The Rainbow Fish: Learning the Joy of Sharing

Story notes by

Nicole

A fish with shimmering scales, a lonely heart, and the discovery that sharing is the key to happiness. The Rainbow Fish is a beautiful tale for children about the true meaning of friendship. It teaches them that while being "special" is nice, being part of a kind and generous community is what truly makes our world bright and colourful.

GenerosityFriendshipEmpathy

The Rainbow Fish

Deep, deep, deep in the ocean, there lived a very special fish. He wasn't just a regular fish; he was the Rainbow Fish! His scales were every colour you can imagine—blue, green, purple—and tucked among them were sparkling silver scales that went glint, glint, glint whenever he swam.

The other fish loved to watch him. "Come on, Rainbow Fish!" they would call. "Come and play tag with us!" But the Rainbow Fish would just glide past, hush-hush and proud, letting his scales shimmer in the light. He thought he was too special to play.

One day, a tiny blue fish swam up behind him. "Rainbow Fish," he whispered, "please... could I have just one of your shiny scales? You have so many, and they are so beautiful!" The Rainbow Fish turned around with a big frown. "Give you one of my special scales? No way! Get away from me!" Swish! He splashed his tail and swam off, leaving the little blue fish feeling very sad.

Soon, the Rainbow Fish noticed something. No one wanted to play with him anymore. When he swam by, the other fish turned their backs. He was the most beautiful fish in the sea, but he was also the loneliest. He went to see the wise Octopus in her dark cave. "Why doesn't anyone like me?" he asked. The Octopus replied in a deep, bubbly voice, "Give a glittering scale to each of the other fish. You won't be the most beautiful anymore, but you will finally know how to be happy."

The Rainbow Fish wasn't sure. But then, the little blue fish came back. "Please?" he asked again. The Rainbow Fish looked at his scales. He pulled out his tiniest, smallest shiny scale and tucked it into the little fish's fin. The little fish wiggled his tail! Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!

Suddenly, the Rainbow Fish felt a strange, warm glow in his heart. One by one, the other fish came, and he gave away his scales. The more he gave, the more the water around him filled with shimmering light. Finally, he had only one shiny scale left, but he wasn't alone. He was surrounded by friends, and he was the happiest fish in the whole wide sea.

Bringing the Story Home

Use these notes to translate the story into a meaningful conversations.

Lesson behind the Tale

Sharing is how we make friends. Having "shining scales" or fancy toys is nice, but you can't play with a toy by yourself and feel happy for very long. When you share something special with someone else, you aren't losing a treasure—you are gaining a friend. The more you give, the more love and kindness come back to you.

Relating to Our World

When we visit crowded playgrounds or indoor play gyms, the "Rainbow Fish Moment" happens every ten minutes. It's that moment when your child has a "special" toy or a snack that everyone else wants to see. For a 3-7 year old, their "shining scales" might be a new car, a beautiful doll, or even a sticker.

We can use this story to talk about Social Inclusion. Instead of just telling them "You must share," we can ask them, "How do you think the Rainbow Fish felt when he was all alone with his scales?" We want to help them see that being "The Best" or "The Prettiest" is very lonely if you have no one to play with. Sharing is the social glue that helps them build their first "school of fish" at preschool or the park.

Opening the Dialogue

"At the start of the story, the Rainbow Fish was very proud of his scales. Why do you think he felt lonely even though he was the most beautiful fish in the sea?"

  • If they say 'No one played with him' "Exactly. His scales were pretty to look at, but they couldn't talk to him or play tag with him. Do you think it's better to have one very special toy all to yourself, or many friends to play a big game with?"
  • If they say 'He was mean' "He was a bit grumpy, wasn't he? He thought his scales were more important than his friends' feelings. But he changed! How do you feel when a friend shares something with you?"

"The Octopus told the Rainbow Fish to give his scales away to be happy. Why did giving things away make him feel 'warm' inside?"

  • If they say 'Because they liked him' "That's a big part of it! When you are kind, people want to be near you. It's like a magic circle of happy feelings. Can you think of something you shared recently that made someone else smile?"
  • If they say 'It was like a gift' "Sharing is like giving a little gift of 'I like you.' When the Rainbow Fish saw the water shimmering with all his friends' scales, it was much prettier than when he was the only one with them, right?"

Putting it into Practice

Find some shiny stickers, colourful paper, or even some pretty "treasure" stones from the garden. Put them in a "Sharing Jar." Throughout the week, look for moments where someone else in the family does something kind or helpful. Your child's mission is to "award" a Sparkle Scale to that person. Once the child has given away five scales, they get to choose a special reward or family game. This helps them experience the direct link between giving away a "scale" and receiving the "joy" of playing with others.

Build Character, One Story at a Time

Nurturing values like integrity and courage doesn't happen overnight. Explore our full library of stories designed to help parents navigate every milestone.

Browse More Stories About Life

Recommend for You