I don’t have small children in my home anymore, but I am so thankful I got the opportunity to review the Planet 316 Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App from Planet 316 and WorthyKids/Ideals! It is an innovative, engaging way for any child to learn about the Bible, and turns out that my teenage son loves it as much as I do!
Will It Enhance Your Homeschool?
A Great Set of Bible Stories for Young Ones
The stories in the Planet 316 Story Bible are true to the actual Bible stories, but told in such a gentle and age-appropriate fashion that even your youngest children will love them.
Each story in this book begins with a reference to the section or sections of the Bible which the story draws from. For instance, “The Great Commission” story is drawn from Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-20; and Luke 24:44-50. I really like the rigorous detail that Planet 316 and Worthy Kids/Ideals included in the story bible.
What Comes With This Product?
Planet 316 Story Bible
Companion Planet 316 Story Bible App
The best way to understand how to use these two products together is to see it, so my son and I recorded a short video to show you.
Time Required
Preparation Time: 15 minutes of setup time. All you need is a few minutes to download the app to your electronic tablet or smart phone. There are a few hints and ideas for ways to share the book with your youngster in the first pages of the book called, “Dear Parents and Grandparents,” which are short and just take a few minutes to read.
Teaching Time: 15-20 minutes per session. Each bible story is just a few pages of text wound about engaging, brightly-colored cartoon pictures of the story. Each reading may only take 5 minutes, but when you follow that reading with an exploration of the graphics and cartoon characters using the augmented reality capability you get from the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App, your youngster will spend easily 10-15 minutes exploring the extra animation for each bible story you read together. This is really a product designed to do with your child. It is a fantastic tool to begin discussions with your little ones about the stories in the Bible and God’s love as your child begins to develop an understanding of and relationship with God.
How We Liked It & How We Used It
We loved it! Originally I planned to review this bible myself from the perspective of a mom who used to have little ones. I was going to talk about what I would have done with my own children if they were still young. But then my son saw the book.
It turns out that there are stories in this book from the Bible that my son does not know yet, or perhaps has forgotten. So he was interested in simply reading the book. At first he resisted using the smartphone to activate the augmented reality features. But once he saw it, he decided that it is a great product.
As my son points out in the video review we made together, the bible is non-denominational which makes it great for all Christians., Catholics, and even Mormons.
Overall, I loved it and I am certain that you will too! It will be one of your child’s favorites and one you come back to time and again as your child grows.
Summary of Planet 316 Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App
General Features
- Easy to Adapt To Your Homeschool
- You need to work with your child to teach this curriculum, unless your teenager wants to read to the little ones.
- Uses a Smartphone or Tablet to create an interactive learning environment with augmented reality technology
- Works with Gifted Children
- Perfect for Dyslexic Children
Works with these Age Ranges
- High School (9-12) (my son really liked it, but it is a great product for teens to do with their younger brothers and sisters)
- Middle School (6-8)
- Elementary (1-5)
- PreK/Kindergarten
- Toddlers
Good For These Educational Styles
- Charlotte Mason
- Classical
- Eclectic
- Relaxed
- Traditional (like public school)
- Unit Study
Subjects Covered
- Bible
For Kids Who Like
- Working with Mom, Dad, or Grandparents
- Stories and reading together
- Multisensory Learning
Interested in Reading Some Other Perspectives on the Planet 316 Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App? Click through to read what other homeschooling families thought!
