Bedtime Stories for Kids
Short stories for the last few minutes of the day. Each one takes about three to five minutes to read aloud, suits children of roughly 3 to 8, and ends on a quiet note so the light can go off right after.
The bedtime shelf has three parts: calm stories for winding down (all listed below), funny ones for kids who need a laugh first, and silly ones for the nights when nothing makes sense anyway.
How to pick tonight's story
Scared of the dark
Ian the Bat and the Echo of Courage and Dexter the Bat are both about bats who don't like the dark, which children find very funny. Elara and the Shadow Theater turns the dark into a puppet show, and Glowy the Firefly is a tiny hero with a light of his own.
A storm outside
Lara's Magic Blanket Fort is about a thunderstorm and a fort built from a plaid blanket. Caleb the Brave Umbrella and Sunny the Yellow Umbrella are two umbrellas who are, of all things, afraid of rain.
For the youngest listeners (3 to 5)
Lily and the Dream Cloud, Hootie's Bright Surprise and Spinny the Weaver are short, simple and gentle.
When they just won't settle
Start with something from the funny bedtime stories to get the giggles out, then finish with a slow one like Finley and the Lunar Pearl, a goldfish who finds the moon in his tank.
A simple bedtime reading routine
- Choose the story before bath time, so there is nothing left to negotiate in bed.
- Read a little slower and a little lower than your normal voice.
- Let your child point at the pictures or scroll the page.
- When it ends, ask one small question (what was Ian afraid of?) and then it's lights out.
More stories to explore
Short stories for kids for any time of day, and read aloud books with lots of dialogue, good for reading to a group.