Looking for a short bedtime story for your child? In this post, you’ll find bedtime stories for children and tips on how to use stories to lull your child to sleep.
One of the moments that requires the most patience from parents is bedtime. Few children fall asleep without any stimulation. Some need the rocking motion, others need a bedtime snack, a lullaby, and many love it when parents read them a bedtime story.
A good idea is to use your imagination to create an original story for your child, and even ask for the child’s help in coming up with characters and the plot.
However, if imagination is not your strong suit, no problem. Here are some short bedtime stories and tips that will help lull your child to sleep.
Children usually enjoy us repeating the stories we tell, but my suggestion is that you try telling one story per day of the week to discover which one your child likes the most.
And don’t be bound by what’s written, adapt the names of characters, settings, or any element of the story that resonates more with your world.
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SHORT BEDTIME STORY – ONE FOR EACH DAY OF THE WEEK
There is always that short bedtime story that is your child’s favorite and that they always ask you to tell.
So, to help you discover which story your child likes the most, here are 7 short bedtime stories that are easy to remember and tell to your little one.
Short bedtime story – Lara’s Dream
Once upon a time, there was a very happy and lively girl named Lara. She had so much energy and a desire to play that every bedtime, she would cry because she didn’t want to stop playing and go to bed.
Her mother didn’t know what else to do to convince Lara to go to sleep.
One night, Lara was looking out of her window and saw a beautiful little angel. He approached the girl, and they soon began to talk.
As it was already very late, the angel asked why Lara wasn’t sleeping. She quickly replied that she didn’t want to stop playing to go to bed. With all the calm in the world, the angel explained to the girl that when she slept, she didn’t actually stop playing.
In fact, she would go to the world of dreams, where she could continue playing, jumping, and even flying if she wanted.
Lara was very excited about what she heard and quickly went to bed. Just as the angel told her, when she slept, she embarked on the world of dreams, a place full of adventures and magic. From that day on, Lara discovered that sleeping was much cooler than she imagined!
Short bedtime story – The Journey of the Shooting Star
Once upon a time, there was a shooting star named Lilly. She loved fulfilling children’s wishes. Every night at midnight, she descended from the sky to grant the wishes of the little ones.
One day, a girl named Sofia wished to have a magical adventure with Lilly.
That night, Lilly descended like a rocket to Sofia’s window, which was illuminated by a gentle glow. Lilly took Sofia on a journey through the starry sky, passing by planets, comets, and nebulas. They danced among the stars and listened to cosmic music.
When the adventure was over, Lilly took Sofia back to her bed, and she fell asleep with a smile on her face, knowing that her dream had come true.
Short bedtime story – The Teddy Bear Who Lost His Blanket
Bob was a little teddy bear who loved his soft and cozy blue blanket. One day, Bob went for a walk in the forest and, without realizing it, lost his favorite blanket.
When he found out that he had lost his favorite blanket, Bob became very sad and couldn’t sleep anymore.
Noticing Bob’s sadness, Mother Bear told him that the love and warmth of the blanket were always with him, no matter where it was. With this comforting thought, Bob closed his eyes and soon dreamed of his blanket.
Short bedtime story – The Magical Moon’s Journey
Once upon a time, there was a little moon named Luna. Every night, Luna appeared in the sky and gazed at the Earth, wishing to get to know it.
One day, a lovely fairy visited Luna and decided to grant her a wish. Quickly, Luna replied that her greatest dream was to visit the Earth for one night. The fairy was deeply touched by Luna’s request and granted the wish to the little moon without hesitation.
Luna descended, illuminating the darkness and casting a gentle light over the Earth. She saw children playing, flowers blooming, and animals falling asleep.
When the children looked up, they saw Luna and wished for sweet dreams. Luna loved every moment on Earth and returned to the sky, where she now shone even brighter, delighted to have experienced the world of dreams.
And the children who saw Luna’s journey on Earth, kept forever in their memories that the beautiful moon that lights up the sky had once been strolling close to them.
Children’s bedtime story – The Lost Bunny
Once upon a time, there was a little bunny named Tico. One day, he was wandering through the forest, got distracted along the way, and got lost.
Tico felt very scared and lonely. The sun disappeared from the sky, and night arrived, making Tico even more frightened and lost.
At a certain moment, the bunny heard a noise from a little creature. He immediately hid but realized that the squirrel was super friendly and that there was no need to be afraid. The little creature was a squirrel named Toby.
Toby knew the forest very well and helped Tico find his way home.
Toby guided Tico through the forest, showing the stars and the moon in the sky, and told stories about constellations and how each one had its own magical story.
Finally, they reached Tico’s burrow, where his family eagerly awaited him. He snuggled with his mother and siblings and fell asleep, knowing he was safe and loved. And he felt very happy to have made a new friend.
Children’s bedtime story – The Lion Who Lost His Roar
Once upon a time, there was a very brave lion named Leo. One day, he woke up and realized that he had lost his roar. He felt sad and discouraged, so he set out on a journey to find it.
During this search, Leo met a very wise owl named Olga. She listened to Leo with great patience and attention, advising him to calm down because she was sure that the roar had not disappeared forever, it was just hidden somewhere.
After hearing Olga’s words, Leo felt calmer and went back home. With a heart full of confidence, he went to sleep under the stars, and his roar returned, louder and more powerful than ever.
A few minutes later, Leo fell asleep, learning that his strength and courage are always with him, he just needs to believe and try to stay calm.
Children’s bedtime story – The Secret of the Enchanted Forest
Once upon a time, there was a vast Enchanted Forest. In this forest, there were very old and wise trees that guarded a very special secret. Every night, the trees whispered stories to the forest animals. The stories were full of magic and adventure, and the animals loved to hear them.
A wise owl named Olivia was the official guardian of the stories. She told the trees about the adventures she witnessed during her nights flying through the forest. The trees learned these stories and shared them every night with the forest animals.
The animals fell asleep under the spell of the stories, dreaming of magical worlds and exciting adventures. The enchanted forest was a place where dreams came true every night.
HOW TO TELL A SHORT BEDTIME STORY
Tips on how to tell a short bedtime story.
Adapt the story to the child’s universe
When telling a short bedtime story, you don’t need to limit yourself to what’s written in the book.
Change the character’s name to your child’s name or their friends’ names, for example. In addition to the character, you can change the place where the story takes place, and even some point in the story that you think your child won’t like.
Tell short bedtime stories
Try to tell short bedtime stories or split them into small chapters.
Very long stories can have the opposite effect and keep the child awake longer than you expected.
Avoid overly exciting stories
If the goal is to make the child sleep, avoid stories that make them too excited. Prefer calmer tales, and if the story mentions sleep, even better!
Children like repetition
It’s common for a child to ask parents to tell the same stories over and over. This can even become a routine that helps the little ones fall asleep!
Encourage the love for reading
Reading to your child at night helps encourage their love for reading. So don’t hesitate to create this habit that brings only benefits to the child.
