Sleeping Beauty: Aurora’s Slumber Party

Sleeping Beauty: Aurora's Slumber Party is a cosy bedtime story for 6 year olds about a princess who shows three fairies how to have fun without any magic.

What happens

Aurora and Prince Phillip are married and living happily at the castle. But she misses Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, the three fairies who brought her up in a cottage in the woods (they're like aunts to her).

So when Phillip has to go away for a couple of days, she invites them to a sleepover. The fairies turn up with their wands at the ready. Aurora has other ideas. Nightgowns on, and no magic!

What follows is a very recognisable sleepover. Triple-decker berry sandwiches, with a dollop of cream flying across the room. A talent show. A pillow fight that leaves feathers everywhere. Cinnamon rolls for the morning, and a story to finish the night.

The fairies find it harder than you'd think. As Fauna says, magic is their talent. Merryweather can't quite keep her hands off her wand, and the cinnamon roll dough ends up a teensy bit bigger than planned.

It's a short story that fits easily into one bedtime. There's lots of chatter to do in different voices, and it reads aloud nicely. Would it be a good one for the night before a real sleepover? Absolutely.

There's a gentle message tucked inside too. You don't need anything fancy to have fun with people you love. When the cream lands on her face, Aurora doesn't get cross. She giggles, and soon everyone's laughing.

Got a little one who's excited (or a bit nervous) about their first sleepover? This is a lovely way to talk about what you might get up to.

What to read next

If they like princesses who do things their own way, Cinderella: My Perfect Wedding is another short story. Cinderella wants a simple wedding, but the Fairy Godmother's magic keeps making everything far too big.