One Mommy's Review of Free Spirit Publishing's "In a Jar" Series

Free Spirit Publishing offers products and tools that support young people's educational and social-emotional needs.  They have been in the business for 25 years and their mission has remained the same: to help children and teens think for themselves, succeed in life, and make a difference in the world. They offer a wide range of products that meet the needs of all ages and needs.  One of those products, The In a Jar series, is a wonderful and portable way to make learning fun and spontaneous...something all children can appreciate.

The In a Jar series are extremely versatile as they can be used in small or large group settings and with individual children.  You can also find a use for them in just about any environment.  Whether at school, in after-school programs, at home, church groups, at parties, or in the car, the possibilities are endless.  The In a Jar series will help you ensure that all children are engaged in the conversation and learning because they can bring their own unique experiences to the table.

One of my favorites to use while traveling in our car for road trips is the Travel Treasure Hunt In a Jar.  Why do I love it?  Simple.  It is fun, gets us all talking about something in common, and keeps the children engaged in something that does not revolve around an electronic device.  When you are confined in a vehicle with children of any age, can you really ask for more?

A few examples from Travel Treasure Hunt In a Jar:

• A flock of birds flying
• The letter "Z" on a sign
• An animal crossing the road
• A train with more than 50 cars (Love this one...this can buy you at least 5 hours in a long drive :) ).

There is also a Treasure Hunt for primary ages In a Jar.  What's the difference between this and the travel version?  Well, for one, the content is different.  Most importantly, this version allows children to move about to find their objects.  Treasure Hunt for primary ages is PERFECT and should be in every teacher's classroom for a rainy day activity.  Our son is on break from school right now so I pulled out 10 cards of things that I know my kids can be successful in finding in our house.  Tomorrow he and his sister will take the cards and work together to find the items.  An important consideration is that there is no picture support on these cards so your child will need to be able to read them...or at least remember them when you read them.  If they can't read?  Don't fret - make it a family afair!  Divide into teams with a parent on each and have fun!

A few examples from the Treasure Hunt for primary ages In a Jar:

• Something that begins with the letter "A"
• A sock
• Something with a word on it that has 3 or more letters
• A book
• Something round

The Choices In a Jar is a great one to inspire great dinner conversation with your family or for those quiet moments where you are talking in the living room.  The best part is that the choices given may inspire your child to share more with you about their daily lives as they relate to the choices and explain their position.  For parents, especially those with school aged children, any tool you have to open the lines of communication is an asset in your relationship with your children.  Don't worry, they are not excessively deep.  In all honesty, most are not too deep.  Instead, they help children think through their decision making process and allow others a glimpse into the process.  I don't know about you, but I see tremendous value in having these minor discussion with my children as they grow as opposed to waiting until they are too old and will not let me into their communication circle.

A few examples from Choices in a Jar:

• Always be loved or always be right?
• Know it all or have it all?
• Bake cookies in cooking class or create sculpture in art class?
• Be an actor in a movie or the director?

If you are looking for ideas that will help trigger discussion and writing for your child, then Early Story Starters In a Jar may be just for you.  It can be used as an activity of the day in a classroom, home school curriculum, or at home on summer break. These are also great for discussions on car rides.  If you have a younger child, each family member can add to the story. This In a Jar product also offers adults opportunities to model appropriate story construction and grammar while thinking aloud to share their thoughts. 

A few examples from the Early Story Starters In a Jar:

• I was swinging in the park when my friend...
• When I was singing I heard...
• My favorite color is _______ because...(while this sounds simple, try this on a Kindergarten student and see what you get.)
• I know of a secret door that leads to...

There are countless other In a Jar products; there is surely something to fit any need that may arise. Whether you like Gratitude In a Jar, Kids Daily Dilemmas In a Jar, Finger Plays and Rhymes In a Jar, Sign Language Feelings In a Jar, Girl Talk In a Jar, or the variety of others, their value add to your life and that of your children or students will be a positive one.  A versatile, affordable, and fun tool to help children and teens think for themselves, succeed in life, and make a difference in the world. 

Mission accomplished.

Disclosure: Free Spirit sent me some samples to review before sharing my thoughts.  My thoughts are just that - mine.  They are not influenced by Free Spirit.