6:1-4 and Philippians 2:3-4

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)


Tom Rath (Gregory Peck), a WWII veteran turned corporate employee, wrestles with ambition, a hidden wartime secret, and the question of what he actually owes to his wife and family versus his career. Pressured by his wife, Betsy (Jennifer Jones), to pursue the “American Dream,” Tom leaves a mundane non-profit job for a high-stress corporate public relations position in New York City. Unlike many Code-era films, this one grapples with moral compromise rather than resolving it cleanly. There’s real ambiguity about whether success and integrity can coexist.

Tom Rath is the kind of husband and father I want to be. I don’t want to live for my career. I want to live for my God and family. Tom chooses his family over his career.

Tom is also bluntly honest rather than a “yes man.” I love this scene of his honesty.

The film also grapples with infidelity, a child born out of wedlock, and forgiveness. It doesn’t provide simple answers. It doesn’t hide the sin, but recognizes the wrong.

I love the ending of the film. There is genuine forgiveness and love.

Moral Questions

The film raises several moral questions. Two characters choose career over family. One chooses a career, and one chooses family. The consequences of those choices are shown clearly. What were those consequences? Who made the better choice and why? Was one choice more biblical than the other? Why?

When Tom is bluntly honest with his boss, should he have been? What was the consequence of his honesty? Could he have been more tactful? Does his choice and the way he handled it line up biblically?

Tom also has to be honest with his wife about a sin he committed against her. Did he make the right choice? Initially, the wife drives away and almost hurts herself. Did she handle the honesty well?

The wife chooses forgiveness. Was this the right thing to do? What were the consequences of the choice her husband made during the war? Was there an “innocent victim” of that choice? Were the needs of that victim met?

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)


Atticus Finch defends a Black man falsely accused of rape in a prejudiced Southern town, teaching his children Scout and Jem about justice, empathy, and moral courage even when the outcome is unjust. It’s maybe the clearest example on your list of the Code-era’s “civic duty” pillar merging with something deeper—Atticus does right knowing he’ll likely lose, because the doing is what matters.

This film is based on a wonderful classic book and handles it well.

The movie begins with simple kids simply having fun. They are drawn to the scary house of Boo Radley(Robert Duvall) and share rumors and gossip about Boo. They are afraid to even be on the porch.

The center of the story is really the trial of a black man falsely accused of rape. Atticus takes the case, putting his reputation on the line to defend a “Negro.”

All of this is seen through the innocent eyes of Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch. Through the eyes of a child, we witness a gross injustice.

One of my favorite scenes is when Scout stands up for her father, because of the respect he deserves for what he is doing.

Watching it still makes my eyes moist.

There are many lessons that can be discussed, beginning with the mistrust of Boo, who befriends Scout and ultimately saves her life. Why does Scout fear Boo? Is it right to spread gossip? How does Boo treat Scout and her brother Jem?

  • Why does Scout fear Boo?
  • Is it right to spread gossip?
  • How does Boo treat Scout and her brother Jem?
  • What risk does Atticus take?
  • What choices does he make, and what are the consequences to his family?
  • What does it cost Atticus to take the case, and would we do the same thing in his position?

A Few Final Words

None of these films are scripture, and none of their moral universes map perfectly onto ours. The Hays Code gave us tidy endings and clear consequences, but real life is messier than a 1940s reel. Fred and Al’s confrontation doesn’t resolve every question about broken marriages, and Atticus’s courage didn’t fix Maycomb’s prejudice overnight. That’s actually the point. These films aren’t meant to hand us answers; they’re meant to hand us questions worth sitting with.

That’s why my family doesn’t just watch and move on. We pause. We ask what a character chose, what it cost them, and whether scripture would have them choose differently. Sometimes the film’s answer holds up. Sometimes it doesn’t—and that’s a good conversation too. Homer and Wilma teach us something about how we see the broken and the burdened. Whitey and Father Flanagan teach us something about grace and its limits. Tom Rath teaches us that career and integrity don’t always come free.

I’d rather my kids grow up asking these questions with me now, over old movies with lower stakes, than have to ask them for the first time when the stakes are their own marriage, their own career, their own moral crossroads. That’s what these films are for in our house—not moral programming, but moral practice.

So the next time you sit down for a classic, don’t just watch it. Talk about it. Ask what you’d have done. Ask what God asks of you instead. That’s where the real story starts.

Extracting Biblical Truths from Children’s Literature

Posted on by Bob Richley
Mother and young boy reading a children's Bible book together at a wooden table

Intro

  • While reading Heidi with my wife, I was struck by the Biblical Lessons. I noticed that other classics such as The Swiss Family Robinson, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and To Kill a Mockingbird were filled with obvious Christian themes.
  • Stories — even secular ones — often carry echoes of biblical truth, and parents can use them as a bridge into deeper spiritual conversation. It’s as if the DNA for all great stories is in biblical truths of sacrifice, love, and redemption.
  • C.S. Lewis himself was converted when he noticed the most beloved Myths and Fables had Christian themes. C.S. Lewis famously concluded that Christianity was the ultimate “true myth”. He didn’t just notice Christian themes in favorite fables; he realized that Christ was the historical fulfillment of the deep, recurring themes and longings found in all ancient myths and stories.

Why Stories Are a Natural Bridge to Scripture

  • Jesus taught in parables — stories were his primary teaching method.
    • Jesus taught in parables to hide the meaning from those who would not want to understand
    • He explained it privately to his disciples.
    • He used common experiences understood in that culture, such as farming, shepherding, and traveling on foot over dangerous roads.
  • Kids grasp abstract truths (grace, sacrifice, courage) more easily through narrative than direct teaching.
    • Princeton researchers found that the brains of storytellers and listeners mirror each other, making an emotion or concept feel deeply personal.
  • Stories translate vague theories into tangible scenarios that are relatable to children. For example, rather than explaining how we should love our enemies, a narrative about a rat who loves a mouse who hates him brings that idea to life.

How to “Extract” a Bible Lesson from Any Story
A repeatable method, parallel to your “Questions You Can Ask” section:

  • Identify the character’s choice — what did they do, and why?
  • Ask what the story values (courage, sacrifice, forgiveness, honesty)
  • Find the Scripture or Biblical truth that echoes it
    • You can find an example here.
  • Ask your child to connect the dots themselves before you say it.

Examples From Children’s Literature I’ve Read

  • Charlotte’s Web
    • Charlotte shows sacrificial love.
      • Charlotte works hard to save Wilbur’s life.
      • Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13
  • A Little Princess
    • Sara Crewe masters dignity under pressure and kindness as a choice by treating her nobility of spirit as an inner reality rather than an external circumstance. When stripped of her wealth and abused, she proves that true grace comes from choosing compassion over cruelty, even when no one is watching.
    • This serves as an example of what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5-8.
  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
    • Aslan shows substitutionary redemption by giving his life for Edmund, who betrayed his family. This parallels Jesus’ sacrifice for our redemption.
    • The family and Aslan show Edmund unconditional forgiveness.
  • Heidi
    • The obvious one was the story of the Prodigal Son that Heidi read to Grandfather and eventually led to his redemption.
    • Heidi learns contentment even when she is taken from her Grandfather’s home, which is a good example of applying Paul’s lesson in Philippians 4:11-13
    • When Heidi is deeply homesick in Frankfurt, the grandmother teaches her to cry out directly to God when she has a sorrow she cannot share with anyone else. This points directly to the biblical instruction in Philippians 4:6 to bring all requests to God.
    • Here’s a nice outline of other hidden Themes in Heidi
  • Redeeming Rhubarb
    • Based on Matthew 5:44, where Jesus tells us to love our enemies.
    • Rhubarb, the mouse hates Barnabas, the rat, simply because Rhubarb hates rats. Barnabas shows nothing but kindness to Rhubarb and his family, even risking his own life.
  • You can find gurther examples in this blog.

A Caution: Not Forcing It

  • A Caution: Not Forcing It
    • Not every lesson in a children’s book lines up with Scripture. Some come close but teach something subtly different — and that gap is actually a gift, not a problem, if we know how to use it. Some teach lessons contrary to Scripture, and I want my kids to know that. What I dislike about Frances Hodgson Burnett’s books is that she often refers to “magic” rather than the Holy Spirit of God. Chronicles of Narnia also uses “deep magic,” but it is an allegory where things like “magic” actually represent something Biblical. Even Christian books can miss the mark. When my kids were little, I read a book that was a gospel presentation, but it missed a key component of the Gospel: repentance. I inserted this word when I read it and pointed out its absence to my kids.
    • Take the “good things happen to good people” theme. It shows up constantly in children’s stories: the kind character gets rewarded, the selfish one learns a lesson and reforms, the story wraps up neatly with virtue paying off. It’s not a bad message — kindness should be encouraged. But it’s not the gospel. It’s karma dressed up as morality. Scripture teaches something harder and better: grace. God’s love and rescue aren’t earned by good behavior. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Grace runs in the opposite direction of “be good and good things will happen to you.” It says good things happened to us even though we were nowhere near good.
    • I don’t think we need to avoid these books. I think we need to notice the gap out loud, with our kids.
  • This builds discernment, not just pattern-matching
    • If we only ever point out where a story lines up with the Bible, our kids learn a kind of pattern-matching — “this is like that verse” — without learning to actually think critically about what a story is teaching. But if we also point out where a story almost gets it right but doesn’t, we’re teaching them something more valuable: how to test what they read and watch against Scripture for the rest of their lives, long after they’ve outgrown picture books.
    • This matters more as they get older. Middle schoolers and teens are absorbing messages constantly — from shows, from friends, from social media — that sound wise or moral but quietly reshape what they believe about God, sin, and grace. If they’ve practiced noticing the difference between “earn it” and “grace” in a bedtime story at age seven, they’ll be far better equipped to catch it in a Netflix show at age fifteen.
    • A simple way to raise this with your child: “This story says good things happen to good people. Is that what the Bible says? What does the Bible say happens to us, even when we’re not good?” Let them sit with it. Let them find the tension themselves.
  • Show, don’t tell — even here.
    • This is also a good moment to apply my own criteria for good children’s books: show, don’t tell. I don’t want to lecture my kids on the difference between karma and grace. I want to ask a question and let them work it out, the same way I’d want a well-written book to reveal a moral through the story rather than stating it outright.
    • So instead of saying, “This book is wrong, here’s the real answer,” I’ll ask something like, “Do you think the character earned the ending, or was it a gift?” Then I let the conversation go wherever it goes. Sometimes my daughters land on the answer right away. Sometimes it takes a few more questions. Either way, they get there themselves — and what they discover on their own sticks far longer than what I hand them.

Practical Ways to Do This at Home

Family of four reading books on a couch in a warm living room
  • Reading time discussion questions.
    • What choices did the characters make?
    • What were the consequences of those choices?
    • What is the main moral lesson?
    • Does this line up with scripture?
  • A simple family ritual: “Bible bridge” question after each book/chapter.
    • What Bible Verses would fit for some of the things done or said?
    • What was the main point or outcome?
    • Do choices and lessons line up Biblically?
  • Journaling or discussion notebook idea.
    • Writing it down can force us to think and help us remember
    • It also gives a reference that we can circle back to time and again.

Closing

I’ve been reading to my children since they were babies. I wasn’t also good at pointing out the lessons, but as they grew older, I began to ask questions not only about what we read but also about what we watched.

While I sometimes pointed out the lesson, I found it better to ask open-ended questions and let them figure it out. This gets them thinking rather than me lecturing.

Reading to your children is vitally important, as I point out in this blog. Even more important is to engage them in discussion. I want my kids to think, not just ingest. I encourage you to get your kids to think. Ask questions. Find the answers together.

Fun Family Games for Quality Time

Posted on by Bob Richley
Family of two adults and three children playing a board game with dice and cards

Family Time

Some of the best childhood memories aren’t made on vacations or at big events — they’re made on an ordinary Tuesday evening, sprawled on the living room floor, laughing so hard you can barely breathe. That’s the magic of family games. You don’t need fancy equipment, a big budget, or hours of free time. All you need is a little creativity, a willing group of players, and maybe a blanket or two for building the world’s greatest pillow fort.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” This not only commands us to be intentional about teaching our children but also highlights the importance of making family time a natural, daily rhythm.

How Our Family Put Into Practice

Our family put this into practice by making time to connect through one-on-one time with our daughters, family time, outdoor time, and devotional time. We had to get creative to make time for intentional family time. This blog presents some of the things we did to spend quality time with our daughters.

This collection is a mix of games passed down through generations — the ones your parents and grandparents probably played — alongside a few silly inventions that emerged from bored kids looking for something to do. Some are quiet and thoughtful, like guessing games and storytelling. Others are loud, chaotic, and guaranteed to get everyone moving, like Sleeping Bear or a rousing round of Going on a Bear Hunt. There are games for outdoors and indoors, for toddlers and teenagers, for two players or twenty.

And it’s not just games — you’ll also find crafts to get your hands messy, simple science experiments to spark curiosity, and ideas for turning story time into real conversation.

Whether you’re looking to fill a lazy Sunday afternoon, entertain a house full of cousins, or create a reason to put the screens down for an hour, there’s something here for you. So gather the family, pick a game, and get ready to make some noise (and some memories).

Family Games

  • Sleeping bear
    • Rules
      • The bear lies down on the ground with its eyes closed, with honey in its paws.
      • The other players try to steal honey from the bear.
      • If the bear wakes, it chases other players. If the player is caught, they are out. If they reach a “goal,” something like a couch, they are safe.
      • The remaining person becomes the bear.
    • Comment
      • This was one of my kids’ favorites when they were little, especially when Daddy was the bear.
  • Going on a bear hunt
    • Here is the call-and-response routine:
      • Leader: We’re going on a bear hunt.
      • Group: We’re going on a bear hunt.
      • Leader: I’ve got my big binoculars!
      • Group: I’ve got my big binoculars!
      • Leader: I’m not scared.
      • Group: I’m not scared.
      • Leader: Oh no! It’s some long, wavy grass.
      • Group: Oh no! It’s some long, wavy grass.
      • Leader: Can’t go over it.
      • Group: Can’t go over it.
      • Leader: Can’t go under it.
      • Group: Can’t go under it.
      • Leader: Must go through it.
      • Group: Must go through it.
      • Leader: Oh no! We’ve got to go through it!
      • Group: Oh no! We’ve got to go through it!
      • Continue with obstacles until the cave
      • Leader: Oh no! It’s dark cave.
      • Group: Oh no! It’s dark cave.
      • Leader: Can’t go over it.
      • Group: Can’t go over it.
      • Leader: Can’t go under it.
      • Group: Can’t go under it.
      • Leader: Must go inside.
      • Group: Must go inside.
      • Leader: Sure is dark in here.
      • Group: Sure is dark in here.
      • Leader: I feel something furry.
      • Leader: It feels like a bear.
      • Leader: Rowr! It is a bear.
      • Go through every obstacle backward.
      • Leader: Slam the door
      • Leader: Whew.
    • The Obstacles
      • For each obstacle, repeat the “Can’t go over it…” verses, but change the action and sound effect while you “go through” it:
      • Long wavy grass: Swish, swish, swish (Move hands/hips side-to-side)
      • A deep, cold river: Splash, splash, splash (Slap hands on legs)
      • Muck and thick mud: Squelch, squelch, squelch (Stomp your feet)
      • A big, dark forest: Stumble, trip, stumble (Clumsy, heavy stomping)
      • A mountain rock: Grunt! (My climbing motions)
      • A narrow, dark cave: Step, step, step (Tiptoe quietly)
  • Silly story
    • The leader begins a story with a few sentences.
    • Each playing adds a few sentences to the story.
    • After a predetermined set of rounds, the leader ends the story.
Family of four sitting on a couch playing a spinner game and laughing
A family enjoying a lively game night together on the couch
  • Hide the object behind the back
    • The leader hides an object.
    • Players guess what they have
    • Do it like 20 questions with yes/no answers.
  • What is missing?
    • Spread various objects in a line on the floor
    • Cover objects with blanket.
    • Remove one.
    • Players figure out what’s missing.
  • Sorting game
    • Choose objects that can be categorized, like coins, and separate them into chosen categories.
  • Bucket ball toss
    • Line up 5 or 6 buckets with various prizes in each bucket.
    • Toss a ball into each, starting with the closest.
  • Sink the foil boat with coins
    • Make a boat from foil.
    • Put one coin in each boat until they sink.
    • Last boat to sink is the winning boat.
  • Family nature walk
    • Go for a walk around the neighborhood, or a park or trail.
    • Purposely notice animals, bugs and plants.
  • Alphabet Games
    • Going to the zoo and going to see a …
    • Going on a camping trip and taking a…
  • Read one sentence from a story and guess the story.
    • Helps to have a series of stories you read multiple times.
  • Treasure hunt
    • Hide various riddle clues around the house.
    • The answer to each riddle is the next hidding place.
    • The last hiding place has a treasure (often a sweet treat).
  • “The Floor is Lava.”
    • Toss pillows around the floor.
    • Avoid steping on the floor by stepping on the pillows.
  • Make an indoor obstacle course.
  • Build a giant fort out of blankets, chairs and pillows.
Three children building a pillow and blanket fort in a living room with colorful blankets and cushions
Kids collaborate to build a cozy pillow and blanket fort in a living room.
  • Have a pillow fight.
  • Make me laugh
    • Based on the TV game show.
    • Set a minute timer.
    • One person tells jokes or does silly things to make another player laugh.
  • Puppet Show
    • Can make puppets as a craft or buy some.
    • Have fun with your own skit or find a prepared one.
    • Act out a story you’ve read with the kids.
  • Acting relay
    • This wonderful theater game will have everyone laughing. As the facilitator, go through a series of pantomiming everyday tasks or experiences: going camping, eating an ice cream cone, bowling, changing a tire, changing a light bulb, listening to music on your iPod, watching a movie, being a rock musician, blowing out candles on a birthday cake, or making pancakes. The list can go on forever! Give the roles in turn to each player.

Bible Games

  • Guess Biblical Character
    • The leader chooses a character from the Bible.
    • The leader gives a hint.
    • Take turn guessing.
    • Alternate hint and guessing until someone gets the right character.
  • Scripture Memory
    • Choose a verse to remember.
    • Say the first word of the verse and toss a ball to another person.
    • Person with ball says the next word.
    • Keep tossing the ball and saying the next word until the whole verse is said.
  • Repent
    • Have one person be Jesus
    • The others run away from him.
    • Jesus yells, “Repent!”
    • Those running turn around and run back to him.

Traditional Games

  • I spy
  • Tag
  • Hide and Seek
    • Sardines variation where one hides, but when found the others hide with the person
    • Added tag. When the person runs to a goal. If tagged, then out.
    • Ghost in the graveyard. Normally down at night. All hide together; when the ghost is spotted, yell “A ghost!” and run from it
  • Hot Potato
  • Musical Chairs
  • Scavenger hunt
  • Balloon volley ball
  • Keep balloon in the air

Crafts – Here are a few ideas to get you started.

  • Shared drawing
    • Choose something to draw like a bird.
    • Set a minute timer.
    • Everyone begins to draw on their own paper.
    • When timer is done pass paper to the left.
    • Everyone adds to the drawing until eveyone has added to each of the drawings.
  • Papermache
    • Base Form: Use balloons, chicken wire, or crumpled newspaper (or foil) to shape your creation.
      Paper: Standard, non-shiny newspaper torn into 1- to 2-inch strips. Tearing creates jagged edges that blend more smoothly than cut edges.
      Paste: Mix 1 part all-purpose flour to 2 parts warm water until it reaches a pancake-batter consistency. Add a pinch of salt to prevent mold. (Alternatively, use 1 part white school glue to 1 part water)
    • Prepare the Object
      • Build the underlying shape of your object. You can bunch up newspaper and secure it with masking tape, or use an inflated balloon for hollow shapes like bowls or piñatas.
    • Apply the Paper
      • Dip a strip of paper into your paste, run it between two fingers to wipe off the excess, and lay it flat over your base. Smooth the strip down with your fingers to press out any air bubbles. Overlap the strips and lay them in alternating directions (horizontal, vertical, and diagonal) to build a strong crisscross structure.
    • Let It Dry
      • Allow the wet paper mache to dry completely before applying additional layers. This typically takes about 24 hours, depending on the humidity.
      • You will need 2 to 3 layers for basic projects, or 4 to 6 layers if your final object requires extra sturdiness or needs to be cut open.
    • Decorate and Finish
      • Once your final layer is completely dry, you can use fine-grit sandpaper to smooth out any rough bumps or ragged edges. Seal the surface with a primer or a glue-and-water mixture, then decorate it with acrylic paints.
  • Owl
    • Draw or print a picture of an owl
    • Use colored tissue paper torn into small pieces as feathers
    • Glue feathers using stick glue
    • Cut our round black circles for eyes, or use buttons or googly eyes.

Science experiments – here are some ideas to get you started

  • Simple Acid Base
    • Marerials
      • Foil Tray
      • Plastic Cups
      • Eyedropper
      • Food coloring, primary colors only (red, blue, yellow).
      • Vinegar
      • Baking Soda
    • Step by Step Instructions
      • Scatter baking soda in piles on the foil tray.
      • Pour vinegar and food coloring into cups. One color per cup.
      • Use an eyedropper to drop the vinegar mixture onto the baking soda.
    • Example of my kids doing this experiment.
  • Lava Lamp
    • Materials Needed
      • Clean clear plastic bottle or glass jar
      • Vegetable oil
      • Water
      • Food coloring
      • Alka-Seltzer tablets
      • Glitter (optional)
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
      • Pour water into your jar until it is about 1/4 to 1/3 full.
      • Add 5 to 10 drops of food coloring to the water.
      • Fill the rest of the container with vegetable oil, leaving a little space at the top. You will notice the oil floats on top of the water because it is less dense.
      • If you want an extra sparkly effect, add some glitter.
      • Break an Alka-Seltzer tablet into 2 to 4 smaller pieces. Drop one piece into the oil and watch the bubbling lava effect begin.
      • When the fizzing slows down, add another piece of the tablet to keep the reaction going.

Reading Stories – Suggestions

  • Read stories aloud to the kids.
  • Have the kids read the story when they are able.
  • Read a chapter a night until the book is finished.
  • Ask questions about the book.
    • What choices did the characters make?
    • What were the consequences of those choices?
    • What did you like about the story?
    • What didn’t you like?
    • What’s the main point the author was trying to convey?
    • Does the message agree with our values and scripture?
  • See my blog on the importance of reading stories.
  • For book ideas, see this blog.

It’s not the activity that matters; it’s the intentional choice to spend time together as a family that does. Choose activities that fit your family and your schedule. Make time for what matters most. https://bobrichleyauthor.store/2026/07/14/fun-family-games-for-quality-time/

Intentional Family Choices: A Guide to Improving Family Life

Posted on by Bob Richley
Winding dirt path through green countryside towards a lit cottage at dusk

How We Built Intentional Family Time — And What It Taught Us

It’s 7:45 pm. Teeth are brushed, pajamas are on, and my youngest is negotiating for “just one more minute” before the towel comes out and objects disappear from the carpet in front of her. She squints, trying to remember what was there a second ago. This is family time — ten minutes we’ve protected almost every night for years, long before either of my daughters could tell time on their own.

Most families don’t choose their routine; it chooses them. Kids have school, parents have work, meals need to be made, and by the time the dishes are done, everyone collapses in front of a screen and the day repeats itself. We didn’t want to live a cycle that was simply handed to us, so early in our marriage — when our kids were still very little — we decided to be intentional about a few things that mattered most, like precious one-on-one time, family time, devotional time, less screen time and more outdoor time. It made a bigger difference than we expected.

On a typical day, my wife or I make breakfast, she drives the kids to school, and I head to work. When the kids get home, they get half an hour on their devices before homework starts, and I help as needed. My youngest has gymnastics twice a week; my oldest crochets and draws. We watch very little TV — maybe an hour on the nights my youngest doesn’t have practice. That’s our routine. Except…

Family of four reading books on a couch in a warm living room
A family enjoys reading devotional books together on a cozy couch by the fireplace

The Bedtime Routine We Built on Purpose

We decided early in our marriage, when the kids were very little, that we would be purposeful about how we spent our time especialy with our kids.

Once the necessities were done — cleaned up, dressed, teeth brushed — we carved out a sequence of small, deliberate rituals:

One-on-one time. For ten minutes, I’d sit with one daughter while my wife spent time with the other, then we’d swap. The child got to choose the activity. We alternated who started with whom each night so it never felt lopsided. As the girls got older and the whole routine started running long, they told us they’d rather just have family time — so we let one-on-one time go. Kids grow out of things, and that’s fine; the goal was never to keep every piece forever.

Family time. Ten more minutes, but this time Mom and Dad chose the activity. Often it was a simple made-up game like “What’s Missing?” — we’d set objects on the floor, cover them with a towel, remove one, and see if the kids could name it. Other nights it was hide-and-seek or whatever silly thing came to mind. One of my favorites was reading from a story one sentence and guessing the story. Some stories we had read so many times, the kids had them practically memorized. The kids won this game more than the parents.

Story time. I’d snuggle with my daughters and read aloud, which eventually turned into working through a chapter at a time. Charlotte’s Web is still one of my favorite memories from those nights. I loved that story, as did my kids. I later wrote a whole post on The Importance of Reading Aloud: Benefits for Children

Family devotion. We’d read scripture, play a kids’ worship song, and pray together. As the girls got older, the song dropped away, and we added devotional books that still centered on scripture and prayer.

None of this happened perfectly every night. There were plenty of evenings when someone was cranky, the routine felt too long, or we skipped a piece because it had been a hard day. All too often, the kids were bouncing off the walls during devotions. What mattered wasn’t perfect execution — it was choosing to protect the time often enough that it became the norm rather than the exception. We were choosing our priorities and intentionally living by them, and we still are. The method or activities may change, but the priorities don’t.

Screens and the Outdoors, On Purpose Too. When TV entered the picture, we didn’t want it to be passive. I worried about the messages my kids would absorb without questioning them, so I started asking simple questions during and after: What choice did that character just make? What happened because of it? I wrote more about this approach in Active Viewing: How to Discuss TV Shows with Kids

We were just as deliberate about time outdoors. When the girls were babies, I pushed them around the block in their stroller most days. As they grew, that became trips to the park, walks where we intentionally noticed bugs and plants, and eventually camping trips and mountain hikes as a family. I wrote about why this mattered in The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Child Development

What We’ve Noticed

My daughters are tweens now, and we’re still doing versions of these same habits. A few things we’ve noticed along the way:

  • They do well in school — which tracks with the research I cited in my other posts about how reading and time in nature support academic performance.
  • They ask to go outside and go camping. They wouldn’t ask if the habit of outdoor time hadn’t become something they genuinely enjoy.
  • They read on their own now, without being told to — my oldest is currently working through Little Women, and my youngest picked up Watership Down.
  • They engage with scripture independently. My oldest has read the entire Bible in the King James Version on her own, which we credit partly to years of nightly devotion normalizing it as just part of the day.
  • We get compliments on their manners, and in Sunday school, they’re often the ones helping the teacher because they know the material.

We don’t think any of this happened because we were extraordinary parents. We are far from perfect and have certainly made many mistakes. It happened because we picked a small number of things — connection, reading, faith, the outdoors — and consistently set aside time for them, even when it would have been easier not to.

Family playing board game at wooden table with snacks and natural light
A cheerful family spanning three generations play a board game together at home

If You Want to Try This

You don’t need to copy our exact routine. Start smaller:

  1. Pick one 10-minute slot in your existing schedule — bedtime, after dinner, wherever there’s already a natural pause — and protect it before anything else gets added.
  2. Choose one ritual, not five. Reading aloud, a made-up game, a walk around the block — pick the one that fits your family and do it consistently before adding more.
  3. Be as consistent as possible. With any good habit, if you let it slip too many times, it will cease to be a habit. Children thrive on consistency and expect it. So value this time and guard it.
  4. Let your kids have a say in some of it. Giving them a choice in even one part of the routine (like we did with one-on-one time) makes it something they look forward to instead of something done to them or demanded of them.
  5. Expect it to change. What works when your kids are toddlers won’t look the same when they’re tweens. Let the routine evolve instead of trying to preserve it exactly as it started.
  6. Don’t aim for perfect. Some nights will be rushed or skipped entirely. The habit is built by showing up most nights, not every night. The only one we did without fail was devotion, though sometimes we did it in the car.

If you need a few ideas, check out this blog.

The specific rituals matter less than the decision behind them: that family time wouldn’t just be whatever was left over after everything else was done. All habits begin with an intentional decision. Don’t let life just happen to you and your family. Be intentional about the choices you make to make your family great.

Choosing Books That Teach Life Lessons

Posted on by Bob Richley
Family reading books in a warmly lit living room with bookshelf and fireplace

The Importance of Teaching Values Through Literature

The stories we read with our children often shape them more deeply than our lectures ever can. Books are powerful tools for shaping a child’s worldview. Reading with our kids can help develop empathy, problem-solving skills, and complex behaviors in a safe, relatable context. Focus on the Family writes that reading with our kids develops parts of the brain that ignite visual imagery, comprehension, and word meaning. When we watch TV or are on a screen, we don’t need to use our imagination, but as we hear words read or read them ourselves, we must imagine.

Focus on the Family also says reading develops character, especially when we discuss what we read. Characters make choices in stories. Ask whether they are good or bad choices. What are the consequences of those choices? According to Focus on the Family, “Children whose parents read to them develop emotional and social skills quickly, and learn to effectively employ them in daily lives.” I’ve been reading to my kids since they were babies. I believe my kids are emotionally healthy and have wonderful social skills. We are told consistently what polite, thoughtful kids we have.

Research shows that regularly reading together boosts brain receptivity to learning and enhances social skills and emotional understanding. Books build vocabulary, spark creativity, and provide an anchor for parent-child bonding. The Children’s Mind Institute says, “By reading to your child starting at a young age, even before they’re able to communicate verbally, you help lay the neurological groundwork for effective language use and literacy. That’s partly because books expose children to vocabulary and grammar that they wouldn’t normally hear.” When we read to our children, they hear words they don’t know. The context gives them hints at the meaning.

Criteria for Selecting the Best Children’s Books

When choosing books for your kids, consider what qualities make a children’s book effective in teaching values.

  • Engaging Content: If you’ve not read the book yourself, check out the summary and reviews. Know your child and their interests. Will the content engage them? For example, does your child like animals, adventure, fantasy, or mystery? Do others find the story entertaining?
  • Relatable and Flawed Characters: Children naturally identify with imperfect characters because they recognize themselves in them. Characters in books need to be imperfect for the child to relate to them. They should make both mistakes and good choices. When characters experience recognizable emotions (like frustration, jealousy, or fear), children’s own feelings are validated. It helps make them more receptive to the book’s message. For example, Reepicheep in The Chronicles of Narnia is brave and skillful, but when he loses his tail, he’s ashamed and demoralized.
  • Moral Lesson: Intended or not, books contain lessons for children. Characters make choices, right or wrong. Events happen that require response. What is the book attempting to teach the child? What lessons are inherently contained in the story?
  • Show, Don’t Tell: Choose books that don’t sermonize. Children will learn more from what we do than what we say. The same is true for books; rather than explicitly stating a moral, the most effective stories show characters navigating dilemmas where the consequences of their choices unfold naturally.
  • Opportunities for Discussion: I am a huge proponent of not just reading to kids, but also discussing the book. Ask questions. Listen to the child’s answer. The best books spark “teachable moments.” They naturally lend themselves to post-reading conversations where parents and educators can ask open-ended questions and relate the story to the child’s own life.
  • Age-Appropriate Complexity: If the book is over a child’s level of understanding or experience, they will likely disengage. The moral conflict needs to be simple enough for the target age group to understand, allowing the child to build empathy and prosocial behaviors like sharing, kindness, and honesty.

My Choice of 12 Children’s Books That Teach Values

Classic:

The Hobbit

Summary

Published in 1937, ⁠The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien follows Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving hobbit recruited by Gandalf and thirteen dwarves. Bilbo leaves his sheltered life to help reclaim their ancestral home and treasure from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 9–12. The prose is more demanding than a picture book, and some of the peril (goblins, Smaug) can be intense for younger kids, but the humor and adventure make it accessible by upper elementary age.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Navigating a Huge World: Bilbo is small, sheltered, and often overwhelmed, mirroring a child’s experience of navigating a large, intimidating world.

Moral Lessons

  • Transformation: Bilbo evolves from an unwilling homebody into a courageous adventurer who confronts a deadly dragon.
  • Morality and Grace: The story emphasizes difficult choices. Bilbo’s ultimate victory is not his sword-fighting, but his moral choice to spare Gollum’s life in the goblin tunnels.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Summary

⁠To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel, is set in Maycomb, Alabama, during the 1930s Great Depression. Young Scout Finch and her brother Jem learn about racism and human cruelty as their father, Atticus, motivated by his principles, defends a Black man falsely accused of a crime.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 12+. This one deals directly with racism, violence, and injustice. It’s best suited for middle schoolers and up, ideally with a parent or teacher present to help unpack the harder themes.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Scout’s Curiosity: Kids will relate to Scout, a tomboy in overalls who gets into fights and asks her dad questions when she does not understand the world.
  • Jem’s Spirit: Kids will connect with Jem’s thrill-seeking spirit, especially when he leads games acting out local rumors.

Moral Lessons

  • Empathy: Scout learns to understand others by “walking around in their skin.” Jem matures by shielding his sister from the trauma of the trial.
  • Courage: Atticus teaches that bravery is not about physical fighting, as Scout does, but standing by one’s principles even when you know you are bound to lose.

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Summary

In C.S. Lewis’s 1950 classic, ⁠The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, four siblings—Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan—discover a magical world hidden inside a wardrobe. They must unite with the lion, Aslan, to defeat an evil witch and end an eternal winter.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 7–10. Gentle enough for a strong independent reader or a read-aloud for younger kids, though the witch and battle scenes may need extra reassurance for more sensitive children.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Lucy’s Disbelief: Children understand the frustration of Lucy, who is not believed by her siblings when she tells the truth.
  • Edmund’s Temptation: Kids relate to Edmund being tempted by sweets and power to betray his family.
  • Flawed Leaders: Peter is a relatable older brother who doubts his own abilities and fails to trust Lucy at first.
  • Practical Siblings: Older children will see themselves in Susan, the practical sister who eventually matures into a gentle person.

Moral Lessons

  • The Dangers of Betrayal and Greed: Edmund’s greed for power and “Turkish Delight” blinds him, leading to the betrayal of his siblings.
  • Radical Forgiveness: True forgiveness is shown when the siblings and Aslan choose not to constantly remind Edmund of his past mistakes, offering him a completely clean slate.
  • Courage and Responsibility: Each child faces moments requiring bravery, from Peter stepping up as a leader to Lucy standing up for the truth when others doubt her.
  • Self-Sacrifice and Redemption: Aslan’s decision to lay down his life to save Edmund mirrors the ultimate act of redeeming, selfless love.

Charlotte’s Web

Summary

E.B. White’s 1952 beloved novel, ⁠Charlotte’s Web, tells the story of an unlikely friendship between Wilbur the pig and a clever barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur faces slaughter, Charlotte hatches a brilliant plan to save him.

We read this one together as a family, a chapter a day. To date, it remains my favorite family time. I thoroughly enjoyed the story as much as my children did.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 6–9. A classic early chapter book. Be prepared for questions about death, since Charlotte’s fate is a central, tender part of the story.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Fern’s Maturation: Kids see their own growth in Fern as she explores new interests, like the fair and boys, and transitions away from farm life.
  • Avery’s Mischief: Children relate to Avery’s fun-seeking nature, his fascination with “gross” things like frogs, and the freedom of exploring a fair.
  • Wilbur’s Insecurity: Readers connect with Wilbur’s fear, uncertainty, and feelings of inadequacy before he gains confidence.

Moral Lessons

  • Empathy and Growth: Fern’s growth reflects a deep sense of empathy as she protects the vulnerable and transitions into exploring new interests.
  • Kindness and Sacrifice: Charlotte, who acts as a Christlike figure, devotes herself entirely to her promise to save Wilbur, showing the profound impact of selflessness.

A Little Princess

Summary

⁠A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett centers on Sara Crewe, who goes from a wealthy, imaginative student to a penniless servant at a London boarding school. Despite incredible hardship and persecution, she never loses her dignity or inner strength.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 8–11. The themes of cruelty and poverty are handled with emotional nuance, making this a good fit once kids can sit with a story that isn’t resolved quickly.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Sara’s Imagination: Children deeply relate to Sara Crewe through her vivid imagination, her deep empathy for others, and her emotional strength when facing unfair treatment.
  • Ermengarde feeling overwhelmed by schoolwork or lacking self-confidence: Kids can learn from Sara showing patience and see the value in helping Ermengarde study without making them feel inadequate.
  • Lottie throwing tantrums when she feels frustrated or sad: Younger kids who need a comforting older friend to help them calm down and learn to share their feelings nicely will relate to Lottie.
  • Universal desire for friendship: Becky represents peers from different socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as those working around the school. Kids can relate to the universal desire for simple friendship and understand how acts of kindness (like sharing snacks) bridge social gaps.

Moral Lessons

  • Mindset Shapes Reality: Imagination and internal hope are powerful tools that can help keep you going during the darkest of times.
  • Kindness is a Choice: Sara generously shares her hard-earned buns with a starving beggar girl despite being hungry herself.
  • Dignity Under Pressure: True strength is maintaining self-respect and refusing to let cruel people, like Miss Minchin, break your spirit.
  • The Value of Empathy: True friendship ignores social classes; Sara treats everyone, including the servant girl Becky, with the same respect as a wealthy classmate.

Heidi

Summary

Written by Johanna Spyri, Heidi follows a cheerful young orphan girl who is sent to live with her solitary, embittered grandfather in the Swiss Alps, who reluctantly looks after her. Her joyful spirit transforms his heart. Even when she is temporarily uprooted to live in the city as a companion to an invalid girl, she maintains her attitude.

This one is my personal favorite. I read it with my wife-to-be when we were dating. I was moved by the Christian themes woven throughout the book.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 7–10. A cozy, slower-paced read well suited to early elementary kids, especially those who enjoy nature and animals.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Adjusting to Big Changes: Children will easily connect with Heidi’s fear and homesickness when she is suddenly moved from her familiar mountain home to a strict, unfamiliar city environment.
  • Healing Through Play: Kids relate to how outdoor play, fresh air, and animal companionship help Heidi and her friend Clara find happiness and physical strength.
  • Feeling isolated or different: Children relate to Clara’s need for courage to try new things, her desire for true friends who treat her as an equal, and her triumph over physical and emotional limitations
  • Simple, earthy, and sometimes mischievous aspects of childhood: Children relate to Peter’s loyalty, his love of the mountains, and his complex, very human feelings of jealousy when he must share his friend’s attention.

Moral Lessons

  • The Power of Optimism: Heidi proves that a joyful, positive attitude can break through the toughest emotional walls and heal broken relationships.
  • Faith and Contentment: The story highlights trust in God’s greater plan, showing that tough times can lead to unexpected blessings if we maintain a loving heart and trust in God’s providence.
  • Redemption: Through the story of the prodigal son and Heidi’s love, her grandfather is redeemed back to God. Peter is forgiven for his crime.

The Swiss Family Robinson

Summary

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss tells the story of a Swiss family—a pastor, his wife, and their four sons—who are shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island during a fierce storm. Left to survive on their own, they use teamwork, intelligence, and the island’s natural resources to build an elaborate new life.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 8–11. The survival and adventure elements appeal to slightly older kids who can follow a longer, more descriptive narrative.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Adventure and Exploration: Every child dreams of building a treehouse, exploring wild territory, and encountering exotic animals, which the Robinson boys do daily.
  • Sibling Dynamics: Kids will recognize the unique traits, rivalries, and cooperative moments among the four brothers as they work together.
  • Imperfection: Kids will see that the boys are not perfect. They tease each other. Sometimes, they make mistakes and sometimes they make good choices.

Moral Lessons

  • Resourcefulness and Self-Reliance: The novel teaches the value of hard work, thriftiness, and using one’s mind to solve complex, unexpected problems.
  • Family Unity and Faith: Survival is entirely dependent on the family remaining united and trusting in God’s providence to carry them through natural disasters and dangers.

Pollyanna

Summary

Eleanor H. Porter’s classic novel Pollyanna features a young orphan girl who goes to live with her wealthy, stern Aunt Polly. Pollyanna brings with her the “Glad Game”—an optimistic philosophy taught by her late father to find something to be glad about in every single situation, no matter how bleak.

This story impacted me personally. I can be very negative in my thinking, so I needed to incorporate the “Pollyanna principle” in my own life. I still do. Her thinking is based on Biblical principles. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones,” and Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” In the book, the game itself was based on “rejoicing” texts of Scripture, over 800 of them.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 7–10. Simple and optimistic in tone, though the broken leg and hospital scenes may prompt some gentle conversations.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Dealing with Strict Adults: Kids heavily relate to Pollyanna trying to navigate the rigid, confusing rules set by an emotionally distant guardian.
  • Finding Joy in Small Things: Children naturally gravitate toward Pollyanna’s playful worldview and her ability to turn mundane life into an encouraging game.
  • Struggle: When Pollyanna breaks her leg, she struggles to find something good.

Moral Lessons

  • An Attitude of Gratitude: The “Glad Game” acts as a powerful moral blueprint, showing readers that while we cannot always choose our circumstances, we can always choose our perspective.
  • Community Transformation: A single child’s persistent kindness and joy can completely alter the emotional landscape of an entire town.
  • Reward in helping others: Pollyanna transforms everyone in her community by helping them. They, in turn, help her when she is in need.
  • Rejoice regardless of circumstances: Pollyanna is a beautiful example of “Rejoice always. Again I say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4. Pollyanna doesn’t preach, so she lives out the principle.

Ramona and Beezus

Summary

Ramona and Beezus by Beverly Cleary explores the humorous and chaotic relationship between four-year-old Ramona Quimby and her older sister, Beatrice (Beezus). Ramona’s wild imagination and unpredictable antics constantly test the patience of her responsible big sister.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 5–8. One of the most accessible books on the list — perfect for early readers or as a read-aloud for preschoolers.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Sibling Frustrations: Younger kids will relate to Ramona’s desperate desire to be included and noticed, while older kids will perfectly understand Beezus’s annoyance at having her space disrupted.
  • Misunderstood Intentions: Children connect with Ramona because her disasters usually spark from creativity or a desire to help, not from maliciousness.

Moral Lessons

  • Unconditional Family Love: Despite the daily bickering and embarrassing moments, the sisters learn that their bond is irreplaceable and that loving someone means accepting their flaws.
  • Patience and Empathy: The story encourages kids to view life from their sibling’s perspective to resolve conflicts peacefully.

Modern:

The Underland Chronicles

Summary

Written by Suzanne Collins, The Underland Chronicles (beginning with Gregor the Overlander) follows eleven-year-old Gregor and his toddler sister Boots after they fall through a grate in their New York City laundry room. They discover a dark subterranean world on the brink of war, where Gregor discovers he is part of an ancient prophecy.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 10–13. War, loss, and moral ambiguity run throughout, making this best for tweens ready for more complex, weightier storytelling.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Responsibility Over Siblings: Older siblings will deeply relate to Gregor’s fierce, protective instinct over his little sister Boots while navigating terrifying surroundings.
  • The Feeling of Being Ordinary: Gregor feels like a completely normal, working-class kid, making his sudden thrust into a position of leadership highly resonant for readers.

Moral Lessons

  • The Cost of Conflict: The series handles the realities of war neutrally and maturely, teaching that violence carries a heavy toll for all sides and that peace requires immense sacrifice.
  • Overcoming Prejudice: Gregor must learn to look past his instinctual fear of giant bugs, bats, and rats to form alliances based on character rather than appearance.

Tuesdays at the Castle

Summary

Jessica Day George’s Tuesdays at the Castle centers on Princess Celie, who lives in Castle Glower—a magical structure that grows new rooms, corridors, and towers every Tuesday. When her parents, the King and Queen, go missing after an ambush, Celie must use her intimate knowledge of the living castle to protect her home from treacherous foreign politicians.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 8–11. A fun, lower-stakes fantasy adventure that’s a great bridge between early chapter books and more involved fantasy s

How Kids Can Relate

  • The Love of Secret Spaces: Children love the concept of a shifting house full of hidden passages, and they can easily imagine themselves exploring alongside Celie.
  • Underestimated Capability: Kids relate to Celie because the adults overlook her due to her youth, yet she ends up being the one smartest enough to save the kingdom.

Moral Lessons

  • Loyalty and Duty: Celie demonstrates that age does not excuse a person from standing up to defend their home, family, and heritage when crisis strikes.
  • Stewardship: True leadership involves listening carefully to your environment and caring for the things entrusted to your protection.

Redeeming Rhubarb

(Full disclosure: this is my novel, written to help parents engage their children in meaningful conversations about character, prejudice, forgiveness, and compassion)

Summary

Redeeming Rhubarb by Bob Richley is an animal allegory set against the real 2013 Boulder, Colorado floods. Rhubarb, a mouse, despises rats. However, when a devastating flood ruins their home, his daughter Strawberry is forced to survive alongside them, questioning her father’s biases after a rat named Barnabas saves her family.

Age Appropriateness

Ages 8–12. The flood setting and themes of prejudice are approachable but meaningful, making it a strong pick for family discussion at this age.

How Kids Can Relate

  • Questioning Rules: Kids relate to Strawberry’s internal dilemma of wanting to honor her father while realizing that what he taught her about “outsiders” doesn’t match reality.
  • Surviving the Storm: Children understand the fear of chaotic, unexpected disruptions to their safe home environments.

Moral Lessons

  • Confronting Generational Prejudice: The story serves as a powerful allegory about how fear, bias, and hatred can be passed down—and how personal experiences can break those cycles.
  • Choosing Kindness Over Fear: True courage is defined as having the strength to change your heart, look past old divides, and show compassion to former enemies.
  • Loving your enemy: Barnabas doesn’t preach. He consistently shows up, helps, guides and risks his own life for someone who despises him.
  • Forgiveness: Barnabas is able to forgive Rhubarb because he has been forgiven.

How Parents and Educators Can Use These Books

Bringing These Books to Life

Reading the story is just the beginning. Here are a few simple ways to help these lessons stick.

Questions You Can Ask About Any Book

You don’t need a different set of questions for each title. These work for nearly every book on this list:

  • What choice did [character] make? Would you have made the same one?
  • How do you think that choice made others feel?
  • Has something like this ever happened to you?
  • What would you have done differently?
  • What are some good character traits of the characters in the book? What are some of the bad ones?

Use this discussion question guide for Redeeming Rhubarb as a guide not only for Redeeming Rhubarb but also as a template for other books.

Start Young, Grow With Them

This list isn’t meant to be read start to finish in one summer. Books like Ramona and Beezus or Heidi are wonderful entry points for younger children. While To Kill a Mockingbird and The Underland Chronicles are better suited for older kids ready to sit with harder questions. Consider this less of a reading list and more of a reading path. You can return to over several years as your child grows into new levels of understanding.

Let Kids Respond Creatively

Discussion doesn’t have to mean sitting at the table with a list of questions. Invite your child to draw their favorite scene, write a letter to a character, or imagine an alternate ending. You could do experiments around events in the story. For example, Redeeming Rhubarb happens during the Boulder flood. Try making a small sand hill and slowly pouring water over it. Make a similar hill and quickly pour water over it. Notice the difference. Make food mentioned in the books. When we read Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish, we made lemon meringue pie. After reading Heidi, try making toasted goat cheese. These creative responses often reveal more about what a child understood — and felt — than a conversation alone.

Bring the Story Into Everyday Life

The real payoff comes when a book’s lesson shows up outside of reading time. When your child shares a toy, you might say, “That reminds me of when Sara shared her buns even though she was hungry too.” Connecting a real moment back to a story helps the lesson move from the page into your child’s own character.

Revisit Old Favorites

Don’t be afraid to reread. A book like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe means something different to a six-year-old than it does to a twelve-year-old. As your child grows, so will their understanding of forgiveness, courage, and sacrifice — even from a story they’ve heard a dozen times before.

No single book will shape a child’s character. But over months and years, stories become part of the moral imagination. They help children picture courage before they’re called to be brave, forgiveness before they’re asked to forgive, and kindness before they have the chance to practice it. Reading together isn’t just about raising good readers—it’s about raising wise people.

What books shaped your own childhood values? I’d love to hear your favorites in the comments.

The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Child Development

Posted on by Bob Richley
Children playing on a blue slide and swing at a playground with adults supervising
Children and parents enjoying a sunny day at a lively playground.

Physical Health Benefits of Outdoor Play

Have you read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett or Heidi by Johanna Spyri? What do these two books have in common? Both emphasize the importance and benefits of outdoor play. In The Secret Garden, Mary is transformed from “quite contrary” to deeply compassionate and nurturing. In Heidi, Clara is healed by nature.

Reading these books got me thinking about my daughters. They, like most kids these days, spend about 2 to 3 hours on their devices (I limit them). When I was a kid, I spent too much time watching TV. However, we didn’t have “play dates.” We walked down the street, knocked on a neighbor’s door, and asked if so and so could play. When I was a teen, we gathered at night at a neighbor’s yard and played hide-and-seek tag. All the neighborhood teens just showed up. It began impromptu and continued as a routine. My dad had a 5-week vacation. He took them all at once, and we would go camping as a family for over a month. This bonded us as a family. I remember skiing on Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park, with freezing-cold but wonderfully smooth water. My greatest memory is climbing Longs Peak with my dad when I was 12 years old. Those experiences are ones I’ll treasure forever. I want to give my kids experiences like those.

Playing outside is incredibly beneficial for children. It offers natural cardiovascular exercise, builds motor skills, and exposes them to fresh air and sunlight. This sun exposure helps the body manufacture vital vitamin D, which is essential for developing strong bones and maintaining a healthy immune system.

Unstructured physical activity, especially outdoor play during the day, also helps children sleep better at night. It can increase concentration and improve their mood the next day. Kids feel better the next day. Leading pediatric organizations, including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), emphasize that allowing children to engage in free play under natural sunlight sets off a domino effect of physical and psychological health benefits.

I know when we are camping as a family, we sleep better, and we feel more energized. Our kids look visably more heathly and happier.

Social Skills Development Through Outdoor Activities

Screens and the amount of time your child spends on devices are key reasons outdoor time should be a regularly scheduled activity. Kids, in our day, more naturally gravitate toward devices since they are so readily available and are programmed to get their attention through notifications and endorphin-producing “likes.” You can actually reduce the effects of screen time by spending time outdoors. So schedule time away from those devices. When kids play outside, it promotes active engagement with their peers and the natural environment. It helps them develop respect for the creation and compassion for others around them.

Children running on a grassy path in a field with wildflowers
A group of children running happily through a sunny meadow

Outdoor play naturally cultivates teamwork by requiring participants to communicate, negotiate roles, and coordinate actions in real-time. The unstructured and expansive nature of the outdoors encourages active listening, empathy, and conflict resolution, which are essential for building trust and achieving shared goals.

As a kid, I was involved in flag football and baseball with the YMCA. In high school, I was on the track and cross-country team. I learned good sportsmanship corporating with teammates. I learned to rejoice when others succeed. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15.

Cognitive Growth Linked to Outdoor Experiences

Child holding glowing lantern with swirling light trails of autumn leaves at dusk outdoors
A child joyfully waves a glowing lantern at dusk, creating swirling light trails of autumn leaves.

Life Lessons: Being outdoors teaches us. Job 12:7-8 encourages us to observe the outdoors, stating: “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you.” We learn more about God and ourselves by being in and experiencing his creation.

Real-World Problem Solving: Navigating a rocky trail, building a shelter, or adapting to sudden weather shifts requires cognitive flexibility.


The Growth Factor: According to neurodevelopment experts at the ⁠Brain Balance Achievement Centers, outdoor play directly sharpens executive function. This means the brain gets measurably better at planning, prioritizing, troubleshooting, and multitasking.

The Synergy Effect: A study published in Physiology & Behavior and highlighted by ⁠PubMed proved that identical physical exercises yield significantly superior cognitive benefits, faster response times, and higher test accuracy when performed outdoors rather than indoors. Nature acts as a force multiplier for brain development. Yes, this means playing outside will help your kid do better in school.

It is no coincidence that our Creator commanded us to ‘speak to the earth’ to learn its lessons (Job 12:8). Modern neuroscience is finally catching up to ancient Scripture, proving that our brains are structurally and chemically wired to unlock their highest potential the moment we step into creation.

Creating Opportunities for Outdoor Play

Family roasting marshmallows around an outdoor campfire at dusk
A family enjoys roasting marshmallows around a campfire in the forest
  1. Go on a nature hunt just around the block. This is similar to a scavenger hunt expect we didn’t have a specific list of things to find. We would walk with our kids and ask them to point out things they saw, like different flowers, bugs, and animals.
  2. Go camping. This takes a bit of work and planning, but it is worth it. Our family likes KOA‘s because they often have a pool and showers. We sleep in tents but on self-inflating mattresses. On these trips, we’ve gone hiking, horseback riding, and swimming. Of course, we gazed at the stars, had campfires, and made s’mores.
  3. Make regular visits to the neighborhood park. I can’t count how many times I’ve pushed my kids on the swings, slid down slides, and climbed apparatuses. My girls love to play foursquare. We live near a school that has a foursquare set up, so we walk across the street with our own ball and play.
  4. Ride bikes to the store or to get ice cream. We live fairly near a Walmart. We’ve walked there and ridden our bikes instead of driving. The reward of ice cream is a great motivator to ride our bikes. We’ve also played tag on our bikes around the school in our neighborhood. As a kid, I used to play tag on my bike through the alleyways. When I told my girls this, they wanted to try.

However you do it, get your kids to play outside. You’ll see a noticeable difference. Let’s break the curse of the screens and enjoy God’s creation as he meant it to be enjoyed!

Active Viewing: How to Discuss TV Shows with Kids

Posted on by Bob Richley
Think when you watch

How does your family watch TV? Are you passively watching or actively watching? How does it affect your family? Our family decided to answer these questions. We made choices that we knew would impact our children. One of those choices was intentionally watching a show centered on teenage sexuality together.

So why would a Christian family intentionally watch a television show about teenage sex? That’s the question I faced before my family started watching the notoriously bad drama, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” Our journey to this show actually started with Seventh Heaven, another series by producer Brenda Hampton that we thoroughly enjoyed. (Well, for the first few seasons at least.) Because my daughters were entering puberty, I thought watching a show about a pregnant teen could be a tool to spark deep conversations. We had already built a habit of actively analyzing media together—asking what the characters did right, what they did wrong, and what messages we were being fed. Recognizing this established pattern, we chose to use this deeply flawed show as a springboard to discuss the very real consequences of teenage choices.

During one of our discussions, my youngest daughter came up with a beautiful analogy about being in a tempting situation, like a boy and girl being alone together with no adult supervision. She said it’s like two candles. One is lit, and the other isn’t. The closer the lit candle gets to the unlit one, the greater the chance of lighting the unlit one. Bravo! My daughter gets it!

Day after day, the world sends messages that too many people passively accept. Children are especially vulnerable to this passive programming. I want something different for my family. I want to think, and I want my daughters to think. My goal is to teach my daughters to actively filter everything they see and hear through the truth of God’s word.

There are many negative effects of watching TV, movies, and social media.

  • Behavioral & Desensitization Impacts: Research published by the ⁠American Psychological Association (APA) and in ⁠PubMed Central (PMC) highlights that frequent exposure to violent programming increases aggressive cognition. Over time, viewers can become desensitized to real-life violence and lower their inhibition toward irrational or risky behavior.
  • Mental Health Correlations: Broad media exposure (including binge-watching and social media) has been linked to adverse outcomes like low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders due to unrealistic portrayals. A ⁠University of Michigan study on youth mental health notes that while inclusive media can be protective, certain distressed character portrayals can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness in vulnerable adolescents.
  • Generational Shifts in Reading/Watching: A massive study led by ⁠San Diego State University involving over a million teens revealed a steep decline in traditional media consumption. As modern teens turn to digital tech, they are increasingly disconnected from older forms of entertainment like books, indicating shifts in attention span and information processing.

How do we combat this?

  1. Don’t passively watch.
    • Passivity leads to you being fed what to believe rather than deciding.
    • Your personal bias is being enforced.
  2. Actively watch by asking questions.
    • When you ask questions, you are forced to think.
    • Jesus, himself, often answered questions with questions to get the asker to think.
    • Filter all messages through God’s word.
      • Psalm 119:105 (NIV): “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
      • Proverbs 4:23 (NIV): “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Guard what enters your mind)
      • Romans 12:2 (NIV): “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.“
    • Check against your own family values.
      • Does it agree with what you believe?
        • If it doesn’t. Is what you believe wrong? Be able to change and admit when you are wrong.
      • Think about the other’s perspective.
        • Try to understand their point of view even if you disagree with it.
        • I wrote a poem that emphasizes the need to see things from another’s perspective.

The Other Side

For convictions, we fight
so confident we are right.
Anger and aggression
without pausing to question
the pretexts of our certitude.
Rigid in our attitude.
It's time we look inside
rather than trying to hide.
The fault and failure lies within
over our own self centered sin.
Cease blaming others and God!
Let go of the deceptive facade!
Examine and evaluate,
consider convictions to abdicate.
Seek first to comprehend
what enemies apprehend.
Replace anger and apprehension
with charity and comprehension.

Better Alternatives

In our house, we limit what we watch and limit screen time. Instead, we play games and read.

Some our favorite games

  1. What Do You Meme?
    • Similar to Apples to Apples
    • There is a judge who judges the Meme for a picture.
  2. Do You Really Know Your Family?
    • A game of trivia about your family
    • A member answer a question about themselves
    • Other members guess the answer.
    • The winner keeps the question card.
  3. Play Nine
    • A card game similar to golf
    • Lowest score wins
    • Trade bad cards for good cards.
  4. Guess in 10
    • Similar to 20 questions, except you only get 10 questions
    • Must guess an animal pictured on a card
    • Can play a clue card to get hints.

Some our favorite stories

  1. Charlotte’s Web
    • Charlotte’s Web is the beloved 1952 children’s novel by E. B. White. It tells the story of a runty pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a wise barn spider, Charlotte A. Cavatica. When Wilbur learns he is fated to be slaughtered, Charlotte weaves messages in her web to save his life.
    • My favorite family time was reading this together as a family.
  2. Tuesday’s at the Castle
    • Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George is the first book in a fantasy series about Princess Celie, whose home, Castle Glower, magically adds new rooms, turrets, or wings every Tuesday. When her parents, the King and Queen, disappear, Celie uses her secret knowledge of the castle’s ever-changing layout to protect her home and kingdom from scheming council members, with the castle itself seemingly helping her with new secret passages and rooms as needed. It’s a middle-grade adventure praised for its whimsical, page-turning plot and is recommended for ages 8-12.
    • We read the whole series twice.
  3. Ramona and Beavis
    • Newbery Award winner Beverly Cleary classic. It is a humorous portrayal of the ups and downs of sisterhood.
    • We read several in the series.
  4. Ivy + Bean
    • Ivy + Bean is a popular children’s book series by author Annie Barrows and illustrator Sophie Blackall. The stories follow two unlikely best friends: quiet, imaginative Ivy and loud, adventurous Bean, who at first wanted nothing to do with Ivy. The chapter books are targeted at readers aged 6 to 10.
    • My sister introduced us to the first book, and then we read the entire series a few times.
  5. The Box Car Children
    • The Boxcar Children is a long-running children’s book series by Gertrude Chandler Warner about four orphaned siblings—Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny—who create a home for themselves in an abandoned boxcar before eventually finding their grandfather, whom they feared at first.
    • We actually saw the movie first and then started reading the books.

Conclusion

We actually never finished the series, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” We grew tired of it. While we were watching “The Secret Life,” we also started to watch The Chosen. My daughters liked that show much better, and I would highly recommend it. Even with The Chosen, we still ask questions. I now sometimes pause what we are watching to ask questions.

I’m thankful for the discussions we’ve had as a family. I’m happy to know my daughters are thinking. We’ve moved on to “Heartland,” which we are thoroughly enjoying. And yes, we still are asking questions.

The Importance of Reading Aloud: Benefits for Children

Posted on by Bob Richley

Why Read Aloud to Children?

Parents and three children sitting on couch reading a book titled The Magic Forest Adventure
A happy family reads a children’s book together.

Reading sets a foundation for a child’s future by accelerating language acquisition, expanding vocabulary, and strengthening brain development. It also enhances critical thinking, promotes emotional intelligence and empathy, and serves as a powerful bonding tool between parent and child.

Reading creates an intimate bond between you and your child. I’ve been reading to my children since they were babies. Those times are some of the most intimate. We would snuggle together as we read. I would notice that, as they grew, they would attempt to “read” by themselves, opening a big book and reciting as much as they could from memory. As they matured, they would read beyond their age. I was so proud when my youngest daughter started to read “Little House on the Prairie” before she was in middle school.

Benefits of Reading Aloud

Key benefits of reading to your child include:

  • Stronger Communication Skills: Regular exposure to diverse sentence structures and vocabulary helps kids express themselves more clearly. Kids become better readers and writers. I noticed my kids read above their level and understood more “adult” words when they were young. We could have mature conversations.
  • Cognitive Growth: As highlighted by the Child Mind Institute, reading aloud stimulates the brain, improves memory, and lays the groundwork for later school success. Kids get better grades if parents read to them at an early age. My kids have always done well in school. They have good reading comprehension and problem-solving skills.
  • Increased Attention Span: Following a story helps children with attention difficulties practice sustained focus. Screen time, in contrast, leads to ADHD. We watch very little TV in our home, and I limit my kids’ screen time. Even now that my daughters are in middle school, they still engage in imaginative play.
  • Emotional Development: Stories allow kids to explore complex emotions, learn coping strategies for new experiences, and develop empathy for perspectives different from their own. We have mentally handicapped people living in our home. While this is challenging for my daughters, I have noticed that they will make gifts for them, engage them in conversations, and share things that excite them.
  • Critical Thinking: Readers naturally practice inferencing and prediction, fostering stronger problem-solving skills. So reading to them can help them excel in Math and Science, which require problem-solving skills. My daughters do struggle with math, and it is the subject that they ask the most help with, but they are doing math above their age level.

Making Reading a Daily Habit

  • Choose a regular time: We would read as part of the bedtime routine regularly. It was often one of the last things we did after brushing teeth, cleaning up, and putting on PJ’s. Now that my daughters are older, they still read to themselves before bed.
  • Use it for Family Time: We had regular family time. We would sometimes watch TV together, play games, and read. One of my favorite family times was reading “Charlotte’s Web” together. I enjoyed the story as much as my kids.
  • Talk about the story: Stories often teach lessons. Use reading time to discuss those lessons. It’s a great opportunity to learn moral lessons from characters. What choices did the characters make? What were the consequences of those choices?

Tips for Reading Aloud

  • Be Consistent: Children love consistency. It makes them feel safe and secure. Change is difficult. So be consistent with reading to them. Make time.
  • Choose Age-Appropriate Books: Know your kids’ understanding level. Read books at that level. Judge their interest. If they are distracted, it may be time to move up the level. If they ask to read the same book again, you know you’re on the right track.
  • Use it as an opportunity to snuggle: Children need affection. It communicates love. During reading time, get close—Snuggle under a blanket. Put your arms around them.
  • Use Different Voices: Make it fun. Different voices add to the entertainment value. Laugh with them. Smile. Go crazy and act out scenes.

Make the choice today to read WITH your children. Develop the habit. You won’t regret it.

Tips from the Tooth Fairy

Posted on by Bob Richley

How well do your kids brush their teeth? If they are like mine, they probably rush through the job to move quickly onto a more fun activity. I want to encourage good habits in my children, including taking good care of their teeth. Thankfully, I now have some help from none other than the tooth fairy herself.

In the picture book, “10 Tips from the Tooth Fairy,” author Edie M. Higby aka the Tooth Fairy, gives children some sound advice for dental hygiene. Her tips include proper brushing, flossing, trips to the dentist, and smiling. The recommendations are presented in a fun, sing-songy way, making it enjoyable for young children.

I read the book to my daughters, ages 7 and 8. They both gave it two thumbs up. The book is a little too simple for their age as we are now reading chapter books together, but still, they enjoyed it.

I would recommend it for young children who are just learning to brush. They will enjoy the book and be encouraged to have good dental habits.

Edie M. Higby, is a Children’s Book Author, Entrepreneur, and longtime Early Childhood Professional. She has been in the field of Education and Family Service for over 20 years. She received her B.A. degree from Whitworth University and specializes in Early Childhood Education & Curriculum Development. Edie is very passionate about teaching children about their Smile, Joy & Kindness. She started The Tooth Fairy Company in 2013 with hopes and BIG dreams of flying a Tooth Fairy Balloon down the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade one day. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and National Tooth Fairy Day. On 2.22.2022 Edie and her family “Welcomed” a special new addition to the Tooth Fairy Team, a little Shih-tzu -Yorkie puppy. She even named her, Macy Day Parade.

Tooth decay is the most chronic childhood disease that we have in America today. It is the number one absenteeism from school and one of the top three reasons we enter a child into an emergency room under the age of five years old. In 2010 the American Dental Association declared tooth decay as a national epidemic. Even death can occur from an untreated oral infection and it’s totally preventable.

Web Site:
http://www.believeinthetoothfairy.com

Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/thetoothfairycompany.BELIEVE/

Book link :
https://www.amazon.com/author/believeinthe2oothfairy

Review of Pixie And The Green Book Mystery by Caroline Grace illustrated by Encarna Dorado

Posted on by Bob Richley

Do you remember classics like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and Snow White? What would you do if the stories were all mixed up and the characters were alive asking for your help? Well, that’s the challenge, Pixie finds herself facing in the children’s chapter book, Pixie And The Green Book Mystery by Caroline Grace illustrated by Encarna Dorado. Pixie is having a bad day until she goes to her favorite place, the library. Today would not be an ordinary trip to the library to read books. Instead, she encounters Alice, Cindi, and others in need of her help.

Pixie and The Green Book Mystery is a humorous, fun chapter book that middle schoolers will enjoy. As an adult, I found myself wondering how Pixie will solve her mysteries and dilemmas.

As an author and a parent, I look for books that will teach my children moral lessons and good character traits. Pixie demonstrates courage, fortitude, and persistence. She doesn’t quit despite setbacks. I think there are good lessons for my girls to learn someday. The author’s purpose is to encourage reading and I think this is accomplished by Pixie’s love for books.

I would recommend this book to parent’s wanting to encourage good character traits and encourage a love for reading. I think younger readers will enjoy this and be excited to learn what happens next in this unfolding mystery/adventure.

Author Bio

Coraline Grace is a reader, writer, library romper, mom of four. This native Texan lives off the coast and draws inspiration from her wonderland forest

She holds a B.A. in child psychology and a Masters in Edu. with an emphasis on reading, both supporting her passion for learning and facilitating children into becoming lifelong readers.

Coraline’s first book, Park It! – A Guide To Austin Parks & Playgrounds was published in Austin Texas. And after trading the salt lick for the salt life she changed focus, publishing a cookbook and two Christian motivational books for success.

But her heart has always been set on children. So she followed her passion and began writing chapter books for young readers. Pixie And The Green Mystery is the first in the series and Pixie And The Purple Mystery is coming up soon!.

For more information visit

http://www.libraryromp.com/p/home.html

http://www.libraryromp.com/p/home.html

Buy the book on Amazon