Rainbows and Sunshine: A New Publication for Children (Win a 1-Year Subscription)
On my recent trip to the Amish community in Lancaster County, I had a chance to visit with Freida Stoltzfus, creator and editor of a new publication called Rainbows and Sunshine.
Today I’ll share a bit about that visit, some words from Freida, and then you’ll have a chance to enter to win a year’s subscription (to enter, simply leave a comment on this post).
I’ve known Freida’s father for some time but hadn’t had the chance to speak much with Freida before. I enjoyed my brief visit to her home. I took away an impression of her enthusiasm for the new publication.
Rainbows and Sunshine is meant for children, with stories, activities, crafts, songs, and even stickers in its pages. But there is also interesting content for adults (for instance, a “Do You Know Why…” section, this issue explaining why Amish serve a meal after church).
Freida is Old Order Amish, and the magazine reflects Plain values, but she says it is not meant only for Amish readers. Freida intends to have some regular features in each issue. You can get a feel for the content by these photos.
It has been a family and community effort – Freida says she has tapped family members and others in the community to share stories and make other contributions to the magazine.
For example, she has Sam Stoltzfus, an Emergency Room Nurse Practitioner at Lancaster General Hospital, sharing health advice.
Here are some more photos from the first issue (it’s 40 pages, in black-and-white with some color):
Some Words From Freida
I asked Freida to share some comments on the new magazine for you. Here she goes:
Most of the material in the magazine will be consistent from issue to issue, so a child who has a favorite activity will be able to look forward to this each time.
An example of activities that we will try to have in each issue:
- crosswords
- word search
- logic puzzle
- secret message
- cryptogram
- make your own — (project for girls)
- Things just for fun — (building project for boys)
- and so much more!
My goal is to have material that the whole family can enjoy. What really brings a smile to my face is if a child who does not normally enjoy reading, picks it up and tells me they like it! 🙂
My passion is to show hurting children that there is hope out there, and God really does love them. It’s important to me to put a smile to their face.
I never really thought I’d be doing this. I’m better at thinking up projects than carrying them out. I had so many ideas in my head that I shared with others and I had a few people tell me, “You really need to do this yourself, instead of trying to get someone else to use your ideas.” I also really enjoy researching and writing, so this gives me an outlet for that.
My family has been so supportive and each with their own talent to offer. I am so richly blessed!
So now that I’ve shared some of these goals etc. with you, I really need to go and get those things done that do not appeal to me at all…bake a cake and finish my little girl’s dress!
Freida Stoltzfus
Win a year’s subscription
To enter to win a one-year subscription, simply leave a comment on this post. I’ll draw one winner at random next Tuesday.
Subscribe to Rainbows and Sunshine
If you’d like to go ahead and subscribe, for yourself or a loved one, here’s what to do:
1 Year (8 Issues): $39.00 / 2 Years: $76.00
Canada 1 Year: $53.00
Send to:
RAINBOWS and SUNSHINE Publication,
6591 Division Hwy.
Narvon, PA 17555
Thanks to Freida for sharing with us. Freida adds that she can send all back issues at $7.00 each including shipping.
Update: Rainbows & Sunshine: Subscription Winner and Excerpts
Today we have a winner of the Rainbows and Sunshine subscription. If you missed the first post, Rainbows and Sunshine is a new children’s publication edited by Amish mother Freida Stoltzfus of Lancaster County, PA. You can read about it here.
I was in touch with Freida again yesterday; I think she really enjoyed seeing all your comments. And she had this response to one of them:
The comment asking if I am taking advice from readers, I would love to tell her, most definitely! I love to hear suggestions etc!
I wanted to first share an excerpt from the publication (actually, a few excerpts). Then you’ll find the winner below, as well as how to get this magazine if you aren’t the lucky one today 🙂
And since I’m a little pressed for time, I’m just going to share photos. They’re smartphone photos not pro shots, but hopefully you’ll be able to read them without too much trouble:
Blue Whale Facts
The Gingerbread House
Do You Know Why…The Amish serve a meal after church?
Rainbows and Sunshine Winner
I used random.org to draw a winner, and that winner is:
#71, Janet Senatore
Congrats, Janet. Contact me at ewesner(at)gmail.com with your mailing info, and I’ll get it to Freida.
Subscribe to Rainbows and Sunshine
If you didn’t win, here’s what you need to know to subscribe:
1 Year (8 Issues): $39.00 / 2 Years: $76.00
Canada 1 Year: $53.00
Send to:
RAINBOWS and SUNSHINE Publication
6591 Division Hwy.
Narvon, PA 17555
Thanks again to Freida and to everyone who contributed.
UPDATE: Freida also shares that she can send all back issues at $7.00 each including shipping.
Fantastic!
What a fantastic idea! Looks like a fun thing for Nana to have at her house when the grands come!
Thank you Freida for following through with the idea, and for offering the subscription!
Rainbows and Sunshine
Thank you for giving me the chance to enter to win a 1-year subscription to this publication for children. I would love to be able to share this with my nieces and nephews.
Wow! This is such a well thought out project. I would love to have it in our home!Thank you, Freida and thank you, Eric for this site! Always good to visit!
Thanks Colleen, it’s my pleasure and I think Freida probably enjoyed helping with this post too 🙂
Rainbows and sunshine project
I enjoyed reading about Frieda’s project and it appears she is doing a great job in spreading Rainbows and Sunshine to many young people, both plain and English. In the past, I subscribed to a couple of the Pathway publications and enjoyed them very much. I can imagine it is somewhat hard for Amish to find periodicals that help invigorate their children and still are within the Ordnung
Neat Idea!
I think this is so neat and I commend her for carrying through with her ideas as I know a lot of work goes into putting this out. It crossed my mind that if I win it, before my grandchildren get it…grandma gets to read it first! 🙂 THEN them. 🙂
I like that idea!
This looks great!
This magazine looks to be wonderful! Finally, something that will compete with the trash in Highlights!
Terrific Idea
Best of luck to you with this great idea for engaging young people’s minds with creative and wholesome activities.
What a wonderful idea, this magazine! Adults would enjoy it too! After all, each of us is a child in a way!
Rainbows.....
Sounds like a wonderful publication and I’d love to get a free subscription to share with grandchildren
Had something like this as a child.
I had a similar magazine like this as a child. I really looked forward to getting mine. It’s nice to see something like this coming around again. Maybe this will get children reading again!
Thank you Frieda
Thank you for telling us about your project. It isn’t easy to find material that is both wholesome and fun, so I should think that this would fill a need. Is there a possibility of selling an online version that overseas customers could print off?
Good question Verity, I’ll pass it along to Freida.
Wow!
Wonderful! A moral and fun magazine for children. Here’s hoping it goes nation wide!
Awesome. A nice clean magazine that both children and adults could enjoy.
Rainbows
I think my 90 year old mother who is on a memory care unit would enjoy and use this magazine.
Great for Kids
What a great wholesome magazine. I think the whole family would enjoy this magazine.
This is so cute!
I love magazines that the whole family can have fun with, count me in!
Love this - what a great way to share
Love this, what a great way to share another culture with a young child! Thanks for all you do Eric and bringing these incredible blogs to us, I thoroughly enjoy them!
Such a good idea! I looked over some of the jokes and am sure I’ll be using some at the library where I work (we give kids knock-knock or other short, simple jokes after storytime, every week.) I wish you luck and would like to ask if you take suggestions from readers?
Thanks for the chance at winning a subscription!
Alice Mary
Free subscription
I would love a free subscription to share with Amish friends in upstate NY
Great Idea!
This would be great for homeschooling or long car trips!
new publication
Looks like an interesting publication.
Interesting
This looks like a tremendous publication, not only for children but for every member of the family. It would be great to win a subscription. Thank you!
This looks like a great publication for everyone.
I just posted the winner along with a few excerpts from the magazine. Thanks to everyone who read and commented!
https://amishamerica.com/rainbows-sunshine-subscription-winner-and-excerpts/
Looks like a wonderful childrens magazine.
I would love a chance to win a 1 yr subscription for our grandchildren.
Love what you're doing
With so much technology around it’s such a blessing you are doing this even to us non Amish
A delight for children
Would love to share this with my first great-granddaughter. Would be a great learning tool.
thank you!
if you are still giving out a free subscription, count me in please. We delight in learning “plain” ways for our family although we aren’t Amish and live in the suburbs. Thanks and God bless!
Rainbows and Sunshine
As a new children’s author I am also looking for inspiration and I love this new publication.
Thanks for sharing.
thank you for sharing about magazine
Thanks for sharing about the magazine. It looks like a great magazine for children. Much better than the non-Amish Christian magazines for children.
Rainbows and Sunshine: Publication for Children
Wishing you all the best Freida, on your new project!
Rainbows and Sunshine: Publication for Children
I know this project will be a success. Children should love it!