Ben Welcomes Benji
A new child arrives at the playground and nobody talks to Benji. Ben steps forward.
It was a sunny morning at the park. Children were running, jumping and laughing. But over by the fence, Benji stood alone. Benji had just moved to town and didn’t know anybody.
Ben noticed. He saw how quiet Benji was, with his hands tucked in his pockets. Ben remembered what it felt like to be new. He took a deep breath and walked over.
‘Hi,’ said Ben. ‘I’m Ben. Do you want to play skipping?’ Benji’s face lit up. ‘Yes, please!’ he said. ‘I’m Benji.’ And they ran off together.
Soon Dexter joined in too. They played skipping until the sun was high. Benji laughed so much that his tummy hurt. It was the best first day ever.
At home time, Benji turned to Ben. ‘Thank you for saying hello,’ he said. Ben smiled. ‘See you tomorrow!’ And they waved all the way down the road.
The little lesson
A smile and a hello can change someone’s day.
Let’s talk about it
- How do you feel on your first day somewhere new?
- What did Ben say?
Finish stories to collect Ben as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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