Anxiety Therapeutic Story
This is a therapeutic story for children who are experiencing anxiety around joining in with activities. It is aimed at children from 3 to 7 years old. But children outside of this age group may find the story helpful.
Read the story below or download it as an illustrated PDF.
Sparkle Star
Once upon a time there was a unicorn named Sparkle Star. Sparkle Star was a very special unicorn. She was quiet and liked to watch things before joining in. Sparkle Star always remembered everything she saw and she liked to tell everyone she knew and trusted all about the things she remembered.
One day a message arrived for Sparkle Star. It was an invitation to the magical unicorn party. Sparkle Star was so excited! After a little while, Sparkle Star started to feel nervous about going, so she told her friend the troll.
The troll listened carefully and said,
“It’s ok to be still,
It’s ok to be quiet.
You can wait for a moment
And then you can try it.”
Sparkle Star took a deep breath and said,
“It’s ok to be still,
It’s ok to be quiet.
I can wait for a moment
And then I can try it.”
Sparkle Star thought for a minute and then she decided she would go to the party.
When Sparkle Star was alone later she changed her mind. “I don’t want to go. Everyone will be too loud. I’ll stay here and make rainbows on my own” she said.
But Sparkle Star knew that even though she was feeling worried a part of her wanted to go.
“It’s ok to be still,
It’s ok to be quiet.
I can wait for a moment
And then I can try it.”
The day of the party arrived. Sparkle Star told the troll she wasn’t sure she could go. She was too scared. Together they said,
“It’s ok to be still,
It’s ok to be quiet.
I can wait for a moment
And then I can try it.”
Even though she was still feeling scared, Sparkle Star decided she would go to the party.
The party was loud. There were colours and sounds everywhere. Sparkle Star didn’t know what to do first so she stopped. She froze. Her feet felt heavy. They felt like they were stuck to the floor. Her face felt hot, her heart was beating fast and her breathing felt strange.
She wanted to be back with the troll. Then she remembered,
“It’s ok to be still,
It’s ok to be quiet.
I can wait for a moment
And then I can try it.”
She looked around,
“It’s ok to be still,
It’s ok to be quiet.
I can wait for a moment
And then I can try it.”
She listened
“It’s ok to be still,
It’s ok to be quiet.
I can wait for a moment
And then I can try it.”
She heard a song she liked. Slowly she started moving her head to the music. Then she began singing the song in her head. She moved a little closer to the other unicorns and began to sway. The unicorns and Sparkle Star were swaying and dancing together.
As the song ended all the unicorns made a circle and made rainbows at the same time. Their rainbows all joined in the middle of the circle and then shot into the sky showering everyone with stars.
The unicorns all bowed to each other smiling. Sparkle Star’s face felt hot, her heart was beating fast and her breathing felt strange again, but not because she was scared, because she was elated.
Sparkle Star was pleased she had been to the party. She felt excited, and proud, that she had helped to make the biggest rainbow she had ever seen.
On her way home Sparkle Star said to herself,
“It’s ok to be still,
It’s ok to be quiet.
I can wait for a moment
And then I can try it.”
She smiled. She would have so much to tell the troll about later!
Story © Catherine Lynch
Illustrations © Sarah Cook
