Free audiobooks for kids: Which are the best children's books available to listen to?
FREE ways to occupy children is definitely required at the moment given the schools are closed - so which are the best children's books to listen to?
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Children on their Easter holiday are always in need of something fun to occupy themselves with. This is even more the case at the moment, given we are all forced to stay inside. Books, and indeed audiobooks, can be a great way for children to escape into a world of their imagination.
READ MORE: Books to read during quarantine: Top 7 books to seek out in lockdown
Here are our picks of some of the best free audiobooks for children.
Alice in Wonderland
A children’s classic, Alice in Wonderland follows the young girl who falls down a rabbit hole and enters a magical world.
This is a perfect story for young children and older kids, and is read in a slow, chilled way which is perfect for bedtime or daytime.
The audiobook is available on Storynory for free.
Arnie the Doughnut
A young children’s book, the official synopsis for the book reads: “At first glance, Arnie looks like an average doughnut - round, cakey, with a hole in the middle, iced, and sprinkled… WRONG! Not if Arnie has anything to say about it.
“And, for a doughnut, he sure seems to have an awful lot to say. Arnie has bigger plans in store for himself!”
On Storyline Online, a website and YouTube channel launched by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, celebrities read famous and lesser-known children’s books, and Arnie the Doughnut is read by Chris O’Dowd.
The Wizard of Oz
Another children’s classic, kids can hear all about how Dorothy has to visit the Wizard so she can go home.
But along the way she meets some interesting characters – a lion, a tin man and a scarecrow.
The audiobook is available to hear on Storynory for free.
The Secret Garden
Having been adapted for TV and the big screen, The Secret Garden is favourite for children and adults alike.
The story follows a spoiled young girl forced to live with her reclusive uncle after her parents die in India.
Things change for her when she discovers a secret garden, locked by her uncle after the death of his wife.
This is also available to hear for free on StoryNory
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit may have become a slightly strange CGI rabbit of late, but the original children’s book is a true classic.
The mischievous young rabbit gets into plenty of scrapes along with his friends, often chased about the garden by Mr McGregor.
On Storyline Online, this is read by actress Rose Byrne.