Stories for 3 Year Olds

Rosie looked out the window. Rain. Rain. Rain. "No park today," said Dad. Rosie flopped on the couch. "Boring," she said. Dad smiled. "Want to build a fort?" Rosie sat up. "Yes!" They grabbed blankets. They grabbed pillows. They pulled chairs together. It took a while. But when they were done, the fort was huge. Rosie crawled inside. It was cozy and soft. Dad crawled in too. He brought snacks. Crackers and apples. They ate and told stories. Rosie made one up about a dragon who sneezed glitter. Dad made one up about a frog who could fly. Rosie laughed so hard her tummy hurt. Then the rain stopped. But Rosie didn't want to leave. "The fort is better than the park," she said. Dad hugged her. "Rainy days aren't so bad after all." "Nope," said Rosie. And she meant it.

Leo went to the park. He had his red truck with him. He sat in the sandbox. He dug and dug. A boy came and sat nearby. Leo didn't know him. The boy looked at the truck. Leo hugged it close. Then the boy's shovel broke. He looked sad. Leo thought about it. He pushed the truck over. "You can use this," said Leo. The boy smiled. "I'm Marco," he said. "I'm Leo," said Leo. They dug together. They made a mountain. They made a tunnel. They made a whole city in the sand. When it was time to go, Marco waved. "Same time tomorrow?" Leo nodded. "Same time!" On the way home, Leo held his truck. He didn't mind sharing it now. Friends were better than trucks.

Daisy the cat saw the bathtub. She turned around fast. "Bath time, Daisy!" called Emma. Daisy hid under the bed. Emma looked. No Daisy. Daisy hid behind the couch. Emma looked. No Daisy. Daisy hid inside the laundry basket. Emma looked. "Got you!" Daisy shook her head. No bath! But Emma was gentle. The water was warm. The soap smelled like strawberries. Emma scrubbed Daisy's ears. She cleaned her paws. She rinsed her tail. Then she wrapped Daisy in a fluffy towel. Daisy purred. Just a little. Emma dried her fur. She brushed it smooth. Daisy looked at herself in the mirror. Oh. She looked very nice. "Good girl," said Emma. Daisy purred louder. Maybe baths weren't so bad after all.

Sam was getting dressed for Grandma's house. He picked up his blue shirt. He pulled it over his head. It was too small! He picked up his red jacket. He pushed his arms in. It was too big! He tried his striped pants. They fell right down! He tried his fuzzy sweater. It was too itchy. Sam sat on the floor. "Nothing fits," he said. Mom came in. She looked in the drawer. She found a yellow shirt with a little star on it. Sam put it on. It fit! Not too big. Not too small. Just right. He looked in the mirror. He smiled. "Grandma's going to love that shirt," said Mom. Sam nodded. He thought so too. He ran downstairs. Ready at last.

Benny the dog wanted to help. Mom was sweeping. Benny grabbed the broom. Whoosh! Dirt went everywhere. Dad was washing dishes. Benny put his paws on the sink. Splash! Water went everywhere. Sister was folding clothes. Benny jumped on the pile. Whomp! Clothes went everywhere. Everyone laughed. But Benny felt sad. He just wanted to help. Then Baby started to cry. Benny walked over. He licked Baby's hand. He wagged his tail. Baby giggled. And giggled. And giggled. Mom smiled. "There's your job, Benny." Benny wagged his tail again. He had a job. The best job. He would make Baby laugh. Every single day.

Mia, Sam, and Jake all found a puddle. "I found it first!" said Mia. "It's mine!" said Sam. "No, mine!" said Jake. They all stood around it. The puddle just sat there, shiny and brown. "It's too big for one person anyway," said Mia. Sam looked at it. "It's really big." Jake nodded. "Really, really big." Mia jumped in. SPLASH! Sam jumped in. SPLASH! Jake jumped in. SPLASH! Water flew up high. They got soaked. They got muddy. They laughed so hard they fell down. "Best puddle ever!" said Jake. "Best puddle ever!" said Sam and Mia. They were all right. It was way better together.

Mia has a big red ball. It is bright and round. It is soft and bouncy. Mia loves her red ball more than anything. She bounces it. Bounce, bounce, bounce. She rolls it. Roll, roll, roll. She throws it up high and catches it with both hands. Mia plays all by herself in the yard. She is very happy. One day, her friend Ben comes to the yard. Ben sees the ball. His eyes open wide. "That is a nice ball," says Ben. "Can I play with you?" Mia holds the ball close to her chest. "It is my ball," she says. "I want to play alone." Ben looks sad. His shoulders drop down. He sits on the grass. He has no ball. He has no toy. He just watches Mia bounce the ball. Bounce, bounce, bounce. Mia looks at Ben. Ben looks so sad. Mia stops bouncing. She thinks for a moment. She looks at her red ball. She looks at Ben. Then Mia smiles a big, warm smile. "Let us share," says Mia. "You roll the ball to me. Then I roll it to you." Ben jumps up fast. "Thank you, Mia!" he says. Mia rolls the ball. Roll, roll, roll. Ben catches it. He rolls it back. Roll, roll, roll. They bounce the ball. They roll the ball. They throw it up high. They laugh and laugh. Two friends with one red ball. "I like sharing," says Mia. "Playing with you is much more fun than playing alone." Ben grins from ear to ear. "Sharing is fun!" he says. And they play and play until the sun goes down.

Sam sits by the window at night. The sky is dark and deep. The stars are out. They shine like tiny lights in a big black blanket. "Look at all the stars," Sam says. "I want to count them all." Sam points to the sky. "One, two, three," he says. Then he stops. His eyes go round. "There are too many!" he says. "I cannot count them all. It is too hard." His mother comes close. She sits down next to Sam. "You can do it," she says. "Count them one by one. Take your time. Big jobs get easy when you go slowly." Sam looks up again. He takes a deep breath. "One," he says. He points to a bright star. "Two," he says. He points to another. "Three," he says. "Four." His finger moves from star to star. "You are doing great," says his mother. "Keep going, Sam. Do not stop." "Five, six, seven," says Sam. He smiles a little smile. His finger moves slowly across the sky. "Eight, nine, ten!" he shouts. "You counted ten stars," says his mother. "See? You did it all by yourself." Sam claps his hands. "I counted ten stars!" he says. "Counting is fun when I go slowly. One star at a time." "Yes it is," says his mother. "Tomorrow we can count again. Maybe you will count even more stars." Sam yawns. He looks at the bright stars one more time. "Good night, stars," he says. "I will count you again tomorrow. One, two, three."

Dad comes home with a big smile. He holds a small blue kite. It has a long string and a little tail. "This is for you," he says. "We can fly it at the park." Sam claps his hands. "A blue kite!" he says. "I want it to fly high in the sky. Higher than the trees!" They walk to the park. The grass is green. The wind blows soft and warm. Sam holds the string in his hand. "Now run, Sam!" says Dad. "Run fast and let the kite go up." Sam runs. He runs and runs. But the kite falls down. It lands on the grass with a soft thud. "Oh no," says Sam. "My kite will not fly." "Try again," says Dad. "Hold the string up high. Let the wind lift the kite." Sam tries again. He holds the string up high. He runs fast. The kite goes up a little. Then it falls down again. Sam feels sad. His lip shakes. "I cannot do it," says Sam. "The kite will not fly. I want to go home." "You can do it," says Dad. "Try one more time. I am right here with you. I will not leave." Sam takes a deep breath. He holds the string up high. He runs fast across the grass. The wind blows. Up, up, up goes the blue kite. Higher and higher. "It is flying!" Sam shouts. "My blue kite is flying high!" The kite dances in the sky. It goes left. It goes right. It spins and dips. Sam laughs and laughs. "You did not give up," says Dad. "And now your kite is flying high. I am proud of you."

Nora likes cookies. She likes cold milk. She likes her red cup. One day she wants a cookie. She points at the jar. "Give me a cookie," she says. Her mother looks at her with kind eyes. "Nora," she says, "what is the magic word?" Nora thinks for a second. She taps her chin. "Please?" she says. "Yes!" says her mother. "Please is a kind word. Here is your cookie." Nora takes the cookie. She eats it slowly. It is sweet and good. "Mmm," she says. Then her mother gives her a cup of cold milk. "Thank you," says Nora. She smiles a big smile. "You said thank you!" says her mother. "That made me smile too." Later, Nora's friend Mia comes to play. Mia brings a little toy car. It is red and shiny. Nora wants to play with it. "Can I play with your car?" asks Nora. Then she remembers. "Please?" "Yes!" says Mia. "Here you go. It is fun to share." "Thank you," says Nora. Mia smiles a big smile. At dinner, Nora wants more bread. "More bread, please," she says. Her father smiles and gives her some. "Thank you," says Nora. "Please and thank you are magic words," says her mother. "They make people feel warm and happy." Nora grins. "Please and thank you!" she says. "I like kind words. They are my favorite words." Nora practices her magic words all week long. She says please when she asks for things. She says thank you when she gets them. Kind words make every single day feel happy and bright.

Little bunny hops in the grass. Hop, hop, hop. The moon is up. The stars are out. The whole world is quiet. But little bunny does not want to sleep. "No bed!" he says. "I want to hop and play all night long!" "It is time for bed," says Mama bunny. "All little bunnies need to rest. Rest makes you strong." "But I am not tired," says little bunny. He hops one more time. Hop, hop, hop. "See? I can hop all night." "Let us get ready," says Mama. "First we wash our paws." Little bunny washes his paws in the warm water. Splash, splash, splash. His paws are clean and soft. "Next we put on soft pajamas," says Mama. Little bunny puts on soft, warm pajamas. They are blue with little stars. "Now we read a story," says Mama. They sit close together. They read a story about a big, round moon and a sleepy little star. Little bunny yawns. His eyes feel heavy. He rubs his eyes with his paw. "I am a little tired now," he says in a small voice. Mama bunny tucks him into his soft bed. She pulls the blanket up to his chin. She pats his head. "Good night, little bunny," she says. "Sleep tight. I love you." "Good night, Mama," says little bunny. He closes his eyes. Soon he is fast asleep. Hop, hop, sleep. Hop, hop, sleep. Mama bunny turns off the little lamp. The room is dark and cozy. Little bunny breathes slow and deep. He dreams of green grass and warm sun.

Milo has a little yellow duck. It is soft and small. It fits right in his hand. Milo loves his duck more than any other toy. He takes it everywhere he goes. One sunny day, Milo takes his duck to the park. He pushes the duck on the swing. Up and down, up and down. He sits with the duck on the slide. Whee! Down they go. He runs and plays with the duck in the soft grass. Then it is time to go home. "Where is my duck?" says Milo. He looks in his bag. It is empty. He looks on the grass. Nothing. The duck is gone. Milo feels very sad. Big tears fall from his eyes. "Do not cry," says his mother. "We will look together. Two sets of eyes are better than one." They look by the swings. No duck. They look by the slide. No duck. Then a little girl walks over. She is holding something small and yellow. "Is this your duck?" asks the girl. "I found it by the big tree. I was looking for its home." "Yes!" says Milo. "That is my duck! Thank you!" He hugs the duck tight to his chest. "I am glad I could help," says the girl. She smiles a warm smile. "You helped me," says Milo. "Now I want to help you. Can I push you on the swing?" "Yes, please!" says the girl. Milo pushes her on the swing. Up, up, up she goes. They both laugh and laugh. "Helping feels good," says Milo. He holds his duck and smiles all the way home.

Pete has new paints. He has red and orange. He has yellow and green. He has blue and purple. He has a big white paper and a little brush. He sits at the table, ready to paint. "I want to paint a rainbow," says Pete. "But I do not know how to start. What if I make a mess?" "Start with red," says his mother. "Paint a big red curve. Just one color at a time." Pete dips his brush in the red paint. He paints a big red curve. Swish, swish, swish. It looks like a smile in the sky. "Now orange," says his mother. Pete paints an orange curve under the red. Swish, swish, swish. "Now yellow," she says. Pete paints yellow. Then green. Then blue. Then purple. One curve under the other. Swish, swish, swish. The colors line up like a pretty song. Pete steps back. He looks at his paper. "A rainbow!" he shouts. "I painted a rainbow all by myself!" The colors are bright. They look like a real rainbow after the rain. "It is beautiful," says his mother. "You made it with your own two hands and your own big ideas." Pete smiles. "I can paint more," he says. "I can paint a yellow sun. I can paint a white cloud. I can paint anything I dream up!" "Yes you can," says his mother. "Your colors can make anything you can think of." Pete paints a big yellow sun next to his rainbow. Swish, swish, swish. What a happy, colorful picture.

Ravi walks to the pond. The water is still and shiny. The sun is warm on his back. Then Ravi sees something. It is big and green. It sits on a flat gray rock. It does not move at all. Ribbit! Ribbit! The frog jumps. Ravi jumps back too. His heart beats fast. His hands feel shaky. "That frog is so big," says Ravi. "I am scared. What if it jumps on me?" His sister Meera holds his hand. "It is just a frog," she says. "Frogs are friendly. They do not want to hurt you. Watch it with me." Ravi takes a deep breath. He looks at the frog. The frog looks at him. It blinks its big, round eyes. Blink, blink. "Hello, frog," says Ravi. His voice is small and quiet. Ribbit! says the frog. It does not move. It just sits on its rock, calm and still. "See?" says Meera. "It is not scary. It is just saying hello to you." Ravi takes one small step closer. The frog stays still. Ravi takes another step. Now he is close to the rock. He can see the frog's little toes. "Hello, frog," says Ravi again. This time his voice is big and brave and strong. The frog blinks. Ribbit! Ribbit! It looks happy. Ravi laughs. "It likes me!" he says. "The big green frog likes me." "You were brave," says Meera. "You tried even when you were scared." Ravi smiles. "I was scared, but I did it anyway," he says. "That is what brave means."

Lily's grandma has a big, lovely garden. It has red flowers and yellow flowers. It has green plants that grow tall and strong. Grandma works in the garden every single day. She digs and she waters and she sings. "Can I help you, Grandma?" asks Lily. "I want to be a helper too." "Yes, you can," says Grandma. "You can water the flowers. That is a very important job." Grandma gives Lily a small watering can. It is not too heavy. Lily holds it with both hands. The water sloshes inside. "Water the red flowers first," says Grandma. Lily tips the can. The water falls on the flowers. Drip, drip, drip. The red flowers drink it up. "Good job," says Grandma. "Now the yellow flowers." Lily waters the yellow flowers. Drip, drip, drip. The flowers look happy. They stand up tall and bright. "Now we pick the weeds," says Grandma. "Weeds take food and water from the flowers. The flowers need it more." Lily pulls a little weed. It comes out of the soft dirt. She pulls another one. Then another. "Look, Grandma!" she says. "I am helping a lot!" "You are a big helper," says Grandma. She gives Lily a big, warm hug. Lily looks at the garden. The flowers are bright. The plants are clean. "Our garden looks so nice," she says. "It looks nice because you helped," says Grandma. "Thank you, Lily. You made my day happy." Lily smiles. "I like helping in the garden," she says. "Can I help again tomorrow?" "Every day," says Grandma. "You can help me every single day."

High up in the night sky, there is a little moon. The little moon is round and bright. It lights up the whole dark sky. But tonight, the little moon feels very sleepy. "I am so sleepy," says the moon. "My light is getting weak. I want to go to bed." "You cannot sleep yet," says a little star. "You must light up the night for all the children down below." The moon yawns a big yawn. It tries to shine. But its light is dim and soft. It can barely glow. "Let us help," say the stars. "We will sing you a soft, sleepy song." The stars sing. Twinkle, twinkle, soft and low. The song drifts across the sky. "Let us help too," say the clouds. "We will make you a soft, fluffy bed." The clouds puff up. They make a soft, white bed right there in the sky. The moon lies down on the soft cloud bed. It feels cozy and warm. The stars keep singing. Twinkle, twinkle, soft and low. "Thank you, stars," says the moon. "Thank you, clouds. I feel so sleepy now." "Good night, moon," say the stars. "Sleep well." "Good night, moon," say the clouds. "Rest your tired light." The little moon closes its eyes. It falls fast asleep. The night is calm and quiet. Everyone down below sleeps too. And far away, the little moon dreams sweet, soft dreams. The whole sky is quiet now. Not a sound. Not a peep. The little moon sleeps and sleeps until the morning comes.

Max looks out the window. Drip, drip, drop. It is raining outside. The sky is gray. The yard is wet. Max wants to play outside, but he cannot. He feels sad and a little grumpy. "I do not like the rain," says Max. "It keeps me inside. I want to play in the yard." His father sits down next to him. "Rain is a good thing," he says. "Rain helps the whole world grow big and strong." "How?" asks Max. He scrunches up his nose. "Look at the flowers," says his father. "The rain gives them water to drink. That is how they grow tall and bright." Max looks at the flowers. They drink the rain. They look happy and fresh. "Look at the big tree," says his father. "The rain gives the tree a drink too. That is how the tree grows big and strong, with branches that reach the sky." Max looks at the big tree. It drinks the rain through its roots. "And look," says his father. "A little bird is in the tree. It drinks the rain from a leaf. The rain helps the bird too." Max watches the bird. It dips its beak in a drop of water. Tilt, sip, tilt, sip. "The rain helps the flowers, the tree, and the bird," says Max. "The rain is good after all!" "Yes," says his father. "And after the rain, you can put on your boots and play in the puddles." Soon the rain stops. The sun comes out. The sky turns blue. Max puts on his boots. He runs outside. Splash, splash, splash. "I love the rain!" he shouts.

Grandma's birthday is coming soon. Rosa wants to give her a very special present. "I have no money," says Rosa. "What can I give Grandma? I want her to smile." "You can make her something," says her mother. "A gift you make with love is the best gift of all." Rosa thinks hard. She has red paper. She has crayons in many colors. She has a little pot of glue. "I will make a card!" she says. "A card is a perfect gift." Rosa folds the red paper. Fold, fold, fold. She draws a big heart. She colors it pink and red. She draws little flowers all around the heart. She adds a yellow sun in the corner. She writes her name at the bottom. Rosa. She looks at her card and smiles. It is bright and full of love. On Grandma's birthday, Rosa holds the card behind her back. "Happy birthday, Grandma!" she says. "Thank you, Rosa," says Grandma. "You are so sweet." Rosa gives her the card. "I made it all by myself," she says. "I made it with lots and lots of love." Grandma opens the card. She looks at the big heart and the little flowers. Her eyes get wet and shiny. She smiles the biggest smile ever. "This is the best gift I have ever gotten," says Grandma. "You made it just for me. I can feel the love in every crayon line." Grandma hugs Rosa tight. "I love you," she says. "I love you too, Grandma," says Rosa. "A gift made with love is the very best gift."

Ravi has three balls. One is red. One is blue. One is green. He lines them up in a row on the floor. They look like little round friends. "One, two, three," says Ravi. "I have three balls. Red, blue, and green." He bounces the red ball. Bounce, bounce, bounce. "One," he says. He bounces the blue ball. Bounce, bounce, bounce. "Two," he says. He bounces the green ball. Bounce, bounce, bounce. "Three," he says. "Three balls," says Ravi. "Red, blue, and green. I love to count them." One day, Ravi plays in the yard. The sun is warm. He bounces all three balls at once. The red ball goes up. The blue ball goes up. The green ball rolls away. Roll, roll, roll. It rolls behind a big green bush. "Oh no," says Ravi. "Where is my green ball? I cannot see it." His mother comes to help. "Let us count your balls," she says. "How many balls do you have?" "I have three," says Ravi. "Red, blue, and green." "How many do you see right now?" asks his mother. Ravi counts carefully. "One, two," he says. "I see only two balls! The green one is missing." "Good counting," says his mother. "Now we know one ball is gone. Let us look for it." Ravi looks behind the big green bush. There is the green ball! "I found it!" he shouts. "Now I have one, two, three balls again!" "You counted to find your ball," says his mother. "Counting helps you keep track of your things." Ravi hugs all three balls. "One, two, three," he says. "I love counting my balls."

Teddy the bear wakes up in his warm bed. He feels funny inside. He is not sick. He is not hungry. His tummy is fine. He just feels sad, and he does not know why. Teddy sits on his bed. He hugs his knees. He does not want to play. He does not want to eat his honey. He just sits very still. His friend Polly the rabbit hops over. Hop, hop, hop. "What is wrong, Teddy?" she asks. "You look sad today." "I feel sad," says Teddy. "But I do not know why. It is a big, cloudy feeling inside me." "It is okay to feel sad," says Polly. "Everyone feels sad sometimes. Telling me about it can help the feeling get smaller." Teddy thinks for a moment. "I miss the sunny day," he says. "It is gray and rainy today. And I could not find my favorite honey pot this morning." "Oh," says Polly. "Now I understand. You miss the warm sun and your sweet honey." Teddy nods slowly. "Talking about it helps a little," he says. "The cloudy feeling is already getting smaller." "Let us find your honey pot," says Polly. They look under the bed. They look in the cupboard. There it is! The honey pot is on the shelf, right where Teddy left it. "I found it!" says Teddy. He smiles a small, happy smile. "And look outside," says Polly. The rain has stopped. The sun is coming out from behind the clouds. "I feel much better now," says Teddy. "Talking about my sad feelings made them feel small and light." Polly gives him a big hug. "I am always here to talk," she says. "Thank you, Polly," says Teddy. "And thank you for the hug. Hugs help too."