It was autumn in the Good Forest where Grandmother Oak stands proud and strong as she has for many, many years. One beautiful autumn day, sunbeams were streaming through Grandmother's branches and the leaves on the branches looked like she was wearing a majestic cloak in vibrant colors of yellow, red, and brown. She looked grand! As her branches gently swayed in the breeze, a few leaves from her cloak danced down to the forest floor covering the earthen floor with a soft blanket of golden colors. Grandmother Oak called all her forest friends and said. “Let’s have a feast and invite everyone in the forest”.

Heave Ho
Now we go
Up into the tree
Picking apples
Red and Gold
Ripe for you and me

Join Scurry Squirrel, Woodland elves Nutmeg and Clover and Ringtail Raccoon as they get ready for Thanksgiving. 

 Ages 3-7

About the Author, Christy Klincewicz

“This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator. My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children. The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language. I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth. Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.” Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.” To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit www.rockinghorsestories.com

Stay connected! Sign up for the Journal and beginning next month you’ll receive monthly seasonal children’s stories that you can download plus the latest news from We Nurture. Click here to sign up for Free! Follow us on Instagram @we_nurture

Once upon a time, in a green meadow dotted with wildflowers, there was a cozy earthen hollow that went deep into the ground. This is where a family of groundhogs lived. Every morning they climbed out of their hollow and ate handfuls of yellow dandelions and red clover. But it was not enough food for little groundhog because he was always hungry. So the family scurried to Farmer John’s compost pile to look for good food to eat. 

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

About the Author

Chinyelu Kunz, is the founder of We Nurture Collective. In 2020, after 25 years as a Waldorf early childhood educator, her growing passion to support parents of young children, on a bigger platform, led her to leave classroom teaching. She created the parenting podcast, We Nurture which was quickly followed by The Stories for Children podcast. She loves writing stories for children and hopes to do this more in the future.

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

Welcome to the We Nurture Stories for Children podcast. 

We utilize the power of storytelling to encourage language development, inspire moral growth, and enliven the imagination. We hope you enjoy the timeless activity of getting lost in a good tale.

There was once a little bunny rabbit named Billy who lived in a burrow with his mommy, daddy and brothers and sisters. The burrow was very snug for the bunny family and as the baby brothers and sisters began to grow bigger, it became rather squashy.  Billy was the youngest and the smallest of the family and he found it most squashy of all. One day Billy had an idea that would keep him from being squashed all the time.

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

About the Author - Jill Tina Taplin 

Jill Taplin was born and brought up in the UK, graduated from university with a degree in philosophy and was busy until her early 30s as a gardener, house builder and mother.  Then she joined a group of parents founding a Steiner Waldorf school in the north east of Scotland, near a spiritual community.  Soon she found herself working in the kindergarten and discovered that was where she really wanted to be.  She worked as a kindergarten teacher in Scotland and Devon until 2008 when family reasons brought her to a new part of the UK with no Waldorf school nearby.  Since then she has expanded her interest in working with adults - students, teachers and parents – through working as a kindergarten mentor, workshop leader, adult education tutor and writer. She has completed an MA in Education (Steiner Philosophy) and now has commitments to support Steiner Waldorf early childhood training mainly in several countries around the world.  In addition to magazine and newsletter articles, she is co-author of Understanding the Steiner Waldorf Approach, published by David Fulton.

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

Welcome to the We Nurture Stories for Children podcast
We utilize the power of storytelling to encourage language development, inspire moral growth, and enliven the imagination. We hope you enjoy the timeless activity of getting lost in a good tale.

Valentino and the Rainbow Hearts
Valentino, the Valentine fairy woke up sneezing and sick just five sleeps before Valentine’s day. There was still so much work to do to get ready for Valentine’s day. What would Valentino do? 

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7

About the Author - Mary Natale

Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

Welcome to the We Nurture Stories for Children podcast
We utilize the power of storytelling to encourage language development, inspire moral growth, and enliven the imagination. We hope you enjoy the timeless activity of getting lost in a good tale.

Rosy's Valentine's Day Cards
Valentine’s day would soon be here and Rosy was so excited that she could hardly wait. She decided to make Valentine's cards for her Mamma and Pappa and her friends too! After her Mamma found the crafting box Rosy set to work making cards for Valentine’s day. 

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7

About the Author - Chinyelu Kunz, Founder of We Nurture Collective. In 2020, after 25 years as a Waldorf early childhood educator, my growing passion to support parents of young children, on a bigger platform, led me to leave classroom teaching. I created my parenting podcast, We Nurture quickly followed by The Stories for Children podcast. I love writing stories for children and hope to do this more in the future.

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

This birthday story was written for young children to offer a soul nourishing story that describes the journey from heaven to earth. A journey that in the end fulfills little angel’s wish to be with her family on the earth. 

Although it’s written in the feminine, “she” can easily be changed to “He”. 

Link to written version of this story

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7 years

About the Author - Chinyelu Kunz

Chinyelu Kunz is the founder of We Nurture Collective.
In 2020, after 25 years as an early childhood educator, her growing passion to support parents of young children led her to leave classroom teaching. She created her podcast, We Nurture, to answer the call for help that parents need. We Nurture has grown into a collective and expanded its online presence to include @we_nurture on instagram.

We Nurture offers a rhythmic + holistic lifestyle approach that transforms family life. A lifestyle approach that supports parents in nurturing their child’s healthy development to unlock their potential while supporting parents in cultivating a nurturing, joy filled home-life!

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

From the book, Thirty Sunsets and A Moon, a collaborative project by Ashley J. May & Jessica Lewis Stevens 

Here is a tale about a flock of birds that embark on a soul moving journey. An adaptation of Farid al Din Attar’s “The Conference of the Birds”, deeply inspired by the wisdom of my motherline and two little boys who believe they can fly. I tell this story each summer. Sometimes, I tell it all year long--adding tiny new details along the way as my children grow more and more curious about the childhood memories of my grandmother, and her mother, that I hold dear to my heart. It’s best told under the shade of your favorite tree with jugs of honey lemonade for sipping, and the sweetest little hoopoe puppet flying about on a stick.

Author - Ashley J. May You can discover more about Ashley and her work on Instagram @mayashleyj. Ashley J. May is a mother and ethnographer living on the unceded Tongva lands commonly known as Los Angeles, CA. She is the Founder and Project Director of The Grassroots Morning Garden Project that aims to liberate families and organize parents and their children around spaces of freedom through a co-constructed model for holistic, nature immersive parent and child groups, community-engaged research, public scholarship, and collective care.   

Her graduate training is in research and evaluation--specifically in early childhood and community care contexts.  She has over 20 years of experience in education and holds a Child Development Site Supervisor Permit from the California Department of Education.  She is a member of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America, the American Anthropological Association, and the Society for the History of Children and Youth.

Ashley infuses the beauty of Waldorf philosophy, feminist pedagogy, and culturally sustaining, place-based informal educational practices into her work and home life while interrogating places of expansion and opportunities for transformation in order that we are in right relationship with the families and communities we serve.

We recommend this story for ages 3 and up

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

Once upon a time, long long ago in China, there was a boy named Ping. Ping loved flowers and anything he planted would bloom.

The Emperor of the land loved flowers too. The time came when the Emperor had to choose an heir and this was a difficult choice. The Emperor gave a flower seed to each child and “said “Whoever can show me their best in a year's time," he proclaimed, "shall succeed me to the throne!"

Ping plants his seed and takes care of it every day. Month after month passes, and nothing grows and when the time comes, Ping must go to the Emperor with nothing but an empty pot.

Story adapted from original ‘The Empty Pot’ by Demi

Ages 3 to 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

A tale about a little girl who wished for a little friend to carry in her pocket. She finds a little gnome living under a mushroom and takes him home with her. The little gnome turns out to be quite cheeky and discourages her from helping with chores at home until the fairies come with their twinkling light which tickle her fingers and soon her hands helping.

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

About the Author - Connie Manson

“Throughout childhood I loved performing! It was to me a vehicle to connect with others in a joyful, meaningful way. Not long after completing a theatre arts degree, I was asked by a fellow graduate to help perform puppet stories for school children. We knelt in a large black box, holding the puppets above our heads, so we never had the opportunity to see the children's faces, but I was struck by how silent they were throughout the entire show. Later after beginning the journey as a teacher in a classroom, whenever a puppet troupe traveled to our school, it was unforgettable to see how strongly the children connected with the puppets! 

The journey continued after beginning my Waldorf teacher training, where I discovered a treasure trove of nurturing stories, and a puppet storytelling style adored by children.  Starlite Puppets was born, and thus began the journey of sharing music and puppetry worldwide.” 

Discover more about Connie and her work at  starlitepuppets.blogspot.com

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

A delightful tale about Honey Bear who invites his friends over for a meal. Honey Bear decides to make them soup using his secret soup recipe.

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 6

About the Author - Christy Klincewicz

This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator.  My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.

The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language.  I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth.  Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”

Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.

To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit  www.rockinghorsestories.com

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

Tumbleweed is a fairy with no wings but she’s able to fly with her loyal pet Raven. In the autumn, Tumbleweed and her friend Primrose gather all Mother Earth’s root children and help them into their nighties and beds for a long winter’s sleep. Then one little root child discovers that Pasha, the littlest root child is not in his bed and the search begins.

We recommend this story for ages 3-7

About the Author Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

 One windy autumn morning the wind fairies called BearBear out to play. Today was a good day to fly his kite. The wind fairies blew strong and lifted his kite high in the air. BearBear watched as his kite went sailing over the treetops. Oh, no, now his kite was lost. BearBear goes on a journey to find his kite.

Ages 3 - 7

About the Author, Christy Klincewicz

“This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator. My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children. The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language. I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth. Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.” Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.” To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit www.rockinghorsestories.com

Stay connected! Sign up for the Journal and beginning next month you’ll receive monthly seasonal children’s stories that you can download plus the latest news from We Nurture. Click here to sign up for Free! Follow us on Instagram @we_nurture

Little Wind Fairy love Bluebird’s song and she wants to sing a song of her own but she doesn’t have one. Bluebird tells her that perhaps she lost it while flying about, so she goes in search of her song.

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 6

About the Author - Christy Klincewicz

This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator.  My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.

The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language.  I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth.  Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”

Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.

To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit  www.rockinghorsestories.com

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

A beautiful and tender story about a little girl named Lorenza who dearly misses her grandmother who has crossed the rainbow bridge. One autumn morning, Lorenza was feeling sad because she wanted to see her grandmother again. Mother Earth sees Lorenza walking in the forest and goes to help her so that she can once again feel her grandmother’s light in her heart.

We recommend this story for ages  4 - 7

About the Author - Maria Fernanda Wetzel

Maria is originally from Ecuador and has been living in Chicago for 20 years. She was a public school teacher for 10 years and left the public school system when her daughter was a toddler. She found Waldorf when she was looking for a preschool for her daughter and fell in love with the Waldorf parent-child program. Maria started her journey in a Waldorf school as an assistant and currently she is working as a mixed age early childhood lead teacher. Maria loves her job and hopes to continue growing. In her free time, she loves to cook, read and run. 

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

Pit-a-Pat, a little pumpkin Gnome and his spider friend It-a-Bit love to play together everyday in the pumpkin patch or at It-a-Bit’s house. In the Autumn, Mother Pumpkin needed Pit-a-Pat’s help to prepare the pumpkins for Halloween. Pit-a-Pat decided to play with It-a-Bit and then he caught the sniffles. Oh, dear, how would he ever finish preparing the pumpkins?

We recommend this story for ages 3-7

About the Author - Christy Klincewicz

This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator.  My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.

The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language.  I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth.  Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”

Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

It’s a blustery autumn morning and Tiny mouse is looking for a cozy warm house. Mother Earth finds him, picks him up and puts him in her cozy apron pocket but Tiny mouse quietly hops out when he sees an acorn too good to pass by. Mother Earth goes into her house, shuts the door and doesn’t know that Tiny mouse isn’t in her apron pocket. Oh, dear! How will Tiny mouse find a cozy house?

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 6

About the Author - Christy Klincewicz

This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator.  My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.

The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language.  I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth.  Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”

Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.

To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit  www.rockinghorsestories.com

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

A sweet story about a little girl who lived in a cozy cottage with her grandmother. One afternoon, she went to her grandmother and asked what she could do because she was tired of her toys and puzzles and books. Well, her grandmother sent her on a journey to find a little red house with no doors and no windows and a star inside.

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

About the Author - Connie Manson

“Throughout childhood I loved performing! It was to me a vehicle to connect with others in a joyful, meaningful way. Not long after completing a theatre arts degree, I was asked by a fellow graduate to help perform puppet stories for school children. We knelt in a large black box, holding the puppets above our heads, so we never had the opportunity to see the children's faces, but I was struck by how silent they were throughout the entire show. Later after beginning the journey as a teacher in a classroom, whenever a puppet troupe traveled to our school, it was unforgettable to see how strongly the children connected with the puppets! 

The journey continued after beginning my Waldorf teacher training, where I discovered a treasure trove of nurturing stories, and a puppet storytelling style adored by children.  Starlite Puppets was born, and thus began the journey of sharing music and puppetry worldwide.” 

Discover more about Connie and her work at starlitepuppets.blogspot.com

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

Sammy Spider loves to dance. He loves to turn, twist, twirl, tap and do the tango. Sammy’s parents want him to weave blankets for Mother Earth’s children instead of dance but Sammy doesn’t want to weave. One day, Ruby Robin delivered a letter from Mother Earth asking Sammy’s family to weave blanket for the root children’s winter sleep and Sammy is sad because all he wants to do is dance. How long will it be before Sammy can dance again?

We recommend this story for ages 3-7
(This story is not available in written format)

About the Author Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

Clarabell lived in a small cottage by the sea and every morning she collected seashells by the shore. One day, Clarabell closed her eyes and made a wish. She wished to have her very own star. A little star heard Clarabell’s wish and started its journey down to earth.

We recommend this story for ages 3-7

About the Author - Christy Klincewicz

This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator.  My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.

The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language.  I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth.  Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”

Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

It’s Springtime and Ruby Robin tries to wake up her friends Gracie Squirrel, Harley Hedgehog and Rusty Chipmunk to tell them that Lady Spring has arrived but they all want to keep sleeping. Then Ruby Robin has an idea.

Ages 2 - 4

Author - Mary Natale

Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

Once there was a forest where a great many birds made their homes and during the day the young birds played together with their friends. One day danger came to their forest and all the birds had to stay in their nests and could no longer play together. 

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7 

About the Author - Stephen Spitalny is a writer, early childhood consultant and kindergarten teacher. He offers insight into early childhood development and into various aspects of the young child. Stephen offers individual consulting, lectures and courses for parents and teachers around the world since the early 1990s. 

He has taught at the Santa Cruz Waldorf School since 1990.  

Stephen’s first book, Connecting With Young Children: Educating the Will, was published in 2011. Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children and What's the Story: Storytelling as a Path Toward Living Happily Ever After were published in 2015. He has written numerous articles for various journals and magazines and book collections. His work has been translated into several languages. Visit chamakanda.com to learn more about Stephen and his work.

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

The setting is summertime and this is a simple story about the life of a caterpillar. Follow the journey of the caterpillar as he looks around for something to eat and inches through the grass, up hills and down hills, climbing over and under sticks. 

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 5

About the Author - Kristen McArthur is a Waldorf Early Childhood teacher at Alabama Waldorf School in Birmingham, AL.  Although she is relatively new to teaching, she loves stories and made this story up to tell her kindergarten class one year during summer camp. They enjoyed it, so she wrote it down! In this version, Kristen decided that the caterpillar would turn into a moth as butterflies get all the attention!

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

There is much unrest and fear in our world which causes anxiety and nervousness. Young children feel this deeply and are the receivers of this vibration. I wrote this story as a healing balm for young children because they are caught in the middle of the fear, anxiety, and nervousness and they do not have the capacity to express all that they feel. The story was born out of my personal childhood experience of being caught in my war torn country of Nigeria as a child of 7 as the country went through a civil war. My family survived the initial onslaught of war before narrowly escaping and fleeing to the United States. 

Stories can offer healing simply in the telling. They don’t have to be dissected, turned upside down or inside out to hold meaning and value. They just need to be heard over and over and over again so they can become a healing balm. I hope this story becomes a healing balm for all who hear it. 

You can use this link to get a copy of the transcript. 

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

About the Author

Chinyelu Kunz, is the founder of We Nurture Collective. In 2020, after 25 years as a Waldorf early childhood educator, her growing passion to support parents of young children, on a bigger platform, led her to leave classroom teaching. She created the parenting podcast, We Nurture which was quickly followed by The Stories for Children podcast. She loves writing stories for children and hopes to do this more in the future.

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Stay connected! Sign up for the Journal and beginning next month you’ll receive monthly seasonal children’s stories that you can download plus the latest news from We Nurture. Click here to sign up for Free! Follow us on Instagram @we_nurture

Daisy and Dilly are two Mama ducks that live in a beautiful little pond with all their ducklings. One day, they notice that their ducklings have grown so much that there’s not enough room in the pond or enough food for everyone. What can they do? 

We recommend this story for ages 2 - 7

About the Author - Anja Toddington

Anja moved to the UK from Germany nearly 30 years ago and she currently works as a Kindergarten teacher and early years manager at South Devon Steiner School in the UK, and this is her 14th year at the school. 
The school is in a very rural and beautiful area, which provides the perfect inspiration for writing stories about animals, nature, and elementals.  Anja wrote this story many years ago as a transition story for a group of nursery children where some of them were moving up to the Kindergarten class that she would be teaching while others were staying in the Nursery with her assistant who became the Nursery teacher.
Please visit www.southdevonsteinerschool.org to learn more about Anja's school! 

To discover more about We Nurture, please visit wenurturecollective.com

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

A very sweet tale about a hedgehog named Pete who lived in a garden. One day, Pete falls asleep in the gardener's  basket. He wakes up and discovers that he’s on a journey!

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

About the Author - Jill Tina Taplin was born and brought up in the UK, graduated from university with a degree in philosophy and was busy until her early 30s as a gardener, house builder and mother.  Then she joined a group of parents founding a Steiner Waldorf school in the north east of Scotland, near a spiritual community.  Soon she found herself working in the kindergarten and discovered that was where she really wanted to be.  She worked as a kindergarten teacher in Scotland and Devon until 2008 when family reasons brought her to a new part of the UK with no Waldorf school nearby.  Since then she has expanded her interest in working with adults - students, teachers and parents – through working as a kindergarten mentor, workshop leader, adult education tutor and writer. She has completed an MA in Education (Steiner Philosophy) and now has commitments to support Steiner Waldorf early childhood training mainly in several countries around the world.  In addition to magazine and newsletter articles, she is co-author of Understanding the Steiner Waldorf Approach, published by David Fulton

To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

Tobias is the talented tailor of the Kingdom of Timberlap. He lives alone with a timid mouse named Mabel. Although they never speak to each other, they help each other. One day Tobias is so ill that he cannot he cannot finish sewing Princess Rebecca’s dress and Mabel mouse comes to his rescue. 

Author - Mary Natale

Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

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Slow and Steady Tammy is about a turtle who wishes to be a heroine. One day, when a thunderstorm left Sally Spider and her many little children clinging to a branch, Tammy Turtle found being slow and steady made her a heroine after all!

Author: Mary Natale

Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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Simon Spider lives with his mother and father at the bottom of a giant ash tree the home of Periwinkle fairy. Simon is waiting for the day when he will be able to spin beautiful, useful things like his mother and father can. The one day he helps an elf.

Author - Mary Natale

Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.

We recommend this story for ages 2.5 - 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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Amir loves his cat Leyla. Every night Leyla snuggles with Amir in his bed and every morning they wake up together. One day, Leyla goes missing and Amir cannot ind her, even when his dad’s Hossein and Josef help him search the whole house.

Author - Mary Natale

Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie

Ages 3 - 7

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Grandfather had a beautiful garden where he grew lots of vegetables and flowers. He loved working in his garden. One day a big storm came and knocked down the flowers in the garden beds and even blew leaves off the trees. Grandfather had to find the courage to tidy up his garden and make it beautiful again.

Ages 3 - 6

About the author

Jill Tina Taplin was born and brought up in the UK, graduated from university with a degree in philosophy and was busy until her early 30s as a gardener, house builder and mother.  Then she joined a group of parents founding a Steiner Waldorf school in the north east of Scotland, near a spiritual community.  Soon she found herself working in the kindergarten and discovered that was where she really wanted to be.  She worked as a kindergarten teacher in Scotland and Devon until 2008 when family reasons brought her to a new part of the UK with no Waldorf school nearby.  Since then she has expanded her interest in working with adults - students, teachers and parents – through working as a kindergarten mentor, workshop leader, adult education tutor and writer. She has completed an MA in Education (Steiner Philosophy) and now has commitments to support Steiner Waldorf early childhood training mainly in several countries around the world.  In addition to magazine and newsletter articles, she is co-author of Understanding the Steiner Waldorf Approach, published by David Fulton

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Bella Butterfly is about a lovely brown butterfly who survives a terrible storm. One day Bella Butterfly was gathering sweet nectar in an acorn cup for her friend Benjamin Beetles birthday. Suddenly a storm came and blew hard on Bella's brown velvet wings.Toby the tulip called to her and she flew into his petals to rest her tattered and torn wings.

Author - Mary Natale

Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

No part of this story may be reproduced, in any form, without written permission from the author.
 
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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Bluebell was written to encourage children to be strong. One spring day, Lady Spring asked a little fairy named Celeste to help her wake up the woodland flower seeds and bulbs. Celeste was honored. One little seed named Bluebell didn’t want to wake up so Celeste coaxed it by describing the beauty and wonder of the woods.

Author - Mary Natale

Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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Susie loved collecting little treasures all summer long. Everywhere she went she found lovely treasures to collect and bring home. One thing kept happening and that was she sometimes would loose a treasure and this made her very sad. One day Susie’s mama came up with a wonderful plan to keep all her treasures safe.

Ages 2.5 to 7

About the author

Rhiannon Silver-Gilmore is the author of this very lovely summer story. You can find Rhiannon on instagram at my____fable where she creates gorgeous seasonal magic making kits for children and their families. This beautiful story about The Treasure Pocket is available in written form in her current summer craft box. You can also find her at www.myfable.co.uk/shop/summer-days-box/

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One bright September morning Eloise, the Fairy Queen, called all the fairies to the Emerald Glade to announce the Farewell Festival which was set to take place in two days. All the fairies were given a task except for the youngest fairy, Fiona, who had been asleep. When she woke up and remembered that it was the day Queen Eloise would be assigning tasks for the festival. As fast as her wings could take her, she flew to Queen Eloise so she could receive a task. 

Recommended for ages 3-7

About the Author: Christy Klincewicz

“This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator. My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children. The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language. I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth. Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.” Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.” To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit www.rockinghorsestories.com

Stay connected! Sign up for the Journal and beginning next month you’ll receive monthly seasonal children’s stories that you can download plus the latest news from We Nurture. Click here to sign up for Free! Follow us on Instagram @we_nurture

Long, long ago in a land far, far away the sky lived very close to the earth. It stayed close to the earth for many, many years until one year the people of the land upset the sky, so the sky moved.

A Nigerian Folktale retold. 

We recommend this story for ages 4 - 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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This story was written by Susan Perrow and is a therapeutic story. Children will enjoy it whether it is used for therapeutic reasons or not. A "story for 'separation anxiety', (it was) written for a four-year-old boy who was having difficulty parting from his mother at pre-school."

An A-Z Collection of Behaviour Tales by Susan Perrow

Published by Hawthorn Press

We recommend this story for ages 4 - 7

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Thirty sunsets and a moon - volume one

A collaborative project by Ashley J. May & Jessica Lewis Stevens

“This is a sweet tale I love to share with children. Especially my own children. It is a tale of everyday childhood wonder, rooted in their own family histories. A testament to the power of oral tradition and intergenerational storytelling to bring two small boys into the arms of their grandparents, in spite of the oceans and heavens between them. It really comes to life with the addition of puppetry such as a story doll, a woolly butterfly and a shining crescent moon hanging from a string. Little stones, leaves and bits of nature are the perfect finishing touches for this Ramadan tale. But, it’s just as beautiful told to children at bedtime or while seated on your lap.”   Ashley J. May

We recommend this story for ages 2 ½ to 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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This story was written by Susan Perrow and is a therapeutic story. Children will enjoy it whether it is used for therapeutic reasons or not. It is a story "about the wonder of rain and water - written to encourage children to drink water instead of asking for sweetened drinks every time they are thirsty. The story was inspired by an intricately carved Chinese scene set in a glass box, with mountains and valleys and two white cranes feeding in the grasses by a curved wooden bridge."

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

Therapeutic Storytelling by Susan Perrow

Published by Hawthorn Press

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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I wrote this story to help children who have a fear about weather, particularly dark clouds, rain and storms. My hope is that it will offer a sense of courage and triumph. It’s also just a sweet story to listen to again and again.

Written by Chinyelu Kunz

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 6

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One spring, The Three Billy Goats Gruff wanted to go to the mountains and eat sweet mountain grass. To get to the mountains they had to cross a bridge and under that bridge there lived a troll. The first to cross was little billy goat gruff, then medium sized billy goat gruff then big billy goat gruff. Each billy goat had to meet up with the troll before they could get to the mountains to eat sweet mountain grass.

Traditional Folktale retold

We recommend this story for Ages 4 - 7

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This story was written by Susan Perrow and is a therapeutic story. Children will enjoy it whether it is used for therapeutic reasons or not. This story has been used by families of children aged four to seven to help give a sense of stability in times of transition. On the farm of Farmer "Just Right' everything has its place and function. There is also delicious mud play in the story, which could help a child who doesn't like to get dirty to take a few more risks - the story encourages getting muddy but with the promise of being able to clean up afterwards."

We recommend this story for Ages 4 - 7

Therapeutic Storytelling by Susan Perrow

Published by Hawthorn Press

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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This Chinese folktale has been adapted and retold from the book 'Chinese Children's Favorite Stories' by storyteller and artist, Mingmei Yip.  The story is about a frog who lived in a well. The frog thought that he knew everything about the world but when a turtle visits one day, they have a conversation and the frog comes out of his well and discovers that the world is much bigger than his well!

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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A Japanese Folktale

In Japan, there once lived an old man and old woman who had no food to eat one cold, cold winter. The old man went to the market to sell the old woman’s kimono so they could buy food and on the way he meets three statues.

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7

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Adapted by Sharifa Oppenheimer from a story by Olive Beaupre Miller, My Book House, Vol. 1.

Join little Robin as he sets off on a journey to the palace to sing for the King.

We recommend this story for ages 2 to 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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One sunny summer morning, BearBear set off on an adventure. One of his favorite places to go was lily pad pond where he loved to paddle around in his little birch bark boat and play with his friends. On this particular day, BearBear heard the humming sound of honey bees and decided to climb the Honey Tree to get some delicious honey. At the tippy top of the Honey Tree there sat Queen Beatrice surrounded by pots of honey. 

Ages 3 - 7

About the Author, Christy Klincewicz

“This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator. My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children. The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language. I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth. Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.” Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.” To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit www.rockinghorsestories.com

Stay connected! Sign up for the Journal and beginning next month you’ll receive monthly seasonal children’s stories that you can download plus the latest news from We Nurture. Click here to sign up for Free! Follow us on Instagram @we_nurture

A Ukrainian Folktale

Little Nicki’s grandma knitted him a pair of white mittens so he could go out and play in the snow. When he dropped one of his mittens, many forest friends snuggled inside.

We recommend this story for ages 2 to 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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Welcome to the We Nurture Stories for Children podcast
We utilize the power of storytelling to encourage language development, inspire moral growth, and enliven the imagination. We hope you enjoy the timeless activity of getting lost in a good tale.

This Chinese fairy tale beautifully describes how four friends think of each other even on the coldest winter day.

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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Old man north wind tries to drive Shingebiss away with his cold and icy nature but she is not afraid and finds ways to stay warm and live in the frozen winter land. 

Shingebiss is a (Chippewa) Native American story which exemplifies resilience, fearlessness, courage and the virtue of perseverance and fortitude.

Ages 3 to 7

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Every winter, Silvercap King of Frostland along with his fairies visit the little Earth children and make the world beautiful. They must work quickly so as not to be seen.

Ages 3 to 7

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