In many families, it is a nice ritual to read a bedtime story to the children just before they go to sleep. Here you will find a collection of short bedtime stories for kids to read aloud.
Short stories for bedtime stimulate children’s imagination and lead to beautiful dreams. In addition, this regular ritual helps children to relax and fall asleep easier.
There are a variety of books in stores from which you can read short bedtime stories. Often, the texts have a moral that teaches children something important about life. Sometimes they are about love, or are simply written in a funny and entertaining way. In addition to the classics that have been read aloud for 50 or 60 years, new books come onto the market every year. Some of the most famous authors include:
- The Brothers Grimm
- Ludwig Bechstein
- Hans Christian Andersen
- Johann Wilhelm Wolf
Reading Short Bedtime Stories

Many mothers and fathers come up with a short bedtime story for their children every evening. Only the parents’ creativity sets the limits for these stories. Often, they are about unicorns, princesses, dogs, cats or something else entirely. In addition, it is not uncommon for children to be particularly fond of a particular animal or mythical creature and ask parents to include it in each short bedtime story.
Some parents then find it quite easy. They only need a few keywords as inspiration and can immediately come up with their own story. That’s great, of course, but it also requires a lot of creativity. In our stressful everyday lives, however, we often have our heads full of other things. We may still be thinking about the day’s events or already planning the next day in our heads.
About Our Collection of Short Stories for Kids
All these are quite normal processes. But these thoughts prevent us from being creative at the push of a button and thinking up short stories for kids. On this page, you will find a collection of short bedtime stories for children. Each one was made up by me, and hand illustrated with love.
My children’s stories come from my imagination and are about very different actors. In one text, a cat bakes delicious waffles, in another all the wishes of a princess are fulfilled. Especially dear to my heart are the stories about the unicorn and the dog.
I wish you a lot of fun reading now. I would be happy if you leave me a comment and tell me which short story or fairy tale for kids you liked best.