Scary stories for kids! A collection of short, slightly chilling story ideas
Have you ever found yourself wanting to read scary stories to your child but wanting to avoid anything too intense? A little shiver while still being fun—that level of spookiness is just right, isn’t it? In this article, we’ll introduce scary stories that are perfect for kids.
We’ve gathered a wide range, from tales that send a chill down your spine to ones with punchlines that will make you chuckle.
They’re great for sleepovers and nighttime fun at camp, so be sure to check them out!
- Scary stories that even elementary schoolers can enjoy! Short tales that still send a chill down your spine
- Scary stories about school! A collection of ideas you'll want to share with someone
- [Horror] Scary stories you can tell in one minute. A chilling collection of short horror tales.
- A story that becomes scary once you understand it. A gradually spine-chilling tale.
- [Trauma-Level] Scary Stories from Japanese Folklore: A Collection of Spine-Chilling Episodes
- For trivia-loving kids! A recommended collection of scary trivia and fun fact quiz questions
- A collection of shocking episodes from “True Scary Stories.” Chilling masterpieces that will freeze your spine.
- Recommended riddles for elementary school students. A collection of kid-friendly riddles.
- Picture Books to Read in Winter: A Collection of Story Ideas That Resonate with Elementary School Children
- [For Kids] A Collection of Easy and Fun Psychology Tests
- Recommended for elementary school students! A collection of classic play ideas that will excite upper graders too
- [Children's Association] A Collection of Fun Entertainment and Activity Ideas
- [For Elementary Students] Pranks and Fun Tricks You Can Do at School
Scary Stories for Kids! A Collection of Short, Slightly Spooky Story Ideas (11–20)
After-School Clown
A clown with thick white makeup, sharply defined brows and eye lines, and strikingly red, oversized lips and nose gives off an eerie vibe because it’s so hard to read its expression, doesn’t it? Here’s a scary story about such a clown.
One day after school, a boy is walking down the street when he runs into a clown.
When he asks, “Do something fun,” the clown reaches out and pulls a balloon from inside the boy’s head.
With a snap of the clown’s fingers, the balloon sparkles with a loud bang like fireworks and bursts.
Again and again, the clown pulls balloons from the boy’s head—bang!—and they pop.
Finally, the clown says, “The reason these balloons shine is because your dreams are inside them.” And it ends with the line: “Another balloon was gone.” Gives you the chills, doesn’t it?
Fear of gaps! The gap woman
When you’re alone in your room—especially at night—have you ever heard sounds from the dark gaps around a door, or felt like something was watching you? At times like that, it might be the likes of the “gap woman,” “gap ghost,” or “gap sprite” observing you.
Thinking of it that way, yokai feel like beings that live in the corners of the human heart—our anxieties, fears, expectations, and so on.
And when you think of them like that, don’t they start to feel deeply human—and even a little lovable?
faceless ghost (Noppera-bō)
The noppera-bō is a yokai that looks human in appearance but has nothing on its face, smooth like a boiled egg.
Some believe it’s actually a transformed tanuki or fox, but the terror of thinking you’re looking at a person only to find they aren’t human is considerable for anyone who encounters one.
This legend of a faceless ghost has been found across Japan since long ago, and although it is said to do no harm beyond frightening people, the mere absence of the face you expected to see feels quite terrifying in itself, doesn’t it?
The boy who blames others
The Boy of Blame is a yokai filled with lessons.
He gently guides those who keep blaming others and refuse to face their own flaws and mistakes, helping them turn inward, face themselves, and grow.
And by the time that person has grown, the boy is gone.
This yokai could be called the conscience within oneself, and perhaps a small bit of courage is what brings him to you.
I hope those who fear failure and can’t help but want to blame others will meet him.
My name is Chucky.
The doll Chucky from the 1988 horror film Child’s Play is a doll possessed by a serial killer who, after being gravely wounded, transfers his soul into a doll he finds in a toy store.
The tragedy begins when that doll is given as a present to an unsuspecting boy.
As more people grow up without knowing about Chucky, you might think it’s just a cute doll and buy it—only to find yourself dragged into a world of terror.
Be careful when you go to the toy store.
A man-eating ghost that comes out of the TV!
Ever since the advent of television, I imagine there have been many children who get glued to videos.
In such an era, you sometimes see scenes where a scary ghost comes out of the TV.
Sadako, for example, is one of those.
Often, the screen turns to static before the ghost appears, and perhaps there’s a moral lesson there about not staying up late watching TV.
It might also be that the unease in our hearts—wondering if it’s really okay to keep doing this—ends up summoning the ghost.
Scary stories for kids! A collection of short, slightly chilling story ideas (21–30)
The Terror of the Bridge Worm
This yokai is a relatively new one created by Canadian artist Trevor Henderson, and it’s said to lurk beneath long highway bridges.
It’s true that the undersides of highway bridges feel sterile and eerie, as if something unsettling could be hiding there.
It has a long, white, caterpillar-like body, and it may attack people who get too close.
Yokai born from human imagination like this are fascinating in many ways, and they make you want to keep an eye out even when you’re driving on the highway.