ReadWhy the Spruce and the Pine Stay Green
A little bird with a hurt wing looks for a place to winter: the proud trees send her away, but the spruce, the pine and the juniper take her in.
Bedtime stories for 3-year-olds
These stories are a good fit for 3-year-olds: the plots and the words are easy to follow at that age. Each one shows how many minutes it takes to read aloud, so it is easy to pick one for tonight.
Stories
- Read
ReadThe Cat and the Rooster
Cat goes off for firewood and begs Rooster not to look out of the window, but the fox sings so sweetly that Rooster cannot help it.
ReadThe Straw Ox
An old man wove a straw ox for his wife and smeared its side with tar, and a bear, a wolf, a fox and a hare stuck to it one after another.
ReadThe Starry Boat
Olesya does not want to sleep, so a moon-boat takes her sailing across the night sky, where the clouds, the stars and the breeze are already dozing off.
ReadRyaba the Hen
Ryaba the hen laid a golden egg. Grandpa and Grandma could not break it, but a mouse flicked her tail, and soon the whole village was sad.
ReadThe Turnip
Grandad Andrushka grows a turnip as big as his head but can’t pull it up alone, so he calls Granny, Minka, Finka, Varvarka and a mouse. Who won’t tumble?
ReadTimko and the Littlest One
Timko’s baby sister Lily is born, and he wishes Mom were only his. Then it turns out that Lily already knows her big brother.
ReadTimko and the Big Potty
Timko the hedgehog can use his small potty, but the big one, like Mom’s and Dad’s, scares him, until Dad takes out a piece of string.
ReadTimko Goes to Kindergarten
Little hedgehog Timko goes to Acorn Kindergarten for the first time: he is sad in the morning, but Mom promises to come after lunch and nap.
ReadTimko at the Doctor’s
Timko the hedgehog scares his little sister Lily with spooky tales about the doctor, then goes for a check-up and a vaccine with Doctor Beaver himself.
ReadGrandma’s Button
In Grandma’s box Mirko finds an old blue button with a chip in it, and with it the stories of his great-grandfather, his mum and one old secret.
ReadKolobok, the Runaway Bun
Rosy Kolobok rolls away from Grandpa and Granny, the Bunny, the Wolf and the Bear, but the sly Fox catches him with sweet praise.
ReadThe Three Billy Goats Gruff
Three goats called Gruff cross a bridge to a green mountain, while a hungry troll under the bridge waits for the biggest one.
ReadThe Bramble Goat
A fibbing goat takes over a hare’s little house, and no wolf, bear or ox can drive her out, until a tiny crayfish comes along.
ReadA Pillow for the Moon
The Moon just can’t fall asleep, so little Sonya and the animals sew him a soft pillow out of a little cloud.
ReadRexik and Trika
Noisy Trika asks Rexik to play hide-and-seek, but she just can’t find him, even though he’s standing right beside her the whole time.
ReadThe Snail Who Carried the Moon Home
A little snail finds the Moon in a puddle and carries it through the night garden back to the sky, helped by a firefly, a cricket and a moth.
ReadThe Shoemaker and the Elves
Someone secretly makes boots for a poor shoemaker at night; before Christmas he and his wife discover who, and make the tiny helpers warm gifts.
ReadWhy the Bear Has a Short Tail
A sly fox teaches a bear to fish with his tail through a hole in the ice, and ever since, all bears have had stubby little tails.
ReadTimko and the First Snow
Timko the hedgehog has never seen snow, so Granny Owl promises to call him the moment the very first snowflake falls.
ReadThe Little Cloud Who Lost Her Rain
A little cloud searches for her lost rain, and a breeze, a sunflower and a frog help her give a thirsty garden a drink.
ReadSweet Porridge
A kind old woman gives a girl a magic pot, but her mother forgets the word that stops it, and porridge floods the whole town.
ReadThe Mitten
Grandpa drops a mitten in the forest, and the animals move in one by one, until a big bear comes along.
ReadThe Hedgehog and the Little Lantern
Little Timko the hedgehog is afraid of the dark, but one evening he has to walk home by himself with a little lantern.
Questions and answers
How many stories are there for 3-year-olds?
This page has 24 stories right now.
Which story here is the shortest?
The shortest is “The Starry Boat”: 3 min read.
What are these stories about most often?
The most common themes are “Animal stories” (12 stories), “Family” (8 stories), and “Fables” (8 stories).
How long does reading one aloud take?
From 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the story.