Free bedtime stories
A new, original bedtime story every few hours, written for a child’s age and read aloud in five, ten or fifteen minutes. Each one ends calm and sleepy, and comes with a few questions to talk about before lights out.
Toddlers (2 to 3)Preschoolers (3 to 5)Ages 5 to 7Ages 8 to 10
The newest story
Twelve Lamps and One White Stone
Bea's tummy is wobbly about his first day at a new school, until one cross stomp scatters an owl's firefly lamps and he learns to say a real sorry.
Read tonight’s storyComing up
New bedtime stories
- A Sorry With Three Parts
Ages 5 to 7 · about 15 minutes
Juno's Diwali lamp ends up in the wrong spot and a cross word shuts a door, until Nani's three-part sorry rule helps her put things right.
- Priya and the Long, Low Hum
Ages 3 to 5 · about 10 minutes
Priya the pirate tries to hurry a humming comet, then finds small, lovely ways to enjoy drifting between planets until the treasure lights her lantern.
- Counting the Last Window
Ages 5 to 7 · about 15 minutes
After a bad dream, a small rabbit meets a rooftop dream-catcher, learns the warm windows game, and finds the words to say a proper sorry.
- Ada's Light Goes Up the Hill
Ages 2 to 3 · about 5 minutes
A small helper robot says goodbye to her old cabin, then finds a warm way to make the new one feel like home, with a soft refrain to say together.
- The Night the Moon Was Late
Ages 8 to 10 · about 10 minutes
A small hedgehog breaks his garden's oldest flower and hides it, until a quiet word from his grandmother shows him how light the truth can feel.
- A Hello That Took All Night
Ages 8 to 10 · about 15 minutes
A young pirate and her grandmother row past the scary Deep Bend to deliver a hello to a very slow sloth, and find out what brave, wobbly hands can do.
- Ten Drips for the Star Moss
Ages 5 to 7 · about 10 minutes
A new baby penguin makes Zuri worry there's no room for her, until ten drips of water and a cup of star moss show her a big sister's special job.
- Noor and the Soft, Soft Dark
Ages 2 to 3 · about 5 minutes
Noor the puppy is scared of the dark, so Ravi the mist sheep helps her wait for the moon, one soft shhh at a time.
- Quinn's Puddle of Spilt Stars
Ages 3 to 5 · about 5 minutes
Quinn the unicorn finds a puddle full of stars and wants to keep every one, until sharing it with a small camel makes the whole sky twice as bright.
- A Warm Spot for One Small Hen
Ages 3 to 5 · about 10 minutes
Sol the puppy tries three funny ways to help a chilly little hen settle down, and finds the warmest answer is the one he gives away.
- The Longest Ears on Lighthouse Island
Ages 5 to 7 · about 10 minutes
Zuri the rabbit is nervous about her first day at a new school, until a tiny nighttime cheep only her extra-long ears can hear changes everything.
- Pom and the Warmest Spot
Ages 2 to 3 · about 5 minutes
Arlo the fox cub hunts for his cuddly Pom in every warm spot in the cabin, and finds a small way to warm someone else's night too.
- Slow as Honey, Slow as the Moon
Ages 3 to 5 · about 5 minutes
A baby elephant waits out a small quarrel with her sloth friend and finds that listening can be the kindest hello of all.
Browse free bedtime stories
By length
By value
KindnessBeing braveSharingTelling the truthPatienceFriendshipBeing yourselfSaying sorryCaring for nature
For a situation or holiday
First day of schoolA new baby siblingFear of the darkBad dreamsMoving houseDiwali
How these stories are made
Every story here is new and original: no retold films or famous characters. Each is written for one age band, one length and one value, such as kindness, patience or being brave, and some help with a real moment in a child’s life, like a first day at school, a new baby in the family or a fear of the dark.
Before a story is published it has to pass our checks: the right length for its reading time, gentle and age-appropriate content with no peril, meanness or scary imagery, a calm ending, and a separate review for child safety. Stories that miss are rewritten or dropped.
For the bedtime routine around the story, see our guides for parents and the bedtime calculator.
Want one starring your own child?
StoryChoose writes a brand-new story with your child, their friends and even the family pet as the heroes, then reads it aloud in natural voices with soft music. Your first story is free.