Traditional Tales & Fairy Tales: What are the benefits in the EYFS?

Posted by EYR Team on 7th Jul 2025

Traditional tales and fairy tales have been used to support literacy development in the Early Years Foundation Stages (EYFS) for many years. Sometimes referred to as folk tales, these short stories have often been passed down through generations and tend to feature fantasy characters and an underlying moral message. In this blog we explore the positive impacts that these stories can have on development, as well as the potential negatives of using fairy tales and traditional tales within the EYFS.

What are the benefits of fairy tales in the EYFS?

Imagination & Creativity: fairy tales introduce children to a whole new world of fantasy and magic, allowing them to explore new realms of their imagination and encourages them to get creative with their own story telling and role play.
Emotional development: the underlying moral messages embedded within common fairy tales can be used to teach young children key lessons about empathy and kindness, for example they can teach children not to judge someone because of how they look.
Language development: fairy tales expose children to words they may not have heard of before, thus enhancing their vocabulary and variety of speech.

What are the negatives of fairy tales in the EYFS?

Reinforce harmful stereotypes: this includes stereotypes of the “wicked” stepmother as well as gender stereotypes, as most women in traditional fairy tales are described as pretty and helpless, waiting to be rescued by the handsome man. These portrayals can negatively influence children’s perceptions of people and reinforce outdated gender roles.
Set unrealistic expectations: fairy tales quite often promote false ideals about the way situations occur and how the world works. This is due to their typical “happily ever after” conclusions that set children up to believe everything goes right in the end.
Negative portrayals: fairy tales often feature characters like “ugly sisters” who are portrayed as the bad people. This can set children up to believe attractive people are “good” and unattractive are “bad” instead of allowing children more context to decipher what makes them good or bad based on behaviour and actions.

How can Fairy Tales be used to teach children effectively?

Fairy tales can still be used as a powerful educational tool in the EYFS when used with consideration…

Consider alternatives

Many fairy tales have been “retold” to feature diverse characters with amended storylines. This means your little ones can still experience the magic that fairy tales offer, in a more positive way. As well as the adapted versions, there are plenty of “new” fairy tales that you can consider for your book shelves.

Adopt a balance

As well as alternatives, the traditional fairy tales can still be used effectively to prompt discussions into gender roles or even be used to encourage children to assess what makes someone “good” or “bad”.

Pairing your selection of traditional fairy tales with modern or diverse stories is a great way to introduce a balance into your setting and will offer children a variety of perspectives with which to look at the world around them.

Do your own assessment

Finally, it is important to assess your reading material yourself. Next time you pick up a fairy tale, traditional tale or any story book for your little ones, consider some of the following:

Could the language used be perceived as discriminatory
Are the images and characters inclusive?
Are there positive role models being portrayed?
What is the lesson you are trying to teach with this book?
How can the story be used to promote thinking or development?

In conclusion, there are many benefits AND negatives to using fairy tales within storytelling in the EYFS. It is important to be aware and consider the material you are introducing to children so that each story supports development in some way that will serve your little ones in later life.