The bedtime story that comes to you
About NightlyTale
We believe bedtime should be the calmest part of the day, not another thing to organise. So we built the bedtime story that comes to you.
Every evening, NightlyTale writes a brand-new, personalised bedtime story for your child, with them as the hero and their favourite animal along for the adventure, and sends it straight to your inbox. There is no app to open and no screen to manage. The story is simply there, ready when they are.
Why we started
I am a South African parent, and like most parents I know, I wanted bedtime to feel gentle. What I kept finding instead were apps: another login, another screen glowing at me while I tried to wind my child down, another thing to remember. I wanted a story that just arrived, ready and calm, so the only job left was to read it together.
So I made one. NightlyTale is the bedtime ritual I wished I had, and I would love for your family to make it yours.
— Wilhelm, founder of NightlyTale
Made for calm, sleepy endings
Not every story is a good bedtime story. A tale that is too exciting can wake a child up rather than settle them down. Every NightlyTale story is written to do the opposite: no scary turns, no cliffhangers, and always an ending that is soft, safe and sleepy. Each one is gently safety-checked before it ever reaches your child, so you can hand it over without a second thought.
Proudly South African, in English or Afrikaans
NightlyTale is built here, for families here. Your child can drift off to a story in English or in Afrikaans, in the language your family speaks at home. Afrikaans bedtime stories are close to our heart: keeping a mother tongue alive is one of the quiet, lovely things a bedtime story can do, night after night. It is a small piece of home in every story.
For families near and far
Bedtime is one of the hardest moments to share when you live apart. NightlyTale was made with those families in mind too. A grandparent can receive tonight's story by email, read it aloud in a quick voice note, and send a little piece of themselves to a grandchild across the country or across the world. No new app, no complicated setup. Just a small, deliberate act of love, arriving in time for bed.
How it works
Setting up takes a moment. You tell us your child's name, their age and their favourite animal, choose English or Afrikaans, and pick a bedtime. From there it runs itself.
Behind the scenes, a story is thoughtfully written for your child each night, guided by everything you have told us and gently checked for calm and safety before it lands in your inbox. The clever part stays out of sight. All you see is a fresh story, waiting.
Start tonight
Your first three nights are free, with no app to download and nothing to cancel if it is not for you.
Try 3 free nights