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Amid the excitement of dozens of children, a plump, fuzzy penguin learns about a superpower he always carries with him.
His breath.
Guided by his mom, Pengwee takes gentle breaths–and soon, families in the theater follow along.
The room softens.
Everyone Needs a Moment to Take a Breather
Caregivers and educators know this feeling well: speed, tension, tight schedules, spaces filled with overlapping sound, restless bodies, and hurried friends all doing their best.
In moments like these, it can feel easiest to fall into the speed–to push through, correct, and get to the other side as quickly as possible.
In the story, when Pengwee's mom is faced with the reality that Pengwee is dealing with big feelings–snowstorms in his tummy–she doesn't push past them. She doesn't hurry him off to the big festival or tell him to calm down.
Instead, she offers Pengwee a tool she uses herself when she encounters her own snowstorms: taking a soft breath in through the nose, and a gentles breath out through the mouth.
Through the are of live puppetry and storytelling, Pengwee shows us what calm can look like. He doesn't demand the audience's attention; he earns it by modeling safety, ease, and steadiness in his body.
Children lean in not because they are told to–but because they want to.'
Big Feelings
A puppet cannot be anything other than what it is Pengwee doesn't pretend everything is okay.
He feels excited.
He feels overwhelmed.
Sometimes, he doesn’t quite know how he feels yet.
When he places a flipper on his belly and takes a breath, it isn't about fixing the feeling–it's about noticing it.
This honesty matters. Through this little puppet, children learn that emotions aren’t problems to eliminate, but experiences to notice, name, and understand.
Quietly, the adults in the room learn right alongside them.
Why a Puppet Makes It Easier to Be Kind
In some of out team meetings, we talk about the idea of a "bubble"–an atmosphere generated by a child, caregiver, or staff member. Sometimes it's very clear; other times, nearly invisible. We use this language to help us understand how to engage with one another comfortable and safely, without disrupting an experience.
There's something about puppets that makes this bubble more permeable. As guides in immersive play, puppets allow us to enter shared space with children gently. And it works the other way, too.
Children approach Pengwee in ways they might resist with an adult. They offer him ideas, mirror his breath, and patiently wait while he figures something out.
kindness emerges naturally–not as a rule or a lesson, but as a relationship. Pengwee doesn't lecture about kindness (an abstract concept challenging even for adults). He invites it.
Breathing as a Shared Practice
Pengwee doesn't demand a response from the audience.
He doesn't tell everyone to take a breath.
He simply breathes–and waits.
Some children join in right away.
Some observe.
Others try it later.
This teaches mindfulness without pressure. Breathing becomes something we do together, rather than something that is enforced.
Children learn that they have a choice–and that pausing is always available.
Learning to Feel With One Another
When Pengwee breathes through uncertainty, children are offered a chance to see themselves.
They see that it's okay to have big feelings.
That it's okay not to have an answer right away.
That slowing down helps
That others care.
Empathy grows because it is practiced–through story, breath, and shared attention.
Responsibility Without Fear
Pengwee offers families a tool to recognize and move through difficult moments. He doesn't take responsibility away from children or caregivers; instead, he shares a way to hold responsibility differently.
Rather than reacting, we can tune in and respond.
This is responsibility rooted in care–right here, in the moment.
What This Really Looks Like
Pengwee's Breath is not just a calming tool.
It is:
- A lesson in self-awareness
- A practice in collective care
- A reminder that slowing down is powerful
Through puppetry, mindfulness, storytelling, and play, children experience what it feels like to belong to a community that listens.
That experience stays with them.
An Invitation
Whether you’re in a classroom, at home, or anywhere in between, remember Pengwee.
Consider:
- Taking a breath before you speak
- Pausing when things feel rushed
- Noticing what begins to change
You may find that a small moment opens the biggest space.
Author's Note:
At Stepping Stones, experiences like Pengwee’s Breath are developed by Out of A Box Puppetry as part of an interconnected approach to education—one that centers presence, imagination, and shared humanity.