Panchatantra Stories for Kids

This subcategory brings together Panchatantra stories with animals, choices and lessons that children can talk about after reading. Choose a single tale from the topic links, or browse the collection and select a story that matches your child's interest. The pages include The Monkey and the Crocodile, The Lion and the Rabbit, The Tortoise and the Geese, The Blue Jackal, The Brahmin and the Mongoose, The Crow and the Snake, and The Foolish Lion. Each story can lead to a short conversation about friendship, clever thinking, honesty, trust or the result of a poor choice.

For children aged 4 to 6, read one story aloud and pause to name the animals, put events in order and ask what may happen next. The Monkey and the Crocodile or The Lion and the Rabbit can work well for a short first reading. Children aged 7 to 9 can retell the plot, explain a character's decision and draw a beginning, middle and end. For ages 10 to 12, try The Blue Jackal, The Brahmin and the Mongoose or The Foolish Lion, then ask your child to compare the characters' choices and write a different ending.

Read the story aloud at bedtime, during a quiet afternoon or as a short class reading activity. After reading, ask your child to name the problem, the solution and the lesson in their own words. In a classroom, pair children to retell one scene, make a three-part story map or act out the conversation between two animals. At home, your child can draw a favourite scene, write two sentences about a character or tell the story to a younger sibling. Keep the activity short and let children refer back to the page while they speak or write.

Open a story topic and use the download option on its page. Most printables on EarlyActivity are free, but downloading needs a free account. A free account can download up to 20 printables a day. The files are PDFs sized for A4 and US Letter paper. Select your paper size, choose Actual size or 100% in the printer settings, and check the preview before printing. Print for use at home or in your own classroom. Sharing or reselling the files is not allowed.