You guys, I'm just so excited to share this news with you! Over the past year or so, I've had a small part in helping with a brand new Catholic kids' app called
Little Saint Adventures. It launched last week, and I am so pleased to finally get to tell you all about it!
Little Saint Adventures is an app that takes kids on an adventure through themed landmarks where they listen to interactive storybooks, play games, solve puzzles, and more all while being taught some of the most important truths of our faith. Scripture, Tradition, the life of Christ, and stories of Saints are woven seamlessly together in the midst of fun activities kids can play again and again.
How awesome is it that the creators are using the best of available technology to make the faith real and relevant and fun for kids? What's even better is that they aren't just providing great games, they also want to help support parents as the primary educators of their children. A companion app called the Parent Portal connects to the kids app and provides info on each child's progress, details on the games, and tons of questions, projects, and resources that can take the learning out of the app and into your living room.
Just take a look at this curriculum overview. The first five landmarks are complete, including more than 35 kids activities and 75 family activities. The next landmarks are coming later this year and will at least double the content available.
Click here to read more about the landmarks & curriculum.
Each landmark uses activities like storytelling, games, matching activities, problem solving, etc. to connect fundamental teachings of the Catholic faith. Interwoven throughout the landmarks are stories from the Old and New Testaments, the lives of the Saints, the teachings of Christ, the Sacraments, Prayer, Church teaching, and more. Shared in an engaging and interesting way, kids can work their way through the app and repeat activities again and again, learning new things each time.
The warm and appealing graphics and characters are childlike but also detailed and expressive. Every time I look around the landmarks, I find more well thought symbolism and meaning hidden in the pictures. The voices, music, and sound effects add to experience (but aren't too annoying for the adults around to listen to ;) ).
The Parent Portal is such a unique feature to this app. Once downloaded, it can be connected with the children's app. You can see what activities have been completed and when by each child. Clicking on an activity provides you with an activity summary and description (so you don't have to play it first yourself!), a list of conversation starters that you can ask your child about the game over the dinner table or in the car, ideas for family activities of all kinds that extend the lessons found in the app, and links to connecting resources if you are looking for even more.
Now that the app has launched, we are all so excited to think about the families that are ready to start playing and learning together using this tool. I asked Melea, Curriculum Director for Little Saint Adventures, a little more about her thoughts on the app:
Q: What features of Little Saint Adventures make it such a great tool for Catholic kids?
Melea: I think what makes LSA such a great tool is how FUN it is for the kids, with different activities such as storybooks, shooting games (similar to angry birds) and quizzes. It's reinforcing things they are learning in their homes, Catholic Schools and Religious Ed and giving it a new fun twist!
Q: Why is the Parent Portal an integral piece of Little Saint Adventures?
Melea: Our goal with the Parent Portal is to give Parents the tools and resources to feel capable and confident in catechizing their own children! To bring the app out of the technological sphere and into their daily lives. Yes, the app is fun but we want it to be a springboard for conversations and fun interactions for families using it!
Q: What is your family's favorite landmark (or activity)?
Melea: My daughter's favorite activities are the shooting ones. She's 6 and will play them over and over and over. She also loves the matching games.
I've already mentioned that the app will continue to grow, but the team has also created some tech-free supporting activities. The corresponding activity book with coloring pages and games uses the same characters and concepts as the app and you can
find it here as well as
on Amazon (affiliate link). LSA graciously sent a sample page for me to share with you to use at home or in your classroom. I just love the Nazareth Village landmark, and this coloring page features a sweet family scene with young Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Joachim, and Anne gathered around the dinner table. Click on the image to download your coloring page!
Check out all the details for Little Saint Adventures
here, including links to the App Store and Google Play. I think that it is an awesome resource to supplement the great learning going on in homes, schools, and parishes. I hope you give it a try and recommend it to a family that you think would love it too!
