Elementary Resources
Audio DramasAMAZON ASSOCIATES DISCLOSURE
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
The following reviews are based solely on my opinion from having listened to the content and gathered feedback from other like-minded moms. Some of the age ranges were taken from the author’s description, while others are my own opinions based on the vocabulary level and observations with my own children. Be sure to check back for more great resources to come!
Best for ages 6-13
This audio drama series created and produced by Jean Boonstra is great for young and middle-aged kids with lots of great life lessons pointing to God’s Word through it’s entertaining story lines. We have listened to several series on the way to school and back, and I love hearing the overarching message weaved into the stories that God has a plan and purpose when trials in life occur and to trust in Him for His perfect plan to be revealed. The stories can be listened to through their podcaset or straight from their website.
Adventures in Odyssey from Focus on the Family is an audio drama that has captured the hearts of children for the past thirty years with its make-believe town, characters, and entertaining plots. It is aired on the radio with more than 2,000 broadcast facilities and is available on CD and MP3 on their website and, of course, Amazon. Most of the broadcasts are geared for ages 8-12 and are filled with Christian lessons and Biblical principles. I have let my children listen to some of the audios at younger ages, and while they have enjoyed them, I do feel that it is more suited for the mid elementary/middle school age group. They have a wide variety of topics and specialty audios such as devotions for kids, life lessons on character, and candid conversations with Connie for tween girls. I have not listened to all of them, so I would recommend listening to them first if you want to make sure they are appropriate for your child.
The Brinkman Adventures is my daughter’s and my favorite audio series that we have listened to thus far. The drama is about a large family that embarks on crazy adventures and meets missionaries from around the world. They learn amazing stories of real missionaries and how God is using them to bring more people to Him! The stories are based on real happenings, and you can learn more about the true stories on their website. I love the godly character of the Brinkman family. It is a great model for my own children, and I love their heart and passion to share the Good News of Jesus with others. This is a great series to encourage your kids to want to live for God and His purposes on the earth.
Jonathan Parks is a great adventure series that equips kids in their faith by looking at evidence for creation and scripture through archeology. The original series was created for ages 7-13 and follows the boy, Jonathan Parks, whose dad is a Christian paleontologist. This is my son’s favorite series, and he loves the action-packed plots that include themes such as dinosaurs, caves, and catching bad guys. The new series was created for ages 10-16 and follows the now 16-year-old Jonathan Parks and his friends as they travel to the Middle East and discover archeological evidence that supports the Bible. They can be bought by CD’s, unlimited streaming, or digital downloads from their website.
Your Story Hour by Aunt Carole and Uncle Dan is an audio drama classic that has been airing on the radio since 1949! They now have a website where you can listen FOR FREE to a new story weekly! The kids and I checked these out over a meal a couple times, and we all really got into the dramatization of the story of Esther and another action-packed story filled with themes of God’s protection. These precious audio dramas include stories from the Bible, history, and other action-packed adventures that most children five and older would enjoy. You can also buy their CD’s from their website or Amazon (example link above) and podcasts through iTunes.
Lamplighters Theater is part of Lamplighter’s ministry that’s goal is to “build Christ-like character one story at a time.” They not only publish books but create audio dramas for children ages six and up that are aired on radio broadcasts around the world and sold on their website with many available on Amazon. My kids and I have listened to Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince, and the kids and I could not WAIT to get back in the car to listen to the next part of the story! One of the things I particularly loved, and I assume holds true for their other stories, is the richness in depth and quality of the story. Many of their stories are set back in the medieval time period in lands with kings and knights and fun accents. There is no “fluff” or “cheese” with these stories, and the way they weave in character lessons is phenomenal. We will definitely be buying more of these audio dramas in the future!
To find out more information about any of these series, check out my resource page: Audio Dramas.
To find out about a great new app that allows you to access many of these Christian audio dramas and more, check out WindowSeat!
Whether you are driving to school, out running errands, or going on a long road trip, I would encourage you to check out these entertaining audio dramas and enjoy listening to stories that encourage your kids to grow in their faith and godly character.