First story free

Personalised audio stories · ages 2 to 10

Eight o'clock, and your child wants a story. Preferably a new one.

Tell me a story about

A made-up name works too — a real name is never required.

A forest clearing at dusk with a lantern and fireflies

Made for your child · Plays on any device · Servers in the EU · First story free

What Silbenwald is

A story your child is really part of

Not just their name — also their people, the things they love, and whatever matters this week. You choose age, theme, length and narrator. We invent the story fresh, every single time.

Twelve to twenty times

your child's name appears — pronounced correctly every time. Not just once at the start.

Eleven narrators

from the warm bedtime voice to the dry old man from the farm — all free to listen to beforehand.

Ten to forty minutes

to suit age and occasion — with wind-down music at the end if you like, so the story doesn't end in silence.

Your evening, made easy

1.Pick or invent

Choose a theme — and enter your child's name.

2.Listen right away

Play in the browser or download the MP3. The file is yours.

3.Onto the audio box

Works on all common audio boxes and players — guide included.

For your device

One file, plays anywhere

You always get the same MP3 — there's nothing to get wrong. Compatible with all common audio boxes, card players and MP3 devices.

And this is how the story reaches you
1

Listen instantly in the browser, no download

2

Download MP3 with chapters, cover art and guide

3

QR code from computer to phone, no typing

4

Link to pass on to grandma, dad, nursery

How to buy

One story — or a whole series

Pay once. Ends by itself. Nothing to cancel. Both options stay side by side, permanently. So you can decide, we also tell you what speaks against each.

No commitment

Single story

€4.90 per story

In favour
  • Name, age, theme, voice, character trait, hobbies
  • 10–40 minutes, with wind-down music
  • Fine-tuning at no extra cost
  • The file is yours to keep
Against
  • Each story stands alone — no memory
  • You enter the details again each time
Like a series

The Bedtime Ritual · twelve Fridays

€24.90 one-off · about €2 per episode

In favour
  • Up to six recurring characters
  • Episodes build on each other
  • We remember birthdays and past adventures
  • At the end of each arc, your child chooses what happens next
  • Can be paused · ends by itself
Against
  • Paid upfront for twelve weeks
  • Fixed rhythm rather than on demand

More rituals: the Weekend Ritual, the 21-night Sleep Course, the Holiday Season — and in winter, the Silbenwald Advent Calendar. · From the fifth story on, a ritual pays off.

Tell us what your child is like — we build the story around it

What is your child like?

A shy child gets a story in which they find their courage at the end. A wild one gets a story in which waiting pays off. No trait is a problem to be fixed.

And what they love

Plus a free-text field: “What's going on right now?” — one sentence is enough. The wobbly tooth, the new nursery, next week's holiday.

Only in the ritual

Who else should be in it?

Not just your child. The people who belong, too — with a name and a trait. Once they're in, they stay in.

+ Brother Jonas+ Grandma Ruth+ Grandpa Karl+ Fussel the dog+ Lea the friend

Mira · 5 · Grandma Ruth · Fussel the dog

“The badger still remembers how brave Mira was on the last adventure by the lake.”

We remember birthdays, holidays and past adventures — and bring them back, in passing, weeks later.

Balduin the badger — the forest companion who remembers
Why listening at all

Listening instead of screens

When you listen, the picture forms in your head. A video shows your child what the forest looks like. An audio story lets them build the forest themselves — with the colours, smells and sounds that exist only in their mind. That isn't a substitute activity, it's a different one: your child isn't the audience, they're the director.

It works in the dark. That's why listening is the only medium that suits falling asleep. A screen keeps you awake — a voice lets you go.

And it works alongside other things. While getting dressed, in the car, while drawing. A screen demands the eyes; a story keeps company with whatever is happening anyway.

And: every story is yours to keep as an MP3 — no forced streaming, no account for your child, no advertising.

Read more: Why listening

And when the story is over

Every story comes with a sheet — three questions, a colouring picture and an idea for telling it on. Free, as a PDF in your email and on the page you reach via your link.

Three questions

“Why didn't Mira cross the bridge at first?” — about this story, not in general.

A colouring picture

A scene from the story, in outline. To print out.

An idea

“Keep telling — what happens the next day?” or “Build the cave.”

What you get from us

Listen first. Always, free, no account.

The name is right. And if it isn't, we redo it for free.

Fine-tuning is included. No extra cost, as often as needed.

Pay once. Ends by itself, nothing to cancel.

The file is yours. Afterwards, too.

Hosted in the EU. All we need is a first name, an age and an email.

The first story is on us.

Wish for your first story — with a name, a theme and a favourite voice. Free, in exchange for an email address.

First story free

It's four minutes long. A full story runs ten to forty minutes depending on age — plus wind-down music, if you like.

For grandparents and godparents

Give a gift without knowing anything about the child

You buy, design a card and send a link or QR code. The parents do the rest — and the clock only starts when it's redeemed.

  1. 1Choose a story or a ritual
  2. 2Pay, with no details about the child
  3. 3Record a greeting that the family hears before the story
  4. 4Design the card, receive link and QR code
  5. 5You'll get a message when it's been redeemed
Create a gift

What we don't want to know

About your child
  • No photos, no surnames, no dates of birth
  • No account for your child, no advertising to children
  • And if you prefer: not even a real name
Where your data lives
  • Our own servers in the EU
  • No sharing with ad networks
  • Nothing is used for training

What it looks like at bedtime

Half a minute from real bedrooms: families hearing a personalised children's audio story with their own child as the main character for the first time. Not a script — this is footage from families who tried it.

What families say

Wir haben uns die Geschichte im Auto angehört und es hat unseren Kleinen sofort beruhigt. Eine tolle, ruhige und passgenaue Geschichte. Danke Euch!!! Ich komme wieder.
Liyan's family · 09/2026
Maxim und auch Emil beide Superhelden sind begeistert.
Maxim's family · 09/2026
Das war eine sehr schöne Urblaubsgeschichte danke 🙏
Katalea's family · 09/2026
Toootal süüüß und ich hab jetzt schon Pipi in den Augen. Was für eine tolle Idee :-)
Carlotta's family · 09/2026

Frequently asked questions

How often does the name appear?

Twelve to twenty times, depending on length — spread across the whole story, not just at the start.

What's the difference between a single story and a ritual?

A story is a film. A ritual is a series: recurring characters and episodes that build on each other.

How do I get out of a ritual?

You don't need to — it ends by itself. And if you go away, you can pause it.

How long can I download the file for?

The link stays valid. You can still download the story in two years' time.

How does the story get onto the audio box?

Download the MP3 and transfer it following the illustrated guide — under two minutes. There's a separate guide for every type of device.

For which ages?

From 2 to 10. Language, length and suspense are tuned precisely to the age group.

How are the stories made?

They're created with the support of generative technology and are editorially reviewed and approved before anyone hears them.

This is how our stories sound

We tell these stories every evening on our channel — illustrated, to read along and to listen to. Free, no sign-up. Your own story is made the same way, only with your child's name.

See all stories →