The beloved elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha, is a favourite of the young and the old. For centuries, he has been worshipped all over India and other parts of the world.

Introduce kids to the wisdom, charm, and fun of Lord Ganesha through these 11 handpicked Ganesha Stories For Kids — all written in a child-friendly style, with animated videos and a free printable PDF to make storytime extra special!

For more Fantastic Ganesh Activities, make sure you check our collection of Ganesh Chaturthi Activity ideas for kids

Each story in the PDF (which you can download at the end of the post) is:

✅ Short and engaging (1 page long)
✅ Easy to read aloud or independently
✅ Packed with life lessons, humour, and magic

What You’ll Find in This Post:

• Short version and a video of 11 Ganesha Stories
• Related Lord Ganesha Activities for kids 
• Shop Ganesha Printables
• Download Ganesha stories in PDF format 

The Story of Lord Ganesha’s Birth

Goddess Parvati was often lonely at Mount Kailash while Lord Shiva was out performing his duties. One day, needing to take a bath, she had no one to guard her privacy.

To solve this issue, she created an effigy of turmeric paste and breathed life into it. This figure was Ganesha, the god of wisdom and success. He became loyal to the goddess and protected her from any intruders whenever Lord Shiva wasn’t around.

The Story of Ganesha’s Elephant Head

One day, Ganesha stopped Shiva from entering the home while Parvati was bathing. Shiva got angry and beheaded him.

Upon seeing this, Parvati became enraged and threatened to destroy the universe if Ganesha wasn’t brought back to life.

Shiva attached the head of the first creature he encountered, an elephant, to Ganesha’s body. This unique appearance made Ganesha instantly recognisable and a beloved deity.

The Story of Parvathi’s Wound

Ganesha had a very mischievous streak, and he often indulged in wild games of play that got him into trouble.

One day, he came across a cat and immediately began to taunt it, pulling its tail, throwing it onto the ground, and continuing to make it squeal with pain as he carried on his fun.

Little did Ganesha know that this was a form of Parvati.

When Ganesha returned home, he found Parvati lying on the floor, suffering from multiple wounds caused by his cruel behaviour towards her feline avatar. In an instant, Ganesha realised what he had done and felt ashamed for his careless actions.

The Story of Ganesha and Karthikeya

Ganesha and Karthikeya were playing one day when they received a special fruit. The first one to go around the world three times would get the fruit, so Karthikeya set off quickly on his peacock.

Ganesha, however, asked his parents for permission to revolve around them instead because he considered them as his universe, which is why Ganesha won the fruit.

 

The Story of Ganesha and his Single Tusk

Ganesha, the Hindu god of writing, agreed to write down the Mahabharata for Ved Vyas but only if he could do it in one go without any breaks.

When his quill broke, Ganesha simply used one of his tusks as a pen to continue writing.

 

The Story of How He Became the “Remover of Obstacles”

Ganesha was teased about his size while guarding heaven during Lord Vishnu’s wedding. Upset, he sent his mice to cause the gods’ chariot to get stuck.

The chariot moved only after someone invoked Ganesha’s name, making the gods realise their mistake and apologise. This shows Ganesha’s power and importance.

Ganesha and Vishnu’s Missing Conch Story

Lord Vishnu noticed his special conch was missing and used all his powers to find it. He discovered Ganesha blowing it from Mount Kailash.

Knowing Ganesha wouldn’t easily return it, Vishnu asked Lord Shiva for help. Shiva suggested performing a puja for Ganesha.

Vishnu conducted the puja with deep devotion, and Ganesha, pleased by the sincere worship, returned the conch to him.

Story of How Ganesha Became the ‘God of Beginnings’

When Shiva forgot to worship Ganesha before going into battle, he and his troops faced many problems. The group immediately stopped in its tracks, and Shiva set up a puja right there and invoked Ganesha’s blessing.

After performing elaborate rituals, they recommenced their journey with newfound power. His army successfully defeated the demons.

The Story of How River Kaveri Was Formed

The Story of Ganesha’s Vahana

Gajmukhasur, a powerful demon, sought to become invincible and asked Lord Shiva for a boon. Shiva granted his wish but warned against misuse.

Ignoring the warning, Gajmukhasur caused chaos and destruction. To stop him, Shiva called Ganesha, who transformed the demon into a tiny mouse.

Since then, Gajmukhasur has been Ganesha’s loyal mount.

The story of Ganesha and Kubera

Kuber, the wealth god, invited Lord Shiva and Parvati to show off his riches. Unbeknownst to him, Shiva sent Ganesha, who loved to eat, along for the visit.

Ganesha devoured all the food, leaving Kuber panicked. Kuber rushed to Shiva and Parvati for help, and Parvati gave him a tulsi leaf to calm Ganesha.

Kuber learned a lesson about humility and modesty.

Ganesha and The Moon

Ganesha had a huge appetite and was known to eat a lot. One day, after satisfying his hunger, his large stomach caused him to lose his balance and fall, after which the moon laughed at him.

Feeling embarrassed and insulted by this, Ganesha got so angry that he cursed the moon and made it invisible. However, soon the moon realised its mistake and pleaded for forgiveness from Ganesha in an attempt to bring back its lost glory. Ganesha then set a cycle where the moon appeared and disappeared every 15 days.

The Story of Why Ganesha Loves Modaks

Anusuya, the devoted wife of Sage Atri, warmly invited Parvati, Shiva, and young Ganesh to her home. She prepared a feast, starting with feeding Ganesh first.

Despite eating much, Ganesh remained hungry until Anusuya made a special sweet. After enjoying it, Ganesh was satisfied. Parvati then declared that this sweet, modak, should be offered to Ganesh in all pujas.

 

Ganesha tales are filled with adventure, humour, and valuable life lessons that will inspire and entertain children of all ages! From his heroic battles to his witty antics, Lord Ganesha’s stories have captivated the hearts of many kids.

Which story is your favourite?

Lord Ganesha Printables for kids 

Ganesh Chaturthi Colouring Pages – A set of 10 colouring pages featuring different Ganesh Chaturthi scenes, plus 2 description pages to help kids understand the meaning behind each scene.

Ganesh Chaturthi Mini Booklet – A simple printable booklet explaining what Ganesh Chaturthi is, when it is celebrated, and how people celebrate it. Perfect for early readers!

Lord Ganesha Cut-and-Paste Craft – Cut, paste, and create an adorable paper Lord Ganesha craft.

More Ganesha Activities for Kids

• Make a Leaf Ganesha
• Check out the Best book about Lord Ganesha for Kids
• Create a Paper Plate Ganesha Craft
• Download the Free Printable Ganesha Worksheets for kids

Love these Ganesh Chaturthi activities?
Get these + 25 more Indian Festival Printables in my complete Festivals of India Master Bundle. One download covers activities for Diwali, Holi, Janmashtami, Pongal, Dussehra and more. 

Download the Ganesha Stories for Kids PDF

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