Teddy Bear Bedtime Stories
For a lot of children, the teddy bear is the one who stays when the grown-up leaves the room. A teddy bear bedtime story gives that job a name. The bear is on duty, keeping watch, so the child doesn’t have to, which can be a real comfort for a child who finds the end of bedtime hard.
Here is a complete teddy bear story to read aloud tonight, free. If your child has a real teddy or soft toy, you can make one where it is the hero alongside them in about thirty seconds.
Ollie and the Night Watch Bear
A free story to read aloud tonight
Ollie’s bear was called Mister Buttons, because of his eyes. He was old, and a bit flat on one side from being slept on, and one of his ears had been sewn back on by Grandma, twice.
In the daytime, Mister Buttons didn’t do much. He sat on the bed. He came to the store sometimes. But at night, Mister Buttons had a very important job.
Ollie had decided, because Ollie knew him best, that Mister Buttons was the Night Watch Bear. When Ollie went to sleep, Mister Buttons stayed awake, and kept watch.
He watched the door, to make sure it stayed a little bit open. He watched the nightlight, to make sure it stayed on. He watched the window, where the moon came up, and told the moon, quietly, that everything was fine in here.
And if Ollie woke up in the night, he only had to reach out and find Mister Buttons, and feel his flat side and his sewn-on ear, and know that someone had been keeping watch the whole time.
So Ollie put Mister Buttons on the pillow, facing the door. “You’re on duty,” he said. Then he closed his eyes, because somebody else was watching now, and he fell asleep.
Can the story include my child’s own teddy?
Yes. Starting from this page, a teddy bear is already typed in. Change it to your child’s own bear or soft toy and its name, and the story stars both of them.
My child can’t sleep without their teddy. Is that okay?
Yes. Comfort objects are very common and help many children feel safe at night. If the teddy ever goes missing, there is a separate story on this site about a lost toy.