Play Five Children and It — an interactive story where YOU are the hero

after the classic by E. Nesbit, 1902

Dig in the gravel pit and unearth the Psammead — a grumpy sand-fairy that grants one wish a day, always with a catch, always undone at sunset. Play the children and learn the hard, funny way that getting exactly what you asked for is the whole problem.

A moment from one playthrough

You wished to be 'as beautiful as the day' and now not even the servants know you — the door's barred against strangers and the baby's crying for a family that doesn't recognize its own children. Sunset, when the wish breaks, is hours away. Try to prove who you are, or hide in the barn and simply wait it out?

Play Five Children and It now →

Start free — 10 diamonds when you confirm your email. No subscription; narrated aloud; plays in 26 languages.

The Somni Tales reader: an open book with two pages of a story, an ink illustration, and a “write what you do” bar below.

Live Five Children and It, don't just read it

In this interactive telling of Five Children and It, you don't read about the hero — you are the hero. The Storyteller keeps E. Nesbit's world true to the original — its characters, its places, its mood, all held as canon — then narrates every scene aloud and draws the moment you're in as an ink illustration. You type or speak what you do next, and the world answers: it remembers the promises you made, the things you took, and the people you crossed. Follow E. Nesbit's plot faithfully, or step off it and watch a brand-new version of Five Children and It unfold — one that still reaches a real ending.

How it works

The Storyteller holds the world of the book as canon — its characters, places and mood — and opens with you as the hero.
Type or speak anything: the world reacts, remembers, and stays true to the original's spirit.
Every playthrough is a brand-new story. Follow the plot — or break it and see what happens.

Common questions about playing Five Children and It

Is Five Children and It free to play on Somni Tales?

You get 10 diamonds free when you confirm your email — enough to open Five Children and It and step into the first scenes. After that, diamonds cost from $5 with no subscription, and unused diamonds are refundable within 14 days.

Do I have to follow E. Nesbit's original plot?

No. The Storyteller holds Five Children and It as canon so its world, characters and mood stay true — but your choices write a brand-new telling. Follow the classic beats, or break from them and see where the story goes.

Can I play Five Children and It aloud and in my own language?

Yes — every scene is narrated aloud word by word, and Five Children and It plays in 26 languages. Change the language, voice and reading speed any time from the reader's Settings.