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Bedtime stories are a part of many children’s childhoods. Having a parent reading stories to them fuels their imaginations of what the real world could be like. Reading bedtime stories is also often a way for parents to forge closer bonds with their kids.
For parents who are hoping to strengthen the bond with their child, you will discover 8 short bedtime stories for kids here.
Benefits of Reading Bedtime Stories
Bedtime stories are typically read at night, just before going to bed. It’s not only a familiar routine for many families, but it is also seen as a long-held cultural tradition [1].
There are many benefits of reading these stories to your children that extend beyond them being able to explore their imaginations. Some of the benefits of reading bedtime stories to your child include:
- Promotes a healthy bedtime routine: Including bedtime stories into your child’s regular bedtime routine can help a child to fall asleep with ease. It is a good sleep cue for kids when they are tired as they associate reading at night means it is time for bed [2].
- Helps your child to develop a love for reading: Regularly reading bedtime stories for your child can help to create a positive association with reading and help children develop good habits. This helps to boost your child’s vocabulary and language skills, leading to better academic performance.
- Improves language and communication skills: Reading a bedtime story each night also helps your kid to learn new words, and improve your language fluency and comprehension. The more that you read, the more improvements you can expect to see [1].
- Fosters a closer parent-child relationship: Sharing stories can be an excellent opportunity to bond with your kid, especially if you live apart or have a busy schedule. Reading these stories often requires sitting close together and enjoying each other’s company [4].
- Helps to build an understanding of the world: Apart from learning new words and concepts, bedtime stories can expand a kid’s understanding of how the world works. Through stories, they get to learn about new lands or places, real or imagined, developing their knowledge [1].
8 Free Bedtime Stories
Here in this section, you will find 8 free classic bedtime stories that can be read to your little ones. These stories range from the classic fairy tale to an exciting magical adventure. Explore reading these stories aloud!
1. Goldilocks and The Three Bears
Listen to the audio here:
‘Goldilocks and The Three Bears’ is a classic 19th-century English fairy tale with three distinct versions. The version that is by far the best-known version for many tells the story of a curious, young girl with blonde hair, known as Goldilocks who stumbles upon the house of three bears— Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear.
Entering their house, Goldilocks tastes their porridge, sits on their chair, and eventually falls asleep in Baby Bear’s bed. When they returned, they discovered Goldilocks in bed. Waking up to see three bears looking at her, she was startled and ran away. The story is a moral lesson on respect and the consequences of having too much curiosity.
2. Rapunzel
Listen to the audio here:
‘Rapunzel’ is a well-known English fairy tale about a girl named Rapunzel, a young girl with long, golden hair who is locked up in a tower by an evil witch. Every day, the witch visits her in the tower by calling out to her, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”. Using her hair as a rope, the witch would proceed to climb up to the top of the tower.
One fateful day, a prince chances upon Rapunzel when he hears her singing. Seeing her at the tower, they would soon fall in love. When the witch found out, she punished Rapunzel by cutting her hair and banishing her to a distant land. As for the prince, she cast a spell that turned him blind. Eventually, the prince found Rapunzel and they both reunited, living happily ever after.
3. Three Little Pigs
Listen to the audio here:
‘The Three Little Pigs’ tells the story of three pigs who each decided to build their own house, constructed of different materials. The first pig made his house out of straw. The second pig made his house out of sticks while the last pig made his house out of bricks.
One day, a hungry big bad wolf comes along and sees the pigs. Thinking that they would make a delicious meal, he decides to try blowing their houses down. Huffing and puffing, he easily destroys the straw and stick houses, forcing the first and second pigs to flee into the brick house. Upon reaching the brick house, the wolf desperately tries to blow it down but to no avail.
Frustrated, he tries to enter through the chimney, but the pigs outsmart him by lighting a fire. This causes him to flee, allowing the three little pigs to live safely in the brick house.
4. The Ugly Duckling
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‘The Ugly Duckling’ is a fairy tale about a young duckling who is constantly teased and made fun of by others in the family for looking different and “ugly”. Despite his mother’s best attempts to cheer him up, he still felt rejected by his own family and other animals around.
The duckling decides to run away, spending a lonely difficult winter. This was until he came across a group of beautiful swans, admiring them from afar. He decides to move along the stream, catching their attention. Seeing his reflection in the water, he was surprised to see that he had grown to look like one of them. He finds acceptance and happiness among his new peers.
5. Pinocchio
Listen to the audio here:
‘Pinocchio’ is a story about a wooden puppet, created by a carpenter known as Geppetto. Pinocchio was made with an enchanted wood that brought him to life. However, Pinocchio dreams of becoming a real boy. He faces many challenges along the way. One of which was that every time he lied, his nose would grow longer.
On his journey, he encounters various characters like the Fox and Cat, a Blue Fairy, and his conscience, Jiminy Cricket. Once he has learned his lessons, Pinocchio’s wish is granted, turning into a real boy.
6. Hansel and Gretel
Listen to the audio here:
‘Hansel and Gretel’ is about two siblings who were abandoned in the forest by their impoverished parents. While wandering around in the forest, they come across a house that is made of candy and sweets.
Hungry and intrigued, they began to approach the house. Soon, they realized that is was a gingerbread house and began to munch away at the house. That was when a strange, old woman came out, pretending to be friendly. In reality, she was a wicked witch who planned to fatten Hansel and Gretel so that she could kill and eat them. However, they managed to outsmart her—pushing her into the oven and escaping. With the witch’s treasure, they returned home and reunited with their father.
7. Sleeping Beauty
Listen to the audio here:
‘Sleeping Beauty’ is a tale about a princess who was cursed by an evil witch to prick her finger in a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep for 100 years on her 16th birthday.
Before her 16th birthday was set to take place, the king and queen instructed their servants to destroy all the spinning wheels in the kingdom, as a means to protect her. Despite their best efforts, the curse still comes true. The princess pricks her finger, falling into a deep sleep.
Years later, a prince discovers the hidden castle and finds the sleeping princess. Mesmerized by her beauty, he kisses her. It breaks the curse and the princess awakens. The two fell in love and lived happily ever after.
8. Jack and The Beanstalk
Listen to the audio here:
‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ is a bedtime story that follows the adventure of a poor boy named Jack who lives with his mother. One day, Jack decides to trade in their cow for a handful of magic beans. Upset, his mother throws the beans out of the window.
Little did they know that the beanstalk was about to grow. When they woke up the next day, Jack found that the beans had grown into a giant beanstalk, reaching into the clouds. Jack climbs it and discovers a giant’s castle. There, he found treasures including a magical harp and a hen that lays golden eggs.
The giant, who lives there, discovers Jack and tries to eat him. Luckily, Jack manages to escape back down the beanstalk with the treasures. Once on the ground, Jack cuts down the beanstalk so that the giant would not be able to reach him. With the golden eggs, Jack and his mother were now wealthy and lived happily ever after.
For more bedtime stories: Bedtime Stories For Children
Other Ways to Help Your Kid Sleep Better
Besides reading bedtime stories to your kids, there are also other ways to ensure that your kid gets a good night’s rest.
Here are some effective strategies to consider trying:
- Establish a consistent bedtime routine: Creating a consistent bedtime routine can help to signal to your kid that it is time to wind down for bed. Some relaxing activities could include reading a book or taking a warm bath. Remember that consistency is key to building good sleep habits.
- Ensure a comfortable sleep environment: You want to ensure that your child’s bedroom is designed to be conducive to sleep. This includes keeping the room dark, cool, and quiet. Consider using blackout curtains, playing sleep sounds, or using essential oil.
- Limit screen time before bed: If you are using your electronic devices to play bedtime stories, make sure that it is either a black-screen video or just audio playing to avoid blue light exposure. Blue light can interfere with the sleep cycle and make it harder for a child to fall asleep.
Conclusion
Making bedtime stories for kids part of a regular bedtime routine can be a valuable and rewarding experience for a kid and also for parents. It not only serves as a way to strengthen parent-child bonds but it also helps children learn about vocabulary and language skills as well as a love for reading.
Discover more bedtime stories for kids and adults on the ShutEye® app today. Listen to classic fairy tales like Snow White and Cinderella to interesting adventures like Gulliver’s Travels.
