This wonderful program allows parents and young children to build their faith together through short stories and simple, fun activities. Each week will include a storybook read aloud by one of our fabulous Trinity volunteers, as well as downloadable activities and/or coloring pages. You and your child will love listening to these stories together and learning about God’s love through play. Videos and activities will be posted online weekly. Feel free to use these materials however they fit into your family schedule.
Frolic Storybooks
Designed for children in Preschool through Kindergarten
Weekly Videos and Activities
Daniel and the Lions
Kids love a great story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. In today’s story kids learn all about Daniel and the miracle in the lions’ den! Join Miss Jessica for a fun story, then use our parent connection sheet for activity ideas and discussion ideas!
Jonah
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. In today’s story kids learn all about Jonah! Join Miss Beth for a fun story, then use our parent connection sheet for activity ideas and discussion ideas!
Noah
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. In today’s story kids learn all about Noah! Join Miss Beth for a fun story, then use our parent connection sheet for activity ideas and discussion ideas!
The Good Samaritan
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. In today’s story kids will learn how to love their neighbor. Join Miss Jessica, with guest Monroe, as they read “The Good Samaritan.” Use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
Easter
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. In today’s story Jesus is our Hero! Join Miss Beth and hear all about Easter in this week’s story. Use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
Zacchaeus
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. This story tells the story of Zacchaeus and the day his life and heart were changed when he met Jesus. Join Miss Jessica, and special guest Monroe, as they read “Zacchaeus,” then use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
Joseph
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. The story of Joseph covers the events from Joseph’s coat of many colors all the way to their family’s restoration in Egypt. Join Miss Jessica as she reads “Joseph” then use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
Jesus’ Miracles
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. This this story you will hear how Jesus performed amazing miracles. Join Miss Beth as she reads “Jesus’ Miracles” then use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
Paul
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. This one tells all about Paul! Join Miss Jessica as she reads “Paul” then use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
The Little Maid
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. In this story kids will learn how the Little Maid helped Naaman be healed from a terrible disease. Join Miss Beth as she reads “The Little Maid” then use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
Peter
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. In this story kids will learn about Peter. Join Miss Jessica as she reads “Peter” then use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
Martha
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. In this story kids will learn about Marth and the big lesson she learned about serving Jesus. Join Miss Beth as she reads “Martha” then use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
Samuel
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. This one tells how young Samuel learned to listen to God. Join Miss Beth as she reads “Samuel” then use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
The Little Giver
Part of the Little Bible Heroes series
Kids love a great hero story, and there’s no better place to find them than the Bible. This one tells the story of the little boy who shared his loaves and fishes with Jesus, who then worked a great miracle and fed thousands. Join Miss Jessica as she reads “The Little Giver” then use the Parent Connection sheet for ideas on ways to talk about the story with your child.
Joe and the Not So Little Lie
Theme: Lying
Around the age of two or three, children begin to develop higher cognitive thinking—if I do this, then that will happen. If they don’t like a foreseeable consequence, they might lie—changing, bending, or denying the truth. Also, children at this age are still making distinctions between reality and fantasy, so their “untruth” could be their way of exploring the distinction. While lying seems to come more easily to some children than others, young children should never be made to feel that they are bad because they lied. Empathetic teaching and forgiveness will build trust, creating safety to tell the truth next time.
Happy Birthday, Ava!
Theme: Egocentrism
“Me! Me! Me!” That’s a quick summary of the world of young children. Without the ability to meet their own needs, infants and toddlers have an unrelenting list of demands that someone else must always help meet. This self-focus is necessary for survival. When adults respond with empathy and compassion, children find a safe place to explore and grow a healthy sense of self. As they mature and learn to manage more of their own needs and wants, they grow in independence knowing that if they need it, a trusted caregiver is there to help.
Rufus and the Very Special Baby
Theme: Christmas Gifts
Young children love to receive gifts, especially at Christmas! Brightly colored packages pique their curiosity, and as they open them, they often have the undivided attention of those around them. The paper and packaging is often just as interesting as what it contains—as colorful paper, boxes, and even tape can engage children’s imaginations. They want to touch every part of a new toy and the box it came in so that they might better understand it. The wonder children experience with each new thing they are given is a gift they give back to us.
Hal and the Prickle Problem
Theme: Responsibility
Children begin their lives completely dependent on others to be responsible for them. They begin learning how to care for themselves through observation. They pay close attention to specific tasks and to attitudes toward the tasks. Around one year of age, children might start wanting to do these tasks—they look fun, and children long to do what grown-ups do. Grown-ups can find ways for children to learn alongside them, giving them age-appropriate tasks and reinforcing behavior through praise and thanks. Caregivers can also model how to make not-so-fun responsibilities bearable—even enjoyable—with a good attitude.
Joe and the Slow Soup
Theme: Patience
“Just wait a minute.” “Not yet!” “Be patient.” Small children are often asked to wait because they are unable to do many things independently. They wait for food, for toys, and often for our attention. Because their concept of time is just starting to develop, waiting can seem to take forever. When we ask them to “wait five more minutes,” they do not have a way to fully understand what we are asking of them. Young children also vary in how they develop the internal mechanisms for patience, such as strategies for distraction, self-soothing, and self-regulation. Because of innate differences in their temperaments, one child may be able to wait without much difficulty, while another child may seem to have a maximum wait time of just a few seconds before their patience runs out. Sensitive caregiving can make a big difference in how effectively children develop this core skill.
Hal and the Very Long Race
Theme: Strengths and Gifts
Young children are embarking on the exciting, challenging, and sometimes frustrating adventure of learning many different things—like communication, language, and physical movement—in a short period of time. Along with discovering what they can do, they are discovering what they cannot do (yet!). Little ones watch older children and grown-ups and immediately want to do the same things that the “big kids” do. With practice and time, children will master more and more of these tasks, while also finding their own unique God-given strengths and gifts that make them the same as but different from everyone else—a wonderful reflection of God’s own self!
Rufus and His Angry Tail
Theme: Anger
Because anger is one of the first emotions expressed by young infants, it is classified as a primary emotion. (Other ones include fear, happiness, disgust, and sadness.) From the very beginning of life, humans use anger to express their unmet needs. Showing anger is a very effective and powerful way for getting someone else to pay attention to them. As young children develop language skills to communicate about what they want, they still express anger, often through full-body tantrums. Parents, teachers, and other adults can recognize and model faithful responses to this powerful emotion.
Rufus Loses His Cape
Theme: Asking For Help
Every child is unique. Some children seem to demonstrate their need for independence right from birth. Other children are always asking for help, even for something they can do themselves. All children need loving help and guidance throughout their lives, especially in these early years. Recognizing their need for help and honoring their budding independence can be a delicate balance. Some days will go well, while other days will be a struggle. But every day is an opportunity to model for children how they can always turn to God for help.
Rufus and the Scary Storm
Theme: Fear
As little ones explore the amazing world that God has created, some of that exploration will result in fearful situations. Fear is one of the first emotions young children feel. Leaving Mommy or Daddy, sleeping in a dark room, or hearing the bark of a big dog can be terrifying. The fear of unfamiliar situations and people is developmentally typical, starting in the first year when infants begin to show stranger anxiety. The good news is that our precious ones are never alone. God is always with them, even when they feel alone and afraid.
Ava and the Skimpy Picnic
Theme: Sharing
A young child is regularly being coached by adults to share with others. The challenge with this request? Because of the emotional, cognitive, and social skills required to share, young children are not equipped to willingly share with others until well into their preschool years. This means that sharing is very difficult for young children! As toddlers learn about themselves as unique, separate individuals, part of that individualization is owning things. Giving something away that they feel ownership over may feel like giving away part of themselves. Pairing an awareness of this developmental truth with good models for sharing possessions and sharing love is key to teaching about sharing during this tender time of life.
Uri and the Busy Day
Theme: Calming Down
Children get overwhelmed, frustrated, and upset easily. Maybe they can’t reach something they want that’s on a shelf. Maybe they’ve had a busy day and feel overstimulated. Maybe they missed their afternoon nap or didn’t sleep soundly last night. All of these factors and more contribute to breakdowns, temper tantrums, and hyperactivity. Caring adults can help children learn good practices for calming down, like taking deep breaths, counting to three, and taking some time alone. They can also begin to learn that in these moments, God is always there to listen to their prayers.
Ava and the Big Ouch
Theme: Getting Hurt
As children grow they are figuring out how to use their bodies, which means they might get hurt. Infants might tip over when they are learning to sit up; toddlers might fall when they are learning to walk. Getting hurt, whether it’s a big injury or a small one, can be traumatizing for a child. Validating the child’s fears and pains can help them know that things will be okay. Talking about how God is with us and that we can ask for help tells children they are not alone.
Hal and the New Kid
Theme: New Friends
From the time we are born, we are created to be social. Newborns can recognize human voices and sounds in their native language(s). They show a strong preference for looking at human faces. Young babies will grow to follow a trusted adult’s eye gaze and imitate the adults around them. Studies show that children who are raised in secure, loving environments grow up to have better emotional control, stronger communication skills, and more helpful, empathetic behavior toward others. These skills all contribute to children being better able to make friends. Learning the social skills we need to navigate future friendships is a long process that begins early in life, starting with what we experience in our own families.