CST Song Of The Day - Puff The Magic Dragon

3 days ago
2 min read

National ‘Tell a Fairy Tale Day’ is celebrated annually on February 26th to encourage the sharing, reading, and storytelling of classic fables, myths, and magical tales. It focuses on passing down traditional stories, such as those written by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, to new generations.

How to Celebrate:

Read or Tell Stories: Revisit classic tales like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, or Jack and the Beanstalk.
Visit the virtual Library: Explore collections of fairy tales and folklore & songs related to them.
Creative Activities: Encourage people to write their own stories or act out characters.
Watch Adaptations: Enjoy movies or plays based on traditional fairy tales.

The day is designed to ignite imagination and bring out the "child" in everyone by immersing them in magical worlds.

The best song I could think of to go with this magical day is Peter, Paul & Mary’s ‘Puff The Magic Dragon’. Play the song for your group and afterwards ask members to list as many fairy tales as they can. Dive deeper by playing songs linked to the fairy tales listed.

Here are some song suggestions …

The "Sing-Along" Classics

"The Ugly Duckling" – Danny Kaye: The absolute gold standard for this category. It’s impossible not to join in on the "Quack, quack, quack" parts.

"Whistle While You Work" & "Heigh-Ho" – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Great "active" songs that often trigger memories of household chores and childhood optimism.

"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" – Cinderella: The "Magic Words" song. Even if they don't remember the verses, everyone remembers the chorus.

"When You Wish Upon a Star" – Cliff Edwards (Pinocchio): A deeply nostalgic song that became the anthem for dreams and childhood wonder.

"Teddy Bears' Picnic" – Henry Hall / Anne Stephens: While not a specific fairy tale, it has that same "magical woods" storytelling quality elders love.

"Over the Rainbow" – Judy Garland: While 'The Wizard of Oz' is technically a "modern fairy tale," it is perhaps the most requested song for reminiscence.

"Yellow Submarine" – The Beatles: Like Puff, it’s a colourful, imaginative story that feels like a children’s book come to life.

"A Spoonful Of Sugar" - Julie Andrews: Like 'Mary Poppins', many fairy tales typically blend the real world with elements of magic, wonder, and, often, a "nanny" or guardian figure who helps a family.

Other movies which have a fairy tale feel include 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', 'Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory' & 'Bedknobs And Broomsticks'.