474. Prepared for Takeoff!: a short story and meditation for kids

Hazel Airplane is nervous about her very first flight, but she has kind and supportive friends helping her!

Hello everyone!  We hope you enjoyed our new stories this week. Now, welcome to Favorite Friday! Sometimes we like to listen to our favorites again. Please enjoy “Prepared for Takeoff!” and we’ll be back with a new story on Monday!

Narrator: Male

Story Begins: 8:21

Prepared for Takeoff! Excerpt:

Hazel Airplane gently opened her eyes. She had been awakened by the rising sun’s first rays falling across her eyes, the sunbeams peeking through one of the windows in the hangar. At first, Hazel just stayed quietly in place, listening to the birds singing outside in the early morning light. She felt peaceful.

But as Hazel slowly woke up, she started to remember what today was. Today was the day of her very first flight! Her stomach tightened a little and she swallowed, starting to feel anxious. Now she was wide awake. Yesterday the engineers had finished her construction, and today, she would fly high into the sky for the very first time. Hazel started to feel frightened. Her heartbeat increased.

Today’s Meditation: Happiness and love flow through you in this meditation.

Looking for stories with positive learning moments for your little one?  You’ll find them on Ahway Island®. Be Calm on Ahway Island® Podcast offers original bedtime stories, like “Mystery Jug,” paired with meditations for kids. We help them drift off to sleep with a guided relaxation and a calming story. Gently nestled within each podcast episode are mindfulness techniques and positive learning moments. You can search for stories by Learning Message, Character Type, or Narrator Type on our Episodes page. To learn more about our mission at Ahway Island and our team, please visit our About page, or check out our FAQs.

Creating the original bedtime stories and art for Be Calm on Ahway Island takes a lot of time and care.

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Be Calm on Ahway Island is on Kinzoo Messenger!

Be Calm on Ahway Island is now part of the Kinzoo Messenger app as a special experience called a Path! In Kinzoo, Paths are unique interactive stories and engaging activities you can explore on your device. We’ve reimagined some of your favorite Be Calm on Ahway Island episodes as Paths on Kinzoo, providing a whole new way to experience our calming stories. It’s like having a journey through Ahway Island right at your fingertips! Click here to find out more!

In the press:

Digital Trends warns listeners that “you may not make it through an entire episode fully conscious.” Yay!

We’re honored that the website of Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems includes us on their list of Technology to Boost Mental Health.

Jooki recommends us as an outstanding podcast for preschoolers.

We’re reaching listeners internationally! Sassy Mama Hong Kong included us in their article on transitioning into the new year, Sassy Mama Singapore recommends us for limiting screen-time while sheltering at home, and Haven Magazine Australia included us in their tips for getting through the school holidays.

Thank you to Anne Bensfield and Pamela Rogers of School Library Journal for listing us as one of “8 Podcasts To Encourage Mindfulness!”

Thanks for letting us be a part of your day!