Once upon a time, every night
Free bedtime stories for kids, made to be read aloud.
319 bedtime stories, free, with nothing to sign up for. Every one shows how many minutes it takes to read aloud and the ages it suits before you open it, and every one can be read aloud by your device.
Classic fairy tales retold gently, fables, nursery rhymes and brand-new tales, all illustrated. Pick by theme, by age, or by how many minutes you have left.
- Every story shows its read-aloud time and suggested ages before you open it
- Your device reads any story aloud, highlighting each paragraph as it goes
- Every story ends with the lesson, questions to talk about and the words to know
Tonight's story · 4 minutes · Ages 4–8
The Emperor’s New Clothes
The Emperor loves new clothes and is very proud. Two clever weavers promise to make him a magical suit, invisible to anyone unfit for their job. The Emperor and his courtiers pretend to see the magnificent fabric, but a surprising voice reveals the truth during a grand parade.
The lesson: It's always best to be honest and brave enough to speak the truth, even when it's difficult.
Find the right story in ten seconds
Three ways in: how old, how long, or what kind.
How old is your listener?
How many minutes do you have?
Stories by theme
Every story is sorted by what it is really about, so you can pick the lesson as well as the tale.
Classic talesFairy tales, fables and rhymes families have loved for generations221 stories · Nursery Rhymes, Rhyming Stories & Poems, Aesop's Fables
MagicWishes, spells, dragons and journeys to somewhere new200 stories · Discovery, Journeys, Space
FriendshipStories about being a good friend and finding where you belong168 stories · Kindness, Love, Belonging, Mice
BraverySmall heroes, big hearts, and problems solved by thinking237 stories · Problem Solving, Responsibility, Hard Work
FamilyMums, dads, grandparents and the people who love us97 stories · Mothers, Fathers, Identity
Growing upHard days, big feelings, and the lessons hidden in them134 stories · Greed, Pride
Every theme in the library
Six to read tonight
A different six every day, drawn from across the library. Come back tomorrow for another set.
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Little Miss Muffet
Miss Muffet's snack is interrupted by a spider in the traditional verse, then two new playful verses reveal that the…
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Hey Diddle Diddle
A fiddling cat, a moon-jumping cow and runaway crockery begin the familiar nonsense, followed by new verses that yawn…
7 min
Ages 4–8 · Rhyming Stories & Poems
The Little Weed
A tiny seed dreams of growing tall and strong, but finds itself in unforgiving soil, surrounded by towering plants…
5 min
Ages 4–8 · Classic Tales
Lily and the Lion
In a magical meadow, kind Lily encounters a mighty lion seeking water. Showing courage, she helps him, and he…
9 min
Ages 5–8 · Rhyming Stories & Poems
Rose of Evening
Timmy, a curious boy, discovers a magical talking rose in the forest. The Rose of Evening grants him a special wish…
6 min
Ages 4–8 · Classic Tales
The Ant and the Grasshopper
Meet Grasshopper, who loves to sing and dance, and Ant, who works hard storing food. As autumn turns to winter…
Built for bedtime, not for scrolling
Every story page is a small story-book of its own.
Listen
Press Listen and your device reads the story aloud, highlighting each paragraph. Nothing is sent anywhere; it works on the sofa and in the car.
Story-book pages
Turn any story into big-text pages, one chapter at a time, with the illustration on the page it belongs to.
Night light
Dim the screen to a warm glow for the last story, with the text still easy to read in the dark.
Talk about it
Every story ends with the moral, a few questions worth asking, and the words a child might not know yet.
Next story, one tap
When the last page turns, the next story in the same theme is a single button away. Pick up where you left off tomorrow.
Favourites
Star the stories your child asks for again and again; they stay on this device, no account needed.
New in the library
The latest stories, newest first.
2 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Incy Wincy Spider
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Little Miss Muffet
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Jack and Jill
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Rock-a-bye Baby
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Mary Had a Little Lamb
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
For the grown-up doing the reading
Guides on bedtime routines, reading aloud, what to read at each age, and where the classic tales come from.
Questions parents ask
Are the bedtime stories free?
Yes. Every story on BedtimeStory.kids is free to read, listen to and print, with no account and no app. The site is supported by unobtrusive advertising.
What ages are the stories for?
The library runs from short rhymes for toddlers to chapter-length tales for eight-to-twelve-year-olds. Every story shows a suggested age range and a read-aloud time, and you can browse by age.
Can the site read the story aloud?
Yes. Every story has a Listen button that reads it aloud using your device's own voice and highlights the paragraph being read. It works offline once the page has loaded and sends nothing to a server.
Are these the original fairy tales?
Many are retellings of classic tales by the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Perrault, Aesop and folk traditions from around the world, adapted to be read aloud at bedtime. The rest are original stories written for the site. Each story page says which.
How do I pick a story quickly?
Open Tonight's story for one pick that changes daily, or use the 5-minute stories list when it is late. Every story page ends with a next-story button in the same theme.