Christmas Bedtime Stories: 6 Short Stories to Read Aloud

A good Christmas bedtime story is short, calm and ends in sleep. Three to five minutes read slowly, the excitement in the middle and the quiet at the end, and one line the child can say back. Below are six original Christmas bedtime stories written for exactly that job, each with its read time, the ages it suits and a join-in line — plus how to read them on the most over-excited night of the year, and which classic Christmas books belong at bedtime and which belong at breakfast.

What makes a Christmas story good for bedtime?#

A bedtime story has a different job from a daytime story. In the afternoon a story can be thrilling; at bedtime it has to carry a child from wide awake to nearly asleep. Christmas makes that harder, because the whole month is built to excite.

The American Academy of Pediatrics builds its Brush, Book, Bed nighttime routine around exactly this: teeth, then a book, then bed, at the same time each night. In December the routine matters more, not less — the story is the one fixed point in a month of late nights and parties.

Which Christmas bedtime story should you read tonight?#

All six stories below are original and free to read aloud at home. Read times are at a slow bedtime pace.

The Reindeer Who Practised Being Quiet#

Ages 3 to 6 · about three minutes · join in with "tip, tap, hush"

At the very back of the reindeer barn lived the youngest reindeer of all. His name was Burl, and he was very good at many things. He was good at running. He was good at jumping. He was very, very good at crunching carrots.

But Burl was not good at being quiet.

"On Christmas Eve," said the oldest reindeer, "we land on roofs while children are sleeping. Our hooves must go tip, tap, hush."

Burl tried. He landed on the barn roof with a CLATTER. The hens woke up.

"Tip, tap, hush," said the oldest reindeer kindly. "Again."

Burl tried on the woodpile. CRASH went the logs. The cat woke up.

"Tip, tap, hush," said the oldest reindeer. "Again."

Burl tried on the snow. And snow, it turns out, is very helpful. His hooves went into it softly — tip, then tap, and then the snow said hush all by itself.

"That's it," whispered the oldest reindeer. "That's the sound."

So Burl practised all afternoon. Tip, tap, hush, on the snowy fence. Tip, tap, hush, on the snowy gate. Tip, tap, hush, on the snowy roof of the dog's house, and the dog did not even open one eye.

That night the sleigh flew over hills and rivers and sleeping towns. At every house the reindeer landed — tip, tap, hush — and not one child woke up.

The last house was small, with a red door and one lit window. Inside, a child was in bed with the covers pulled right up to the chin, almost asleep but not quite.

Burl landed on that roof more softly than he had ever landed in his life.

Tip. … Tap. … Hush.

And the child, who had been almost asleep, was asleep.

Reading note. Slow down more every time the line comes back. By the last "hush" you should be whispering — most children will whisper it with you.

The Smallest Star on the Tree#

Ages 3 to 7 · about three minutes · join in with "still shining"

The star was made of yellow card, a lot of glue and quite a lot of glitter, and it had been made by a child at nursery. It had one point slightly longer than the others. It was the smallest thing on the Christmas tree.

The glass baubles were very grand. "We were bought in a shop," said the red one.

"I play a tune," said the bell.

"I light up," said the string of lights, which went all the way round the tree three times.

The small star did not say anything. It sat at the very top, a little crooked, and hoped nobody would notice the long point.

Every evening the family switched the tree on, and the lights glowed, and the baubles shone, and the bell played its tune when the cat bumped it. And every evening, before bed, the child looked up at the very top and said, "That one's mine."

On Christmas Eve, when everyone had gone to bed, the lights clicked off. The baubles went dark. The bell was quiet. The room was black and blue and silver.

But the moon came round the side of the house and looked in through the window. And of all the things on the tree, it found the glitter first.

The small star sparkled. Not brightly — just enough.

"You're still shining," said the moon.

"I'm the smallest," said the star.

"You're the one they made," said the moon. "That's different."

Upstairs, the child who had made it turned over in bed and smiled in their sleep. And the small star stayed at the top of the tree all night, a little crooked, still shining.

Reading note. If your child has made a decoration, put it in the story instead of the star. Ask afterwards, quietly, which thing on your own tree is theirs.

The Snowman Who Counted to Sleep#

Ages 2 to 5 · about two minutes · join in with the numbers

In the garden stood a snowman with a carrot nose and two stones for eyes. It was Christmas Eve, and the snowman had decided to stay up and see Santa.

But it was a long, quiet night, and the snowman began to feel sleepy. "I'll count things," he said. "Counting will keep me awake."

One owl in the tall tree, eyes closing.

Two foxes curled together under the hedge.

Three robins in the ivy, feathers fluffed.

Four windows on the house, and every one dark.

Five stars over the chimney.

Six footprints in the snow, where the cat had walked home.

Seven icicles hanging from the shed, not dripping now.

Eight snowflakes landing softly on his hat.

Nine hushes of the wind in the hedge.

And ten…

The snowman did not get to ten. His stone eyes were closed, his carrot nose was pointing at the moon, and he was fast asleep.

In the morning there were sleigh tracks in the snow, right past his feet. He had missed Santa after all. But someone had left a new scarf around his neck — red, with a tag that said For counting so well.

Reading note. Count slower than feels natural, and let your child say each number. Toddlers who cannot count yet can hold up fingers.

The Mouse Who Wrapped a Present#

Ages 3 to 6 · about three minutes · join in with "fold, fold, tuck"

Behind the kitchen skirting board lived a small mouse called Pell, and she wanted to give her mother a Christmas present.

She found the present under the big table: one perfect golden crumb of shortbread. But a present needs wrapping.

She found a sweet wrapper, shiny and green, dropped by the children. She laid the crumb in the middle.

Fold went one side. Fold went the other. Tuck went the end.

It came undone.

"Fold, fold, tuck," said Pell, and tried again. It came undone again, and the crumb rolled across the floor.

Pell sat down. Wrapping, she decided, was very hard.

She watched the people in the big kitchen. A child was wrapping a present at the table, tongue poking out, very slowly. Fold. Then a pause. Fold. Then a careful tuck, and a piece of tape.

Not fast. Careful.

So Pell tried once more — slowly.

Fold. Fold. Tuck.

And she held the end down with a tiny piece of sticky label she had found under the fridge.

It stayed.

On Christmas morning her mother opened it, and laughed, and shared the crumb in half, which is the best thing you can do with a crumb.

And that night, behind the skirting board, two mice slept curled together in a nest of green sweet wrapper, which crinkled every time they breathed.

Reading note. Act out "fold, fold, tuck" with your hands on the blanket. It is a good story for the night after wrapping presents together.

The Last Light on the Street#

Ages 3 to 7 · about three minutes · join in with "goodnight, house" — the Christmas Eve story

On Christmas Eve, the street was full of lit windows. Every house had a tree or a candle or a string of lights, and every house was waiting.

At the house with the blue door, a baby was put to bed. The light went out.

"Goodnight, house," whispered the snow.

At the house with the big wreath, two brothers argued about whether reindeer liked carrots or cookies, and then, quite suddenly, fell asleep in the middle of the argument. The light went out.

"Goodnight, house."

At the house with the crooked gate, an old man finished his cup of cocoa, wound up the clock, and climbed the stairs. The light went out.

"Goodnight, house."

At the house on the corner, a dog sighed, turned round three times, and lay down by the fire. The fire glowed lower and lower. The light went out.

"Goodnight, house."

Now there was only one lit window left on the whole street. It was a bedroom window, and in the bedroom was a bed, and in the bed was a child who had been too excited to sleep.

The child looked out. The street was dark and still and silver. Every house was asleep. Even the snow had stopped.

"Everyone's waiting," the child whispered.

"Yes," said a grown-up's voice, from the doorway. "And Christmas only comes when everyone's asleep."

The child lay down. The grown-up switched off the lamp.

And the last light on the street went out.

"Goodnight, house," whispered the snow — and somewhere far above the clouds, very quietly, Christmas began to come.

Reading note. This one is written for the very last read on Christmas Eve. Lower your voice a little more with each house, and switch your own lamp off on the last line.

Santa's Very Quiet List#

Ages 4 to 7 · about three minutes · say your child's name where you see [name]

Everyone knows Santa has a list. But hardly anyone knows that on Christmas Eve, he has a second one.

The first list says who wants what. The second list is very short, and very quiet, and the elves are only allowed to whisper it. It is the list of children who are asleep.

"Santa can't visit a house until everyone inside is asleep," explained the smallest elf, who was holding the list. "So we have to keep checking."

All night, the elves listened. They listened for snoring, and for slow breathing, and for the little sigh children make when they turn over.

"The twins in the yellow house," whispered one elf. "Asleep."

"The boy with the dinosaur pyjamas," whispered another. "Asleep."

"The girl who left out three carrots," whispered a third. "Asleep — and she's holding the carrots."

The list grew, name by name, house by house, all around the world.

Then the smallest elf looked at the next name, and listened very hard, and said:

"[name]… [name] is… nearly asleep."

All the elves held their breath. Santa leaned in close.

And [name] took one more slow breath, and turned over, and made the little sigh.

"Asleep," whispered the smallest elf, and wrote it down very neatly.

"Then off we go," said Santa softly. "Quietly, now."

Reading note. Children love hearing their own name arrive in a story. Say it slowly the first time, then whisper it the second. If your child likes this one, the last section of this page is for you.

How do you read a bedtime story on Christmas Eve?#

Christmas Eve is the hardest bedtime of the year. A few habits help any story do its job:

1. Read the exciting books earlier. Keep the thrilling ones for after dinner, and save the shortest, quietest story for the very last read.
2. Dim the room before you start. Read by one lamp or the tree lights, not the main light.
3. Lower your voice as the story goes on. Children match your pace and volume; by the last page you should be close to a whisper.
4. Let them say the join-in line. A child who is saying "tip, tap, hush" is a child who is not bouncing.
5. Stop on the sleeping line. Do not add "and in the morning there'll be presents!" after the ending. That reopens the excitement you have just closed.
6. Keep the order the same. Teeth, story, bed — the same order every night of December makes Christmas Eve feel like a normal night, which is exactly what a sleepy child needs.

On nights when you are too tired to read, an audio story is better than no story at all. The guide to audiobooks for kids covers what listening does and does not replace, and how to make a bedtime storybook explains what makes a story calming in the first place. For the rest of the year, bedtime stories for kids has six more short originals, and the guide to a toddler bedtime routine covers the order that makes every night easier.

Which classic Christmas books are best at bedtime?#

Not every famous Christmas book is a good bedtime book. This table sorts some of the best-loved ones by how they land at the end of the day.

The Polar Express won the Caldecott Medal in 1986, and The Jolly Christmas Postman won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1991, according to the Carnegie Greenaway reading resource. Both are brilliant books. Neither is a good last read on Christmas Eve, and that is the one place we would push back on the lists that put them first: the best Christmas book and the best Christmas bedtime book are not the same thing.

For a longer list sorted by age, see children's Christmas books, and for the bedtime classic that started a whole genre, books like Goodnight Moon.

Can a personalized Christmas book for kids be the bedtime story?#

Yes — and on Christmas Eve it is often the one a child asks for. "Santa's Very Quiet List" works for the same reason: a child listens differently when the story is about them. The article on why kids love stories starring themselves describes what parents see at bedtime, and our guide to choosing a personalized Christmas book for kids covers ordering dates and what to put in the story.

A KindFable Christmas book puts your child on every page, painted from one photo, in a story that ends the way a bedtime story should. Several of them are built around Christmas Eve:

• Your Child and the Night Santa Needed Help — Santa's sleigh lands in the garden one gift short, and your child gives the box with their own name on it. It ends with a small bell and a thank-you note on Christmas morning.
• Your Child and the Midnight Reindeer — a baby reindeer who cannot fly, a missing bell, and a very unimpressed cat.
• Where Is Your Child? A Christmas Search-and-Find — twelve snowy hiding places; slow looking is good wind-down looking.
• Your Child's Very First Christmas — a hushed keepsake for a baby's first December.

How do I make a Christmas bedtime book with my child in it?#

1. Pick a Christmas story from the personalized Christmas books collection, or start your own at /create.
2. Add your child's name and age, so the words fit the reader.
3. Upload one clear photo and tick the consent box. Your child becomes the character on every page, with the same face from the cover to the last page.
4. Tell the story box what makes Christmas yours — the cat, the cousins, the cookies you always bake — and choose an art style.
5. See the cover before you pay. The painted cover is free to look at; nothing is charged until you decide.
6. Write a message on the book's own message page, for your child to find every December.
7. Choose the hardcover. It comes with narration and a song of the story, and the digital book is ready the same day. Prices are on one page.

Every book stays in your dashboard: read it in the page-flip reader, play the narration as the last story of the night, and reorder a printed copy for the grandparents.

Here is one of them, read in full. Ava is the sample child; your copy stars yours.

Look inside

A book from our shop · ages 3–7

Your Child and the Night Santa Needed Help

THUMP! Santa's sleigh lands in the garden on Christmas Eve — one gift short, and the sun is coming. A reindeer who has never flown, an elf who counts everything twice… and one box under your child's own tree.

Shown here starring Ava, 6. Yours is painted with your own child’s face and name on every page, from $39 — and you see the pages before you pay.

Personalize this bookSee Your Child and the Night Santa Needed Help in the shop

The photo they uploaded

The character we drew

Written from this story — not a stock track with a name dropped in. Free with every book.

How the story begins

1. 1It was Christmas Eve, and Ava could not sleep. Under the tree sat ONE big box with her name on it — the thing she had wished for all year long. She was still looking at it when something landed on the roof. THUMP.
2. 2In the garden, in the snow, sat a SLEIGH. A very small reindeer was tangled in the fairy lights. A very small elf was jumping up and down on a sack. And two very big black boots were sticking out of a snowdrift. “ONE GIFT SHORT!” squeaked the elf. “One gift SHORT!”
3. 3“I'm Tinsel,” said the elf. “I count things. Twice.” He unrolled a list as long as the garden. “The little house at the end of the lane. Its gift fell out over the hills. The sack is EMPTY.” From behind the sleigh, a deep voice rumbled: “And the sun is coming.”

The rest of the story is in Your Child and the Night Santa Needed Help.

The words to the song

[Verse 1]
A thump on the roof on Christmas Eve,
A sleigh in the snow (you'd never believe),
A reindeer tangled in the lights,
An elf who counts things twice at nights.

[Chorus]
One gift short! (One gift short!)
The sack is empty, the sun's at the door.
One gift short! (One gift short!)
And the little house is waiting for more.

[Verse 2]
They looked in the hedge, they looked in the shed,
They looked in the snowman — top to head —
A mitten, a carrot, a very old boot...
But the gift was gone, and the dawn was in pursuit.

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
Ava went in and she knelt by the tree,
There was her box — "It's for me, it's for me..."
She looked for a long time. Then out she came:
"For the little house." And she turned the name.

[Verse 4]
"Are you sure?" said a voice like a rumble of snow.
"Yes," said Ava. "I'm sure. Let's go."
Clover sneezed, Clover wobbled — and then, oh my,
Four little hooves went up in the sky!

[Chorus — softly]
Not one short. (Not one short!)
The stocking is full and the sky is pink.
Not one short. (Not one short!)
And giving is sweeter than you'd think.

[Outro]
A bell on a ribbon, a note that says "C",
A jingle far off over hill and tree.
The best gift given, the best gift got —
Merry Christmas, Ava. Ring it a lot.

For the card that goes with it, the list of Christmas messages for kids has 140 lines sorted by age.