Hello friends it's Steph here.
Today I've got another adventure with the Storytime crew.
And this one's got a few dice rolls,
Some puffed up gorilla pride,
And a very important lesson about what happens when winning isn't everything.
So I want you to picture this.
It was one of those days when the rain just wouldn't stop.
In fact,
It felt like it had been raining for weeks.
The drops padded gently on the tin roof of Q the Quokka's den and then rolled down the windows in wiggly little streams.
But inside the fire was crackling.
It was warm and cozy and there were cushions and pillows piled high and a big pot of popcorn in the middle.
Q who always has something special hidden away pulled out a big shiny box.
On the lid were the words FOREST QUEST written in golden letters that seemed to glow and glisten.
All the Storytime crew gathered around.
Whoa,
They said in unison.
This isn't just any board game Q Explained placing on the floor.
This one is magical.
Everyone leaned in a little bit closer.
When Q opened the box,
The board unfolded all by itself.
The Storytime crew took a step backwards,
Their mouths open in total awe of what they were seeing.
Tiny bridges stretched across rivers.
Treasure chests popped open with a twinkle of sparkle and light,
And little dragons and fairies wriggled out of their spaces and perched on the edges of the board with their wings fluttering like paper fans.
Have you ever played a board game that felt so exciting you just knew it was going to be amazing?
The crew gasped in amazement.
Ollie the otter nearly tipped over his popcorn.
Lizzie the ladybug squealed in delight.
Even Isla the tiger's eyes went wide with wonder.
But Gus the gorilla,
Well,
He wasn't staring at the dragons and the fairies.
He was way too busy rubbing his big gorilla hands together with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.
You see,
Gus was absolutely sure he was going to win.
In fact,
He told everyone so.
I just love board games,
He says.
I am so good at them.
I'm going to whip all of your butts.
He said that without a care for how this might make any of his friends feel.
Have you ever felt really,
Really,
Really confident that you were going to win something?
So the game began and wouldn't you know it,
Gus rolled the highest number right away.
He marched his little game piece straight to the golden cave and sat back proudly grinning like a Cheshire cat that just got the cream.
But here's the thing,
Like life,
Forest Quest was full of surprises.
A few turns later,
Koops the capybara landed on a whirlwind square.
Whoosh!
The wind lifted his piece up and whirled it all the way past Gus.
Then Lizzy the ladybug opened a treasure chest full of points.
And Isla the tiger discovered a hidden shortcut through the jungle path.
So what did all of this mean?
Well,
Suddenly Gus wasn't in the lead anymore.
And that's when his mood started to change.
The famous Gus Grumps.
He scrunched up his face.
His eyebrows bunched together like two furry caterpillars.
His shoulders hunched.
He crossed his arms across his chest and then He exploded.
This is ridiculous,
Gosh shouted.
The dice are broken.
The board hates me and it's just not fair.
Oh dear the story time crew all stopped what they were doing and were a little bit perplexed Have you ever felt like Gus when you were losing?
Maybe you wanted to shout or stomp or even maybe quit.
For a moment,
It looked like Gus might flip the whole board over with one giant gorilla swipe.
Ollie quickly pulled the popcorn closer to safety.
And Lizzie whispered,
Uh oh,
Here we go again.
It's the board game blow up.
The room went very,
Very quiet.
Even the dragons and the fairies froze in mid-air.
And then the board game itself began to shimmer.
The treasure chests glowed and glistened,
The rivers sparkled and a soft magical voice appeared out of nowhere and filled the room.
Games are for growing,
Not just for winning,
" the voice said gently.
Every role,
Every choice teaches us something new.
The crew sat in silence.
First of all,
Where was that voice coming from?
Then they knew the game was right.
They hadn't thought about it like that before.
Gus still sat there with his arms crossed and his shoulders slouched and a face that would frighten even the toughest of animals.
So Q reminded Gus that winning wasn't the most important thing.
What really mattered was playing together and having fun.
Lizzie pointed out that if Gus was always going to win,
No one else would want to play with him.
And Ollie added that games are way more exciting when everyone gets their chance to shine.
Do you think Gus listened to them straight away?
Or do you think he needed a moment?
Gus stayed quiet,
His shoulders dropped and a thoughtful look softened on his face.
Finally,
He sighed.
Hm.
Maybe you're right,
He admitted.
It does feel better when everyone's having fun,
Doesn't it?
Even if I'm not winning.
And then he smirked and added,
But just so you know,
I still think those dice are dodgy.
The whole crew burst out laughing.
And the game carried on.
And this time Gus tried something new.
He cheered like actually cheered for his friends.
Every time Lizzie scored points,
He clapped his big gorilla hands together and cheered.
Every time Isla found a shortcut,
He shouted,
Whoa,
Go Isla!
And when Coops landed on another whirlwind square,
Gus laughed so hard he nearly toppled off his chair.
In the end Gus didn't win the game but he discovered something even better in the process.
He learnt that true champions aren't just the ones who come first.
They're the ones who cheer the loudest,
Laugh the hardest,
And make sure everyone is having fun.
Now let's take a moment together.
Think about a time you might have felt like Gus when you lost a game.
What did it feel like in your body?
Maybe you had tight shoulders.
Maybe you had a scrunched up grumpy face.
Or maybe your tummy felt a little bit tight and huffy.
So here's some things we can do to shake off those grumpy feelings,
Just like Gus learned to do.
First,
Let's shake it out.
Wiggle your arms.
Stomp your feet!
Shake your hands.
And shake out any of your grumpiness.
Go on,
Give it a go.
Really shake your arms,
Stomp your feet.
Shake your hands.
Next,
Take a slow,
Deep winner's breath.
Are you ready?
In through your nose,
Hold it,
And blowing out through your mouth like you're blowing bubbles.
Let's do that winner's breath again in through your nose and hold it and blow out through your mouth like you're blowing bubbles.
Good one.
Now let's practice cheering for someone else,
Even if you didn't win.
Clap your hands,
Smile and say,
Wow,
You did great.
Feel that?
That's the magic of being a good friend,
A good player and a true champion.
So next time you play and the dice doesn't roll your way,
Remember Gus the gorilla and the board game blow up.
The best prize of all isn't the trophy,
It's the fun you share with the people around you and the memories you make along the way.
So that's today's adventure with me Steph and the Storytime crew.
Thank you for joining us,
Little Legends,
And we look forward to seeing you next time.
Bye.
