Bedtime StoriesCalm bedtime stories to read aloud
19 short stories written for the last ten minutes of the day. Nothing scary, nothing loud, and every one ends in sleep. Sorted by age, each with a note for the grown-up who reads.
Ages 2 to 3
- Goodnight, Little VillageThe sun slid down behind the neem tree. The sky turned orange, then pink, then a soft dark blue. In the little village, it was time for bed.Ages 2 to 3 · 3 minutes
- The Sleepy BusThe little blue bus had been busy all day. Broom, broom, up the hill. Broom, broom, down the hill. Now the sky was dark, and the little blue bus was sleepy.Ages 2 to 3 · 3 minutes
- Where Does the Sun Sleep?Little Tara looked out of the window. The sun was going down.Ages 2 to 3 · 3 minutes
- Five Little StarsFive little stars were shining in the sky. They twinkled over the rooftops. They twinkled over the trees.Ages 2 to 3 · 3 minutes
- The Yawn That Went AroundIt began with the cat. The cat sat on the wall, and the cat gave a great big yawn. Aaaah-ooh.Ages 2 to 3 · 2 minutes
- Soft, Soft RainSoft, soft rain began to fall. Tip. Tip. Tip.Ages 2 to 3 · 2 minutes
Ages 4 to 5
- The Owl Who Kept the Night QuietAt the edge of the village stood an old banyan tree, and in the banyan tree lived an owl named Ullu Dada. Every night Ullu Dada had one job. He kept...Ages 4 to 5 · 4 minutes
- Mira's Pillow GardenMira could not sleep. She turned to the left. She turned to the right. Her bed felt too big and the night felt too long.Ages 4 to 5 · 3 minutes
- The Little Cloud Who Looked for a BedA little white cloud had been floating all day. It had watched the farmers in the fields and the children coming home from school. Now the sky was...Ages 4 to 5 · 3 minutes
- The Night the Kitchen Went to SleepAll day long the kitchen had been the busiest room in the house. Now dinner was over. The last roti had been eaten. Amma wiped the counter, switched...Ages 4 to 5 · 3 minutes
- The Blanket FortIt had rained all evening, and Kabir and his little sister Noor could not go out to play. So they built a fort.Ages 4 to 5 · 3 minutes
- The Boat on the Sleepy RiverAt the end of the day, old Majhi Baba untied his little boat. He did not need to fish any more today. He was only going home, down the river, with...Ages 4 to 5 · 3 minutes
Ages 6 to 8
- The Lighthouse Keeper's CatOn a rock at the edge of the sea stood a white lighthouse, and in the lighthouse lived a keeper named Mr D'Souza and a grey cat named Sardine.Ages 6 to 8 · 4 minutes
- The Night Watchman's WhistleIn the lanes of the old town, everyone knew the sound. Two notes on a whistle, one high and one low. Phee-phoo. It meant that Bahadur, the night...Ages 6 to 8 · 4 minutes
- Counting WindowsFrom her bed, Zara could see the tall building across the road. It had many windows, and at night every window was a small yellow square.Ages 6 to 8 · 3 minutes
- The Last Kite of the EveningAll afternoon the sky over the rooftops had been full of kites. Red ones, green ones, kites with long tails, kites that dived and fought. Now the...Ages 6 to 8 · 4 minutes
- The Library After ClosingAt seven o'clock, Mrs Iyer the librarian stamped the last book, put on her shawl and locked the big wooden door. Click. The town library was closed...Ages 6 to 8 · 4 minutes
- The River That Never HurriedDev had had a rushing sort of day. He had rushed to school and rushed through his lunch. He had rushed his homework and been told to do it again. Now...Ages 6 to 8 · 4 minutes
- Goodnight from the HillsAnu was spending her first night at her grandparents' house in the hills. Everything was different. The bed was high and the quilt was heavy. The...Ages 6 to 8 · 3 minutes
What makes a story a bedtime story
Not every children's story is good at bedtime. An exciting adventure wakes a child up; a funny one starts the giggles. The stories here were written for the last ten minutes of the day, and they follow a few plain rules:
- Nothing scary. No one is lost, chased or in danger, even for a moment.
- They slow down. Sentences get shorter and quieter towards the end.
- They repeat. A line or a sound comes back again and again, like a lullaby.
- They end in sleep. The last picture in the child's mind is of someone resting.
- No questions afterwards. There is no moral to discuss and no quiz. The story ends and the day ends with it.
Choose by age
The stories are sorted by the age they suit: 2 to 3, 4 to 5 and 6 to 8. The ages are a guide, not a rule. Many children enjoy a younger story when they are tired, and that is exactly the right choice on such a night.
Reading from a phone at night
A bright screen in a dark room does not help anyone sleep. Three things on each story page reduce the glare. The Night button turns the page dark and dims it. The A+ button makes the letters larger, so that you can hold the phone further away. And Read aloud lets the phone read slowly in its own voice while the screen lies face down. Your own voice is better than any machine's, so use that button only on nights when you are worn out. Better still, print a story and read it by a small lamp.
For the grown-up
Every story begins with a short note for the person reading: where to slow down, which sound to repeat, when to whisper. If bedtime is hard in your house, three pages may help: a simple bedtime routine, what to do about "one more story" and other delays, and a page of short goodnight lines to say at the door. You can also make a story with your child's own name in it.
Are these stories original?
Yes. Every story was written for this site. None is taken from a book or another website, and none repeats a story from our other story sites.
How long should a bedtime story be?
Two to five minutes of reading is enough for most children under eight. One story read calmly does more than three read in a hurry.
My child wants the same story every night. Is that all right?
It is more than all right. Knowing every word is what makes a story restful. Read it again.