Summer Dandelion Nature Story for Young Children
From one of my storytelling teachers : Suzanne Down♥️ - adapted from an Ojibway legend.
This is a perfect story to share with young children outside where there are dandelions in bloom and dandelions in the magical seed puff stage. This way you can use nature’s own story puppet characters (Dandelion - girl with golden hair and Dandelion Puff - older woman with grey hair). You can blow the puff ball when Brother Wind blows near!
Dandelions are truly beautiful when you look at them with fresh eyes - they are potent medicine with each part being healing or nutritious in their own way - even the roots! Young children see them afresh and with delight … such a gift for our souls to see a child discover the treasures of nature …💫
Father Sun and the Dandelion
One summer morning Father Sun woke up and looked out over the land. The grass was green, flowers were blooming, and waters flowed clean and bubbling in streams. Father Sun smiled and shone brightly.
Then he noticed, in the far meadow, a girl with golden hair, wearing a green dress was standing all alone. Her hair was as golden as the sun himself! How lovely she was, he thought, and Father Sun moved slowly across the sky to have a better look at the golden girl.
The girl with the golden hair bobbed her head at Father Sun in welcome, and Father Sun beamed and glowed. Each day Father Sun looked for the girl and was happy when he found her. He warmed her with his sunbeams, and she nodded sweetly at him in thankfulness.
But one day when Father Sun looked for his golden girl, she was gone! In her place stood an old woman with gray hair!
Where is my golden girl, worried Father Sun! He looked as far as he could see. No golden girl anywhere!
He called to Brother Wind. ‘Please dear Brother Wind,’ Father Sun pleaded, ‘you are so quick and fly so free, can you find my golden girl?’
Brother Wind flew high and low looking for the golden girl. He looked in the hills, and in the valleys, but she was nowhere to be seen. He breezed through the meadow to ask the old woman with gray hair if she knew where the golden girl had gone. But as soon as Brother Wind blew near, the gray haired woman also disappeared! (storyteller, blow the puff ball away)
Sadly, Brother Wind told Father Sun the golden girl was gone.
Father Sun was broken-hearted. His beams were not as bright, and his glow was not as warm, as he drifted across the sky. Then one day, he saw in the meadow, not one, not two, but many golden girls, and they were all nodding at him!!
Oh how happy Father Sun was and he shone his brightest in return.☀️
(Storytelling Tip to Try: Instead of saying ‘The End’ and talking about the story or heading off to something else right away end with a little song or let your child linger with you without words in what I call the “Storytelling AfterGlow” - notice what happens)🌙
Only love,
xo, Dr. Monika♥️
