Kids love a good fright, but finding short scary stories for kids that won’t result in a sleepless night is a challenge. You want just enough spookiness to be fun, without the nightmares.
We have rounded up the best scary stories for kids, ranging from silly urban legends to genuine spine-tinglers. We also added age recommendations to help you pick the right tale for your audience.
Murderer On The Loose
This classic urban legend is perfect for sleepovers. It relies on suspense rather than gore, making it a great entry-level scary story.
Best For: Ages 8 and up.
A man was lying in bed one evening when he heard sirens wailing in the streets outside. A helicopter flew overhead, accompanied by the distant sounds of barking dogs and shouting officers.
He looked out his window and saw police cars flashing blue lights, so he grabbed his phone to check the news. The headline made his blood run cold: “Serial Killer Escapes!” The report said a crazed killer had broken out of the local asylum and was believed to be hiding in the man’s neighborhood.
The man was worried, but he double-checked his locks and tried to relax. As the night wore on, the noise outside faded, and he eventually drifted off to sleep.
Suddenly, he was startled awake. He thought he heard a scratching sound. He listened carefully in the dark and was just about to close his eyes when he heard it again.
Scritch. Scratch.
This time, he was sure someone was trying to pick the lock on his front door. The man looked down the hallway, paralyzed with fear.
The only way out of his room, without going into the hallway, was through the window. But could he climb out without being seen?
His mind was made up when he saw the bedroom door knob slowly turn. The door wobbled in its frame as someone threw their weight against it.
Without hesitating, the man leaped out of his window and sprinted into his yard. He paused to look over his shoulder, just in time to see the light go on in his bedroom. A team of police officers piled into the room, guns drawn.
The man was relieved. He started to walk toward them to thank them.
That was until a hand clamped tight over his mouth and he felt the cold steel of the serial killer’s knife against his throat. The killer had been in the room with him the entire time.
The Hitchhiker
This is an “all-rounder” ghost story that works for almost any setting. It is spooky without being violent, making it a safe bet for a mixed group of kids.
Best For: Campfires and car rides.
A man moved to a small town and slowly got to know his neighbors. He learned that most residents believed one of the roads out of town was haunted. He didn’t believe in ghosts, so he laughed it off.
One day, the man went to visit a friend in the next city. He stayed later than planned, and by the time he left for home, it was past midnight.
There was no moon that night. Once he left the town limits, the only light came from his high beams cutting through the darkness. Soon, rain began to fall, making it nearly impossible to see.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in his headlights. The man slammed on his brakes, his car swerving on the wet asphalt before coming to a stop just inches from a young woman.
Usually, he would be cautious about strangers, but the weather was terrible. He rolled down the window and offered her a ride. She nodded silently, climbed into the passenger seat, and took off her wet hoodie to warm her hands by the heater vents.
She was very quiet. When they reached town, she pointed to a small white house. The man pulled over, and she thanked him softly before running inside.
When the man got home, he realized she had left her gray hoodie in his car. He was too tired to drive back, so he decided to return it the next day.
The following morning, he drove to the white house and rang the bell. An older woman answered. He held up the gray hoodie.
“I gave your daughter a ride home last night,” he explained. “She left this in my car.”
The woman stared at the hoodie and began to cry.
“My daughter was killed by a hit-and-run driver ten years ago,” she whispered. “It happened on that dark road into town. She was wearing a hoodie just like this one when she died.”
The Thirteenth Floor
This urban legend explains why many hotels and buildings “skip” the 13th floor. It is a fun way to spook kids next time you get on an elevator.
Best For: Ages 7 and up.
The first hotel in the city to have more than thirteen floors threw a massive Halloween party to celebrate its grand opening.
Every floor was set up like a maze, decorated with fake cobwebs and skeletons. Actors dressed as ghouls jumped out to frighten the guests. The owners hid a grand prize on the top floor; the first person to find it would win a million dollars.
Two teenagers, Jack and Sophia, were determined to win. They raced through the mazes on the lower floors, laughing at the fake ghosts. But as they climbed higher, the hallways became darker and the air grew colder.
When they reached the twelfth floor, they heard a scream that sounded a little too real. They brushed it off and ran toward the elevators to get to the next level.
The elevator dinged. The doors opened slowly with a grinding metal sound. The light inside flickered as they stepped in. Jack pressed the button for the 13th floor.
As the doors closed, the lights went out completely.
A scream rang out, so loud that people in the lobby heard it. The building owners, thinking a prank had gone wrong, turned on all the lights and ordered everyone to evacuate.
Guests flooded down the stairs. The owners did a headcount and realized Jack and Sophia were missing.
They tried to call the elevator, but it wouldn’t move. The digital display was stuck on “13.” Finally, with a loud ding, the elevator began to descend.
The doors opened in the lobby. The car was empty, except for Jack’s watch and one of Sophia’s shoes sitting in a pool of fresh blood.
Jack and Sophia were never seen again. The hotel owners removed the button for the thirteenth floor, hoping that if no one could go there, no one else would disappear.
Clap Once For Yes
This story is interactive. To make it truly terrifying, have someone else hide in the bushes and clap at the right moment, or just clap your own hands loudly for the final line.
Best For: Camping trips in the woods.
A family was camping deep in the woods. They went for a day hike, but a sudden storm blew in, disorienting them. Wind and rain lashed at their faces, and soon, they lost the trail.
Night fell heavy and black. Being experienced hikers, they knew it was safer to stay put than to wander in the dark. They built a small fire and huddled together for warmth.
Just as they started to doze off, they heard a snap in the trees.
“Who’s there?” the dad called out.
Silence.
Then, they heard it again. A heavy footstep crunching on dry leaves.
“Maybe it’s a ranger,” the daughter whispered. Her mom nodded and shouted into the darkness, “Is anyone there? Clap once for yes, twice for no.”
CLAP.
The sound was sharp and loud.
“Thank goodness,” the mom said. “Are you here to rescue us?”
CLAP. CLAP.
The family froze.
“Are… are you lost like us?” the dad asked.
CLAP. CLAP.
“Do you live in these woods?”
CLAP.
The son decided to try. “Are you a man?”
CLAP. CLAP.
“Are you a woman?”
CLAP. CLAP.
They looked at each other, confused. The son nervously laughed. “Are you human?”
CLAP. CLAP.
The fire seemed to dim. The air grew icy cold.
“Are you alone?” the mom whispered, her voice trembling.
CLAP. CLAP.
The family huddled closer, staring into the black trees.
“How many of you are there?”
CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP…
The clapping didn’t stop. It came from every direction, surrounding them in the darkness.
Hide-And-Seek
This creepy story plays on the fear of dark closets. It is suitable for younger kids, but you might want to check the wardrobe for monsters before bedtime!
Best For: Rainy days indoors.
Two sisters were staying at their grandparents’ large, old house for the summer. For weeks, it did nothing but rain, trapping them inside. Bored out of their minds, they decided to play hide-and-seek.
The older sister covered her eyes and began to count. “One, two, three…”
The younger sister scrambled upstairs. She tried the bedroom doors, but they were too obvious. Finally, she ran into the spare room, the one their grandparents told them to avoid because it was “drafty.”
In the corner stood a massive, antique wardrobe carved from dark wood. It was perfect. She slipped inside and pulled the door almost shut, leaving a tiny crack to see through.
Downstairs, the older sister shouted, “Ready or not, here I come!”
The younger sister giggled silently. She heard footsteps creaking on the stairs. The older sister checked the bathroom, the bedrooms, and the linen closet.
Finally, the footsteps stopped right outside the spare room. The doorknob turned slowly.
The younger sister held her breath. She expected her sister to yank the wardrobe door open and shout, “Found you!”
But the wardrobe door didn’t move. Instead, she felt a puff of cold air on the back of her neck.
She froze. The wardrobe was shallow; there wasn’t room for anyone else behind her.
Slowly, an icy, pale hand reached over her shoulder from the darkness behind her. Long, cold fingers wrapped around her wrist.
She tried to scream, but the hand clamped over her mouth.
Outside, the older sister sighed. “I give up! You win! Come out!”
She waited, but the house was silent. She walked into the spare room and saw the wardrobe door hanging wide open.
It was empty.
Daddy’s Home
Warning: This story is more graphic than the others. It features a frightening visual that may be too intense for sensitive children. Proceed with caution.
Best For: Kids aged 10+ who love a jump scare.
A boy lived with his father in a house surrounded by tall hedges. One week, the father had to go on a business trip, leaving the boy home alone for the first time.
“Keep the doors locked,” his dad said. “I’ll be back tomorrow night.”
The first night passed without issue. But the next day, a storm knocked out the power lines. The boy’s phone battery died, and he couldn’t find a charger.
By midnight, the house was pitch black. The boy was sitting in the living room by candlelight when he heard a heavy knock at the front door.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
He was a smart kid; he didn’t open the door for strangers. He crept to the peephole and looked through.
It was dark, but he could see a familiar face. It was his dad, staring straight ahead at the door.
“Dad?” the boy called out. “Did you forget your keys?”
No answer. Just the knocking.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
“Dad, stop joking around. Say something!”
The face didn’t move. The expression was blank, eyes wide and unblinking. The knocking sped up.
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
The boy felt a knot of fear in his stomach. Why wasn’t he answering? Why was he knocking with his head?
The knocking stopped abruptly. The silence was worse than the noise.
Trembling, the boy looked through the peephole one last time. His dad was still there. The boy unlocked the deadbolt and slowly opened the door.
His scream echoed through the neighborhood.
His dad’s severed head was taped to the peephole. On the porch floor lay a message written in red: “Clever boy. You didn’t open the door.”
The Demon Hello Kitty
This is a popular internet legend (creepypasta). While obviously not true, it adds a layer of spooky lore to a cute character kids see every day.
Best For: Kids who love urban legends.
Have you ever noticed that Hello Kitty doesn’t have a mouth? There is a creepy legend that explains why.
Years ago, the woman who created the character had a daughter with a terrible illness affecting her mouth. Doctors said there was no cure and that she wouldn’t survive the winter.
Desperate to save her child, the mother turned to dark magic. She made a deal with a demon. The demon promised to spare the girl’s life, but only if the mother created a character that would be loved by children all over the world, serving as a portal for the demon to watch them.
The mother agreed. Her daughter miraculously recovered, but she had lost her ability to speak.
In return, the mother designed a cute white cat. She gave it no mouth to represent her daughter’s silence. She gave it pointy ears to represent the demon’s horns.
Legend says that “Kitty” is an ancient word for “Demon” in a lost language. So, having a doll in your room invites the spirit to watch you while you sleep.
Next time you look at the doll, check its eyes. Sometimes, they say, it blinks.
Guard Dog
Often known as “Humans Can Lick Too,” this story plays on the comfort we get from our pets. It’s a great cautionary tale for kids who beg to stay home alone.
Best For: Ages 10 and up.
A girl was left home alone for the night. Her parents told her to lock all the windows, but she wasn’t scared. She had her big, faithful dog to protect her.
Before bed, she locked the doors and checked the windows. Everything was secure. She climbed into bed, and her dog curled up on the rug beside her.
In the middle of the night, she woke up to the sound of a dripping tap in the bathroom. Drip. Drip. Drip.
It was annoying, but she was too scared to walk down the dark hallway to fix it. To comfort herself, she hung her hand off the side of the bed. She felt a warm, wet tongue lick her hand.
“Good boy,” she whispered, and fell back asleep.
Later, she woke up again. Drip. Drip. Drip.
She reached her hand down again. Lick. Lick. Lick. The dog was right there. Reassured, she slept.
The third time she woke up, the dripping was faster. She decided she had to turn it off. She scrambled out of bed and walked to the bathroom, flicking on the light.
She screamed.
Her dog was hanging from the shower curtain rod, dead. The sound wasn’t water; it was his blood dripping onto the tiles.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
She backed away in horror and saw something written on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick:
“HUMANS CAN LICK TOO.”
Cameras Don’t Lie
Technology makes for great ghost stories. Use your phone to snap a picture of the room after telling this one to get a guaranteed scream.
Best For: Tech-savvy kids.
A teenage girl was babysitting for a new family. They had recently adopted a young niece who had lost her parents in a car accident.
“She’s very quiet,” the uncle warned. “She has an active imagination.”
That night, the little girl wouldn’t go to sleep. She came downstairs, clutching a teddy bear. “I can’t sleep,” she whispered. “The monster that hurt my mommy and daddy is in my room.”
The babysitter felt sorry for her. “There’s no monster, sweetie. But you can sit with me for a bit.”
The little girl saw the babysitter’s smartphone and asked to take pictures. For the next hour, she wandered around the living room snapping photos of her teddy bear and the empty corners of the room.
Eventually, she fell asleep on the couch. The babysitter carried her up to bed and returned to the living room.
Bored, she picked up her phone to delete the random blurry photos the child had taken.
She swiped through the first few: just the floor and the teddy bear.
Then she swiped to a selfie the little girl had taken. In the photo, the girl was smiling sadly. But right behind her, hovering over her shoulder, was a blurred face with glowing red eyes and razor-sharp teeth.
The babysitter swiped to the next photo. The monster was closer.
She swiped again. In this one, the monster wasn’t looking at the girl. It was looking directly at the camera.
The Sleepover
This story works best when told in the first person (“I”). Pretend it happened to you to make it extra believable.
Best For: Sleepovers (obviously!).
When I was a kid, there was a burned-out house at the end of our street. Legend had it that a family died there because the youngest boy played with matches and accidentally set his bed on fire. He was too scared to scream, so the fire spread before anyone woke up.
One night, during a sleepover, my friends and I dared each other to go inside.
We crept through the charred front door. The air smelled like old smoke and ash. There was no wind, yet the piles of ash on the floor swirled into shapes.
Suddenly, we heard it. A soft weeping coming from the corner.
“Help me,” a voice whispered. “It’s hot.”
We panicked. We turned to run, but the ash swirled higher, forming gray hands that grasped at our ankles. We sprinted out of the house, terrified, and didn’t stop until we were safe in my living room with the doors locked.
We were exhausted and eventually fell asleep in our sleeping bags.
The next morning, we laughed about it. “It was just our imagination,” my friend said. “The wind made the noise.”
We decided to go back in the daylight to prove there was nothing to be scared of.
We walked up to the house. When we reached the front door, we stopped dead.
My front door was white. But there, right at the bottom, was a perfect set of small, black handprints burned into the wood. They were on the outside, as if a small child had been desperately trying to push the door open to get in.
FAQs
Are Scary Stories Good For Kids?
Yes, in moderation. Psychologists suggest that scary stories act as a “rehearsal” for fear. They allow children to experience anxiety in a controlled, safe environment, which can help build resilience and teach them how to cope with stressful emotions in real life.
How Do I Know If A Story Is Too Scary?
Gauge your child’s reaction. If they are covering their ears, crying, or seem genuinely distressed rather than “fun scared,” stop the story. Afterward, look for signs of lingering anxiety, such as trouble sleeping, fear of the dark, or behavioral changes. If these occur, stick to lighter tales.
What Is The Best Age For Scary Stories?
Generally, kids around age 7 or 8 begin to enjoy the thrill of being scared because they can better distinguish between fantasy and reality. However, every child is different. Some 5-year-olds love monsters, while some 10-year-olds prefer to avoid them.
Sweet Dreams
These tales are sure to delight and spook kids of all ages. They are perfect for rainy afternoons, campfires, or the ultimate test of bravery at a sleepover.
Just remember, if you tell your kids one of these tall tales, don’t blame us if you have an extra body shivering in bed with you tonight.
Hopefully, it will be your little one and not something… else.
