Later on in the day when children are struggling with sharing (or sharing successfully) try to remind children about the story of Rainbow Fish. Role playing is a wonderful way to make the story come alive and have the children experience the joys and difficulties that come with sharing. At the end, the “Rainbow Fish” can distribute scales to all of the other children. The teacher can be the narrator and the children can be prompted to act out their small parts. In the classroom, once the children are familiar with the story, you can have them act it out. There are many activities that can accompany this story however one that I enjoy most (and the children seem to enjoy) is role playing. Much like the Rainbow Fish, children will discover that while sharing can be difficult, it creates happiness in those whom they share with and thus in themselves as well.

Rainbow Fish, like many young children, has a difficult time sharing.

It also depicts how difficult sharing can be and the impact that sharing can have on friendships. The Rainbow Fish is a lovely, heart-warming story of sharing and the happiness that sharing can bring yourself and others. Rainbow Fish sees how happy the blue fish is to have one of Rainbows’ special scales, and Rainbow becomes very happy as well! Rainbow Fish shares a scale with lots of other fish, creating happiness in both himself and the other fish. Even though it is difficult for Rainbow Fish to share, he gives blue fish one of his special scales. However, Rainbow Fish realized that if he wanted to have friends, he would have to learn how to share.Īfter leaving the octopus’s cave, a blue fish, again asks Rainbow Fish for one of his shiny scales. This was difficult advice for Rainbow Fish, as his scales were his prized possession and sharing them would be very hard. When Rainbow Fish arrives at the octopus’ cave, he is told to share some of his scales. Starfish directs him to a cave where a wise octopus lives so that Rainbow Fish can get the answers he is looking for. He goes to his only remaining friend, the starfish and asks him for advice. After a little while, Rainbow Fish realizes he has no one to play with and begins to feel so lonely. As the story continues, the other also stay away from Rainbow Fish because he does not share with any of them. The blue fish is so hurt by Rainbow ’s Fishes’ refusal to share that he no longer wants to be around him. Rainbow Fish loves his scales so much he does not want to share them when asked by a blue fish. The Rainbow Fish is the story of a beautiful, colorful, and shiny fish with metallic scales that lives in the sea.

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister