← Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Koko's Sleepy Waterslide 🐨🌊 Calming Sleep Meditation For Kids
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Foreign hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original bedtime stories and sleep meditations for kids designed to make bedtime a dream. Coco has just cut the purple clubhouse ribbon and we are welcoming in our two newest members tonight. It's Kacen and Carter from Oakdale, California. Yahoo. Welcome. Thank you for signing up for the year and thank you for your support. It is awesome. We are very very very grateful. Please enjoy all your unlocked stories and your ad free listening. Get loads of lovely long sleeps this year. Before we begin, a quick message for the grown ups if you'd like to support our podcast. Enjoy Ad free listening. Unlock 4 bonus stories per month and more. You can join Koko Club. Subscribe in just two taps via the link in the show notes, but now here's a quick word from our sponsors. Now then, I have a question. Have any of you ever looked out of the window when the moon is full and thought you can see things in the night that you can't usually see? Like long shadows from the trees, for instance. Shadows at night. And you can see things illuminated, like the bird bath or the swing or shed at the end of the garden that's usually cloaked in pitch darkness. Well, tonight as we head down into Sleepy Forest to join Koko and Kira, we are going to be with them when they discover what the full moon reveals. Their grandmother knows and they will soon find out themselves because tonight is the perfect night for it. So let's snuggle into bed and join the cuddly koala and adorable panda as they head out to go on a sleepy, possibly slidy calming adventure. This is Koko in the Sleepy Water Slide by Oliver James Jenkins. Let's begin like Koko does when he's getting ready for bed. Snuggle down into your covers. Wiggle your toes. Give your shoulders a soft little shake. Stretch your arms like tree branches reaching for the night sky and then let them flop. Let your cheeks relax, let your tummy rise and fall and let the bed hold you just the way Koko's bed holds him, like a soft cloud that belongs only to you. Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it sigh out through your mouth again, breathing in and gently all the way out. Feel how each breath makes your body quieter. Now let's imagine Sleepy Forest at twilight. Fireflies blink like tiny lanterns. The river looks like a silver ribbon slipping between the trees in the cabin in the clearing. Coco's home. A warm golden light shines in a bedroom window inside his room. Koko is in his pyjamas and Kira, his sister, is sitting on the bed, hugging a cushion. Their grandma is telling them about a magical slide she discovered a long time ago. It's called the Sleepy Water Slide. Grandma whispers. Her voice is as smooth and calming as hot chocolate. There's a pool in Sleepy Forest, tucked in a clearing near Sugar Lump Hill that looks very ordinary in the daytime. But when the light of the full moon touches it, something magical happens. I've had many adventures in this water, and now it seems like the perfect time to share them with you. You see, when the moon is full and high in the sky, that is when the pool's magic is strongest. And tonight, my dears, the moon is higher than ever. Koko and Kira looked excitedly out the window where the moon was hanging, ginormous and round, high, high up in the sky. On nights like tonight, the pool reveals a magical water slide. One that's only open to those with a kind heart like you two lovely little cubs. The water slide will take you through the pool, under the forest and all the way beneath the sea. It's a gentle, peaceful ride that will make you calm and full of warm, fuzzy feelings. Coco's eyes shine. Kira's ears perk up. Is this for real? Koko asks. Grandma smiles. She looks calm and safe, but also a little cheeky. It's as real as you and I, she replies. And like all the best adventures afterwards, the world will feel more magical than ever. Coco's heart does a little happy flip. He looks at Kira and she's already nodding with a brave smile. Adventure time awaits. Mum and dad peek in the bedroom. They knew that Grandma would be going to the water slide tonight, and they had an inkling she would take the little ones with her. Going on an adventure before bed, they say, eyes sparkling. Yes, please. Coco and Kira whisper. Excellent. Time to get ready, Grandma says. Koko and Kira go to their wardrobes. They each pull out their swimming costumes. Kira's a sparkly purple and Coco's orange and patterned with tropical flowers. Then they grab their beach towels. Koko's towel is a deep ocean blue with golden clam shells. And Kira's towel is a soft purple with three smiling dolphins. They step outside the cabin. Sleepy Forest is cool and quiet. The trees sway and creak and the leaves rustle with a nighttime breeze. As they walk, Koko notices the night smells pine trees and damp earth. He hears an owl's hoot from high above and he smiles into the darkness. He has a feeling this adventure is going to be absolutely magical. They arrive at a clearing where the river widens into a round pool that glows. A light crystal blue mist curls up from its surface like silky ribbons. We're just in time, Grandma says. The water slide is beginning to appear. Koko and Kira look closer. In the centre of the pool, a round tunnel of water begins to spin. Slowly at first, then a little more, until it forms a gentle spiral. From deep below, there's a soft hum, like all the creatures of the ocean are gently singing a lullaby down there. Have fun, says Grandma as she waves them goodbye with her cheeky, loving smile. Koko hugs her, his tummy fluttering with excitement. Then he takes Kira's paw. Two yellow inflatable donuts pop up out of the whirlpool. One for Kira, one for Coco. A tiny stairway of bubbles rises up from the water. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 steps down into the pool. Just enough for small feet. Koko and Kira climb in together. The water is warm like a bath and envelops them like a hug. They settle into their donut shaped floats with a whispering swirl. The pool gathers them in and then they begin. The slide carries them forward and down into the pool with a gentle glide. It's not fast, it's not splashy. It's just right. And into the tunnel they go. The tunnel walls become clear like glass. And suddenly Koko and Kira are floating inside a crystal tube. The world outside is full of watery wonder. Silver bubbles rise like tiny stars. A turtle swims by, flapping its flippers. Two clownfish peek at them with curious eyes. Coco breathes in. He can smell the clean ocean. Smell. He breathes out. He's feeling his body grow softer, floatier. The slide makes a soothing, comforting sound. Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. It's like the sea itself is breathing with them. Kira rests her head on the edge of her float and smiles. The slide curves to the left. It curves to the right. It slopes down a little, then levels out. The glassy walls shimmer with patterns of light like fish scales. Sometimes tiny lights blink along the tunnel. Soft turquoise, gentle violet, sandy gold. Guiding them like fireflies. They soak the whole scene in gently. A figure appears out of the watery depths and floats alongside them as they move through the slide. Hello, little travellers, she says. A smiley giant squid drifts by with ballet slow movements, wearing a tiny seashell hat and a pearl necklace. I'm Pearl, she says. Can I swim alongside you as you slide? We'd love that. Koko whispers, feeling how calm the water slide is, making his body feel. The squid spins happily and swims alongside the tunnel as it leans downwards. They pass a forest of seaweed that sways like tall blades of grass, dancing slowly together. A school of tiny silver fish turns all at once in a graceful curve. Koko hums a little tune to himself and the slide seems to hum along, singing the same tune back to him. The little koala feels so happy and peaceful. Soon they find themselves drifting along the ocean floor, looking out at an underwater palace of soft shapes. Around them, coral shelves in pinks and blues hold shell bound books that shine and sparkle. What are the books about? Kira asks. Everything, Pearl says they hold all the secrets and surprises of the sea. The way moonlight refracts when it touches water, the deepest dreams of dolphins, treasure hunting turtles, and even poems written by penguins. Koko and Kira look out from inside the waterslide. They see sea creatures of every shape, size and colour coming to the library and reading books. They notice a group of all different types of young, colourful fish being read a story by a wise and kind looking manta ray. Each of the little fish looks so excited by the story, waiting patiently for each new word the ray reads aloud to them. The ray and his listeners notice Koko and Kira gliding past on the water slide. And they all wave their fins, beaming big bold smiles. Have fun, you two. Pearl knows the most amazing places in the ocean to show you, the ray says. The slide continues to carry them on further and further. Outside, the sea looks like a big blue night sky. A gentle majestic shark cruises above, peaceful as a drifting cloud. Tiny jellyfish bob along like sleepy lanterns putting on a light show. The slide dips and rises like a lullaby. Coco's breath matches the motion. Up and down, in and out. Up and down, in and out. Up and down, in and out. Koko thinks about his family and what they would be doing. Mum would be reading her book, dad peering through his telescope. Grandma would be knitting, Grandpa humming his favourite tunes. And he knows they'll all be smiling, thinking about the wonderful time Coco and Kira are having on their adventure. In the tunnel, the lights dim to a soft midnight blue. Koko feels his eyelids grow heavy. Kira yawns. A tiny panda yawn. Ahead, a hush becomes a hush hush and the hush hush becomes a sh. Like soft rain on tiny leaves. Inside the waterslide, droplets of water begin to float down from above like silk soft pearls, gently showering and warmly splashing the two little adventurers. The water slide becomes wider and wider and they flow down soft waterfalls and around gentle curving bends. Koko closes his eyes as he feels his float Move with the swaying current up and down. He slowly bobs, floating on the water. As he winds down the waterfalls, he giggles a little and says, this feels so relaxing, doesn't it, Kira? In his mind, he imagines himself strumming a slow, sleepy chord, just like he would on his ukulele. He hums again. Mmm. And the falls sing back. Shh. Sh. Next, the tunnel widens and the air fills with bubbles. Big, small, humongous and even. Tiny bubbles that drift slowly like little planets. Inside each bubble is a picture. One shows Koko and Kira building a pillow fort. Another shows Grandma teaching them how to make one of her famous hot chocolates. Another shows Coco on the porch with fudge and prickles and camo, sharing a plate of cinnamon biscuits. You can touch one if you like, Pearl says. Coco taps a bubble with a picture of him playing with a band on his favourite beach. Everyone is singing along and dancing to his tune. Pop. A warm feeling spills into him, bright as sunshine, as if he were really there doing it. Kira taps a bubble of herself drawing a rainbow. Pop, she whispers. I can feel the colors. The orange makes me feel strong, and the green makes me feel so calm. The water slide curves again around another twisting bend. The light turns a deeper blue, like the sky right before bedtime. A sea turtle swims along beside them, wise and calm, then drifts on into the deep. After a while, the tunnel spirals upward. The sea outside grows brighter. Rays of moonlight flicker and dance through the water. The slide begins to slow, just enough to notice. A round window opens in the tunnel wall. Glowing softly through it, Koko sees a small underwater garden. Stones in pretty patterns, sea grasses swaying, and a bench made of driftwood that looks exactly like it has been waiting for them all this time. Welcome to the resting circle, Pearl says gently. Every rider on the water slide gets a pause to step out and see the beauty of the ocean around them. Magically, Koko and Kira feel a bubble of air start to form around their heads. They step out of the slide into the underwater resting circle and slide onto the driftwood bench. The driftwood is so smooth and soft, as if the ocean has sanded down this surface just for them. Koko closes his eyes and feels his heart glow warmer. Koko imagines being a warm stone on the bottom of a riverbed, soaking up the sunbeams. While the river passes him by. Koko begins to sing very quietly. Glow slow, Glow slow little fish below Drift and dream Drift and dream in the moonlight's softest beams, the water seems to sing along without making a sound, Kira sways her shoulders. Even Pearl's arms move like those dancing sea grasses. A moment of quiet. A deep breath in and a deep breath out. Time to continue on, little explorers, Pearl whispers. Koko and Kira climb back into the tunnel and into their floats. The slide begins to move again with that gentle sound, like rain on tiny leaves. As they rise through the bends of the water slide, tiny pictures appear etched onto the tunnel walls. A leaf, a star. A heart. A little house. A paw print. A musical note. As the slide glides past each picture, Coco feels a matching feeling touch him softly. Leaf. Freshness. Star. Hope. Heart. Love. House. Home. Paw Print. Friendship. Musical note. Joy. The water outside grows lighter and lighter. The tunnel spirals one last time as Koko and Kira make their way gently to the end of the ride. The hum fades to a whisper. The slide slows and slows and slows until they emerge into the night air and are floating in the round pool again where they began, with the stars of the sleepy forest twinkling above them. Koko and Kira climb out of the water, holding paws, sharing the same soothing smile. The forest path home is quiet and still. The stars seem lower and the air smells faintly of wildflowers. Mum meets them at the cabin door with the kind of smile that says, I knew you'd love it. Dad brings warm cups of hot chocolate. Grandma brings down everyone's dressing gowns. She winks and says, time for bed, little explorers. I know you'll sleep well tonight. In Koko's room, the fan turns slowly. 1, 2, 3, 4. And the curtains breathe with a night breeze. Kira climbs into her bed first. Then Koko climbs into his, pulling the blanket right up to his nose and then down to his chin again, because that's his favourite way to settle himself into bed before the lights go out. Koko wants to say something. Grandma, he says, I feel like I brought something home from the water slide. Not shells or pebbles or fish, just certain feelings like peace and calm and joy. That's great, Coco, she says. It's good to feel feelings. You can pick a nice one and wrap yourself up in it as you go to sleep, if you want. Why don't you try? Which one would you like to feel tonight? Coco thinks. There were so many, cascading through the gentle falls, popping memory bubbles, enjoying the resting circle. But the one that settles soothingly inside him now is the feeling he got from the tiny pictures on the tunnel wall. The leaf, star, heart, house, paw print and the musical note. I'd like to snuggle up in the feeling of home, he says. Home in my body. Home in my breath. Home with my family. Home in the world. The sea and the sky and the stars. Grandma touches a paw to his forehead, then to his chest. There, she whispers. Now close your eyes and notice it. Koko closes his eyes. He feels warm, held steady. He feels the bed under him and the blanket over him and the soft space in between where his breath moves gently in and gently out. He hears Kira sigh. He hears the owl hoot one last time. The room becomes the colour of the moon. Koko rests one paw on his tummy and one on his heart and breathes in and out, in and out. Each breath makes his body heavier, like a pebble settling to the bottom of the river. Each breath makes his thoughts quieter, like waves smoothing a sandy beach. He imagines he's back inside the slide for a moment, just to remember the feeling. He remembers the water brushing past his fur. He remembers the bubble pictures. He remembers Pearl's kind eyes. He remembers the resting circle. He imagines the slide shrinking to the shape of a shiny pearl and tucking itself into his heart. He imagines he can play a tiny lullaby whenever he needs to and the water will hum along. Koko's breathing slows even more. His jaw softens, his paws loosen. His eyelids drift closed. But before he goes all the way to sleep, he thinks of you. Yes, you. Listening right now, breathing softly. He hopes you will keep a feeling from tonight as well. The feeling that your breath is a friendly ocean that knows exactly how to carry you. The feeling that you belong. The feeling that you are loved because you are. Now let's rest together like Koko and Kira. Like the whole sleepy forest. Let's imagine the slide sound one last time. Sh. Let's feel the bed. Raucous. Gently as a boat. Notice your breath moving in soft, quiet waves, in and out. You are so safe. You are so loved. And you are ready now to drift gently and peacefully into sleep. Good night, little one. I'll see you again soon. Bye for now. Sam. Ra.