Kitten Kuzia really loved playing hunter. Especially — hunting socks. He would sneak up, freeze, make a jump — and win. Although, the socks never ran away.
A storys about the kitten and the washing machine
Kitten Kuzia really loved playing hunter. Especially — hunting socks.
He would sneak up, freeze, make a jump — and win. Although, the socks never ran away.
One day Kuzia was once again chasing a striped sock under the bed when suddenly there came a GRRR-GR-GR-GROM from the bathroom!
The floor creaked, the walls slightly shook.
Kuzia froze.
— Meow!.. What’s growling in there?! Why is it making noise and shaking?..
He crept up to the bathroom and cautiously peeked in. In the corner stood a washing machine. It was spinning and humming like an angry hippo.
Just then, the owner — a six-year-old girl named Natasha — came into the bathroom.
— Hi, Kuzia! Are you afraid of the washer?
— What kind of beast is it? Why is it spinning and stomping? — asked the kitten fearfully.
Natasha sat down next to him.
— It’s not a beast. It’s a machine that washes clothes. It spins the drum, rinses, soaks, and spins dry — that’s why it makes noise and shakes.
— Why do we need to wash? We have fur!
— We have clothes, — Natasha smiled. — When we go outside, food drips, dust settles, smells stick. The washing machine washes all of that away.
— Why is it growling?
— Because it has a motor inside. It makes vibrations — small shakings, to move the water and spin the clothes. It’s like someone is running in circles.
Kuzia tilted his head.
— So it’s not angry? It’s just working?
— Exactly. And look, your socks — they’ll be like new soon.
Kuzia came closer, listened to the hum, and even placed his paw on the machine. It was humming, but it didn’t bite.
He purred in response — quietly, kindly.
— So it’s not an enemy, but a helper?..
— Good job, Kuzia! — said Natasha.
Dear friend!
Thank you for supporting the Baby-Bear Club project!
Your donation helps create wonderful fairy tales, useful materials for parents, and inspiration for children around the world.
It also provides important support for the author who continues to create even amid the sounds of sirens and explosions 😔.
Thank you for being here ❤️!
Kuzia’s question for everyone:
Have you heard how a washing machine works?
What does it remind you of: a train, a song, a beast, or something else?
Questions and tasks for children (ages 3–6)
After reading the story, you can ask these questions:
- What was Kuzia doing at the beginning of the story?
- What sound did he hear from the bathroom?
- Why was Kuzia afraid of the washing machine?
- Who came to help him?
- How did Natasha explain what a washing machine is?
- What does the machine do with clothes?
- Why does it make noise and shake?
- What did Kuzia understand about the machine in the end?
- Have you ever heard how a washing machine works? What did you feel?
- What do you think — is the washer mean or kind? Why?
- Would you like to be friends with it like Kuzia? What would you tell it?
Mini-discussion: “What does the washing machine do”
If there’s a real washing machine nearby, together with your child:
- Listen to how it hums.
- Watch how the drum spins.
- Touch the body with your hand — how does it vibrate?
Discuss:
- What does the washing machine do? (washes, spins, rinses…)
- Why do we need clean clothes?
- What other “noisy helpers” live in your home?
You can draw a washing machine or play:
“Let’s pretend to be the washer! Let’s spin, shake, splash!”
Such games help develop attention, observation skills, and get rid of fears through playful action. The most important thing is to be nearby, observe together, and cheer each other on!
Video: how a washing machine works
After a short video showing how the drum spins inside the washing machine, how the motor hums and water moves — talk with your child:
- What did they notice in the video?
- How does the drum move inside the machine?
- Why does the machine make noise and shake?
- Where have you heard or seen such a machine in real life?
- What happens to clothes in the machine?
Audio: listen to other washing machine sounds with your child
Try to guess what the machine is doing right now.
- Is it filling with water or already rinsing?
- Is the spinning slow or fast?
- Is this the spin cycle or not yet?
- Did it just start or is it finishing the cycle?
Discuss together:
- How do the sounds change during the process?
- Which stage sounds the loudest?
- What does each sound do — help, warn, drain water?
For parents: how to turn fear into interest?
Dear parents, grandmothers, grandfathers, and educators!
With the charming kitten Kuzia, you can easily:
- Explain to children what a washing machine is
- Help your child stop being afraid of loud noises
- Read a story about fear of technology
- Tell how the life of adults is organized
- Play educational questions after the story
- Discuss safety rules in the bathroom
- Download the story for children aged 3–6 in PDF
Many children aged 3–6 are afraid of loud sounds: the vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, kitchen hood, or washing machine. This is normal — because machines sound unusual, they make noise and vibrate, and the child does not yet understand that all this is not dangerous.
Especially if they have a vivid imagination — a monster might be hiding inside there!
This story will help your little one see household appliances differently — as a helper, not a scary beast. Together with Kuzia, the child will learn to understand what vibrations and a motor are, why clean clothes are important, and why noise is nothing to fear.
After the story, you’ll find simple questions for discussion. They will help reinforce knowledge about the world around, develop speech, and cope with childhood fears through play.
Wishing you cozy family conversations and kind discoveries together with the Baby-bear Club website!
With love, Natalka Ukraina
