An English Story for Kids Learning to Read. How can Birbal tell who the thief is? With a clever plan, of course!
Bedtime Stories | FREE Stories Kids Love
Short bedtime stories for kids, 5-10 minute bedtime stories, fairy tales, online story books, audio stories, and more!
Our FREE Bedtime Stories for Kids are PRAISED & RECOMMENDED BY: Scholastic, USA Today, The New York Times & Education World.
Enjoy our collection of FREE Bedtime Stories for kids:
The Stonecutter ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
Haku yearns to be Emperor- if only!
Sima Guang Breaks the Vat ~ Chinese Stories in English for Kids
A Chinese Story in English for Kids Learning to Read. Sima Guang is tasked to save his friend who has fallen in a vat of water.
Swapping Places ~ Folktale Stories for Kids
A farmer and his wife swap places, and he finds her work is not so easy.
The Apple Dumpling Story ~ Learn to Read
A Bedtime Story in Simple English for Kids. An old woman’s search for an apple dumpling leads her to generous trades. A story of Gratitude and Kindness.
The Bear Feast Story ~ Folktales Stories for Kids
A Story of Friendship, Hospitality and Sharing, from the United States.Â
An old man invites the grizzly bear chief and his followers to a feast.
The Empty Pot ~ Learn to Read with English Stories for Kids
An English Story for Kids Learning to Read. The boy who grows the finest plant will be emperor, but Jun’s seed does not sprout.
The Enormous Turnip ~ Folktale Stories for Kids
An old man grows a giant turnip. A Russian folktale.
The Geese and the Fig Tree ~ The Wise Old Bird Panchatantra Stories
Panchatantra Stories: When a vine starts to grow, the wise geese says to get rid of it. What happens when something small becomes a big problem?
The Great Fire Story ~ Legends Stories for Kids
A great fire wipes out all peoples on earth except two.
The Man, the Hawk & the Dove ~ Folktales Stories for Kids
A man is torn between two warring animals, and their tempting pleas.
The Mice and the Elephants ~ Panchatantra Stories
Panchatantra Stories: A herd of elephants do a favor for the mice. How can a small thing repay a big thing? A story of Helping.
The Poor Farmer’s Wish: The Tale of the Silver on the Hearth ~ Folktales
A poor farmer finds a jar of coins and leaves them behind because they are not his.
The Story of the Aged Mother by Matsuo Basho ~ Folktale Stories for Kids
Folktale Stories for Kids: this Japanese folktale tells the story of an unkind ruler who issues cruel orders, including a demand that all old folks are to be abandoned and left to die. Basho tells a poignant story about a mother and her son and their love for one another.
The Tsar’s Daughter ~ Legend Stories for Kids
A Tsar’s daughter battles a monster to prove to her father she can rule.
The Wise Young Girl Becomes Head of the Household ~ Folktales Stories
To be allowed back home, three brides must find rare and impossible items. A young, wise girl is eager to help.
Two Brothers Story ~ Folktales Stories for Kids
A Folktale Story of Brotherly Love from Israel.Â
A rare folk tale about the love and generosity of two brothers. This tale has both Hebrew and Arab derivation. Â
Weighing the Elephant ~ Learn to Read with English Stories for Kids
A Chinese Riddle Tale in English for Kids Learning to Read. A Chinese king is amazed by the gift of an elephant- but how to weigh it?
White Wing: The Tale of the Doves and the Hunter ~ Panchatantra Stories
Panchatantra Stories:Â A Hunter puts a net on the banyan tree. Can the doves escape? A story of Teamwork.
Yuuki and the Tsunami ~ Legend Bedtime Stories for Kids
A boy saves 400 villagers from a sudden tsunami. True story.

The Enormous Turnip ~ Folktale Stories for Kids
An old man grows a giant turnip. A Russian folktale.

The Geese and the Fig Tree ~ The Wise Old Bird Panchatantra Stories
Panchatantra Stories: When a vine starts to grow, the wise geese says to get rid of it. What happens when something small becomes a big problem?

The Great Fire Story ~ Legends Stories for Kids
A great fire wipes out all peoples on earth except two.

The Man, the Hawk & the Dove ~ Folktales Stories for Kids
A man is torn between two warring animals, and their tempting pleas.

The Mice and the Elephants ~ Panchatantra Stories
Panchatantra Stories: A herd of elephants do a favor for the mice. How can a small thing repay a big thing? A story of Helping.

The Poor Farmer’s Wish: The Tale of the Silver on the Hearth ~ Folktales
A poor farmer finds a jar of coins and leaves them behind because they are not his.

The Story of the Aged Mother by Matsuo Basho ~ Folktale Stories for Kids
Folktale Stories for Kids: this Japanese folktale tells the story of an unkind ruler who issues cruel orders, including a demand that all old folks are to be abandoned and left to die. Basho tells a poignant story about a mother and her son and their love for one another.

The Tsar’s Daughter ~ Legend Stories for Kids
A Tsar’s daughter battles a monster to prove to her father she can rule.

The Wise Young Girl Becomes Head of the Household ~ Folktales Stories
To be allowed back home, three brides must find rare and impossible items. A young, wise girl is eager to help.

Two Brothers Story ~ Folktales Stories for Kids
A Folktale Story of Brotherly Love from Israel.Â
A rare folk tale about the love and generosity of two brothers. This tale has both Hebrew and Arab derivation. Â

Weighing the Elephant ~ Learn to Read with English Stories for Kids
A Chinese Riddle Tale in English for Kids Learning to Read. A Chinese king is amazed by the gift of an elephant- but how to weigh it?

White Wing: The Tale of the Doves and the Hunter ~ Panchatantra Stories
Panchatantra Stories:Â A Hunter puts a net on the banyan tree. Can the doves escape? A story of Teamwork.

Yuuki and the Tsunami ~ Legend Bedtime Stories for Kids
A boy saves 400 villagers from a sudden tsunami. True story.

The Beekeeper and the Bewitched Hare ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
A beekeeper must protect an enchanted hare from an evil witch.

Boots and His Brothers ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
Three brothers embark on a quest to serve their King.

The Enormous Nose ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
Flatterers divert the Prince from the truth about his enormous nose. (from France)

The Fisherlad & the Mermaid’s Ring ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
A fisherlad wins a mermaid’s ring to win the heart of his own true love.

The Frog & the Condor ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
A girl kept as a slave by a condor is offered a hope of rescue.

Goblin’s Market, A Halloween Poem ~ Fairy Tales Poems for Kids
The goblins have captured Sarah. To save Sarah, what must her sister do?

The Golden Goose ~ A Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
A parade of villagers get stuck to Simpleton and his golden goose.

Time Changes All Things: Greyfoot and the Princess of England ~ Fairytale
A haughty princess must marry a beggar, who is actually a prince in disguise.

Guleesh and the Princess of France ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
After Guleesh and his band kidnap a princess, he tries to make amends.

Janet and Thomalyn (Tamlane) ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
Only Janet can save Thomalyn from being sacrificed by the Fairies.

Princess Kate Story ~ Fairy Tales Stories for Kids
Princess Kate and her sister flee the palace to try to break an evil spell.
Our Bedtime Stories Are Different
Stories to Grow By is a non-profit organization. We dedicate ourselves to providing the best treasury of stories and reader's theater scripts. Each one is kid-tested, providing children a meaningful experience that will last a lifetime.
Kid-Tested Free Bedtime Stories
All of our stories are Kid-Tested and Kid-Approved. We are the WORLD'S FIRST Kid-tested and Kid-approved collection of folktales & fairy tales. Each story is based on themes of human ethics. Our stories are diverse, non-denominational and contain themes of respect, honesty, and caring.
Stories to Grow By is the only bedtime story website that is PRAISED & RECOMMENDED BY major outlets. These include Scholastic, USA Today, The New York Times & Education World!
Read more about us and our mission HERE.
What is a Bedtime Story?
Bedtime stories are a story told to a child once they have gotten into bed for the evening. Reading a story every night is beneficial for children and parents, too! Reading stories each night to your child has been proven to improve reading and vocabulary skills. Read a special story for children tonight!
Reading stories each evening to a child promotes positive sleep habits. It builds on reading skills, vocabulary size as well as the imagination. It calms a busy child and engages their mind into a world of magic and sweet dreams. The bedtime story is the best way to end the child's day and lead them into a night of wonderful rest.
Reading bedtime stories to kids is a wonderful way to spend the end of each day and create memories which will last forever. Reading bedtime stories can be the most magical moment of the day. Taking that child to a world of discovery through a story will surely leave a lasting impression. Read our collection of stories for kids to your children today and see the positive impact they have.
What We Believe
Stories to Grow by believes that these are the best stories that should be shared at bedtime. Each story has been hand selected from among hundreds of stories for kids from all over the world. We ensure that each bedtime story helps children ease into sleep and leaves them with a positive outlook on themselves and the world around them.
What better way to teach morals then through magical short stories for kids. Our bedtime stories have been kid-tested and kid-approved. Kids loves our stories and parents love the special time they spend reading with them each night. Our bedtime stories and all our stories for kids are read by children of different ages to ensure reading level as well as understanding are accurate.
Enjoy our entire collection of short bedtime stories for kids!
Our children's stories come from folktales (or folk tales), stories that have been shared from generation to generation by word of mouth, from all over the world. Folktales have been shared for thousands of years and are the starting point for most of your favorite tales and Disney movies. This collection of stories for kids has stories which are 10 min and are for a longer reading experience or for older children.
All of our stories for kids have positive morals and teach important values such as friendship, kindness and gratitude. Our children's folktale stories consist of fairy tales, animal tales, riddles stories, myths and legends,from all over the world! Our stories for kids are kid-tested to ensure read time, reading level, and kid-approval. They are multicultural and feature positive moral messages. Share our short stories for kids with those children in your life and share the joy and love we have for stories and storytelling.
More Than Just Bedtime Stories
You will find stories you love. Stories to Grow By provides a collection of World Tales. Folktales, fairytales, fables, and more! Stories from various countries and cultures! We have you covered. View our special collection of world tales HERE.
Not Finding the Bedtime Stories You Need?
If you would like to see additional stories, content, and materials - drop us a line! Contact us directly by clicking HERE.
Teaching Resources from Stories to Grow By
In addition to a great bedtime story, we also offer teaching resources! This includes over 100 free bedtime stories, fairy tales, folk tales, readers theater play scripts, and performance notes! You will find the stories and the materials you need for your classroom with Stories to Grow By.
Interactive Reader's Theater | PlayAloud
In 2023 Stories to Grow By launched PlayAloud. A PlayAloud is an interactive reader's theater destination for families and the classroom. PlayAloud is great for struggling readers, drama enthusiasts, or those who want to practice reading fluency and expression. The PlayAloud website helps to build reading confidence too! A PlayAloud is an interactive reader's theater play script. You can follow along, line by line, and listen to voice actors deliver the lines. Check it out HERE.