Bedtime · Ages 3-8
Stories for kids scared of the dark
The dark is easier when it is full of something. These stories fill it with lighthouses, fireflies and animals who are awake and perfectly content about it.
Stories to read now
Ages 3-6 · 4 minutes
The Sleepy Lighthouse
A lighthouse that has never once slept finally gets a night off.
Ages 5-9 · 7 minutes
The Last Firefly of Summer
One light is still on over the field, and it is the last one this year.
Ages 3-6 · 5 minutes
The Dinosaur Who Was Afraid of Thunder
The loudest animal on earth is terrified of a loud noise.
Ages 7-11 · 10 minutes
The Door That Opens at Dusk
Eleven minutes a day, and only two of you can go.
How to get the most from these
Populate the dark
Fear of the dark is mostly fear of what is unaccounted for. A story that fills the night with named, harmless things gives your child something specific to picture instead.
Read with the light going down
Dim the lamp one step at the halfway point. Associating the dark with the calmest part of the story does more than any reassurance said afterwards.
Make a story for kids scared of the dark with your child in it
Type a first name and Imagiverse writes, illustrates and narrates a brand-new story around them in about a minute. Free to try, no card needed.
Frequently asked questions
Will a night-time story make the fear worse?
Not when the night is friendly in the story. Avoid anything with a monster resolved at the end; a monster introduced at bedtime tends to outlast the ending.
What else helps at bedtime?
A fixed order — bath, story, light down, door at the same angle. The story is most effective as the middle of a routine rather than on its own.