First-day stories
Six gentle stories for first-day nerves, noisy classrooms, friendship worries and difficult school days.
Free bedtime stories for kids, made to be read aloud.
339 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
The Twelve Wild Ducks
As dusk falls, twelve beautiful wild ducks enjoy their peaceful pond in an enchanted forest. But a wicked hunter arrives, seeking to capture their splendour. Just as danger nears, the ducks remember a special spell their mother taught them, leading to a surprising transformation that ensures their safety and a new role in the magical woods.
The lesson: With a little magic and togetherness, even small creatures can find a way to protect themselves and their home.
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 generations220 stories · Nursery Rhymes, Rhyming Stories & Poems, Aesop's Fables
MagicWishes, spells, dragons and journeys to somewhere new202 stories · Discovery, Journeys, Space
FriendshipStories about being a good friend and finding where you belong175 stories · Kindness, Love, Belonging, Mice
BraverySmall heroes, big hearts, and problems solved by thinking245 stories · Problem Solving, Responsibility, Hard Work
FamilyMums, dads, grandparents and the people who love us102 stories · Mothers, Fathers, Identity
Growing upHard days, big feelings, and the lessons hidden in them134 stories · Greed, Pride
Every theme in the library
Classic Tales 220Nursery Rhymes 34Rhyming Stories & Poems 23Aesop's Fables 41 Magic 202Discovery 119Journeys 58Space 19 Friendship 175Kindness 94Love 57Belonging 10Mice 4 Bravery & Courage 245Problem Solving 112Responsibility 97Hard Work 36 Family 102Mothers 10Fathers 32Identity 44 Hardship 134Greed 40Pride 39
Six to read tonight
A different six every day, drawn from across the library. Come back tomorrow for another set.
2 min
Ages 3–7 · Belonging
Rabbit's New Street
A new house feels wrong until Imani and Rabbit fill it with familiar things, learn the street's sounds and let new…
6 min
Ages 4–8 · Classic Tales
The Eagle and the Arrow
The proud Eagle, king of the birds, scoffs at a tiny arrow. But a wise Owl warns him of a challenge where strength…
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Mary's loyal little lamb follows her all the way to school, where it makes the children laugh. The rhyme has a clear…
8 min
Ages 4–8 · Classic Tales
The Enchanted Pig
Wilbur the pig dreams of adventure beyond Zuckerman's farm. A sly rat and a magical fairy grant his wish, transforming…
3 min
Ages 4–8 · Responsibility
The Fox Who Borrowed the Dawn
Fern Fox pulls a golden thread from the horizon to make morning arrive early, then discovers that light cannot make the…
7 min
Ages 5–8 · Magic
The Photon Harp of the Storm Nebula
Elara, a curious astronomer, discovers the beautiful Storm Nebula and a glowing musical instrument called the Photon…
Bedtime rescue packs
Small, ordered reading lists for the worry underneath bedtime.
Hospital comfort stories
A calm starting shelf for a planned hospital stay, an unfamiliar room or a child who needs predictable bedtime reassurance.
Two homes and moving
Reassuring stories about two bedrooms, a new street, familiar rituals and discovering that home does not have to be a contest.
After a bad dream
Low-intensity stories for checking shadows, calming the body and making the room feel familiar again.
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.
Personalize
Swap a character’s name for your child’s. The story, Listen voice, Story book and printed copy all change on this page, and the name is never sent or saved.
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.
3 min
Ages 3–7 · Identity
Pippa's Pocket of Quiet
3 min
Ages 4–8 · Responsibility
The Fox Who Borrowed the Dawn
3 min
Ages 3–7 · Identity
Ember and the One Warm Spark
3 min
Ages 3–7 · Kindness
The Moonlight Post Office
2 min
Ages 4–9 · Problem Solving
The Pirate and the Moon Map
2 min
Ages 3–8 · Kindness
The Unicorn's Winter Bell
2 min
Ages 3–8 · Kindness
The Treasure That Grew
2 min
Ages 4–8 · Bravery & Courage
The Pirate Who Lost Their Roar
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.
Start hereEverything on one page: why, when, what and how to read at bedtime
Bedtime routines and sleepBuilding a wind-down that works, night after night
Reading aloudVoices, pacing, questions, and what to do when they interrupt
Why stories matterLanguage, empathy, sleep and the science behind the ritual
Where the stories come fromGrimm, Andersen, Aesop, Perrault, and the folk tales behind them
Stories by ageWhat to read from the first months to the last years of being read to
Telling your own storiesInventing, adapting and performing stories of your own
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.