It’s been a tough week, hasn’t it? Let’s face it, the news can be overwhelming.
There is so much happening in the world today that I want to talk about with my children. The problem is, they are still young and some of it is above their heads–or too scary for right now.
So, how do we start a conversation about big, important topics? How do we lay a foundation on which we can build slowly, over time, as a child becomes developmentally ready?
One way is through stories. As a parent, I want to teach my children about the world in which we live. I want them to have an interest in world culture. I want them to have an understanding of what it is like to live in other countries.
This year, our family has been enjoying a service called Around the World Stories. My children have learned an incredible amount about the world around them, and we have had some big conversations as a result.
Around the World Stories: Stories that Teach and Entertain

As a mom and educator, I know that stories are important. This is why I seek out high-quality read-alouds for my children. These read-alouds are the spine of our homeschool. I love that all three of my children can participate in a read-aloud and grow from it, regardless of reading level. Through these stories, they learn about the world around them. They learn to place themselves in another person’s shoes. They learn to see multiple sides of the same issue.
And while books are important, so too are oral stories. Storytelling has been around for as long as we have. It is our original form of communication and the earliest form of teaching!
Here are a few of the benefits that storytelling offers children:
- A fun way to learn about the world
- Connection to others around the globe
- Develop early writing skills and voice as you learn what makes a great story
- Spark imagination
- Improve listening skills
- Increase and expand background knowledge
- Improve vocabulary
- Boost literacy skills
- Increased understanding of cause-and-effect
- Learn about problem-solving, overcoming obstacles, and conflict resolution
Around the World Stories: Stories that Teach and Entertain
Around the World Stories is a monthly subscription service that delivers original, high-quality stories to your inbox. Each week, you receive one 25-35 minute story dedicated to the fun adventures of a child from a specific country, with a new country featured every 4 weeks. You also have the option of purchasing the full story pack. With this option, you receive every story published to date and one each week until you have a total of 52 stories.
These weekly stories draw young listeners into the fun adventures of children from other cultures and countries, bringing to life how the world’s children live, play, eat, think, and learn. Each story comes with a parent guide including discussion points, country background, and an activity to make the story a truly memorable and educational experience.
Our family has already enjoyed two stories set in Germany. We cannot wait to hear more! If you want to try it, head over to Around the World Stories for a free one-month trial!
Follow Around the World Stories
You can follow Around the World Stories on Facebook and Instagram.