As your sweet, itty-bitty babe turns into an increasingly moody tween child, it can become harder to find things to still enjoy together, but no need to worry about it. I have the answer:
Greek mythology!
Really. All the drama, monsters, heroes, and battles intrigue kids of this age like none other. You can sneak in some learning about geography, history, and culture as well. Win!
Here are some fun Greek Myth resources to introduce to your tweens:
Greeking Out Podcast
Seriously. Start here. They will be hooked. Produced by National Geographic, this podcast is engaging, funny, and overall very well done. Each episode is about 25 minutes and retells a different Greek Myth. You can use a bluetooth speaker (this has been a great one for us) so your phone will be held hostage by your listeners. I like to put one episode on while I make dinner and my two tweens will hang around the kitchen and even HELP! Win!
Eat to Explore Box: Greece
Speaking of helping with dinner, this box is a fun and easy way to sneak more learning and bonding with your tween. Eat to Explore is a subscription box for kids, but you can buy just one at a time. I love the box because it comes with some great info on the country, three authentic Greek recipes with full-color pictures of the ingredients, steps in the recipes, AND the spices you’ll need to make it easier to get dinner on the table. It’s all kid-friendly, so your tween might even be able to do the majority of it him or herself while you assist. They usually have a good sale right around Christmas time.
The Treasury of Greek Mythology
This book has been a hit! Each story features a character from mythology, but build on each other so you’ll definitely want to read them in order. As you may know, Greek Mythology can be not so kid-friendly much of the time and his book handles those parts well. We enjoyed reading one or two stories before bed each night.
A Child’s Introduction to Greek Mythology
This book was another hit because it has a little blurb called “It’s all Greek to me!” which explained how a common word or concept came from that particular story. My tweens and I were really surprised how many references there are to ancient Greek mythology in everyday life. We all learned a lot!
Greek Myth Magic Painting Book
Magic painting books are painting with all water grown up. Painting these mythic pictures is relaxing and satisfying, while not making a mess. Sometimes our moody tweens need a little relaxation while their brains are busy remodeling. Mine love to paint and listen to the podcast at the same time. There are a ton of other cool themes in this series of books if your kids enjoy them.
Other books of interest which may be at your local library as well:
Weird But True Greek Mythology
Have fun listening, learning, and most importantly, bonding while Greeking out with your tween!
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