Stories For Children by We Nurture Collective

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 HoNow we goUp into the treePicking applesRed and GoldRipe 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  

 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

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

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

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

There was once a little boy who longed for a friend. One summer day as he skipped through the meadow he noticed Dandelion's wishing crown. Blowing into the wishing crown he made a wish from his heart. Standing on her tippy toes, the littlest seed in the wishing crown caught his wish. Tucking it into her parachute, little seed sailed away to find the little boy a friend. 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 Follow along on Instagram @we_nurture

One mid-summer’s day, ten little fairies danced in a ring of stones under the wise, old elder tree when suddenly, Dahlia smelled smoke. Her pet hawk, Jupiter swooped in to help as the fairy queen told all the animals how they could help alert their forest and field friends. Everyone jumps into action including Dahlia. A very touching story about friends helping each other in a moment of need. Perfect for children ages 3 to 7About the Author: Mary NataleMary 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

Winter is coming! Mother Earth calls her children for now it’s time to rest. Brother Wind leads her children to warm and cozy nests that Mother Earth has prepared for each one. We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7   About the Author - Wendalyn von Meyenfeldt   Wendalyn von Meyenfeldt has taught children's artistic movement classes (Eurythmy) for many years on the West Coast of Canada. Years ago, while teaching in a Waldorf Kindergarten in California, she fell under the spell of 'dancing stories' in her circle-times with the children. Wendalyn teaches in several Canadian Waldorf teacher-training institutions. When not harvesting apples and pears on her rural property, or stirring up a batch of blackberry jam, she continues to write children's stories and poetry.   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 - 6About the Author - Christy KlincewiczThis 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.comTo discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-childrenFollow 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 3-7About the Author Mary NataleMary 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-childrenFollow along 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 - 6About the Author - Christy KlincewiczThis 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.comTo discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-childrenFollow 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 - 7About the Author - Maria Fernanda WetzelMaria 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-childrenFollow 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 3-7About the Author - Christy KlincewiczThis 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-childrenFollow 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 - 6About the Author - Christy KlincewiczThis 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.comTo discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-childrenFollow 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 - 7About 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.comTo discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-childrenFollow 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 NataleMary 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-childrenFollow 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 3-7About the Author - Christy KlincewiczThis 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-childrenFollow 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-childrenFollow 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 - 5About 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-childrenFollow along on Instagram @we_nurture