The Benefits of Fairy Tales for Children

The value of fairy tales goes beyond saying that they “teach children to be good.” Stories bring new words, plots, feelings, and questions.

Language and vocabulary

In fairy tales, children encounter words they may hear less often in everyday conversation, and they hear them in context.

Following a story

A child notices what happened, how a character responded, and what followed from that choice.

Talking about feelings

A character can make it easier to talk about fear, friendship, hurt feelings, or courage.

Room for imagination

Without a ready-made video, children picture the story’s world for themselves.

Time together

A fairy tale can become a small family ritual. It does not have to teach a lesson every time.