Once Upon A Story

The Magic Snow Day — Whirly, Twirly, Snowy Adventure

Join the children of Snowington in this whimsical episode of Once Upon a Story as magical snow from the North Pole keeps changing — pizza-scented flakes, bouncy trampoline snow, singing clouds, rainbow footprints, cotton-candy puffs, animal-shaped flakes, and giant bubbles — before settling into a cozy, ordinary snow day.The episode ends with hot cocoa and two simple activities: make fake snow with baking soda and shaving cream, or imagine and act out your own version of magic snow.

The Gingerbread Man’s Great Escape — A Playful Retelling

Hello everyone and welcome back to the once upon a story podcast where all great adventures begin with once upon a story for today's adventure you might be feeling a little hungry because we're going to be doing a retelling of the story the gingerbread man so as always feel free to move around to the story. You can move in your seat, around the room, whatever feels good for you, or just sit back, relax, and enjoy the story. Let's get started. Once upon a story, because all great stories start with once upon a story, a mother and her two children, Sally and Sam, were busy in the kitchen making gingerbread. First, they pulled out the bowl. Pull out that big mixing bowl, everyone. Nice on the counter. They had to measure. So let's use our measuring cups to put in the ingredients. Pour in the ingredients in the big bowl and get ready to mix. Hold the bowl with one hand and mix with the other. Mix, mix, mix. Use your muscles. Blend it all in. When it was ready, they had a big ball of dough. So take out that ball of dough, place it down flat, and get your rolling pins. We're going to hold on to the sides of each side of the rolling pin. Place the dough flat down and roll it out. Push forward and back. Forward and back. Do one more big roll. Perfect. The dough is nice and flat and ready for that special gingerbread cookie cutter. Sally went and got the cookie cutter and placed it right on top of the dough. Push down, and the gingerbread man's shape was ready. All right, so now we have to put on the eyes. Let's put on two eyes. Can you use your fingers to pretend to put little candy eyes down and go boop, boop? The gingerbread man also needs a nose. Let's put a little candy nose on. And what else does he need? Hmm. Oh, I know. He needs a mouth. Let's use your pointer finger to draw a smile in the air. Smile for mouth. And let's add three little buttons. Here we go. Let's do three boops. Boop, boop, boop. Oh, your gingerbread man looks so cute. Now let's take our man and put him inside the oven. Careful, it's hot. Now, the recipe says we have to wait 15 minutes. Do not peek until that timer goes off. All right, we can't. No more, no less. 15 minutes. Here we go. We have to wait for it to cook. We'll take a big smell. Oh, it smells so yummy. Do you know what? Sally thought it smelled so delicious, she couldn't wait anymore, so she cracked open the oven. Let's crack open the oven and take a peek. All of a sudden, the gingerbread man jumped to life and came out of the oven because Sally opened it too early. He jumped up and did a cute little dance in front of them, hopping from one foot to the other. Can you hop from one foot to the other? Here we go. Hop, hop, hop, left and right and left and right. And as the gingerbread man hopped, he sang a little song. I'm the gingerbread man as fast as can be. You better run, run, run. I bet you can't catch me. Then he leaped out the window and ran outside. All together, everyone, how far can you leap? Step on one foot and leap with the other and leap. Oh my goodness, that was a big, giant leap. All right, now let's run in place and see how fast you can run in place. Here we go. Run, run, run, run. Fast feet, fast feet, fast feet, fast feet, fast feet. Well, as the gingerbread man was running outside, mom raced to the door and opened it. Creak! And she decided to chase that gingerbread man outside as fast as she could go. So let me see your fast feet. pretend to be mom and go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Mom chased after that gingerbread man and he called out, run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm a gingerbread man. Then he leaped out the window and ran outside. All together, everyone, how far can you leap? Step on one foot and leap with the other and leap. Oh my goodness, that was a big, giant leap. All right, now let's run in place and see how fast you can run in place. Here we go. Run, run, run, run. Fast feet, fast feet, fast feet, fast feet, fast feet. Well, as the gingerbread man was running outside, mom raced to the door and opened it. Creak! And she decided to chase that gingerbread man outside as fast as she could go. So let me see your fast feet. pretend to be mom and go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Mom chased after that gingerbread man and he called out, run, run as fast as you can. I bet you can't catch me. Then he leaped out the window and ran outside. All together, everyone, how far can you leap? Step on one foot and leap with the other and leap. Oh my goodness, that was a big, giant leap. All right, now let's run in place and see how fast you can run in place. Here we go. Run, run, run, run. Fast feet, fast feet, fast feet, fast feet, fast feet. Well, as the gingerbread man was running outside, mom raced to the door and opened it. Creak! And she decided to chase that gingerbread man outside as fast as she could go. So let me see your fast feet. pretend to be mom and go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Mom chased after that gingerbread man and he called out, run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me. I'm a gingerbread man. All right, everyone. Now hear that special part. We're going to do that a few times in the story. You're going to help me. So when I say run, run as fast as you can, we all move our arms and pretend to run run run run run as fast as we can and you can run in place then all together we're all gonna say you can't catch me i'm the gingerbread man all right let's practice ready run run as fast as you can now everyone all together you can't catch me i'm the gingerbread man. Excellent. So mom was still chasing that gingerbread man around the yard when their dog was watching this silly show. He licked his lips because that gingerbread man smelled delicious. He decided he was going to catch him and eat him for himself. So let's run like the dog using both our hands and our feet. Here we go. Go, go, go, go, go, go. But as that dog ran, he heard that gingerbread man call out. All right, everyone, are you ready? He said, run, run as fast as you can. All together now. You can't catch me. I'm the gingerbread man. Mom, the dog, both chased the gingerbread man down the road when Duck came by and saw the spectacle. He took a big sniff and he also wanted to eat that delicious smelling gingerbread man. So he decided to waddle after them. Can you guys give me a big waddle? Here we go. Waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle. And as he waddled, he heard that gingerbread man call out. Here we go, everyone. Run, run, run, as fast as you can, all together. You can't catch me, I'm a gingerbread man. Well now, Mom, Dog, Duck, and little Liam raced after him down the road when little Liam down the street saw, them doing all of this while he was riding his bike. And he said, hmm, I'm fast when I ride my bike. I bet I can catch him. Come on, everyone. Let's get on our bikes and we'll pedal after them. Ready? Pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal. Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike. Pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal. But Liam was no match for that gingerbread man and he heard him call out, Run, run, as fast as you can, all together now. You can't catch me, I'm a gingerbread man. Now mom, dog, duck, and little Liam continued to chase after him down the road into the field where horse was. Horse was grazing, so let's bend our neck and pretend to eat the grass in the field. Hum, hum, hum, hum, hum. Um, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch. When the gingerbread man flew by, the horse took a really big sniff. Give me a big... Oh, that gingerbread man smelled delicious. I'm super fast. I can absolutely catch him. So, we'll gallop like the horse. Here we go. Gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop. Whoa! Oh, he was still no match for that gingerbread man. And he called out. Run, run, as fast as you can, all together. You can't catch me, I'm a gingerbread man. Now, Mom, Dog, Duck, Lamb, and Horse all raced as fast as they could to catch them, but they were still not fast enough. Just as they crossed a bridge leading into the forest, they passed by sweet Amelia. She was riding her new scooter. I bet I can catch that gingerbread man, she said. I'm super fast on my scooter. Quick, everyone, let's put on our helmets. Put it on, protect those cute little noggins. Click, click. All right, hold up your hands on those scooter bars in front of you. Place one foot on the board and use the other foot to scoot. Here we go. Scoot, scoot, scoot, scoot, race. Go, go, go, go. Scoot, scoot, scoot, scoot, scoot, scoot. We still can't catch the gingerbread man. So the gingerbread man calls out. Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the... Gingerbread man. Meanwhile, back at the house, Sally and Sam had a better idea. Instead of chasing that pesky, fast gingerbread man through the forest, they thought they had to give him a reason to stop running. They thought long and hard and used their brains to think of a solution. Hmm. Hmm. Sam stood up and said, I got it. Come on, let's get to work. Together, we'll pull out another big bowl. And we'll measure. Take out those measuring cups. Let's pour it in and get ready to mix. Mix, mix, mix, mix. And roll out some fresh dough. Grab those rolling pins. Let's push. Forward and back. Forward, back, and roll. All right. Now open up the oven and place it inside. This time we'll wait the full 15 minutes and not peak. Here we go. Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do. Ding! 15 minutes went by. Time is up. Sally and Sam gathered up their surprise from the oven and put it in their arms and took a shortcut and went through the woods. Here we go. Can we take a little walk? Can you hold your big bundle of surprise in your arms? Take a walk, walk, walk, walk. When they finally found a shady spot in the. Gingerbread friend and beautiful gingerbread house down on the ground. Oh my goodness, what a great idea. They made a little gingerbread friend and the cutest little house. Then they hid behind a tree. Come on, let's tiptoe. Tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, hide behind that tree. The gingerbread man was now coming around the corner, going as fast as he could when he almost went past his special surprise, so let's run and face. Run, run, run, run, run, and then come to a stop, freeze. He looked in front of him. His eyes opened up wide because he saw the friend in the house they made just for him. Oh boy, hello friend. I've been running all day long and I'm feeling quite tired. Do you want to sit down and play with me? The little gingerbread friend nodded their head. Yes, I have a fun game of gumdrop checkers inside. Then two gingerbreads went inside the cozy little house, so excited to have a friend so they wouldn't be lonely. Sally and Sam came out from behind the tree and skipped happily to find mom, dog, duck, Liam, Horse, and Amelia who were still trying to catch the gingerbread man when they saw them they told them to freeze everybody one two three freeze. Excellent freezing. And they said, we know you all wanted to eat the yummy gingerbread. So instead of chasing after the gingerbread man, we made you special cookies in the shape of stars. Can you hold up your fingers and try to make a star shape? Oh, I love it. Now the star shape, you don't need to run or waddle or bike, gallop or scoop. You just get to enjoy. Good thing, too, because everyone was tired. Let's take a few deep breaths to calm down together. Breathe in and out. One more time. Breathe in and out. Sally laid out a large picnic blanket so everyone could sit down together. Let's pretend to fan out a big blanket. Spread it out. take a seat. And together they ate their gingerbread star cookies. Everyone was so busy enjoying the delicious treat, they didn't hear the little giggles coming from the forest. Hee hee hee hee hee. We're so happy living in this cute little house our friends made just for me. The end. I hope you enjoyed our story today of the gingerbread man. I wanted to do a nice little twist where the gingerbread man makes a friend and has someone to play with and that everyone still got to enjoy some cookies. So for our extension activity today, you can of course make gingerbread if you want to make something in the kitchen, but I have a little extra special challenge for you. Can you make a friend or a house for your pretend gingerbread man? You can either draw it on a paper and draw this whole cool scene, maybe a little friend for the gingerbread man and what kind of house you want to do it, or you can build it. Maybe you have a stuffed animal that wants to pretend to be friends with a gingerbread man, and you can make your own house, maybe out of blocks or magnet tiles maybe some art supplies even a giant bowl or spoon whatever you want to use to make your house and what kind of games do you think they'd play together do you think they would like a game of gumdrop checkers maybe they want to play candy land how about you make a racetrack around the house so they could practice running together have fun get creative it is your gingerbread friend and your house to make all right everyone thank you so much for joining me for our story today and until our next adventure together be smart be kind and keep those imaginations running bye.

The Unique Valentines: A Card for Every Friend

Grayson struggles to find the perfect Valentine until he creates unique cards that match each classmate’s favorite things, turning a classroom activity into a celebration of individuality and friendship.The episode is interactive and playful, featuring movement prompts and ends with a simple craft idea: make a card for someone you love to show you notice and care about what makes them special.

The Elves and The Shoemakers Magical Shoes

Join Marvin and Martha in a playful retelling of "The Elves and the Shoemaker," where tiny elves craft a rainbow of magical shoes that make the wearers skip, kick, jump, spin, skate, walk backwards, dance, and go wild.This interactive episode invites listeners to move along with each color’s special action and ends with a fun memory game to match colors to movements.

Who Will Help? The Little Red Hen’s Bread Adventure

In this episode of Once Upon a Story, listeners follow the Little Red Hen as she plants wheat, cares for it, grinds it into flour, and bakes bread while her friends refuse to help.The episode is interactive with movement prompts and encourages teamwork, responsibility, and creativity, ending with a simple activity to make bread or use Play-Doh to reenact the story.

Little Red Riding Hood: The muffin making remix

Little Red Riding Hood gets a playful, interactive retelling full of movement, butterfly chases, and a surprising twist: the muffin-stealing wolf learns to bake and becomes kind after Little Red helps him.This episode invites kids to move along, practice calming breaths, and try a fun extension—bake real muffins or host a pretend muffin tea party at home.

The Bear That Didn't Want to Hibernate

Join a playful bear and his thoughtful friend, Deer, as they try one silly idea after another to keep Bear awake through winter. This short original preschool story teaches children about hibernation and adaptation, while inviting them to move, imagine, and draw along.

Goldilocks' Big Fix: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

In this lively retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Goldilocks seeks shelter from a storm, tries the bears' chairs, porridge, and beds, and accidentally causes trouble before running away.The next day she feels sorry and returns to make amends by building a new chair, cooking fresh porridge, and leaving flowers and a heartfelt apology. The episode includes movement prompts for listeners and a simple activity to build Baby Bear's chair.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff — Pizza for the Troll!

Join a lively, interactive retelling of The Three Billy Goats Gruff where children move as the little, medium, and big goats—tiptoeing, galloping, and stomping across a bridge. The story adds a gentle twist: instead of fighting, the big goat helps a grumpy troll by sharing headphones and pizza.The episode includes guided movements, sounds, and a creative challenge to build and soundproof your own bridge at home, encouraging kindness, imagination, and problem-solving.

The Three Little Pigs—A Move-and-Imagine Fairy Tale

Miss Nicole, a preschool teacher, leads an energetic retelling of The Three Little Pigs that adds movement, breathing exercises, and imagination to the classic tale. Children are invited to act out characters—Lazy P, Chill P, and Strong P—while following the story and practicing simple physical activities.The episode ends with a creative challenge: draw three houses (a silly house, a strong house, and your own home) to explore materials and creativity. This short, playful episode encourages active listening, movement, and imaginative play.