Stories are at the center of our homeschool, whether we are reading aloud, learning through living books, or going through a stack of picture books together. This year I decided to add classic English fairy tales to our Morning Time. It’s been such a fun addition to our mornings that brings all ages together. 

It’s hard not to wonder if fairy tales – with their magical creatures, perilous quests, and seemingly simple morals – are relevant or what we should be spending our time on when there are so many things I want my children to know. Fairy tales can be dark and intense, and sometimes feel far removed from modern life. What are children really getting from them?

Then we read “Tom Tit Tot,” the lesser-known cousin to “Rumplestiltskin.” This name-guessing tale ends with the girl outsmarting an imp, and I was surprised by my children’s reactions.

After our reading and narrations, I sent the kids outside. When I glanced out the window, they weren’t just playing; all four of them were in a full-on theatrical production. They were comparing the story to “Rumplestiltskin,” assigning roles, and acting out every scene. It was a clear sign that they were not just hearing the story, they were digesting it and analyzing it. They were truly invested in the ins and outs of the story, making it their own, all while working together. They were using rich language and acting out the story from memory.

That moment was all the reminder that I needed that rich stories – including fairy tales – are worth introducing to children. In this post, I’m sharing why fairy tales are so valuable for our children, along with a list of favorite fairy tales to read to kids.

In this blog post: 

• What are fairy tales, cautionary tales, and fables?
• Why you should read fairy tales in your homeschool
• Favorite fairy tales to read with children [Free booklist]
• Story-filled curriculum from Treehouse Schoolhouse

What are fairy tales, cautionary tales, and fables?

Fairy tales, cautionary tales, fables, myths, and folklore. What are all of these types of stories and why are they so important for children to read? The fairy tale genre of literature has always been a way for children to receive messages in a way they can understand and explore. As children learn through fairy tales, they are often learning about life, about good and evil, and about how choices can affect or even transform our lives. 

Types of children’s stories

As you begin to read fairy tales, you will encounter several types of stories. Each type serves a different purpose and offers different perspectives through a story.

• Fairy tales are stories that typically follow a simple narrative, beginning with a seemingly impossible problem that is solved through magical intervention, a quest, or cleverness. (Examples: Cinderella, The Little Mermaid)
• Cautionary tales are stories told to warn the listener of a specific danger. The story usually involves a protagonist who ignores a warning and suffers a negative consequence as a result. (Example: Little Red Riding Hood)
• Fables are short stories that teach a moral lesson, often using animals as the main characters with a moral stated at the end of the story. Unlike fairy tales, fables focus on human traits and behaviors through the actions of the animals. (Example: Aesop’s Fables)
• Myths are traditional stories that explain the origins of the world, natural phenomena, or human existence. They often feature gods, goddesses, and heroic figures. Myths are foundational to a culture’s beliefs and values, explaining why things are the way they are. (Examples: Greek myths)

Why you should read fairy tales in your homeschool

Benefits of reading fairy tales to children

Fairy tales are more than just fantasy stories about princesses and magical creatures; they are a powerful tool for moral and emotional development. 

At their core, fairy tales provide children with a clear, safe framework for understanding the truths and realities of the world. Fairy tales consistently reinforce the idea that good triumphs over evil, giving children a way to explore right and wrong through a story or through their imagination. Fairy tales present characters who encounter big challenges, and teach that ordinary people can overcome evil, often through brave and daring adventures or through their own wits and cleverness.

Fairy tales and cautionary tales present stories where actions, both good and bad, have clear and direct results. Little Red Riding Hood did not do as her grandmother instructed, and was eaten by the Big Bad Wolf. The story of Hansel and Gretel warns children about the dangers of wandering alone in the woods and taking offers from strangers. This simple cause-and-effect structure helps children understand how important personal responsibility is.

Fairy tales also give children a way to understand their inner world. These stories allow children to deal with difficult or unsettling issues in a nonthreatening way. The menacing wolf, the cruel stepmother, or the terrifying giant can all be metaphors for real-life fears and anxieties. By reading fairy tales to children, children can playfully work through their own feelings and problems, using the familiar characters and plots as a roadmap for their own emotional journeys.

Finally, there is also a connection between traditional fairy tales and Christian theology. Many fairy tales operate within a moral framework that mirrors Christian themes. Fairy tales often are telling a story based on the conflict of good versus evil, with a righteous hero fighting against an evil force. Many fairy tales include a true king who will one day return to save his people, mirroring the figures of a divine king and an eternal kingdom. Fairy tales often provide a retelling of spiritual truths, and prepare children to understand profound ideas about faith in a way that they can understand or figure out. Fairy tales with these values become a lens to evaluate and understand Christian truths.

Reading fairy tales aloud to children

Much like reading poetry to children, reading original fairy tales exposes children to new words, rhythms, and dialects, introducing them at times to entirely new worlds. In Honey for a Child’s Heart, Gladys Hunt writes: “These stories are certainly at their best when read aloud – especially fairy tales – because the lovely cadence of words and the economy of language make them a special experience.” While classic, unabridged fairy tales can be more challenging to read, the reading experience is one that pays off as children learn to pay attention to new words and styles of writing, and see how classic stories can come through unusual and at times difficult language. 

Benefits of abridged and unabridged versions

As you select fairy tales to read to children, you will notice there are sometimes many different versions to choose from. Unabridged versions present the original text as the author intended, retaining all of the rich, and sometimes dark, details, vocabulary, and complex plot points. They offer the full experience, complete with the original language, which can build vocabulary and expose children to a wider range of literary styles. Abridged versions, on the other hand, are edited and simplified for a younger audience. They often remove frightening elements, simplify complex language, and shorten the narrative to better suit a child’s attention span. While abridged tales can serve as a great introduction to a story’s basic plot and characters, they may also lose some of the depth, moral complexity, and emotional impact of the original. You will also find that many classic tales have been retold in updated, modern versions.

Both abridged and unabridged versions of stories can be useful, depending on your goal and the ages of your children. Unabridged versions include complex language and are truer to the original style. These versions may include surprising details or you may find that popular versions of the fairy tale may have left out dark or unsettling details. However, if your children are younger you may find the abridged versions are easier for your children to listen to because they are shorter and easier to understand. Both can be appropriate depending on your children’s ages and situation. 

Favorite fairy tales to read with children [Free booklist]

Here are some of my favorite fairy tales to read with children. You could add these into your book basket and occasionally introduce them to your children, or you could add in a curriculum that explores fairy tales in a more structured way, like Treehouse Story School: Preschool. Or, you could use a storybook collection to gradually work your way through. Once your children are familiar with the classic stories, try mixing in modern versions and asking what differences they notice or which story they like more.

Fairy tale picture books 

• The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone
• The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone
• The Three Bears by Paul Galdone
• The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone
• Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone
• The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse by Jan Brett 
• Little Red Riding Hood by Paul Galdone
• The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone
• Henny Penny by Paul Galdone
• Jack and the Beanstalk by Paul Galdone
• Cinderella by Marcia Brown
• Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

Story collections for children

• Aesop’s Fables for Children – Includes “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”
• A Year Full of Stories by Angela McAllister – Includes “The Frog Prince”
• Classic Fairy Tales by Scott Gustafson – Includes “Sleeping Beauty” and “Jack and the Beanstalk”
• Grimm’s Fairy Tales – Known for “Hansel and Gretel” and “Little Red Riding Hood”
• Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales (and illustrated) – Includes “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Little Mermaid”
• American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg
• Irish Fairy Tales by Philip Smith
• The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang – Includes “Cinderella” and “Rumplestiltskin”
• The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang – Includes “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Rapunzel”
• The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang – Includes “The Story of the Three Bears” and “The Three Little Pigs”
• The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang – Includes “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and “Thumbelina”
• The Pink Fairy Book by Andrew Lang – Includes “The Snow Queen” and “The Cunning Shoemaker”
• The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang – Includes “Fortunatus and His Purse”

Download the FREE Fairy Tales, Fables, and Folk Tales Booklist here.

View all of my favorite fairy tale books for children on Amazon

This year we are using CM Simple Studies: English Fairy Tales during Morning Time. We will study classic fairy tales with this curriculum that includes illustrations, coloring pages, and a correlating picture book list for each tale to encourage children to form personal connections to folklore and develop each child’s imagination.

Story-filled curriculum from Treehouse Schoolhouse

Treehouse Story School: Preschool

Looking for an intentional way to read to your toddler or preschooler? Treehouse Story School: Preschool is a gentle, literature-based preschool curriculum that invites children to learn through the themes in stories they love. Each week will focus on a picture book, inviting children into connection and learning through music and movement, play-based narration, alphabet and number play, motor skills, practical life development, crafts, and baking together.

Treehouse Book Studies

Read aloud with your children and dive deep into learning with Treehouse Book Studies. Treehouse Book Studies are digital download book studies of children’s literature for ages 5-13. Create lasting connections through rich stories while you study themes such as science, nature, geography, history, and language arts.

Treehouse Nature Study

Treehouse Nature Study is a year-long seasonal nature study curriculum designed with family-style learning in mind. It is a gentle guide meant to invite various ages to connect with each other and the world around them through living books, nature notebooking, hands-on projects, and beauty subjects such as poetry, picture study, and folk songs. Available in both Primary and Intermediate Years, Treehouse Nature Study will provide years of rich education for the whole family.

Will you read fairy tales to your children? Do you have any favorite fairy tales to read to kids? Share your thoughts in the comments below.