Is there a better way to expose your children to magical creatures, unbelievable stories, and whimsical universes that also teach them core life values than books? It might seem too good to be true, but there is something even better.
A free audiobook for kids is a beautiful way to keep them reading when they’re on the go, relaxing at home, and to help you keep them occupied for the sake of your sanity.
Audiobook subscriptions can be expensive, but there are plenty of free services and sites where you can download or listen for free! Below are just a few of these services to help you keep your kids happily reading, learning, and discovering.
Benefits of Getting a Free Audio Book for Kids
Books are like a door to new worlds and undiscovered facts. Kids should have unlimited access to physical and digital copies of books. It’s much harder to find a good, free audiobook for kids, but it’s not impossible.
Why should you bother with audiobooks at all? There are dozens of answers. Below are the most compelling.
- Allow struggling readers to access books in a stress-free environment
- Give kids with learning disabilities the opportunity to enjoy books
- Lets children read above their learning level
- Encourages active-listening skills
- Non-readers can gain exposure to stories
- Exposes kids to new genres they might usually pass up
- Introduces new vocabulary
- Helps with pronunciation and reading comprehension
- Bridges discussions of sensitive or difficult topics in an enjoyable way
Check Your Local Library
The first place you should check is your local library, especially if you already have a membership. Most libraries around the world provide a free audiobook service you can download to your devices. Overdrive, also known as Libby, offers free audiobooks as long as you have an account with your library.
The app allows you to request popular books and choose from a wide variety of available books. Make sure to supervise the use of the app, as it does not have parental settings. This library finder can help you locate the nearest library that uses Overdrive and Libby.
Spotify
Your favourite music streaming service just got better. You will have to create a free account, but once you do, you’ll have unlimited access to many titles for adults and kids. The books are all part of the public domain, which means you won’t find the newest titles, but classic favourites instead.
That doesn’t mean the titles are stale. Your children could listen to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz or all of the Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
If your kids aren’t in the mood for the classics, Spotify recently added a new section featuring poems and other spoken-word tales.
LibriVox
Much like Spotify, LibriVox has a vast library of audiobooks featuring thousands of titles within the public domain. You can enjoy a bit of nostalgia as you queue up stories you listened to or read as a child.
This app is even more remarkable in that volunteers read every audiobook. Everyone involved is deeply invested in ensuring children everywhere have access to quality books at their reading level.
You’ll find both fiction and non-fiction stories, many of which are on most schools’ recommended reading lists.
Storyline Online
Storyline Online is a fantastic resource if you’re looking for an excellent place to find children’s audiobooks plus something extra. This app was created by the Entertainment Industry Foundation and focuses on adding fun to reading.
Each audiobook comes with a downloadable activity that keeps kids engaged while they’re listening, and even after they finish the story. Many great audiobooks are narrated by celebrities such as Betty White, James Earl Jones, and Viola Davis.
The fun doesn’t stop there. If your kids miss the pictures they can generally interact with during storytime, there are options for that too! Videos are added frequently of celebrities reading each story aloud while showing off the books’ illustrations to help further immerse viewers in the story.
Loyal Books
Loyal Books is an easy-to-navigate website that allows you to download audiobooks and e-books for children, teens, and adults. You can filter by the most popular books on the site, by genre, and even by language.
While you won’t find the most current titles, you’ll always be able to find something all of your kids will enjoy listening to.
Best of all, you don’t even need to sign up for an account. Just choose your title and scroll to your listening options below the book’s description to decide how you’d like to listen. Choose to stream directly on the website or download it onto your device.
Which Free Audio Book for Kids Will You Choose First?
It can be hard to know where to start when looking for free audiobooks for kids. Navigating hidden fees and other annoyances should never be an obstacle you have to overcome, especially when picking an excellent story for your kids.
We hope the above options take the stress out of finding good audiobooks for your children. Which option will you be trying first? Let us know in the comments below!
If your child is having trouble reading, you could use our online Dyslexia Screening to check if your child might have dyslexia. The screening takes only 10-minutes and requires no prior training to administer. Our technology is backed by research and evidence.