50 bedtime story ideas, and how to make one up on the spot
Fifty bedtime story ideas for kids, sorted by mood, plus a simple recipe for making up a story on the spot when you're tired and they want “a made-up one.”
The Branchlings blog
Stories about stories
Bedtime routines, stories to read tonight, ideas for reading together, and news from the team.
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A calming bedtime routine for anxious kids (worries, the dark and monsters)
Why worries and fears show up at bedtime, a calming bedtime routine for an anxious child, simple breathing and relaxation tricks, what to do about fear of the dark and monsters, and when to talk to a pediatrician.
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Bedtime routine for 3 year olds: a calm 30-minute plan that works
A simple, step-by-step bedtime routine for a three-year-old: how much sleep they need, a sample schedule, what to do about stalling and getting out of bed, and where stories fit.
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Bedtime routine for 4 and 5 year olds: a calm plan for preschool and kindergarten
A step-by-step bedtime routine for four- and five-year-olds: how much sleep they need, a sample schedule, getting ready for kindergarten bedtimes, and how to handle 'one more story' and big questions at lights-out.
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Bedtime routine for 8 year olds (and 7, 9 and 10): a plan for school nights
A realistic bedtime routine for school-age kids from 7 to 10: how much sleep they need, a sample school-night schedule, what to do about screens and 'I'm not tired', and why the bedtime story still matters.
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Bedtime stories for 2, 3 and 4 year olds: what works, and a story to read tonight
How bedtime stories change between two and four, why the same book every night is fine, simple ways to read together, some classic picks, and a short original story with one choice in it.
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Bedtime stories for 5 year olds, plus a pick-your-path story to read tonight
What makes a good bedtime story for a five-year-old, a few classics worth reading, and an original pick-your-path bedtime story where your child chooses what happens.
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Bedtime stories for 8 year olds (and 9 and 10), with a pick-your-path story
Why it's worth reading aloud to kids who can already read, chapter books that work at bedtime for 8-to-10-year-olds, and an original pick-your-path mystery to read tonight.
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Bedtime stories for newborns: why (and how) to read to a baby
Why pediatricians recommend reading to babies from the very beginning, what to read to a newborn, how to make a bedtime story part of the routine, and how to keep it safe and simple.
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First day of kindergarten: how to get your child (and yourself) ready
A practical guide to the first day of kindergarten: what to do in the weeks before, the night before and the morning of, how to handle tears at drop-off, books about starting school, and the questions that actually get answers at pickup.
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How to prepare a toddler for a new sibling (before and after the baby arrives)
Practical ways to prepare a toddler or preschooler for a new baby: when to tell them, books and stories that help, what to do in the first weeks, and how to handle jealousy and regression.
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Imaginary friends: why children have them, and how to join in
Is it normal for a child to have an imaginary friend? What research says about how common they are and what they do for children, how to respond, and the rare signs worth a chat with a pediatrician.
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Kids' story apps compared: 10 bedtime and AI story apps (2026)
An honest comparison of ten children's story apps, from AI bedtime story generators to libraries of real books and sleep-story apps: who writes the stories, whether your child can change them, prices, devices and privacy. Written by the makers of Branchlings.
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Screen time recommendations by age: what pediatricians say in 2026
The American Academy of Pediatrics replaced its screen-time rules in January 2026. Here's what it recommends now, age by age, from babies to school-age kids, plus what 'high-quality' means and why bedtime matters most.
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Toddler bedtime routine: a simple plan for 1 and 2 year olds
A gentle, step-by-step bedtime routine for toddlers from 12 months to 2 years old: how much sleep they need, a sample 18-month-old schedule, and what to do about crying, climbing and the big-kid bed.
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Introducing Branchlings: stories that follow your child's imagination
Children have the greatest imaginations. Branchlings helps unleash them: your child dreams up the story, decides what happens at every fork, and watches it come to life. Coming soon to iPhone and iPad, with Android coming soon.
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What happens at a fork? A look inside a Branchlings story
Follow Sparky the tiny dragon through a real Branchlings story, from the first page to the fork where your child decides what happens next.