**The Crane's Gratitude - Folktale Draw-Along | Valentine's Day Story for Kids**

Join storyteller Rachael Harrington for a magical Valentine's Day draw-along adventure with "The Crane's Gratitude," a beloved Japanese folktale perfect for children! In this episode of The Fairy Tale Art Cart podcast, your kids will listen to and illustrate this heartwarming story about kindness, gratitude, trust, respect, and love.

**About The Folktale:**

Follow the story of Yoshi, a kind farmer who rescues a beautiful crane from a hunter's trap. When a mysterious young woman named Tsuru arrives at his door seeking shelter, an enchanting friendship begins. But when curiosity leads Yoshi to break a promise, he discovers Tsuru's magical secret. This touching tale teaches children about keeping promises, respecting boundaries, and the true meaning of love and friendship.

Perfect for screen-free creative time and Valentine's Day storytelling, this interactive draw-along episode encourages kids to create their own illustrations while learning valuable lessons about trust, gratitude, and compassion.

**What You'll Find in This Episode:**

✨ Classic Japanese folklore retelling for children

🎨 Step-by-step drawing activity for kids

💝 Valentine's Day themes: love, kindness, and friendship

🖍️ Creative art projects inspired by Japanese culture

📚 Educational storytelling with moral lessons

🦢 Learn about cranes and Japanese traditions

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-friendly content for ages 4-10

**Keywords:** Japanese folktales for kids, Valentine's Day stories for children, draw along podcast, art and storytelling for kids, The Grateful Crane story, creative activities for children, folklore podcast, kids art projects, storytime podcast, fairy tale drawing lessons, cultural stories for kids, character education, trust and friendship stories, Valentine's Day activities, children's literature podcast, homeschool art resources, elementary art lessons

**Visit The Podcast Website:**

Head to www.rachaelharrington.com/fairy-tale-art-cart-podcast to download free coloring pages, find supply lists for this episode's art project, and access show notes with discussion questions for families and educators.

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**Become a Member:**

Love The Fairy Tale Art Cart? Join the membership community and unlock exclusive benefits including bonus episodes, extended draw-along tutorials, additional art project ideas, printable resources, and early access to new content. Support the show while getting even more creative storytelling fun for your family! Visit www.rachaelharrington.com to learn more about membership options.

**Leave a Review:**

If your family enjoys The Fairy Tale Art Cart podcast, please leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform! Your reviews help other families discover our show and inspire us to create more magical draw-along folktale adventures. Share what stories and art projects your kids love most!

**Perfect for:** Parents, teachers, homeschoolers, art educators, librarians, and anyone looking for engaging educational content that combines storytelling,...

Happy New Year 2025! As we get ready to welcome 2026, I thought it'd be fun to re-release the very first ever episode of The Fairy Tale Art Cart as a way to reflect on the amazing journey of the show so far. This new year already holds some pretty incredible things for the podcast (click that newsletter subscribe button to be the first to know) - so thank you for being here and being a part of the creativity!

Grab your favorite drawing materials and wrap up in something colorful and cozy, because today's screen-free drawing story takes us to Brazil for the story How Hummingbird Got Her Colors. It's a story of friendship and creativity that will have you giggling and getting imaginative!

With playful narration and fun illustration prompts, kids build creativity, focus, and storytelling skills—no screens required. Perfect for car rides, quiet afternoons, or family creative time together.

🎉 Links for The Fairy Tale Art Cart:

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• Visit My ⁠⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠⁠⁠

Gather your crayons and settle in for a cozy, screen-free interactive draw along adventure as we tell a folktale from the Maori people called How Maui Brought Fire.

Designed with creative kids and busy, imaginative parents, this storytelling episode invites children to listen closely, draw along, and bring Maui’s mischievous adventure to life on paper.

With playful narration and fin illustration prompts, kids build creativity, focus, and storytelling skills—no screens required. Perfect for car rides, quiet afternoons, or family creative time together.

🎉 Links for The Fairy Tale Art Cart:

Contact Me For Live Storytelling Bookings: ⁠⁠EMAIL ME⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become A Supporter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BUY ME A COFFEE PAGE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Visit My ⁠⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠⁠⁠

What’s the craziest yet most delicious recipe idea that you can think of for a cup of hot cocoa? What ingredients might be a yummy way to spice up that mug of cocoa?

Welcome to The Fairy Tale Art Cart, a podcast where you get to become the illustrator of the stories you hear: hosted by art teacher turned globe-trotting professional storyteller Rachael Harrington. If you’re a parent looking for imagination-inducing screen-free activities for your kids using simple art materials that you already have- you’re in the right place!

This week's episode is a little bit different than the usual style of folktale draw-along episodes found here in The Fairy Tale Art Cart. Rachael's kids were sick this week, so she's instead bringing a fun and music filled illustration prompt episode: come draw-along and create a picture of a mug of hot cocoa in a setting that YOU get to dream up!

🎉 Links for The Fairy Tale Art Cart:

Contact Me For Live Storytelling Bookings: ⁠⁠EMAIL ME⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become A Supporter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BUY ME A COFFEE PAGE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Download Coloring Page & Sign Up For Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PODCAST PAGE⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

Visit My ⁠⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠⁠⁠

Get ready for a giggle-filled draw-along storytelling adventure as we draw our way into the classic English folktale “The Emperor’s New Clothes!” In this playful episode, kids can sketch, imagine, and laugh along as our very fancy Emperor shows off an outfit that—oops!—might not be quite what he thinks, making it a perfect screen-free creative activity for busy families. Grab your crayons and settle in for an art-filled storytime that keeps little hands busy, sparks big imagination, and brings the silliness to life!

PLEASE NOTE: This is the last new epsiode that will be posted on Spotify. After this episode, you can listen to new episodes of the show on other listening platforms, but not Spotify.

🎉 Links for The Fairy Tale Art Cart:

Contact Me For Live Storytelling Bookings: ⁠EMAIL ME⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become A Supporter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BUY ME A COFFEE PAGE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Download Coloring Page & Sign Up For Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PODCAST PAGE⁠⁠ ⁠⁠

Visit My ⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠⁠

Get ready for a draw-along storytelling adventure as we dive into the joyful Ghanaian folktale “Anansi’s Hat Shaking Dance!”

In this upbeat story draw-along episode, your child can laugh, wiggle, imagine, and draw along with Anansi the Spider—a perfectly screen-free way to spark creativity, keep little hands busy, and make story time extra fun.

Grab some crayons and settle in, because this silly, art-filled tale is the perfect quick activity for busy families who want engaging, creative play without screens.

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In this delightful Nigerian folktale, your kids will listen and draw along as they imagine a time when the sky hung low enough for children to reach up and take just what they needed. But when greed begins to stir, the sky zips far, far away—setting the stage for a playful, meaningful adventure that inspires creativity and big conversations. Perfect for families seeking screen-free entertainment, this episode blends imaginative storytelling with hands-on art making to spark curiosity, deepen listening skills, and make story time come alive.

PLEASE NOTE: The last new episode uploaded to Spotify will be posted on Nov 29. After that, you can listen to the show on other listening platforms, but not Spotify.

🎉 Links for The Fairy Tale Art Cart:

Contact Me For Live Storytelling Bookings: EMAIL ME

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become A Supporter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠BUY ME A COFFEE PAGE⁠⁠⁠⁠

Download Coloring Page & Sign Up For Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠PODCAST PAGE⁠⁠ ⁠

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"Who will help me..." In this playful episode, the Little Red Hen finds a few grains of wheat and sets out to bake a loaf of bread—with a little hope (and not much help) from her friends. Along the way, there’s laughter, lessons, and the sweet smell of something wonderful baking. Curl up and listen to this classic tale about hard work, helping hands, and the joy of sharing what you’ve made.

The Fairy Tale Art Cart: Screen-free Creative Time For Your Kids, Made Easy! keeps your kids independently entertained with imaginative storytelling from storyteller Rachael Harrington and music filled draw-along prompts. All you need is paper, crayons, and 30 minutes of calm, screen-free fun. Love this epsiode and want to invite me to tell stories or perform the show live for your school, library, or corporate family day event? Book a 15 minute "Well, Hello" call today!

🎉 ⁠LINKS:⁠

Book a Call: CALENDAR LINK

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become A Supporter: ⁠⁠⁠BUY ME A COFFEE PAGE⁠⁠⁠

Download Coloring Page & RSVP for a live show: ⁠⁠⁠PODCAST PAGE⁠⁠

Visit My WEBSITE