A bunch of animals laying side-by-side tucked under the covers and sleeping

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The Bedtime Parade

Name: The Bedtime Parade
Availability: InStock
Author: Wanderly

Can't get to sleep? Neither can these animals. Help the zoo animals get to bed on time by solving their bedtime problems or having them join one last hurrah.

SleepOur World

About This Story

What your child will experience

Your child becomes a zookeeper helping animals settle down for the night. They'll make choices about which animals to visit, how to soothe restless creatures, and whether to invite them on one last bedtime parade. The story unfolds in gentle rhyming couplets, mirroring the rhythm of a calming bedtime routine.

Why this approach helps

By helping others get ready for sleep, children practice bedtime skills without pressure. This play-based format lets them experiment with calming strategies—quiet voices, cozy routines, winding-down rituals—in a low-stakes, imaginative setting. Over time, this can build positive associations with bedtime and gentle awareness of what helps bodies and minds settle.

What to notice as a parent

Listen for which solutions your child chooses. Do they gravitate toward active parade options or quiet, soothing ones? Their choices may reflect how they're feeling about their own bedtime that night. If they repeatedly pick "one more thing" options, it might signal they need more wind-down time or reassurance. Use their answers as a springboard for gentle questions: "I noticed you helped the elephant with a lullaby—does that help you, too?"

Personalize This Story

Make this story truly special by adding these details:

✓What is your favorite animal?

Story Questions

Questions your child may be asked while creating this story:

Which animals should the main character start with?
What should the main character do to help?
Which animal should the main character visit next?

Loved by Families

Join thousands of happy families who've empowered their children with personalized, interactive stories.

“At first I thought it was one of those bedtime ploys to stay up later, but when the request came again first thing in the morning I realized it was just genuine excitement about Wanderly. My two kiddos - ages 7 and 8 - had a blast selecting their adventure pals (they have the cutest "pets" that go on the adventure with them) and choosing the direction of the story every step of the way. I turned up the reading level today and it was neat to see my son work through a few new words and stick with it because he was so excited about his story.”

— Taryn S

“My son couldn't put the story down!”

— Sebastian

“We've been using it every night for bedtime stories for our 3 year old.”

— Matt

“Ok, so I installed this yesterday, and I've already read 5 stories with my 4 year old. That's over an hours worth of time. Today he tried to negotiate to have me read 4 in a row... He's fully engaged, and takes his time over the choices - I think that and the funny moments in the stories are what have him hooked. He lost it when our cat (yes, you can include your pet in a story!) turned into a elephant. As a parent, it's whimsical and a welcome change from the regular books in rotation. I was initially unsure about using my phone to engage him during bedtime, but he entrallment quickly overcame that. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to others.”

— Simon

“It's been fantastic for creating and sharing our stories with beautiful art. What a great keepsake!”

— Shayla

“My dyslexic 4th grader struggles with reading and comprehension. She is finally excited to read using Wanderly!”

— Bill

“As an lifelong educator, I give this app an enthusiastic 5 stars+. With opportunity to choose and name characters, type of story and plot ... what could be more creative? What could be a more productive use of screen time? I love that this app was created and is carefully monitored by a Mom of young kids. She also happens to have technical/AI chops ... she was a Google Product Manager in their Education Products sector. The graphics are quite lovely, the story lines are fun and age-appropriate.”

— Helen

“I'm very impressed with the ease with which I was able to write a fun (and colorful) story. I wrote one for my grandchild and can't wait to share it with her.”

— Bill

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