Fairy tales for children: a collection of the most interesting fairy tales for children of all ages to read at night (Russian folk and foreign)


Russian folk tales

Russian folk children's fairy tales are very wise and convey a specific lesson to readers. The author of such tales is the Russian people. They were passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth.

There are three types: tales about animals, about magic and everyday tales.

Animal Tales

Such tales appeared many years ago. In fairy tales, animals are given human characteristics. In them, animals and birds talk to each other, make peace, swear, get offended, and so on. Here man is on the same level as animals or lower.

Tales of magic

Such tales are based on a miracle. Everything here is fantastic and unreal. A person talks to fantastic characters who do not exist in everyday life. Among the fantastic characters, the following stand out:

  • Baba Yaga
  • Dragon
  • Koschei the Deathless
  • Giants and so on.

In a fairy tale, a person deals with unusual things:

  • Self-assembled tablecloth.
  • Glomerulus
  • Needle.

These objects with magical properties do not exist in real life.

Tales about everyday life

These tales illustrate everyday life. They contain both truth and fiction. These tales contrast opposites: rich and poor, young and old, good and evil, weak and strong.

Foreign children's fairy tales

The best fairy tales for children are written by foreign writers. The most popular are the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, G. Andersen, O. Wilde, C. Perrault, D. Rodari, V. Hauff. In foreign fairy tales, good always triumphs over evil.

You can listen to such tales online or read them. Children really like to read foreign writers.

The most popular foreign fairy tales:

  • Winnie the Pooh. This story was written by Alan Milne. Popular all over the world. This fairy tale teaches you to be brave, kind, friendly, and optimistic.
  • The Adventures of Carlson. The story was written by Astrid Lindgren. Here, a little boy befriends an unusual creature with a propeller on its back. A fairy tale teaches that one must always believe in a miracle. Reading this fairy tale, the child understands that in life it is better to approach everything with humor.
  • Alice in Wonderland. This piece was written by Lewis Carroll. For a long time it has been in first place in popularity among children all over the world. There is no person who does not love and does not read this fairy tale. Alice travels to amazing places, talks with magical animals. In the process of reading a fairy tale, a child finds himself in a magical world full of mysteries.

Audio tales vs cartoons: choosing the best

When choosing between watching a cartoon and listening to a fairy tale, the second option wins in all respects:

  • Auditory perception does not have a negative effect on vision;
  • While listening, imagination and imaginative thinking skills develop, which does not happen when watching ready-made cartoon stories;
  • The flickering of frames in a cartoon creates a load on the nervous system, while listening to a fairy tale has a calming effect.

Another important advantage of audio fairy tales: you can listen to them for free online anywhere at any time, even while walking, which cannot be said about cartoons.

Small children's tales

Short fairy tales for children are very popular among kids. The child becomes familiar with them from infancy. After all, small children cannot keep their attention on one thing. Long fairy tales are not yet interesting for them.

For kids, it is important that a book with fairy tales has pictures in a hard cover. Such fairy tales can be read to children on the road. Fairy tales teach us to distinguish good from evil, make fun of bad people, teach friendship, and so on.

The most famous short tales are:

  • The Tale of the Chicken Ryaba. This fairy tale can be told to children from an early age. It's about how my grandparents couldn't break an egg for days, but the mouse did it with the help of its tail.
  • Masha and the three bears. This tale is about a little girl who went into the forest with her friends and got lost. I saw a house in the forest and went there. There she ate porridge and went to bed. And the bears came home and saw that the chair of the smallest bear was broken, the porridge had been eaten. Then he saw Masha sleeping in his bed and screamed. Masha woke up and ran out the window. This fairy tale teaches children not to go into the forest without permission. He says that you can get lost there and get into unpleasant situations.
  • Turnip. This fairy tale is about how grandfather planted a turnip. Then she grew and he began to pull her out. His grandmother, granddaughter, cat, and dog helped him drag it. But only with the help of the mouse was he able to pull it out. This fairy tale shows children that they can cope with problems together rather than alone. After all, it is unknown whether he would have been able to pull out the turnip if they had not come to his aid.

Fairy tales for all occasions. Therapeutic tales

“When you sleep, you grow!” Natalia Filippova

Once upon a time there lived a bunny. His name was Ushastik. He lived with his mother and father in a beautiful green forest. He loved to jump on the grass with his friends. Ushastik was able to jump higher and further than other bunnies. Everyone praised him and said how strong his legs were!

After walking around during the day, all the bunnies went home for a quiet hour. Ushastik also came home, where his mother fed him fresh cabbage, gave him delicious carrot juice and put him to bed. But Ushastik did not want to sleep, he cried and told his mother that he was not tired, that he was already big and would not sleep. Each time the mother bunny had difficulty putting her bunny to bed. She sang lullabies, stroked her head and back, and, in the end, Ushastik fell asleep.

Illustrator: Feride Sirazhudinova

One day the bunnies were walking in a clearing, competing to see who could jump further. Ushastik won as always. And they were so interested in jumping that they did not notice that it was time for sleep. All the bunnies went home, and Ushastik thought that this time he would not go to bed. And he remained in the clearing. He jumped on stumps, jumped over flowers and small bushes. But he was bored jumping alone. And, unexpectedly for himself, he was tired. As soon as I sat down on the grass, other bunnies came running into the clearing. It turns out that they had already slept and, rested, went for a walk. Ushastik was glad that now he wouldn’t have to be bored and started jumping again with everyone else.

But what is it!? Ushastik could no longer jump higher and farther than everyone else! His legs were so tired that he, on the contrary, jumped lower than everyone else. He couldn't even jump onto a tree stump. Sad and tired Ushastik went home.

At home, my mother immediately noticed his sad eyes and asked:

- What's happened?

Ushastik said that he couldn’t jump at all because his legs were tired. Mom gave Ushastik a big tasty carrot and then put him in bed.

“I’ll tell you a secret,” said mom, “when you sleep, your paws also rest and fill with strength.” And you also grow in your sleep. You see how tall our dad is! This is because when he was little, he never missed quiet time. And if you sleep well, you will become taller and be able to jump even better than now! Sleep, Ushastik, rest, restore your strength.

After his mother’s words, Ushastik realized how important it is to sleep, and even regretted that he had missed his nap. He fell asleep sweetly. And when I woke up, I was so cheerful and happy! He hurried to go outside and see if he could jump like before. Ushastik jumped and... he did it very well! He even thought that he had never jumped so high before.

- Hooray! - Ushastik shouted, - it worked! Now I will always sleep to gain strength and jump even further and higher!

Bedtime Stories

A bedtime story for children is read by parents before bed. It helps the child calm down. Such tales are very kind and instructive. There is no cruelty in them.

Fairy tales teach us to distinguish good from evil, show what is good and bad.

The most popular bedtime stories for babies over one year of age are:

  • Swan geese
  • Teremok
  • Masha and the Bear
  • turnip
  • The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish
  • Ryaba hen
  • The wolf and the seven Young goats
  • sleeping Beauty
  • Puss in Boots
  • Zayushkina's hut.

How to choose children's fairy tales?

If you read fairy tales to your child, then you are sure of their benefits for the baby. To ensure that the choice of works to read to children does not happen spontaneously, we offer some tips to help parents choose the right children's fairy tales.

  1. Every child's first fairy tales should be short, with a simple plot, familiar characters and a happy ending to the story. For example, Chicken Ryaba, Turnip, Teremok, funny fairy tales by Suteev, short funny tales and poems by Chukovsky. It is very important to read, reread, and act out the first fairy tales, involving the child in active speech and mental activity.
  2. After two years, the child’s ability to think creatively develops. The best version of fairy tales for children 3-4 years old are fairy tales about animals. Using examples of animal characters, the child receives ideas about good and evil in an accessible form and gets acquainted with the world of human relations.
  3. For older preschoolers, a fairy tale becomes attractive. Choose from any category such fairy tales that suit your child’s age and arouse his interest.
  4. Offer schoolchildren fairy tales with an exciting plot, exciting adventures, bright and brave heroes who do not stop in the face of difficulties, overcome obstacles, know how to make friends and take care of loved ones.
  5. Each fairy tale for a child is one of the ways to understand the world around him and himself. It’s not enough to choose and read a fairy tale to your child. You must ensure that your child draws the correct conclusions from what he reads.
  6. There are fairy tales that children should read on their own. Advise children 7-8 years old to choose works for independent reading from the list we offer. Don't criticize their choices. Be prepared to discuss the story with your children.

Interesting children's audio tales

Online fairy tales for children have become popular lately. On the Internet you can listen to various fairy tales online.

It is not necessary to buy collections of fairy tales, because interesting children's fairy tales can be found for free on the Internet.

The most popular children's audio fairy tales:

  • Mermaid
  • Cars
  • The Snow Queen
  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  • Three from Prostokvashino
  • Little Red Riding Hood
  • Aladdin
  • Cinderella
  • History of toys
  • Winnie the Pooh.


You can listen to these tales at any time. Some fairy tales can be included for children at night. Such tales are voiced by announcers, famous actors and singers. Fairy tales have interesting and captivating music. Children love such fairy tales. In them, the heroes of fairy tales come to life, and kids find themselves in a world of magic.

What is your child interested in at this age?

The age from 6 to 8 years is the time of the next crisis. The child experiences psychological separation from his parents, learns to make independent decisions and show concern for others. Interest in the opposite sex arises - for many, this age is associated with their first crush.

Such changes also affect the child’s preferences in play and entertainment: role-playing games, books, comics and cartoons are full of superheroes, selflessly saving the whole world as a whole and individually.

Tender feelings flare up between the characters every now and then, and a wave of lavish fairy-tale weddings sweeps the planet.

At this age, long fairy tales become popular, and the presence of many pictures is no longer necessary. The plot itself becomes interesting, the child gains the ability to pay voluntary attention. At the peak of popularity are audio fairy tales for children.

Types of online fairy tales

  • Russian folk tales.
  • Foreign fairy tales.
  • For children under three years old.
  • Audio fairy tales from four to five years old.
  • Long and short online fairy tales.

Fairy tales teach children that good always triumphs over evil. Fairy tales teach that you should never give up. You need to persistently pursue your goal. They help develop creativity.

With their help, the child learns to fantasize, think, and analyze. A fairy tale helps a child find answers to questions of interest.

You don't have to buy fairy tales. You can read and listen to fairy tales online. Younger children love short stories. And children from three to four years old prefer long fairy tales.

Search for a fairy tale by title

Tales by age

Fairy tales for kids Fairy tales for 2 years Fairy tales for 3 years Fairy tales for 4 years Fairy tales for 5 years Fairy tales for 6 years Fairy tales for 7 years Fairy tales for 8 years Fairy tales for 9 years Fairy tales for 10 years

Collections of fairy tales

Popular fairy tales Fairy tales for girls Fairy tales for boys Bedtime stories Short fairy tales New Year's fairy tales Christmas fairy tales Fairy tales in verse Fairy tales about animals Bedtime stories Funny fairy tales Soviet fairy tales Scary fairy tales

Tales of the peoples of the world

Russian folk tales Arabic tales

Foreign writers

Andersen G. H. Astrid Lindgren The Brothers Grimm Wilhelm Hauff Hoffmann E. T. A. Gianni Rodari Rudyard Kipling Charles Perrault

Russian writers

Aksakov S. T. Garshin V. M. Mamin-Sibiryak D. N. Marshak S. Ya. Odoevsky V. F. Pushkin A. S. Saltykov-Shchedrin M. E. Suteev V. G. Tolstoy A. N. Chukovsky K.I.

Fairy tales for children are a magical world of goodness and miracles. They bring out the best in children's souls. Caring parents use fairy tales as an effective tool for the development and upbringing of a child. We should also not forget that reading and discussing fairy tales together is a unique opportunity to maintain a trusting relationship with your son or daughter. With maximum benefit, you need to use the powerful potential of each fairy tale in order to develop the best inclinations of the baby, his curiosity, and the desire to learn about the world around him.

Reading fairy tales to a child, reading with a child means discovering new facets of his inner world in order to better understand his needs, inclinations, and problems. Through educational and instructive fairy tales, you influence the child’s soul and mind, form a harmonious personality, and help the child become happy and successful.

Each fairy tale in this section contains 5-6 subtitles. At the beginning of the page you can find a brief preview of the fairy tale. Then, by clicking on the Read fairy tale button, you can read the full text of the fairy tale online. A summary of the tale is a help for parents. After viewing it, you do not spend much time deciding on the choice of the fairy tale you need. Analysis of a fairy tale will help you better understand its content, and the moral of the tale will help you appreciate its instructive and educational potential. Proverbs, sayings and fairy tale expressions will be useful for the general development of large and small readers. Interesting facts about fairy tales and fairy-tale characters will arouse interest in the work. For convenience, each fairy tale can be downloaded and printed.

Photos of fairy tales for children

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