Mani's Wibbly Wobbly Win

Mani loved their local playground more than anything. It was a place of whooshing slides that made your tummy tingle, squeaky swings that flew up to the clouds, and a big sandpit perfect for building castles. Mani was a super-tester of all things new and exciting. If there was a new way to climb or a different way to swing, Mani would be the first to try it!

But one sunny Tuesday, something new *was* at the playground. It was a long, wooden beam, much higher than the little kerb Mani practised on at home. It stretched across the soft bark chips like a skinny bridge. "Wow," whispered Mani, their eyes wide. All the bigger kids were walking across it, arms out like aeroplanes. It looked like the funnest, most wobbliest challenge ever.

Mani, the super-tester, marched right up to the beam. They put one foot on, then the other. But up this high, everything looked different. Their tummy did a funny flip-flop, not a fun tingle like the slide. Their legs started to do a little shake. "Wibble-wobble, wibble-wobble," they whispered. It felt too high. It felt too wobbly. Mani quickly hopped back down onto the safe, solid ground, feeling a bit disappointed.

Just then, Mani's Dad came over. "Looks a bit tricky, mate," he said with a warm smile. "How about we just try one step? I'll hold your hand." Mani took a deep breath. With Dad's hand holding theirs tight, they stepped back on. One step. Then another. Dad let go, but stayed right beside them. "You've got this," he cheered. Mani looked straight ahead, not down, and took another step, and another, until... they were at the other end! They had done it!

A huge grin spread across Mani's face. They jumped off the end of the beam with a happy "Ta-da!" The wibble-wobble feeling was gone, replaced by a proud, bubbly feeling inside. Trying new things was always fun, but trying something that felt a little scary at first and *still* doing it? That felt like the best adventure of all.