The day the first set of Jonathan Park CDs arrived in the mail, our older boys anxiously brought them to their room and began to listen that night. They fell in love with them immediately.
I grew up listening to Christian audio dramas like Adventures in Odyssey—which still appeals to our kids—so when I heard about the audio adventures of Jonathan Park, I thought our kids might enjoy them. These CDs did not disappoint.
About Jonathan Park
Jonathan Park began as a radio project of the Institution for Creation Research as a way to introduce children to how science reveals God’s creative mind and power. In fact, the first 7 adventure packs (28 episodes) are called the “Creation Collection,” because they focus on educating kids about how science fits with what the Bible teaches us about creation.
But it’s not just for education. Far from it. The series is all about entertainment through captivating adventures. Listeners follow the young Jonathan Park, his paleontologist father, and his family and friends on exciting travels all over the world.
The audio dramas are perfect for kids ages 6-12.
Why We Like Jonathan Park
1. They really grab my kids’ attention.
The audio dramas are filled with mystery and excitement, which keeps my kids’ attention—especially my older boys (7 and 12).
In a visual age like our own, it may seem like audio dramas would fall short of capturing a child’s attention, but nothing could be further from the truth. Audio adventures tap into something movies do not: imagination. Kids love picturing the scenes in their minds, filling in the visual details to match what they hear.
2. Production quality is very good.
Audio adventures are kind of like a “movie for your ears,” but to pull that off, production quality needs to be spot-on. And with Jonathan Park, that’s exactly what you get.
Scripts for the stories are well-written. Voice actors are entertaining and engaging. Sound effects are believable. Music is well-produced.
3. They teach how science is not the enemy of Scripture.
Audio dramas are proven means of education, but it’s the content of that education that matters most. The goal of Jonathan Park is to teach creation apologetics, showing how scientific findings fit into what the Bible says about God.
Much of the scientific information combats the prevailing worldview of Creator-less evolution, and some of it is dedicated to a defense of young earth creationism. While we make it a point to expose our kids to a variety of viewpoints of how the Scriptures should be interpreted when it comes to creation, we appreciate the way the audio dramas spark an interest in our kids about these subjects!
4. They are convenient entertainment.
Unlike other forms of entertainment, they are convenient for our kids to use. We can take them in the van for long road trips (or short ones). We can let our kids listen to them while they do their chores. We can even let them fall asleep to the CDs in their rooms (though for our oldest this has sometimes meant staying up too late and we have to cut him off).
5. My kids can binge on them (as opposed to screen time).
We try to put limits on “screen time” in our home, but we don’t currently have stated limits on how much they listen to audio dramas when they have free time. This means they can literally binge on Jonathan Park.
Kids don’t seem to mind listening to the same episodes over and over because unlike TV or movies, audio dramas encourage creativity. There’s always something new they can imagine each time they listen, so each time is like a new adventure.
Special Offer for Intoxicated on Life Readers
The folks over at Jonathan Park are offering my readers an extra special discount. If you hop over to their website using this link, you’ll receive 25% off the first series pack: The Adventure Begins!
Is there a digital purchasing option for the Johnathan Park audio series?
I don’t believe there is at this point.