We’ve heard the adage many times: learning starts at home. There are many ways to teach children good values they can apply to their everyday lives and help them become kinder, wiser, and more well-rounded.
Aside from modeling good behavior, you can also read them moral stories they can enjoy. Perhaps you remember some stories you’ve heard as a child, which is a testament to the lasting impact of these fun tales.
Reading moral stories to kids also has many other benefits. You can widen their vocabulary, improve their listening skills, and help them enjoy reading. Plus, you can spend some quality time together!
Now, with so many stories to choose from, how can you determine which ones are worth retelling? Worry not, because we have you covered! In this article, we list the five best moral stories you can read to children.
What Are the Best Moral Stories You Can Read for Kids?
There are many moral stories you can read to children, and many of them are available online. Here, we listed down our top five choices of the most popular tales with great lessons:
- The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Courtesy of Tehmasip Khan
One shepherd boy watched over his sheep as they grazed on the grass every day. When he got bored of looking after the sheep, he decided to have some fun by playing a prank on the other villagers.
The boy shouted, “Wolf! Wolf!” The other villagers ran to help him chase the dangerous wolf away. But they learned that the boy was joking when they got there. The boy laughed at the other villagers, and they got mad at him for fooling them.
On the next day, the boy got bored, so he again shouted, “Wolf! Wolf!” And the villagers ran to help him again. They got angry at him when they realized he was lying again.
Another day came, and the shepherd boy saw a wolf about to hunt his sheep. The boy shouted, “Wolf! Wolf!” The villagers thought he was fooling them again, so no one came to help him.
The wolf stole the sheep, and the boy cried all the way home.
Moral of the Story
Lying and breaking people’s trust isn’t good. If you lie all the time, people may not believe you even if you are telling the truth.
- The Tortoise and the Hare
Courtesy of Ludvig Hedenborg
Once, there was a quick hare who always made fun of a tortoise for moving so slowly. The tortoise then challenged him to a race, and he agreed.
When it was time for them to race, the tortoise and the hare started running. The quick hare went a long way along the track, but he thought he would win too easily when he saw how slow the tortoise was. So, he decided to take a nap.
Even if he was slow, the tortoise kept going and going. The tortoise had already reached the finish line when the hare woke up. The hare lost the race and never made fun of the tortoise again.
Moral of the Story
This is one of the best moral stories for kids because it teaches multiple lessons. First, we should not be like the hare. He is proud and overconfident. Second, the tortoise’s actions teach the value of working hard and never giving up. Slow and steady wins the race.
- The Thirsty Crow
Courtesy of Valentin Petkov
There once was a crow who flew a long way into the forest. He was thirsty and began searching for water.
Finally, he found a big pot with water inside, but his beak was too short to drink. Still, he didn’t give up, so he looked around for pebbles.
One by one, he took the pebbles and put them in the big pot. The water began to rise to the brim. Then, the thirsty crow quickly drank the water from the jar.
Moral of the Story
This short story teaches us that if there’s a will, there’s a way. We may find solutions to our problems with creative thinking and hard work.
- The Ant and The Grasshopper
Courtesy of LucasVphotos
There once was an ant and a grasshopper. One summer, the little ant was working hard to look for food and take it back to his house. Meanwhile, the grasshopper just wanted to play, dance, and sing.
“Why don’t you just play and enjoy the fine weather?” the grasshopper said to the ant. The ant replied, “I have to save food for the winter.” The grasshopper didn’t care, and he just continued singing and dancing all summer long.
When winter finally came, there wasn’t enough food outside. Luckily, the ant stored a lot of food at home because he worked hard all summer. Meanwhile, the grasshopper was starving.
When the grasshopper asked for food, the ant gave him some. However, the grasshopper quickly got hungry again.
The grasshopper tried asking for food again, but the ant said, “Sorry, but I only have enough food for my family and me. We’ll also get hungry if I give you some more.”
And the grasshopper soon realized that he should’ve worked as hard as the ant instead of spending all his time playing around.
Moral of the Story
This moral story tells us to prepare for our future. We also must spend some time working on our goals instead of just doing things we enjoy. Moreover, the story teaches the value of saving up for our needs.
- The Ugly Duckling
Courtesy of YanceTAY
One lovely summer, a mother duck sat on her eggs and waited for them to hatch. One by one, they did, but one large egg remained. She sat and waited for it longer than the others. After a few days, it finally hatched!
She was surprised to see that a large, gray, ugly duckling had emerged from the egg. Because he was so ugly, his brothers and sisters were mean to him. This made the ugly duckling sad, and he ran away from home.
The duckling then saw a house where an old woman lived. She took him in with her two other animals: A hen and a cat. Once again, the animals were mean to him.
The ugly duckling felt sad and left the house. Then, he saw a pond with big, beautiful birds with long necks and majestic white feathers. He wanted to be like them.
When winter came, the duckling couldn’t swim on the frozen pond. A farmer saw the sad duckling, so he took him home and cared for him until the weather started to warm again.
When the duckling returned to the pond, he saw the beautiful birds again. He swam toward them with his head low because he was embarrassed about his appearance. But when he saw his reflection in the water, he was surprised!
He wasn’t an ugly gray duckling anymore. His feathers were white, and his neck was long. He was a swan all along!
The swans welcomed him and said he was the most beautiful of them all.
Moral of the Story
We shouldn’t judge people too soon or be mean to them because of their appearance. We are all beautiful in our ways.
Frequently Asked Questions on Best Moral Stories for Kids
What is a moral story?
A moral story is a tale that teaches essential life lessons. They may teach us how to act around other people, see the world differently, or be a better person.
What kind of stories do children enjoy?
Generally speaking, children enjoy stories with a sense of adventure, humor, mystery, and discovery. Stories about animals are also appealing to children.
Can kids learn from moral stories?
Kids can learn a lot from moral stories. They enjoy these tales, and they can hone their sense of imagination. Moreover, they can learn valuable lessons on treating other people and viewing the world in a new light.
How can reading to kids impact their development?
Reading various stories to children provides a lot of benefits. These activities can help with their listening skills, language development, vocabulary, attention span, imagination, and social intelligence.
