The Garden of Growing Hearts: Chapter 1
Breaking the First Spell (Ages 3-7)
Hi Parents!
👋 Hello! I'm Tyler from Learn Through Stories, and I'm thrilled to share Chapter 1 of "The Garden of Growing Hearts" with you and your little ones! This delightful story is specially crafted for children ages 3-7.
This 5-minute story introduces Jamie, our bouncy protagonist who discovers that sometimes the most powerful magic comes from doing the opposite of what comes naturally. While the surface lesson is about learning to be still, the deeper message explores how challenging our default behaviors can lead to unexpected breakthroughs. As you read, watch how Jamie transforms her endless energy into focused stillness—a skill that might come in handy at bedtime too!
The story ends with a simple 5-minute exercise you can do together to practice being still while having fun.
Story
"BOING! BOING! BOINGITY-BOING!"
Jamie couldn't help it. Her red pigtails bounced with every step as she hopped down Pebble Path with her best friends. That's just what Jamie did—she bounced everywhere she went. Her teachers called her "Jumping Jamie," and her mom said she must have springs in her shoes.
"Jamie, hold still!" Milo adjusted his round glasses, frantically sketching. "I can't draw you when you're bouncing!"
Rose giggled softly, her dark braid swinging. "The daisies say Jamie has more energy than a whole garden of spring buds."
"Forty-seven bounces... forty-eight bounces... forty-ni—" Jamie froze mid-bounce. Through a garden archway ahead, the most beautiful flowers they'd ever seen pulsed with magical light. Rainbow colors danced from petal to petal like tiny fireworks.
"Look at those flowers!" Jamie gasped, bouncing even higher. "They're actually GLOWING!"
The three friends rushed forward, but just as they stepped into the garden—WHOOSH! A cloud of dusty air made them cough and sneeze. Through the swirling dust came a man surfing on a giant floating rulebook like a magic carpet, leaving a trail of musty sparkles behind him. His wiggly mustache quivered with disapproval.
"NOT SO FAST!" he bellowed, circling above their heads as they waved away the dust. "I am Professor Pickle-Bottom, and this is MY garden!"
He pulled out a massive book labeled "Garden Rules Volume 1 of 100." "According to Rule 1-A through Rule 999-Z, NO STINKY CHILDREN ALLOWED!"
Raising his arms, he chanted: "Smelly socks and sticky faces, Keep these children in their places! By the power of my garden neat, Not one stinky little feet!"
The ground rumbled. Like a twisted weed, an enormous iron gate grew from the earth, climbing higher and higher until it towered above them. At its center, a strange magical lock bloomed, glowing with green light.
"There!" Professor Pickle-Bottom declared proudly. "This magical lock will keep ALL children out of MY garden FOREVER!"
He hopped back onto his floating rulebook and rose into the air, cackling. "Go ahead—TRY to break my spell! You'll never figure it out! Never, never, NEVER!"
He zoomed away in loops and swirls, his dusty trail spelling out "KEEP OUT" in the air as his voice echoed: "This garden belongs to ME, and no bouncy, noisy, super-stinky children will EVER set foot inside!"
The three friends watched him disappear into the clouds, then huddled together, staring at the mysterious lock.
"We can't give up," Jamie whispered. "There has to be a way to break his spell..."
"But how?" asked Rose.
Milo adjusted his glasses thoughtfully. "Well... every spell has a key. We just have to figure out what this one is."
Jamie wasn't about to give up. She tried bouncing over the fence—no luck. She tried wiggling through the bars—too tight. She even tried making funny faces at the lock, hoping it would laugh and pop open.
NOTHING'S WORKING!" She flopped down, frustrated. But then... something strange happened. The moment she sat still, a strange orange glow appeared on the iron fence.
Jamie jumped up excitedly—and the glow vanished. "Wait..." She forced herself to stand completely still again. The orange glow returned, spreading like rust across the metal bars.
"The fence... it's aging!" Rose whispered in awe.
Magic Moment: What’s the key to breaking the spell? (Stillness)
Milo quickly sketched the pattern. "Look! When we're perfectly still, time speeds up for the iron!"
Jamie took the biggest breath of her life. "Time to be a statue." She planted her feet firmly and didn't move a muscle. The rust spread faster and faster, crackling across the bars like lightning. The iron fence began to crumble, aging decades in seconds, until—POOF! It dissolved into a shower of orange dust.
WHOOSH! Professor Pickle-Bottom came zooming back, nearly falling off his rulebook in shock. "WHAT? But... but... Rule 472-B clearly states that all magical barriers must remain temporally stable!" He frantically flipped through his pages.
"We're inside your garden!" Jamie sang, doing a victory dance.
Professor Pickle-Bottom's mustache twitched with determination. "Oh ho! You think you're clever? Well, I've got PLENTY more tricks! Wait until you meet my army of tickle-trapping tulips! And my squadron of sleeping snapdragons! And don't even get me started on my battalion of bouncing begonias!"
The friends exchanged determined looks as he zoomed away listing more outlandish flower defenses. Jamie grinned at her friends. They had discovered something amazing—sometimes the bounciest person needed to be still to create the most magical changes.
"Whatever crazy flowers he throws at us next," Jamie declared, "we'll figure it out together!"
To be continued...
Let's Play!
The Stillness Challenge
What You Need:
2 or more players
A timer
Space to move
How to Play:
Everyone starts by bouncing, jumping, or dancing (30 seconds)
Leader calls out "Magic time!"
Players freeze in whatever pose they're in
Count together in whispers: "5...4...3...2...1"
Anyone who moves or giggles starts bouncing again
Repeat 3 times, trying to get more players to stay still each round
Bonus Magic: For the final round, see if everyone can freeze together for a full count of 10!
Remember: Sometimes the most magical moments happen when we learn to be still—especially with friends!