Young children may find taking turns easier to understand than being told to “share.” This original story models a calm script around one much-loved toy, without shame or a forced apology.
A story about taking turns: Noor, Ben and the One Red Digger
Noor was building a road at the play table. She pressed brown dough flat with both hands and made tyre tracks with a little red digger.
Rumble, bump, rumble.
The digger had a scoop that could lift tiny wooden stones. Noor filled it, drove to the other end of the table and tipped the stones beside her block tower.
Ben came over carrying a cardboard sign.
“Road works,” he announced. He planted the sign in the dough. Then he saw the red digger.
“I need that,” he said, reaching for it.
Noor pulled the digger close to her chest. “I'm using it.”
Ben kept one hand on the scoop. “But I need it now.”
The digger stopped between them. Noor's fingers tightened around the wheels. Ben's face grew hot.
Ms Priya came to the table and crouched beside them.
“Pause,” she said calmly. “The digger is not moving while two hands are pulling it.”
Ben let go first. Noor put the digger on the table but kept her hand beside it.
Ms Priya looked at Noor. “You were using the digger.”
Then she looked at Ben. “You want a turn too.”
Ben nodded. Noor frowned.
“Do I have to give it away?” Noor asked.
“You do not have to stop this second,” said Ms Priya. “Ben does need a turn. We can make a plan that both of you can understand.”
On the shelf sat a small sand timer. Ms Priya turned it over. Blue grains slipped from the top to the bottom.
“Noor can finish one load while the sand falls,” she said. “Then it will be Ben's turn. Noor, you can tell Ben when the digger is ready.”
Ben watched the timer. It looked slow.
“Waiting is hard,” he said.
“It can be,” Ms Priya replied. “Would you like to build somewhere for your first load to go?”
Ben picked up four blocks. He made a square beside the cardboard sign.
Noor drove the digger along the dough road. Rumble, bump, rumble. She lifted one last scoop of stones and tipped them beside her tower.
The final blue grain fell.
Noor's hand stayed on the digger for a moment. She had not finished everything she wanted to build.
Then she remembered the plan.
“My turn is finished for now,” she said. She pushed the digger toward Ben. “Please bring it back after your turn.”
“I will,” Ben said.
Ben drove the digger straight to his block square. He filled it with stones and called the square a repair yard.
Noor watched. Her hands felt empty.
“I want it again already,” she told Ms Priya.
“You can ask for the next turn,” Ms Priya said.
Noor took a breath. “Ben, may I have the next turn when you're finished?”
Ben nodded. “After two loads.”
Ms Priya turned the timer again. This time Noor made three orange traffic cones from dough while she waited. She put one near the tower, one beside the repair yard and one at a bend in the road.
When the sand ran out, Ben was filling his second load.
“One more scoop,” he said.
Noor pointed to the empty top of the timer. “The sand is finished.”
Ben looked at the digger. He wanted one more scoop very much.
Ms Priya stayed nearby, but she did not take the toy from him.
Ben slowly emptied the load into the repair yard. “My turn is finished for now.” He pushed the digger to Noor. “Can I have another turn later?”
“Yes,” Noor said.
Noor drove the digger to her tower. Then she noticed that Ben's repair yard and her tower stood on opposite sides of the road.
“They need each other,” she said.
“The tower can send broken stones to the repair yard,” Ben replied. “And the repair yard can send fixed stones back.”
They looked at the one red digger.
“We could keep taking turns,” Noor said.
“Or we could give it jobs together,” said Ben.
Noor loaded the scoop. Ben held the road-works sign and cleared the way.
“Digger coming through!” he called.
Noor drove to the repair yard. Ben unloaded the stones. On the next trip, Ben drove and Noor arranged the traffic cones.
Sometimes they still wanted the same job.
When that happened, one of them said, “Pause. I am using it.”
The other said, “I want a turn too.”
Then they chose one load, two loads or the sand timer.
They did not always enjoy waiting. But they knew what would happen next.
At tidy-up time, Ms Priya rang a small chime. Noor parked the digger on the shelf. Ben leaned the road-works sign beside it.
“We only had one digger,” Ben said.
“And we both got turns,” Noor said.
“You also made one big game,” Ms Priya added.
Noor looked at the long road, the tower, the repair yard and the three orange cones. None of it would have looked the same if she had played alone.
Ben held up his hand for a high five. Noor tapped it.
“Tomorrow,” he said, “we could build a bridge.”
“Yes,” Noor replied. “And if we both want the digger?”
Together they said, “Pause, name it, take turns.”
The red digger waited on the shelf, ready for both of them.
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A parent note about sharing
Taking turns is a skill children build over time. ZERO TO THREE notes that very young children are still learning to manage strong feelings and understand another person’s point of view. Calm support, specific language, and chances to practise can be more useful than demanding an immediate handover.
If a toy is being pulled or used unsafely, stop the action first. Then describe what is happening without labelling either child as selfish or naughty.
Three gentle questions
- What did Noor want, and what did Ben want?
- What helped them know when each turn would end?
- What could you say when you want the next turn with a toy?
Try the Pause–Name–Take Turns card
- Pause: “I won’t let the toy be pulled. Let’s make it safe.”
- Name: “Sam is using it. Jo wants a turn. Waiting is hard.”
- Take turns: “Finish one action, then pass it. Would you like to watch or choose another toy while you wait?”
Practise with two toys and a stuffed animal. Let the stuffed animal ask for a turn. Keep turns short and visible: one scoop, one lap, or one song. Praise the action precisely: “You finished your turn and passed the truck.”
Find another story to share together
Explore Baboo Stories for parent-led reading and repeatable family moments. Check the library for the topic that suits your child rather than promising a specific story in advance.
Baboo Stories is free to download. Some stories are locked, and an optional monthly subscription unlocks all stories.
Sources and further reading
Questions parents often ask
What is the difference between sharing and taking turns?
Sharing is broad. Taking turns gives children a concrete sequence: one person uses the toy, finishes a short turn, and passes it to the next person.
Should a child have to hand over every toy?
Families and settings can protect special items and set different rules for shared toys. Explain the rule before play when possible and help children find another option while they wait.
What if both children keep pulling the toy?
Stop the unsafe pulling, hold the boundary calmly, and name what each child wants. Then offer a short, visible turn or remove the toy briefly if the children cannot use it safely.