The goal of We Choose Virtues, created by mom and teacher Heather McMillan, is to inspire character in kids that lasts. I think all parents want their children to become young men and women of character. In fact, this is a major reason behind the homeschool movement today. Yes, I want to be with my kids and I want them to be with one another, but mainly I want their education to be more than just academic. In our homeschool, our goal is to glorify God above all else. Since our house is full of people with a sin nature, that can't be accomplished without including character training. We like to start our days with catechism, character training, and a time of prayer.
The Virtue Clue Cards are creative, cute, and easily taken with you or your child when on the go. They're geared for kids 3-18, but I've found them helpful, as well. My 5 and 8 yr olds enjoy assigning them to one another and then swapping them. You can use the front side (shown above) to help your family memorize Heather's character catchphrases and antonyms. The back of the cards give a challenge for the day and encouragement from a VirtueVille character such as Piggy Bank Frank (for patience) or Oboe Joe (obedience).
I think the Virtue Clue Cards, available at $5.99 for a limited time, would be a great addition to whatever character training program you're using in your family. In our home we've chosen to teach character traits in conjunction with the Bible, so we wouldn't utilize the Virtue Clue Cards on their own. I realize that We Choose Virtues is trying to be helpful to a wider audience than just Christian families so they made these virtue cards without Bible verses. They do offer faith-based character training programs designed for Christian schools, Sunday schools, and even homeschools. The faith-based homeschool kit, available for $99.99, includes Scriptures from the NiRV Bible on both the parenting cards and virtue flash cards. The homeschool kit also includes a teacher's guide, several virtue posters, a personal virtue chart, and virtue user review. I did not review this kit, but it sounds more in line with the way we do character training in our homeschool.
Even though we wouldn't use the Virtue Clue Cards on their own, we have found them to be very helpful in reinforcing the definitions of the character traits. The virtue cards help make an abstract concept like being content more concrete. For example, the virtue catchphrase for "content" is "have my 'wanter' under control". The antonym for "content" given in italics is "I am NOT... bored, greedy, always wanting more, and I don't beg or whine!" This has been helpful because our children don't necessarily realize that being bored means they're not being content, or that whining means they have a complaining attitude, which means they're not being content. The challenges on the backs of the cards are great, too, because as we try to keep them, they show us our failures! All of this can be discouraging apart from assuring our children that God is at work in us to will and to do for His good pleasure and that when we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us.
If you're looking for a fun way to reinforce the character traits of gentleness, self-control, kindness, forgiveness, diligence, contentment, perseverance, patience, obedience, helpfulness, honesty, and attentiveness then these Virtue Clue Cards will be a great addition to your home. They will help make the virtues come to life for your kids and this can lead to further teaching opportunities.
Please check out the other TOS crew reviews of We Choose Virtues Virtue Clue Cards.
Disclaimer: I received a free pack of the Virtue Clue Cards in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.
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