5 Exciting Audio Drama Resources for Families
After sharing some of the best read-alouds for families I wanted to now share some of our favorite audio drama resources. These audio adventures are made by multiple companies with various skills in sound effects and a full cast list of actors! The original music scores, advanced studio effects, and gripping acting make these adventures some of the very best and most exciting to listen to.
My family and I grew up with most of these and we really love the quality as well as the lessons taught in each story. So many days we sat around the table or in the living room and listened for hours. I enjoy doing this now with the children I nanny for. The kids love to get into the story and they enjoy them so much that they beg for more! We get so many crafts and projects done during this time!
Many of these audio dramas I purchased as cd collections or mp3 downloads from Christianbook as Christmas presents. My family and I have been Christianbook customers for many years – having purchased from them multiple homeschool resources and some of our favorite children’s book series. Today, I am excited to be a Christianbook affiliate. Some of these links are affiliate links and help me to keep blessing you as I continue to share many of our favorite homeschool recommendations at no cost to you.
Your Story Hour has been around since the 1940s – starting out as one of the first children’s radio programs. This company now has a huge collection of stories that teach character qualities as well as stories about historical heroes, missionaries, and more – all from a Christian perspective. Each story goes over a different theme, so be sure you check which ones you want your children to listen to. I remember the tapes we got many years ago and listened to on repeat. I will never forget how Uncle Dan and Aunt Sue narrated the stories and taught the lessons in an understanding way.
Your Story Hour cd collections are available online as volumes in these three series: The Bible Comes Alive series that retell some of the favorite stories in the Bible, The Adventures in Life series that is filled with stories of children who learn many different lessons, and the Great Stories series that tell of past heroes of history.
Heirloom Audio Productions is a more recent discovery for me. Having grown up with the G.A. Henty books, hearing them being put into audio dramas has made the stories come alive even more! They tell about the adventures that Henty wrote through his experiences. There is so much history, heroism, and truth that captivate perfectly the original stories. With a full cast of actors and realistic sound effects, these are truly fascinating for kids of all ages. Find these audio adventures online at HeirloomAudio.com and you can also download study guides that go along with each one!
Above are a few of Heirloom Audio’s G.A. Henty audio dramas.
An absolute favorite of ours are the Adventures in Odyssey stories. These stories tell about kids in a small town called Odyssey and what they learn from a wise older gentleman. Mr. Whitaker gives advice and wisdom founded in the stories and lessons directly from the Bible. Filled with lessons on kindness, honesty, character, and truth, these stories will take your kids on a journey they won’t want to end!
Each adventure is overflowing with imagination as the kids and sometimes adults of Odyssey take trips in the Imagination Station. Children are taken to a place in history where they meet famous heroes and learn about their lives and the hardships they faced and victories they achieved. There are also many audio adventures that allow children to visit the Bible as if in real life. They learn valuable lessons about the people who lived when Jesus walked the earth and before. The adventures are endless and so exciting!
Many of these albums are available at Christianbook and they also have other series that are available as books for kids who love to read the stories for themselves! Here are a few of our favorite albums and book series:
From the same creators of Adventure in Odyssey comes Radio Theatre. These stories are dramatizations of classic books and series that come alive as you listen. We have listened to every one of these and truly have loved them so much that we have found ourselves re-listening to them over the years. They are a wonderful way for children to fall in love with the classics. I am excited to share here our top three favorites!
Growing up we heard a lot about the Lamplighter books, but it wasn’t until we started listening to the audio dramas that we were captured by the stories. These audio dramas from Lamplighter Theatre are taken from old books and completely retold with Biblical truths and lessons. They are full of many different and exciting adventures that have captivated us for hours! I love to listen to these while working on projects and am excited when each new one comes out. (Please be aware that there may be a few themes that are too strong for younger listeners so I suggest that parents preview these first.)
I hope you have enjoyed this list of my family’s favorite audio dramas. We have loved all of these and I am excited to hear which ones become your family’s favorites!
Please note that although these audio adventures are told from a Christian perspective, not all are appropriate for younger listeners. I would advise parents to preview the stories for their own children.
I’m also including here a few honorable mentions for our audio adventures list. Some of these I grew up with and some are new to me and I am excited to listen to them: The Patch the Pirate Club, The Captains Club & Sugar Creek Gang (on the Bible Broadcasting Network), the Jonathan Park series, and the Brinkman Adventures.
Listen carefully, my dear child, to everything that I teach you, and pay attention to all that I have to say.
Fill your thoughts with my words until they penetrate deep into your spirit.
Then, as you unwrap my words, they will impart true life
and radiant health into the very core of your being.
Proverbs 4:20-22 TPT
