Scripture and Bricks: A Super Combo! {A Faith Builder Bible Review}

 

When I saw that Zonderkidz has a Faith Builders Bible and that we'd be able to review, I knew exactly how my oldest would react when he opened it:

 
Yep!  Excited!

Granted, his excitement had more to do with the brick building aspect of the book than with the scripture contained in it, I know.  But I'll take that.  Anything innocuous that can lure my child in to perusing the Word and writing stories of faith more readily into his heart is a win to me.  For although my oldest loves God and lives his faith daily, he does not often choose to actually crack Bibles open.  I was hoping the Faith Builders Bible would get him to choose to do so more, and it has to some degree.

How We've Been Using the Bible So Far 


Since the Faith Builders Bible came into our home, it has, indeed, been a win for our family.  Often enough, I have seen my oldest and my other children browsing it.  We've also been turning to it to look up the Scriptures that go along with a devotional we've been doing this Lent.  And, of course, the Bible has been inspiring some creative Lego builds here.

For example, after the children performed in a Simon of Cyrene play during our parish collaborative's Lenten mission...
 

 
...they came home, and with additional inspiration from browsing the Faith Builders Bible...

...they built their own crucifixion of Jesus scene (albeit with themed bricks from a non-human brick set.)
 

(Those are all soldiers around Jesus hanging on the cross, a "tree".)

Then, they went for the cheerful and transformed the scene to the Resurrection. 

 

(The "tree" is now a tomb and the guards are falling over with incredulousness as the women come to the open tomb.)

After that, my oldest decided to make me guess what his next build...

 

Can you figure it out?  I'll give you the hint he gave me:  It's from the Old Testament.  See the Ark in it in the middle of the front.  Now look closer at the figure right behind it:

He's carrying a horn.  It's Jericho!

The imagination of children make me smile.  The brick-built scenes and conversations that have come up since we received the Faith Builders Bible do, too.  For the scene pictured above were not the first ones my children built with inspiration from the Faith Builders Bible and they, undoubtedly, will not be the last.  Twenty-four full-color pages of brick-built scenes in the Bible offer plenty of inspiration for future.  In fact - Shhhh! Don't tell my children, but... - they have me thinking about a possible course for a new co-op we might do next fall.


What Else Does the Bible Include?
 
The Faith Builders Bible is a 1,144 page hardcover New International Reader's Version Bible meant for children.  It contains complete Bible text, minus the deuterocanonical books — Sirach, Tobit, Wisdom, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and Baruch, as well as longer versions of Daniel and Esther — which are found in the Old Testament canon used by Catholics, but are not in the Old Testament canon used by Protestants.   It also contains:

• 24 full-color pages of well-known and loved Bible stories with related memory verses

• introductory pages that get children building and also explain what the New International Readers Version is, how it came to be, and how it differs from some other translations (such as using shorter sentences, friendly to children, using a single consistent name, for, say, the Sea of Galilee, etc.)

•  helpful dictionary pages

So, basically, the Faith Builders Bible wraps Scripture, child-friendly reading, faith, and fun into an inspiring mix hat can engage children.
 
A Note for Fellow Catholics 

I know many of readers here are Catholic, so I want to address the fact that this Bible is not a Catholic one.  Personally, I do not have a problem with that.  My children already know that there are differences between Catholic-Christian  and non-Catholic-Christian Bibles and practices.  So, I simply use any differences they note as jumping off points for discussion.

For example, the  "Building with Books of the Bible" pages in the Faith Builders Bible provide easy visual pages to look at when explaining the differences between Catholic and non-Catholic Bible versions.  Simply look at the pages and ask, "Do you notice any missing books?" 

Further, the Lord's Prayer contained on a full-color page in this version is not the Catholic version.  My children have not noticed that yet, but, when they do, we'll chat about it.

Likewise, there is a page for the ABC's of Salvation.  When my children ask about that page, we simply expand on it, chatting about how nothing contained in the ABC's is "bad", but that the "formula" is incomplete.  Our faith tradition has both Scripture and Tradition, all based on God's Word and example.  Thus, the Sacrament of Baptism is missing from the equation, since Jesus commanded his disciples to go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Likewise, the idea of community is missing, too.  For, yes, our relationship with Jesus is a personal one, but it is also a communal one.  Through faith in Christ, we are incorporated into the Body of Christ, the Church.

I have admittedly not read every word of the 1,144 words in the Faith Builders Bible, but I am fairly certain that as I do, nothing alarming will come up. Different, yes.  Problematic to me as a Catholic-Christian capable of teaching the tenets of my faith to my children, no.  In fact, since this Bible is easy-to-read and draws the children in with its Lego-build illustrations, it actually helps me teach my children our faith by acting as an engaging catalyst for discussion.

Would We Recommend It? 

When I asked my oldest for his thoughts on the Faith Builders Bible, he said:

Mom got this for me, she said, "I got us a Bible to review."  I was like, "Awwww." 

Then she showed it to me and I was so excited.  A Lego Bible!  I like Legos.  Right away, I started looking at the pictures.  They were good.  They helped me have fun looking at the Bible.  Anyone who likes Legos might like this Bible.

I'd concur with my son that anyone who likes Legos and the Word of God might like this Bible version.  On the not-perfect side in our experience are that the font size in the book is small, the Bible lacks features such as the study notes, footnotes, maps, red font for Jesus' words, etc. that might be found in some other Bibles and, also, is not the complete Bible as my children and I know it.  The "this is great" side however, outweighs these issues. Among these, the Faith Builders Bible:

• is hardbound, which makes it durable.
• is formatted in two columns to make reading full-text pages easier.
• has pages that are not so thin that children may immediately and inadvertently tear them (as happens with some Bibles).
• contains in-text citations for any quote that refers to another place in the Bible.  (The citations are placed in parenthesis right after the quotes.)
• contains memory verses (called "Building Block Verses").
• offers some Lego build challenges.
• entices children who might not otherwise crack open a Bible on their own to do so.

So, overall, I'd say this Bible is worth a look for any Lego-loving child!

Learn More


Discover what 100 Schoolhouse Review Crew families thought about the Faith Builders Bible.

The Faith Builders Bible currently sells for $24.99.  You can also find Zonderkidz on Facebook and Twitter.

I'd love to see photos of your Faith Builders Bible-inspired Lego build creations.

When Children Play...

Last week, after Nina received her First Holy Communion, she was beaming. The boys were excited for her, too.  So, once Mass had concluded, our family party had ended, and night was falling - with me ready for bed - sleep was nowhere in sight for my little ones.  They were just too wound up from the day!

Thus it was that, as I rested on the couch, Luke decided to begin training Jack as an altar boy.  Together, the kids took their children's broom and unscrewed the brush.  Then, they fetched an old cross and some yarn to rig a cross for Jack to carry into "the church"...
 

 

They also took stools, parts of our mini-Mass kit, candles and other bits and pieces to set up an altar in the living room.  Beneath it, Luke placed some toys and books, which I later discovered were to be props for his family-friendly homily.
 

 
As the boys began their procession to the altar, Nina welcomed the parishioners (me, on the couch "pew") and sang the opening hymn.

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Jack and Luke bowed and, then, began Mass, with Luke doing the readings since they had no lector.  Because Luke knew Pentecost was coming up, he self-selected some related readings from his copy of the The Action Bible.

 

Nina sang the Psalms with joy and, then, Luke read the gospel from the book that Nina had been given at choir practice earlier this year so she could practice reading at home with it. 

While Luke proclaimed the Word, his altar server Jack remained rapt and his cantor Nina was so prayerful.  Just beautiful!

 

After the gospel, Luke gave a homily in which he used books and toys as props to keep his "family Mass audience" (me) interested.  (Our pastor has done this on occasion and, obviously, it  has captured Luke's attention!) 

Then, Nina collected offerings in a basket and double-timed it back to the altar area to sing while Jack brought up the gifts.

 

 
"Priest" Luke then consecrated the gifts while Jack eagerly rang the "altar bells" (keys).  While leading the Liturgy of the Eucharist, Luke prompted Jack to come over so Luke could wash his hands and also asked Jack to bring water over so Luke could mix it with the "wine" (juice).

Of course, then came the apex of Mass: communion with the "Body of Christ" (crackers and, um, hot dog slices)...

... and the "Blood" (juice mixed with water in one cup and chocolate Silk mixed with water in another)...

Nina sang hymns after "receiving communion".
 

 
Then, Luke drew "Mass" to a close and made announcements, which included reminding folks of blood pressure checks in the St. Joseph Center, thanking people who had helped at the recent First Communions, announcing upcoming events and more...

Finally, as Luke charged everyone to "Go and make disciples of all nations!" and Nina began the closing hymn, Jack eagerly began a premature bow to lead the final procession.

At this point, Luke, realized there was no organist and paused from "priesthood" to accompany Nina as she sang the closing hymn.

Once "Mass" concluded, Jack did his final altar server duty.  He, took the snuffer that Nina had previously rigged out of a paper cup, tape and a long toothpick, to snuff out the altar candles while leaving the sanctuary candle burning.

Children play what they know and what they are interested in.  For mine, that includes playing Mass.

What play have your children been developing on their own?

What You Might Leave Outside to Inspire Creativity and Fun

Loose parts!

Natural objects.  Random plastic ones.  Anything without a defined play purpose or even objects that have typical uses, but that can be used for other things.  That is what I like to keep on hand in our yard, and, oh, the creativity, imagination and fun that unfolds!

Just the other day, yet another example of loose parts at play developed right outside my front door.

The kids were in the front yard as I prepared a picnic meal.  When I walked out to lay the food on a blanket, I found the pathway blocked by "a boat".  It seems "the ship" (our home) was sinking and the children were trying to rescue all that they might need to survive.  Imaginations, muscles and cooperation had been at play and the scene was unfolding with fun!

It brought such joy to my heart to witness how sunshine, sibling relationships and simple loose parts came together to inspire the "work of childhood" -- play!

And, since you are never too old to play, I joined the children in their imagination.  I dodged floating and sinking debris and found my way to an "island" (our picnic blanket).   Eventually, I let my almost-sinking shipmates know I had gotten to an island where we could await rescue and had been able to prepare a meager meal to keep our energy up... if they could just make it to the island eventually made their way over to the "island".

They did, and our adventure continued.


Such simple, wonderful fun inspired by loose parts!

What do you keep outside at-the-ready to inspire imagination and creativity?

This Is What Happens When There Is Slow, Screen-Free Time

As I head into another weekend, after a full and blessed week, I think back on last Sunday...

I have been making an effort to SLOW DOWN life with the kids, especially on the Sabbath.  The fruit of doing never ceases to amaze me.  And what the kids get themselves into rarely ceases to amuse me.

What do kids without a screen do on a quiet Sunday night? 

Well, at our home last Sunday, Nina discovered a shaped piece of ice that she and Jack had found in a water bottle earlier in the day and had squirreled away in our freezer.  When she was going to make a smoothie, she spied it, took it out, got a hammer and screwdriver and began to sculpt.

The noise of Nina's activity piqued her brothers' curiosity.  They dropped what they were doing, came in, saw what she was doing and decided to join her.

In minutes, all three children began pounding and whittling ice.

Then, out came figurines, ice cubes and more. And, into the freezer, went trays of water with figurines in them.  

  
The children set a timer and waited for some of their figurines to get caught in ice. Then, they took them out to break the figurine's free from the "pack ice".






 
They also took out more ice cubes and water bottles and began setting creatures in water on icebergs.

Stories unfolded.  Narrations made me smile.

I attempted to be unobtrusive while snapping some pictures of it all.

The snapshots, of course, don't do it justice to the incredible, child-led exploration and fun that unfolded: the way tools were used to solve problems - such as plyers to remover "icebergs" - and loose parts were used to "test" waters - such as a purple straw becoming an implement to test how deep the "arctic waters" were. Yet, the photos do offer a small glimpse of the imaginations at work, which I was so blessed to observe.

Indeed, sometimes, each child was in his or her own world: Jack spinning in circles singing to a figurine, Luke narrating stories with other figurines, Nina sculpting... 

At other times, the children came together with a new idea, experiment or joint-story, all self-directed.

Always, the children relished the freedom of knowing they could use tools, bowls, old pans, trays, and more to their heart's content.

I marveled at the children's choices last Sunday night: imaginative, inquisitive, incredible.  Tonight, reflect on the gift of those moments with my young ones and look forward to more simple blessings this weekend.

Have you observed your children's imagination at work recently?  What blessings have come out of consciously slowing down and, perhaps, limiting screen time?

What Does At-Home, Self-Directed Learning Look Like?

Often, I get asked how I teach my children at home.

More and more, my answer is, "I don't always.  More often than not, I let them teach themselves."

Take last Sunday morning for example.

Nina woke up after a night of being sick.  She looked up at the ceiling fan that had kept her cool during the night and one of the first things she said was...  

[Spoiler Alert:  If you haven't made a guess about what is pictured above, go ahead and do so now, because I am about to reveal the answer.]

"Mommy, I think I know how to make a fridge."


O-kay. I thought.  I guess my girl is feeling a bit better, and we're in for a messy morning of creative engineering and experimentation.

Thus, our day commenced.

With joy, focus and determination, my seven-year-old directed herself through a self-initiated project which hit perfectly on typical engineering design process steps.

Engineering is Elementary

Step One:  Ask

I have no idea why, but my little girl woke up asking herself how she might make her own fridge using materials we have at home that she may freely access.

Step Two: Imagine

Before sharing anything with me, Nina had already brainstormed ideas in her own mind and chosen the one that she felt was feasible to test.

Nina talks her way through her plan before moving forward.

Step Three:  Plan

Nina dispensed with writing or drawing about her ideas and got right to asking me to help her collect supplies:  a box, a small fan, tape and scissors.

Step Four:  Create


Nina's theory was that she could aim a fan inside a closed box to keep the things inside the box cool.  

In order to get the fan's cooling power into the box, she surmised that she needed a hole in the box.  She tried cutting one, only to discover that her scissors would not go through thickness of the outside layer of the box and the flaps within it.

Studying the first obstacle...

Before I could offer any suggestions, Nina problem-solved on her own.  She simply taped the inner flaps to the inside of the box, cut the outer portion of the box, and then worked on the inner layer.

Obstacle one tackled.

With great delight, she showed me her success!

Happy working the engineering design process...

Obstacle two came when Nina how the cooling air of the fan made it's way into the box.  She discovered that the fan and box did not quite align.

Tackling a second obstacle.

As Nina brainstormed solutions such as finding a new box to cut or finding a way to align the box she already had cut, I noted a pile of books near to where she was working.  Within seconds, she had her problem solved.

Nina's design was almost complete.

Nina asked if she could take some leftovers from the fridge in the kitchen to test her new fridge.  With my blessing, she transferred a small portion of pasta into a container to put inside her creation.

Testing the design...

At this point, she hit a third obstacle.  She was not sure how to keep her fridge closed.  

She proposed using tape or creating a latch.  I suggested that tape would be cumbersome because she'd have to keep re-applying it.  Then, before proceeding with latch design, Nina glanced at the book pile, then got up and fetched something else.

A chalk box that Nina had made at Lowe's once became her door closure system.

Just as Nina finished her self-constructed fridge, Grampy called in to check on how she was doing with sickness.  Obviously, engineering design is healing!

Look at how vibrant Nina is while telling Grampy about her creation!

When Nina got off the phone, I asked her how we might test if the fridge really works. 

Nina decided to put some other leftovers just outside her fridge to test which would stay cooler.

Later, when Daddy got home, Nina excitedly told him about her morning's work.  He became her assistant in testing if her design was an effective one.

Nina takes pasta from her fridge and from the container outside of it it give to Daddy.

While Daddy closed his eyes, Nina put the pasta pieces into his hands. 

Daddy had a difficult time determining which pasta was colder.

Step Five:  Improve

Daddy picked the "right" pasta, but noted that there was not a huge difference in the temperature of the pasta in his hands.  Nina proposed that that was because the pasta that she had left outside her fridge had been in our kitchen fridge longer.  (Remember, she put one container of pasta in her fridge before she talked to Grampy and the other outside her fridge after she talked to Grampy.)

She decided she would need to test her fridge again using leftovers placed inside and outside it at the same time.  However, by this time, both of her brothers were up.  So, the pasta got gobbled down, Nina's fridge pushed aside for Lego play and the rest of the morning unfolded in different directions.

My Personal Reflection

As I sat at Mass later in the morning, I thanked God for instilling a bit of his creative genius in all of us and asked Him to continue to guide me in encouraging my children to exercise their imaginations, to experiment with their own self-directed learning and to unwrap personal gifts of passion and purpose.  

Later in the day, I thought about how seasons of unschooling work for my family in so many ways.

Looking back at the morning, I realize that I delighted in observing Nina's engineering design process as much as she did in experiencing it!  I marvel at the creativity of children and the learning that can unfold when time, space, some basic supplies and imagination are put together.

What does self-directed, at-home learning look like in your home?  How might you move from being your child's teacher to being a facilitator, guide, observer or co-learner?