- Tiny Tales, Big Ideas

Haley's Hoop: Loops Made Easy

Step into the lively world of Haley the Hippo as she discovers the magic of loops—a powerful coding concept that makes repetitive tasks a breeze. In this charming tale, Haley’s enchanted hula hoop isn’t just a toy; it’s a key to understanding how repeating actions can transform the ordinary into something extraordinary!

What's Inside

Engaging, Kid-Friendly Story: Follow Haley on her spirited adventure as she learns how loops work, making coding concepts accessible and fun for every young learner.
Hands-On Learning: Encourages kids to explore the idea of repetition through playful storytelling and interactive challenges, helping them grasp loops with ease.
Vibrant, AI-Enhanced Illustrations: Stunning artwork generated with advanced AI brings Haley’s world to life, creating an immersive visual experience that complements the story perfectly.
Sneaky STEM Learning: Introduces one of coding’s fundamental ideas—loops—through a narrative that makes complex concepts simple and relatable.
Dyslexia-Friendly Text: Designed with short, clear sentences and printed in the Lexend Deca font, which is specifically chosen to support dyslexic readers.

Whether you’re a parent looking to introduce the wonders of coding in a playful way, a teacher seeking engaging classroom resources, or a homeschool family eager to explore STEM concepts, Haley the Hippo’s Hula Hoop Loop is an educator-approved story that makes the magic of loops easy to understand. Join Haley as she discovers that a little repetition—just like in programming—can turn a simple spin into an endless adventure!

About Tiny Tales, Big Ideas

At Tiny Tales, Big Ideas, we believe that accessible stories spark big imaginations. Created by a dedicated, licensed public school teacher, our books break down complex STEM concepts into fun, relatable narratives. Perfect for students, educators, and families, our stories deliver educational magic one tiny tale at a time!

About the Author

Brian Duryea is a public educator who has inspired thousands of students with the wonders of computer science. Driven by a passion for making abstract ideas accessible, Brian created the Tiny Tales, Big Ideas Computer Science series to bring the fascinating world of coding to life through storytelling.

How to Use This Book in the Classroom

Read the Book Outloud: Read the story to your students during class story time. Let them enjoy Haley’s adventure without too much technical explanation at first. After reading, ask open-ended questions about how Haley learned to keep the hoop spinning and allow the word “loop” to be used naturally.
Hula Hoop Moves: Encourage students to stand up and try simple “looping” actions in place, like rotating a pretend hula hoop or hopping in a small circle. Emphasize repeating the same motion over and over, then stopping together on a chosen signal to experience the concept of loops physically.
Flip the Classroom: Divide the class into small groups and provide them with a copy of the book or reading prompts. Have them present their interpretations through drawings, short skits, or verbal explanations to reinforce the idea of loops.
Looping Activities: Invite students to come up with everyday tasks they perform in loops—such as brushing their teeth, practicing spelling words, or organizing books on a shelf. Ask them to share these routines and explain how repeating the same action until completion is similar to writing loops in code.

Haley the Hippo’s Hula Hoop Loop: Loops Made Easy

Haley the Hippo’s Hula Hoop Loop introduces readers to the foundational idea of loops—the repeating instructions in computer programs (and everyday tasks) that continue until we decide to stop. In coding, loops come in many forms, like “while” loops that run until a condition changes, and “for” loops that repeat a certain number of times. They make programs efficient, letting computers handle repetitive work quickly and accurately.

In the story, Haley struggles to keep her hula hoop spinning, until Wayne the Wallaby shows her that looping the same movement—over and over—helps the hoop glide gracefully around her hips. By focusing on a single repeated motion, Haley realizes she can accomplish more than she ever imagined, all by doing the same step multiple times and stopping on her own terms. This mirrors how programmers use loops: they automate tedious or repetitive actions, freeing us to focus on bigger ideas.

At Tiny Tales, Big Ideas, we believe weaving big concepts like loops into playful stories helps children see that repetition isn’t just for computers—it’s how we learn new dances, practice music, or keep a hula hoop from falling down. Haley the Hippo’s Hula Hoop Loop brings this coding fundamental to life, showing that a little bit of repetition—and knowing when to stop—can turn an ordinary spin into a magical, mesmerizing loop!

Questions that turn this tiny tale into a big idea

What made Haley’s special hula hoop spin around and around again?
How did Haley control the number of times the hoop spun?
What could happen if Haley set the hoop to infinity?
What things do over and over and over again?