An open two-lane road that goes off into the sunset

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Changing Lanes

Name: Changing Lanes
Availability: InStock
Author: Wanderly

It is a new racing season in Rubberdale, and Mayor Cluckett is splitting everyone into new training groups. Then comes the news: your best racing buddy from last season is in a different group this year. So who is in yours?

Relationship SkillsSchool ReadinessNew ActivitiesResilienceSelf-AwarenessDecision MakingRubberdale

About This Story

What your child will experience

In Changing Lanes, your child pilots one of the Rubberdale racers through a flashback memory: the season their best training buddy ended up in a different group. They'll navigate the sting of that split, find their footing with two unfamiliar teammates, and figure out how to hold onto the old friendship while building something new.

Along the way, your child makes real choices: how their character steadies themselves when the feeling is big, how they reach out to someone new, and how they bring their two worlds together. Every character has their own calming style (humming a rhythm, sketching, doing a stomp-dance), so your child can see there are many ways to approach calm.

Why this approach helps

This story uses play-based, character-led exploration to let children rehearse social transitions in a safe, low-stakes space. Practicing emotional regulation through a character, not themselves, makes it easier to try feelings on without pressure. Over time, stories like this build emotional vocabulary, flexible thinking, and quiet confidence heading into real transitions.

What to notice as a parent

- Which choices feel easy or hard can reveal how your child actually feels about friendship changes or new groups. - How they respond to the "settling down" moment may hint at what helps them self-regulate in real life — worth a gentle follow-up. -How to stay close might be a good clue to ask your child if there's a friend that they want to stay close to like that. - There's no wrong path here. Even a choice that doesn't work out is useful exploration.

Personalize This Story

Make this story truly special by adding these details:

✓Pick a racer.

Story Questions

Questions your child may be asked while creating this story:

What was the first thing the main character thought?
What did the main character feel?
What did the main character say or do to break the ice?
What plan did they make to stay close?

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