Audiobooks For Kids and Adults to Enjoy Together

Let's be honest. Some audiobooks that kids love to listen to can be the most insipid and annoying stories we adults have ever heard (or forgotten, as it were). Are there audiobooks that can truly be enjoyed by both adults and children?

Yes, of course! We've put in a good 25 years of audiobook listening with our kids so far, and I thought it was time to share our favorites with you.

These are affiliate links below (thanks!) but we often find what we love to listen to from free sites like HooplaDigital and Librivox.

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Audiobooks to Enjoy With the Youngest (Ages 3-6)

(This list does not include shorter picture books.)

Riki Tiki Tavi

When We Were Very Young

The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter

James Herriot's Treasury for Children

Winnie the Pooh

Audiobooks to Enjoy With Tweens and Middle Kids (7-12)

Just So Stories

Hank the Cowdog

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

All the Wrong Questions series - Lemony Snicket

The Chronicles of Narnia

Swallows and Amazons

Adam of the Road

The Adventure Collection: Treasure Island, The Jungle Book, Gulliver's Travels, White Fang, The Merry Adventures of Robin

The Ralph S. Mouse Audio Collection

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Wonder

There are plenty of classics and options for older kids that are enjoyed by both both parents and teens. I'm choosing not to create a list here in the interest of time, but am happy to help with specific suggestions.

What's your family's favorite audiobook?

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Planning a Homeschool Week in Just 15 Minutes

Hey there! I know what you might be thinking: But I don't homeschool. That's totally okay. From time to time I will be posting good things for my homeschooling readers, and those of you who aren't, feel free to delete and move along! Isn't it nice to have one less thing to read online anyway?

Back in the day (January, 1997, to be exact), I spent my Sunday evenings planning the upcoming week of curriculum and school goals. I hated it. I mean, seriously, who wants to spend their Sunday nights doing that?

But now it's 2017 and I've gotten much older and a tiny bit wiser. I've learned to:

1. 

Make a whole year's plan all at once over the course of a weekend in the summer. 

2.

Adjust each week according to what needs adjusting.

Let's begin with that first one. The whole year? Really??? Yep. And I wrote about it at length on my homeschooling blog, so here's the beginning of the series: Planning a Whole Year of Homeschooling. You can do it! And come December, you'll be giving yourself a high five.

But what about making adjustments as things change during the year? Things do change, don't they? Kids get ahead, kids get behind, unexpected visitors hijack the school hours, etc. It's totally okay. What you take 15 minutes to plan at the beginning of each week (or on Fridays, as I do, for the next week) can be adjusted according to what the current, weekly needs have become.

You can use any planner that suits your fancy. I use this free, customizable printable from Crystal Paine:

I fill in the spots, he does the work, then he checks the boxes. Straightforward, uncluttered, done and done.

Get your copy of Crystal's 1-Week School Planner here.

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Get Your Homeschool Ready for Summer in 15 Minutes!

Is the thought of cleaning up the school year and organizing your homeschool killing the joyful headiness of a looming carefree summer?

Then let's attack this bite by bite! Printable checklist included below.

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Day One:

Gather all texts finished for this year and either box them up to save for another student, toss, sell online or a curriculum fair, or put in a bag to donate.

Day Two:

Deal with the trash that has accumulated in your school area this year. Have a kid who needs to expend energy with some hard muscle work? Hand them the trash bag to take to the curb!

Day Three:

With the extra stuff gone and the trash dealt with, it's time to sort through and organize the art supplies, paper, pencils, tape, glue, etc. If you have a little extra time, make an inventory of what you need to replace because those school supplies sales are right around the corner!

Day Four:

Do you have toys, puzzles, and games that need sorting, too? Now's the time. List them on Facebook, give them away, or store them in a tub or cabinet to be taken out when the cold weather arrives again.

Day Five:

If your house is like mine, there are scuff marks on the walls and baseboards, and even the hard wood floor. In fact, one of my early summer projects is to remove a white sofa slipcover and try to remove the black dry erase marker my brain-injured kiddo put there. Grab the bottle of cleaning stuff, rags, a mop, etc. and set those kids to helping with the tabletops, cupboard doors, floors, and light switches, too!

Voila! In 15 minutes each day for 5 days, you have the school year behind you. Doesn't that feel great? Now go pour yourself something cold and enjoy your well-deserved time off! 

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Print your free checklist here!

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More Useful Tasks You Can Do in 5 to 60 Minutes:

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