A Bedtime Story for Kids about “The Legend of the Wishing Tree” As the day comes to a close and young eyelids grow heavy, there is no better way to usher in a night of restful slumber than with a comforting bedtime story. Between these pages, you’ll find a treasury of tales specifically crafted to delight and soothe restless little minds before sleep. From enchanted forests filled with playful fairies to fantastical journeys across the cosmos, these stories will carry your child’s imagination to wondrous new realms as they prepare to dream. With characters to love like brave princesses, silly dragons, and magical talking animals, as well as important lessons about friendship, acceptance, and growth, each whimsical tale provides the perfect mix of entertainment and heart. So come along as we explore lands near and far, always returning back home to drift gently off to sleep. Turn the page to begin our adventures, but be warned: delightful dreams await those who join us on these imaginative journeys just before bedtime!
10 Tips for Reading Online Stories to Children
- Preview stories before you read and choose age-appropriate tales that match kids’ interests. Look for engaging characters, plots that build curiosity, and vibrant illustrations.
- For young readers, pick stories with rhyme, repetition, and opportunities to predict what happens next. These qualities all support early literacy skills.
- Download stories in advance so you can read smoothly without WiFi glitches. Save them in a dedicated kid story folder for quick access.
- Project stories on the largest screen available and zoom in on illustrations so children can see details. Laptops, tablets, and smart boards all work well.
- Change character voices and use props to act out dialogue. Ham it up just like you would with print books! Costumes and puppets also bring stories to life.
- Occasionally pause to ask questions about what’s happening and why. Speculate on what will happen next. This builds critical thinking skills.
- Define new words using kid-friendly comparisons like “iridescent means shiny like a butterfly wing.” Making connections cements new vocabulary.
- Establish free time afterward to discuss stories. Conversational recall promotes comprehension and bonds with you.
- For wiggly kids, read while swinging or pacing to discharge excess energy. Singing songs also resets attention spans.
- Most importantly, share your delight! Laugh, gasp, and empathize together. Your modeling teaches kids to engage deeply with stories.
“The Legend of the Wishing Tree”
Maya gazed dreamily out the car window during her family’s drive through the countryside.
Winding over emerald hills,
they passed an especially twisted and ancient oak,
with branches like gnarled arms stretching to the sky.
“They say that’s the legendary Wishing Tree,” explained Grandpa Jay.
“It’s over 300 years old!”
Folks around here believe its magic.
If you make a wish under its branches on a full moon night while placing a coin in the knots of its trunk,
legend says your wish will come true!
Maya was captivated.
She closed her eyes and secretly made a wish to have an adventure as exciting as the Wishing Tree’s magical legend…
Later that night,
Maya couldn’t sleep as she read by flashlight about myths of enchanted forests.
The full moon outside her window seemed to glow invitingly as she flipped pages full of fairy folklore.
Impulsively,
Maya decided to sneak outside and make her wish under the light of the full moon at the Wishing Tree!
Maya tiptoed downstairs and bicycled under the starry sky back to where she spotted that twisted old oak earlier.
Only by the glow of the moon,
she found the trail leading to the magnificent Wishing Tree.
Its branches cast looming shadows as the wind whistled through its boughs.
Maya approached the trunk reverently and pulled out a shiny coin from her pocket.
“I wish to have an adventure in the enchanted forest with the fairy folk,” she proclaimed.
Pressing her coin into the bark’s gnarled knots,
Maya closed her eyes…
waiting for something magical to happen.
Suddenly,
a bright blue light began glowing from within the hollow of the old tree!
Maya peered inside the trunk to see a swirling portal of magical blue-green light!
Too shocked to hesitate,
Maya gathered her courage and stepped into the Wishing Tree’s magical glow.
Maya felt herself being swept up through mystical tree branches glowing like rainbows at midnight.
Stars and sparks twinkled around her as Maya floated into a moonbeam-lit forest with trees like skyscrapers.
Glowing flowers as big as trampolines dotted the grass.
“The fairy forest!” Maya gasped.
From the bushes and mushrooms popped dozens of three inch tall fairies with gossamer wings,
wearing flower petal dresses and twig crown helmets.
“Greetings adventurous human!” chimed the fairies in tinkling voices.
“We are the protectors of Silverwood Forest. What brings you to our realm?”
Maya could hardly believe it as she explained her trip to the Wishing Tree and desire for a fairy forest adventure.
The fairies smiled excitedly and soon Maya was riding deer through petal-strewn clearings,
gliding down rivers of glowing nectar and dancing under the stars with her new fairy friends late into the night!
As the first rays of dawn approached,
the fairies magically showed Maya the shortcut path back to the Wishing Tree’s portal.
“Come visit again!” they cried,
waving to Maya as she floated back through the trunk back home.
The next morning,
Maya’s parents didn’t believe her story of the fairy forest!
But when Maya showed them a gold acorn helmet gifted by Hazel the fairy elder,
their jaws dropped in awe.
From then on,
Maya’s family made many more trips to sit under the Wishing Tree’s branches on full moon nights,
hoping for their own magical adventures!
-The End-
Read our other stories: here . . .
