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Stretch Story Time

A parent tells a short story and you turn each animal into a gentle stretch.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Set up

A parent tells a story with a frog, a butterfly, a cat and a seal.

Core: Mild tension. Never push into pain.

Ages
7 and up
Time
8 min
Players
You and a partner
Space
Small room
Bring
Mat, parent
Level · skill
Beginner · Flexibility

The steps

How it works

  1. A parent tells a story with a frog, a butterfly, a cat and a seal.
  2. Frog: sit with knees wide. Butterfly: feet together. Cat: round your back.
  3. Seal: lie on your belly and gently press up on your hands.
  4. Hold each stretch for 5 slow breaths.

Coaching point

Breathe slow, go gentle.

Safety: Stretch to a gentle pull, never pain. Nobody pushes you down; you go only as far as you can on your own.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Stretch and tell: hold each stretch while your partner reads a fun fact or tells a short story. Swap, and breathe slowly.

Challenge

Gentle levels: Less (reach a little), Core (mild tension), More (add a slow breath out). Never push into pain.

Story

You are a cat waking from a nap, stretching long and slow.

My best

Beat your own count

Never push into pain. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

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