Simple ways to make bedtime storytelling more engaging for kids

Make bedtime storytelling something your child looks forward to as you switch things up using different character voices and setting the mood with stuffed animals and other props. Let them become the hero who solves the problem in a story you make up. With prompts or flashcards, you can work with your child to create stories together.

Respondents to a YouGov poll reported that 22% of parents read bedtime stories every night, with 63% saying they read several times a week. Reading aloud to your child can be a great bonding experience that encourages a lifelong love of reading from an early age. Whether you buy several books, write your own, or encourage your child to tell some, there are several ways to create a bedtime story.

Why Can a Good Story Help the Bedtime Routine?

It can be a great way to create memories and make it much easier to get your child into bed without a struggle. 

A nightly bedtime story can be part of a positive routine the child gets used to. Along with brushing their teeth and laying out pajamas, they'll quickly associate this with time to cool down for the night.

What Are Some Good Bedtime Storytelling Techniques?

The art of telling a good story goes beyond the book itself. Storytelling techniques can alter your voice, incorporate familiar elements like toys, and let your child participate beyond being a passive listener.

Change Your Voice

You don't have to be a stage actor to use your voice dramatically. One of the best storytelling techniques is changing the way you use it.

Give characters different voices, so children know when you're switching up. For example, when something is about to happen, you may want to talk slowly and a little low. Become cheerful when something wonderful is about to happen.

Don't forget the use of pauses. Before something exciting happens, pause for a bit and ask your child what they think may happen. This is a good way to test their prediction ability and see how well they've been listening.

Add a Little Play

Give your child a chance to tell their version of happily ever after. Once the actual story ends, give them a few minutes to make up a little story about what happens afterwards.

While this is the time for the child to wind down, some imaginative play can help, starting with props like a stuffed animal or blanket. A pillow can become a mountain when you're talking about a character making a track, like in "The Lord of the Rings." Some stuffed animals or figurines can represent the characters in a story.

Give the Child Choice

A bedtime story doesn't have to be a passive time for a child. Start by letting them make small choices, such as choosing between two or three books. Limiting their options is more manageable for young kids but still provides a sense of control.

Very young children may want to keep hearing the same story every night. Doing so can help them memorize certain lines, which you can have fun testing out. Soon, they may be able to tell the story on their own.

Create Something Together

Take the art of Imagination further by putting the book down and having a bedtime story organically come alive.

Start with a verbal prompt or flashcards saying things like:

• "Once upon a time there was a ..."
• "The animal went into the...."
• "He looked up and saw a...."

As children get older, they'll be able to develop settings and invent characters. Using this time for collaborative storytelling can improve your child's language skills and creativity.

Add more fun with elements the child recognizes in real life. Tell a story about a baby animal whose bedtime routine mirrors your child's routine and has your child's name.

Take their favorite toy and give it some personification by creating a backstory about where it came from. Describe who its parents are and things it likes to do for fun.

What About a Custom Storybook?

Have you thought about creating a book just for your child? A personalized kids book can combine imagination and loved ones, like other family members and pets, as characters. Most importantly, your child will be the hero and focus of the story, which can encourage their self-esteem.

How Can I Adjust the Environment?

A bedtime story is a wonderful bonding time between parent and child, but the result should be easy sleep soon after. The child should already be cozy and comfortable in bed or a very comfortable reading corner.

Keep the lights soft and remove distractions like cell phones, and turn off any TVs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Write a Bedtime Story for Kids?

Test your children's writing skills by structuring a plot with a gentle beginning with a friendly, relatable character. It can be another sleepy child or animal. Have a small conflict that the character eventually solves.

Don't forget the silly or sleepy ending with the character getting cozy somewhere or finding their way home.

The story should be short and take about 5 minutes to read, so you only need about $300 to 600 words.

Keep the language smooth and soothing by using:

• Soft repetition
• Short sentences
• Gentle alliteration

What Is the #1 Children's Book of All Time?

This depends on what you mean by number one book. A single book doesn't fit these criteria, but a few select ones sit at the top of the list. They've earned honor for critical acclaim, high sales, and simply being beloved by millions.

These stories include:

• Charlotte's Web
• Where the Wild Things Are
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• The Little Prince

Create Memories at Bedtime

Parents have several ways to up their bedtime storytelling game. Create a fun environment with toys and blankets while changing your voice to sound like different characters. Let your child help and enhance their creativity by telling a story together on the fly. You can even make them the topic of a physical book they can keep for the rest of their life.

Good stories matter at any age. As you search our website, find real stories worth reading.

This article was prepared by an independent contributor which helps us continue delivering quality content to our audiences.