A Discovery in the Playground
One sunny afternoon, Ruby and her best friend Jamal were playing tag in the school playground. Children’s laughter echoed across the swings and slides, and the smell of freshly cut grass drifted on the breeze.
Ruby dashed toward the old slide, her sneakers thumping the ground. Suddenly—clink!—her foot tapped something hard beneath the sand. She skidded to a stop. Kneeling down, she brushed away the dirt and uncovered a small metal ring.
“Jamal! Come here!” she whispered excitedly. Jamal crouched beside her. “What is it?” Together, they tugged on the ring. With a long creeeak, a square of ground lifted up like a hidden door. Beneath it stretched a dark tunnel, sloping down into the earth.
Jamal’s eyes grew wide. “A secret tunnel under the playground?” Ruby’s grin widened. “Only one way to find out.”
They slipped inside, giggling as the hatch closed softly above them. The tunnel smelled faintly of chalk and old wood. Strange drawings glowed faintly on the walls—stars, animals, arrows pointing ahead.
Following the Chalk Arrows
“Someone’s been here before,” Jamal whispered. His voice echoed in the narrow passage.
The arrows led them to a big wooden door bound with rusty hinges. Ruby took a deep breath and pushed. The door swung open, and their eyes went wide with wonder.
It was a hidden cavern, a secret clubhouse beneath the playground. Strings of fairy lights twinkled overhead like tiny stars. Shelves of dusty storybooks lined one wall, while old board games were stacked in tall wobbly towers. In the corner stood a giant fort made from mismatched blankets and chairs.
“This is amazing!” Jamal gasped. Ruby ran forward and plopped onto a beanbag chair. “It’s like a secret world, right under our feet!”
They played for what felt like hours. Jamal built the tallest block tower he’d ever made, while Ruby dressed up in a sparkly cape and a floppy pirate hat left in the costume box. They flipped through storybooks, laughing at the funny doodles scribbled in the margins by whoever had been here before.
Then Ruby noticed a note pinned to the wall, its paper yellow with age. She read aloud:
“Welcome, new adventurers. This tunnel belongs to all children who love to dream, play, and imagine. Add your treasure, and the magic will live on.”
Ruby reached into her pocket and pulled out her lucky marble, the one she always kept close. She placed it carefully on the shelf. Jamal thought for a moment, then removed the tiny red cape from his action figure and laid it beside the marble.
“There,” Ruby whispered. “Now we’re part of the secret.”
Back Before the Bell
Just then, the faint sound of the school bell echoed through the tunnel. “Oh no—recess is over!” Jamal cried. They raced back, following the chalk arrows. As they scrambled up through the hatch, it shut with a gentle thud just as their teacher called, “Back inside, children!”
Ruby brushed sand off her knees. Jamal fixed his hoodie. Nobody else had noticed a thing.
As they hurried to line up with their classmates, Ruby and Jamal exchanged a smile. Their secret was safe—for now.
That night, Ruby lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She could almost hear the faint twinkle of the fairy lights and smell the dusty old books. She wondered how many children, long ago, had added their treasures to the clubhouse shelves.
Jamal was probably thinking the same thing. Because both of them knew that tomorrow’s recess would bring another adventure—an adventure in the secret tunnel.
The End.
Discover the power of play in this short PBS video — and inspire your own little adventurers with our cuddly Storytime Companions.
