In this section, we have collected interesting fairy tales from around the world that are suitable for reading before bed. These small instructive and kind stories will help children calm down after a stormy day and tune in to rest.
In bedtime stories, you will not find cruelty and frightening characters. Only light plots and pleasant characters.
At the bottom of every story there is clue, for what age it is intended, as well as other tags. Be sure to pay attention to them when choosing a product! You do not have to spend time reading a fairy tale to find out if it suits your child or not. We have already read everything, sorted and compiled brief description fairy tales.
Enjoy reading and good dreams :)
read bedtime stories
Art navigation
An interesting fairy tale is that part of childhood that remains with us forever, even when childhood is gone. This is a magical world that is wide open in front of the baby, and acquaintance with it begins with a short and sweet bedtime story.
At what age should children read fairy tales
There is no strict age limit in reading fairy tales to a child. Reading for a child is, first of all, an opportunity for emotional intimacy with an adult. Even if not a word is clear yet, the familiar timbre of the voice, the measured rhythm soothe the baby and stimulate its development. That is why psychologists recommend reading fairy tales even to babies. The main condition: the process should bring pleasure to both the adult and the baby.
The benefits of reading fairy tales
A bedtime story read by a parent is a powerful stimulus for the development of a child, a wide range of opportunities for a child in the following areas:
- imagination;
- fantasy;
- creative thinking;
- speech skills;
- emotional development;
- the ability to find a way out of problem situations.
Unlike cartoons, the fairy tale does not present the child with ready-made images and the world invented by the artist, but invites him to think, think out and imagine what is not in the illustrations.
Simply put, we read to children at night and at the same time reveal their creative potential. The next step is the first children's tests of themselves as an author and artist, but that will come later. And now such familiar and at the same time amazing parents come to the rescue. short stories for the night.
Bedtime stories - what should they be?
It often happens that the baby every day asks for the hundredth time to read a familiar fairy tale to him, not wanting to listen to any others.
It is not worth arguing and trying to read something new - a bedtime story exists in order to cradle and give pleasant dreams. So it should be:
- short;
- calm;
- kind;
- without dynamic details in the plot, but with a happy ending.
The repeated repetition of the same situation (a familiar room, a favorite blanket and a soft toy, next to it is a mother reading a familiar fairy tale) turns for the baby into a kind of ritual that has a calming effect. It helps relieve the emotional stress that has accumulated over a long day.
Short stories on our website
In the "Short Bedtime Stories" section, famous works Russian and foreign authors, which have become favorite for children all over the world.
Magical men created by Astrid Lindgren, kind tigers by Donald Bisset, inseparable Hedgehog and Bear cub by Sergey Kozlov - these and other characters are looking forward to meeting young readers.
Here you will also find folk tales and illustrated works by Vladimir Suteev. Kids will be delighted with simple instructive stories and colorful pictures created by a real Master.
Tips on the site
The free bedtime stories presented on our website are so diverse that sometimes it can be difficult to find the right one. To help parents, we have developed a convenient search engine that allows you to view the parameters of a fairy tale without opening it:
- age of readers;
- reading time;
- short description;
- popularity indicator;
- illustration.
Secrets of reading bedtime stories
In order to replace the evening fairy tale with a sweet dream, it should be a short fairy tale, which should be read online in a calm and familiar environment.
Read in a low voice, without haste. Remember, we read to children at night not to give them new knowledge - there is daytime for this. In the evening, it is important to create a relaxing atmosphere and a sense of peace. For this, it is important to choose the right bedtime story, which is why our site is always open for you, dear parents!
jumping fireball
Bazhov P.P. 
A fairy tale about a magical girl - a fabulous Fire Girl, she appeared to the workers of the mine from the fire, began to dance, and then disappeared near the tree. And there was such a sign where it will disappear - there you have to look for gold. Firefly-jumping read Sat ...
Stone Flower
Bazhov P.P. 
One day, a student of Danila appeared at the noble master carver. He was an orphan, thin and sickly, but the master immediately noticed in him talent and a faithful eye. Danila matured, learned the craft, but wanted to know the secret of beauty, so that in stone ...
Malachite Box
Bazhov P.P. 
The girl Tanya inherited from her father a malachite box with women's jewelry. Mom put them on several times, but she could not walk in them: they are tight and crushed. The jewels were magical, they made another Mistress of the Copper Mountain out of Tanyusha. Malachite Box …
mountain master
Bazhov P.P. 
A story about loyalty and love close person. The girl Katerina was left alone, her fiancé Danila disappeared to no one knows where. Everyone told her that she should forget him, but Katerina did not listen to anyone and firmly believed that he ...
How a man divided geese
Tolstoy L.N. 
A tale about a clever and savvy poor peasant who went to the master to ask for bread, and in gratitude roasted the master a goose. The master asked the peasant to divide the goose into all members of his family. How a man divided geese to read U ...
About the elephant
Zhitkov B.S. 
How an elephant saved its owner from a tiger
Zhitkov B.S. 
One Hindu went to the forest with his elephant for firewood. Everything was going well, but suddenly the elephant stopped listening to the owner and began to listen to the sounds. The owner became angry with him and began to hit him on the ears with a branch. …
Zhitkov B.S. 
Once the sailors were resting on the shore. Among them was one hefty sailor, he was bearish in strength. The sailors decided to go to the local circus. At the end of the performance, a kangaroo was brought into the arena in boxing gloves. Kangaroo read On a sailing ...
What is everyone's favorite holiday? Certainly, New Year! On this magical night, a miracle descends to earth, everything sparkles with lights, laughter is heard, and Santa Claus brings long-awaited gifts. A huge number of poems are dedicated to the New Year. V …
In this section of the site you will find a selection of poems about the main wizard and friend of all children - Santa Claus. Many poems have been written about the kind grandfather, but we have selected the most suitable for children aged 5,6,7. Poems about…
Winter has come, and with it fluffy snow, blizzards, patterns on the windows, frosty air. The guys rejoice at the white flakes of snow, get skates and sleds from the far corners. Work is in full swing in the yard: they are building a snow fortress, an ice hill, sculpting ...
A selection of short and memorable poems about winter and the New Year, Santa Claus, snowflakes, a Christmas tree for junior group kindergarten. Read and learn short poems with children 3-4 years old for matinees and New Year's holidays. Here …
1 - About the little bus that was afraid of the dark
Donald Bisset 
A fairy tale about how a mother-bus taught her little bus not to be afraid of the dark ... About a little bus who was afraid of the dark to read Once upon a time there was a little bus in the world. He was bright red and lived with his mom and dad in a garage. Every morning …
2 - Three kittens
Suteev V.G. 
A small fairy tale for the little ones about three restless kittens and their funny adventures. Small children love short stories with pictures, that's why Suteev's fairy tales are so popular and loved! Three kittens read Three kittens - black, gray and ...
Folk children's fairy tales must be read from an early age. They have a powerful educational effect and captivate every child for a long time. You can read these works not only before going to bed, but also during the day, after classes at school, at a break in the class, in line. On the site you will see more than 500 fairy tales that you can read at a convenient time.
Benefits for children
Psychologists recommend reading bedtime stories. Each story is instructive, contains a moral that points out certain flaws in the character or behavior of the characters. Using such examples, it is convenient to explain to the child which actions are right and which are not.
While reading fairy tales, children:
- learn to analyze life situations, think logically, look for ways out;
- learn about eternal values, morality, good and evil;
- develop imagination, learn to think creatively;
- have a good time.
Each story is presented in a humorous way. Funny situations that happen to the characters not only teach, but also entertain the baby. Even short text can be interesting and colorful.
Variety of works
On the site you get free access to fairy tales without registration. This is very convenient, because you can go to the resource at any time and read the work online. It contains the works of such writers as the Brothers Grimm, Andersen, Perrault, Lindgren, Carroll, Bianchi, Tolstoy and other famous authors. Their children's works are easy to understand and captivating.
Folk art will be no less interesting and useful for your little daughter or son. Tales of the peoples of the world introduce children to different cultures, allow you to plunge into the mentality of other countries. Even short story will captivate the baby, allow you to learn a lot of new things, develop your imagination.
Instructive stories of L.N. Tolstoy, lyrics by A.S. Pushkin, zoological stories by V.V. Bianchi, fairy tales in verses by K.I. Chukovsky, S.Ya. Marshak is only a part of the works loved by many generations of children. It is not in vain that teachers advise you to start reading fairy tales written by the geniuses of classical Russian literature as early as possible (of course, suitable for age). They have a pronounced educational effect, they make you think and analyze, transfer the model of the characters' behavior to your own life. Fairy tales for children in verse are easily perceived by ear, remembered, and very useful for the development of memory.
One should not think that Russian children will not be interested in fairy tales of foreign origin. Even kids attending kindergarten are probably already familiar with many famous and beloved heroes. It is enough to name Thumbelina, Cinderella, Puss in Boots, Snow White, Mowgli. Fairy tales online by such authors of foreign world literature as Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, Rudyard Kipling, Astrid Lingerd, Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm will not leave indifferent not only children, but also adults.
How often should you read fairy tales
Teachers and psychologists answer the same way: "The more often, the better." You can use any opportunity when mom or dad is with the child, and there is a free minute. In the car, at the dacha, in line at the children's clinic, at the bus stop public transport You can find time to read anywhere. Of course, a suitable book for children is not always in your purse, but there is one very convenient and affordable way to always have a whole arsenal of fairy tale texts with you. It is enough just to have access to the Internet and the ability to open a page of our site through a tablet, phone or any other device.
If you close your eyes and go back in time for a moment, you can imagine how ordinary Russian people lived. They lived in large families in wooden huts, stoked stoves with wood, and they were given light by home-made dry torches. The poor Russian people had neither television nor the Internet, and what were they to do when they did not work in the field? They rested, dreamed and listened to good fairy tales!
In the evening, the whole family gathered in one room, the children sat on the stove, and the women did their homework. At this time, the turn of Russian folk tales began. In every village or hamlet there lived a woman storyteller, she replaced the radio for people and beautifully sang old legends. The kids listened with their mouths open, and the girls quietly sang along and spun or embroidered to a good fairy tale.
What did the respected storytellers tell the people about?
Good prophets kept in their memory a large number of folk tales, legends and tales. All their lives they brought light to ordinary peasants, and in old age they passed on their knowledge to the next talented storytellers. Most of the legends were based on real life events, but over the years, fairy tales acquired fictitious details and acquired a special Russian flavor.
Note to readers!
The most famous storyteller in Russia and Finland is a simple serf peasant woman Praskovya Nikitichna, in the marriage of Vaska. She knew 32,000 poems and fairy tales, 1152 songs, 1750 proverbs, 336 riddles and a large number of prayers. Based on her stories, hundreds of books and poetry collections were written, but with all her talents, Praskovya Nikitichna lived in poverty all her life and even worked as a barge hauler.
Another well-known storyteller throughout Russia is Pushkin's nanny Arina Rodionovna. It was she who from early childhood instilled in the poet a love for Russian fairy tales, and on the basis of her old stories, Alexander Sergeevich wrote his great works.
What are Russian fairy tales about?
Fairy tales, invented by ordinary people, are an encyclopedia of folk wisdom. Through uncomplicated stories, workers and peasants presented their vision of the world and transmitted information in encrypted form to the next generations.
Old Russian fairy tales are divided into three types:
Animal Tales. V folk stories there are funny characters who are especially close to ordinary Russian people. The clubfoot bear, the sister fox, the runaway bunny, the lamb mouse, the frog-frog are endowed with pronounced human qualities. In the fairy tale "Masha and the Bear" Potapych is kind, but stupid, in the story about the Seven Kids the wolf is cunning and gluttonous, and in the fairy tale "Bunny-brag" the hare is cowardly and boastful. From 2-3 years old, it's time for children to join good Russian fairy tales and, using the example of funny characters with pronounced characters, learn to distinguish between positive and negative characters.
Magic mystical tales. There are many interesting mystical characters in Russian fairy tales that could outshine the famous American heroes. Baba Yaga Bone Leg, Serpent Gorynych and Koschei the Immortal are distinguished by their realism and have lived in good folk tales for several centuries. Epic heroes and brave noble princes fought with mystical heroes who kept the people in fear. And the beautiful needlewomen Vasilisa the Beautiful, Marya, Varvara Krasa fought evil spirits with their mind, cunning and ingenuity.
Tales about the life of ordinary Russian people. Through the wise fairy tales people talked about their existence and passed on the accumulated knowledge from generation to generation. A striking example- fairy tale "Kolobok". Here an old man and an old woman bake an unusual kalach, and call on the clear sun to warm our native Earth forever. The hot sun-bun goes on a journey and meets a hare-winter, a wolf-spring, a bear-summer and a fox-autumn. A tasty bun dies in the teeth of a gluttonous fox, but then it is reborn again and begins a new life cycle of eternal mother nature.
The page of our site contains the most beloved and popular best Russian fairy tales. Texts with beautiful pictures and illustrations in the style of lacquer miniatures are especially pleasant to read. They bring to children the invaluable wealth of the Russian language, and drawings and large print allow you to quickly memorize plots and new words, instill a love of reading books. All fairy tales are recommended for reading at night. Parents will be able to read aloud to their child and convey to the child the meaning of the wise old fairy tales.
The page with Russian folk tales is a collection of children's literature. Teachers can use the library for reading lessons in kindergarten and at school, and in the family circle, it is easy to play performances with the participation of heroes from Russian folk tales.
Read Russian folk tales for free online with your children and absorb the wisdom of bygone generations!
Love for literature begins with a fairy tale familiar from childhood. At the same time, it is very important to help the baby choose the right work, which, perhaps, will become one of his favorites. The best fairy tales for kids preschool age read in the selection posted on the page of our website.
The game of a preschooler and the role of a fairy tale in it
In the life of a child there is always a place for a game and a fairy tale. At preschool age, these concepts are especially closely intertwined due to story games- the most important stage in the development of the child. We read fairy tales to children, and their stories are reflected in children's play.
Around the age of four, the baby is imbued with an interest in staging mini-performances, in which his toys act as actors. Later, he learns to try on various roles for himself and friends, turning alternately into a brave warrior or an unfortunate stepdaughter, then into a ferocious tiger or a cunning fox.
Fairy tales for children, offered to your attention on this service for free, will help to enrich this fairy-tale world and expand the boundaries of the child's creative possibilities.
What fairy tales to read to preschoolers
The choice of a fairy tale for children 4 years and older largely depends on the interests and preferences of the child himself. However, parents can gently guide these interests by offering the best best-selling works to the baby.
Russian folk tales introduce the baby to the national traditions and features of the life of the native people. Copyright - contribute to the development of imagination and creative thinking.
Why illustrations are needed
The main feature of children's attention is its involuntary nature. It is difficult for a kid to keep attention on one object for a long time, even if it is a book with an interesting fairy tale. Using only hearing in this case is not enough. In order for the child to remain focused, it is important to connect other types of perception - visual (pictures), and in some cases tactile (toy books, puzzle books, etc.).
When it comes to a fairy tale for children 5 years old online, it is even more difficult to perceive the text on the monitor of an electronic device.
That is why on our site special attention is paid to drawings for children's books, and in this section you will find exceptionally high-quality illustrations.
Getting ready to read on your own
Listening to fairy tales is an excellent preparation for independent reading. By instilling a love of books, you awaken in your child the desire to learn to read for himself.
When he is old enough to master independent reading, short fairy tales for children of 6 years old, specially printed in large print, will come to your aid.
Until that time, the little reader can enjoy the fascinating stories and colorful pictures of the books posted on our page.
Popular children's authors on our site
We have prepared for children of preschool age a selection of books by the best children's authors who have earned recognition among many generations of children.
Here you will find simple instructive tales by M. Plyatskovsky and G. Tsyferov, lyrical deep works by G.Kh. Andersen, the fantastic adventure of the heroes of J. Rodari and D. Bisset.
The little reader will certainly find a fairy tale to his liking, which means he will take the first step into the wonderful world of Literature. Welcome!
Fairy tales that teach good ...
These good bedtime stories with a happy and instructive ending will delight your child before going to bed, calm them down, teach goodness and friendship.
Good fairy tales for children from the series: Like this! It is recommended to read to children from 1 to 101 years old, fairy tales with deep meaning, modern, interesting and understandable to children.
If you want to raise a kind and sympathetic child, help him do the right thing in difficult life situations, then be sure to read instructive bedtime stories to your child.
A series of good instructive tales about a boy - Fedya Egorov.
1. Fedya Egorov's meeting with Puss in Boots or Fedya's new transformation into a mouse
The brothers Fedya and Vasya Egorov have long wanted to have real slingshots. Sometimes Fedya made aluminum wire slingshots for himself and his brother. The boys used these slingshots to shoot at targets with paper bullets, but they wanted to have big slingshots made of real wooden slingshots.
The brothers' passion for the slingshot appeared and then disappeared. But this time it was definitely the last, because the events associated with shooting from a slingshot were extraordinary, they were not just events, but real adventures. And this time the guys had a slingshot not made of wire, but a real one made from a poplar branch with a leather sight on a wide medical tourniquet. From this slingshot it was possible to shoot real stones. Dad made this slingshot for his sons.
Taking the word from his sons that they would shoot with a slingshot only at an inanimate target marked on the wall of the shed, dad and sons went to the nearby forest. They took with them everything they needed to make slingshots: a knife, two leather tongues from Vasya's old boots, and a medical rubber tourniquet. By noon, all three returned with a bouquet of flowers for their mother, with a glass of fragrant strawberries for tea, and with two fresh slingshots.
Fedya and Vasya were in merry excitement. They vied with each other touting their slingshots, telling their mother how far they managed to shoot with them in the forest, and even speculating how many times who would hit the target on the barn wall. …
2. The tale of how Fedya saved the forest from the evil sorcerer
The boy Fedya Yegorov came to the village to rest in the summer with his grandparents. This village was right next to the forest. Fedya decided to go to the forest for berries and mushrooms, but his grandparents did not let him in. They said that the real Baba Yaga lives in their forest, and for more than two hundred years no one has been going to this forest.
Fedya did not believe that Baba Yaga lived in the forest, but he obeyed his grandparents and did not go into the forest, but went to the river to fish. The cat Vaska followed Fedya. The fish were biting well. Three ruffs were already swimming in Fedya's jar when the cat knocked it over and ate the fish. Fedya saw this, got upset and decided to postpone fishing until tomorrow. Fedya returned home. Grandma and Grandpa were not at home. Fedya removed the fishing rod, put on a shirt with long sleeves and, taking a basket, went to the neighboring guys to call them into the forest.
Fedya believed that grandparents had composed about Baba Yaga, that they simply did not want him to go into the forest, because it is always very easy to get lost in the forest. But Fedya was not afraid to get lost in the forest, because he wanted to go into the forest with friends who have been living here for a long time, which means they know the forest well.
To Fedya's great surprise, all the guys refused to go with him and they began to dissuade him. …
3. Promiseikin
Once upon a time there was a boy Fedya Yegorov. Fedya did not always keep his promises. Sometimes, having promised his parents to clean up his toys, he got carried away, forgot and left them scattered.
Once Fedya's parents left him alone at home and asked him not to lean out of the window. Fedya promised them that he would not stick out of the window, but would draw. He got everything he needed for drawing, settled down in a large room at the table and began to draw.
But as soon as dad and mom left the house, Fedya was immediately drawn to the window. Fedya thought: “So what if I promised not to look out, I’ll quickly look out, see what the guys are doing in the yard, and dad and mom won’t even know that I was looking out.”
Fedya put a chair up to the window, climbed onto the sill, lowered the handle on the frame, and before he even had time to pull the window sash, it flew open on its own. By some miracle, just like in a fairy tale, a flying carpet appeared in front of the window, and on it sat an unfamiliar grandfather. Grandpa smiled and said:
- Hello, Fedya! Do you want me to roll you on my carpet? …
4. Tale about food
The boy Fedya Yegorov became stubborn at the table:
I don’t want to eat soup and I won’t have porridge. I don't like bread!
Soup, porridge and bread took offense at him, disappeared from the table and ended up in the forest. And at this time, an evil hungry wolf roamed the forest and said:
I love soup, porridge and bread! Oh how I wish I could eat them!
The food heard this and flew straight into the wolf's mouth. The wolf has eaten, sits contentedly, licks its lips. And Fedya, without having eaten, left the table. For dinner, my mother served potato pancakes with jelly, and Fedya again became stubborn:
- Mom, I don’t want pancakes, I want pancakes with sour cream!
5. The Tale of the Nervous Pike or the Magic Book of Egor Kuzmich
There lived two brothers - Fedya and Vasya Egorov. They constantly started fights, quarrels, shared something among themselves, quarreled, argued over trifles, and at the same time, the youngest of the brothers, Vasya, always squeaked. Sometimes the eldest of the brothers, Fedya, also squeaked. The squeak of the children was very annoying and distressed to the parents, and especially to the mother. And people often get sick from grief.
So the mother of these boys fell ill, so much so that she stopped getting up even for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The doctor who came to treat my mother gave her medication and said that my mother needed peace and quiet. Dad, leaving for work, asked the children not to make noise. He gave them a book and said:
The book is interesting, read it. I think you will like it.
6. Fairy tale about Fedina toys
Once upon a time there was a boy Fedya Yegorov. Like all children, he had a lot of toys. Fedya loved his toys, played with them with pleasure, but there was one problem - he did not like to clean them up after himself. He will play and quit where he played. Toys lay in disarray on the floor and got in the way, everyone stammered over them, even Fedya himself threw them away.
And then one day the toys got tired of it.
- We need to run away from Fedya before we are completely broken. We must go to the good guys who take care of their toys and put them away,” said the plastic soldier.
…
7. An instructive tale for boys and girls: Devil's tail
Lived-was the Devil. That Devil had a magical tail. With the help of his tail, the Devil could find himself anywhere, but, most importantly, the Devil's tail could fulfill whatever he wanted, for this he had only to think of a wish and wave his tail. This devil was very evil and very harmful.
He used the magical power of his tail for harmful deeds. He arranged accidents on the roads, drowned people in the rivers, broke the ice under the fishermen, set fires and did many other atrocities. Once the Devil got tired of living alone in his underground kingdom.
He built himself a kingdom on earth, surrounded it with dense forests and swamps so that no one could approach him, and began to think about who else to populate his kingdom. The Devil thought and thought and came up with the idea of populating his kingdom with assistants who would commit harmful atrocities on his orders.
The Devil decided to take naughty children as his assistants. …
Also on topic:
Poem: “Fedya is a nice little boy”
Cheerful boy Fedya
Riding a bike,
Fedya is walking along the path,
Stepping back a little to the left.
At this time on the track
Murka jumped out - a cat.
Fedya suddenly slowed down,
Missed the cat-Murka.
Fedya goes on smartly,
A friend shouts to him: “Wait a minute!
Let me ride a little.
It's a friend, not anyone
Fedya gave: - Take it, my friend,
Ride one circle.
He himself sat down on the bench,
He sees: a tap, and next to a watering can,
And flowers are waiting in the flowerbed -
Who would give a sip of water.
Fedya, jumping off the bench,
All flowers were poured from a watering can
And he poured water for the geese,
So that they can get drunk.
- Our Fedya is so good,
- the cat Prosha suddenly noticed,
- Yes, he is good for us as friends,
- said the goose, drinking some water.
- Woof woof woof! Polkan said
- Fedya is a nice little boy!
“Fedya is a bully boy”
Cheerful boy Fedya
Riding a bike
No straight road
Fedya is going - a mischievous one.
Driving straight across the lawn
Here I ran into peonies,
Broke three stems
And scared away three moths,
He crushed more daisies,
Hooked on a bush shirt,
On the move crashed into a bench,
Kicked and knocked over the watering can,
Soaked sandals in a puddle,
He took the pedals with mud.
“Ha-ha-ha,” said the gander,
Well, what a weirdo he is
Gotta ride on the track!
- Yes, - said the kitten Proshka,
- there is no road at all!
The cat said: - It hurts a lot!
- Woof-woof-woof, - said Polkan,
This boy is a bully!
