One great kid - friendly scary Halloween story is 'The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything'. It's about a little old lady who encounters a series of spooky things like shoes that go 'clomp, clomp' and pants that go 'wiggle, wiggle' but she shows no fear. In the end, she uses her wits to turn the spooky things into something fun. Another is 'Room on the Broom'. It has a witch who loses her things while flying on her broomstick and different animals help her. There's a bit of a scary moment when a dragon shows up, but it all ends well.
A good kid - friendly scary Halloween story could be about a haunted tree. In a small town, there's a big, old tree in the park. Every Halloween, strange noises come from it. One year, a group of brave kids decide to find out what's going on. As they get closer, they see shadows moving around the tree. But when they finally reach it, they find out that it's just some squirrels that have made their home in the hollow part of the tree. They were the ones making the noises as they moved around their acorn stash. It's a bit scary at first but has a funny and non - threatening ending.
Well, first of all, the scary elements should be more on the side of mystery and the unknown rather than pure horror. For instance, in 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', the Headless Horseman is spooky because we don't really know who he is or why he's there. But it doesn't involve things like excessive blood or body parts which are not suitable for kids. The characters in kid - friendly scary stories should also be relatable. In 'The Graveyard Book', the boy growing up in the graveyard is a character kids can empathize with. He has to deal with being different and facing scary things, just like kids might feel scared in new or unknown situations. Another factor is the tone. It should not be too dark throughout. There should be some light - hearted moments or humor to break up the scares, like in 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' where there are some spooky but also funny moments.
One characteristic is that they usually feature familiar Halloween symbols in a non - threatening way. Take 'Pumpkin Jack' for instance. The pumpkin is a common Halloween symbol, and the story focuses on its life cycle rather than scaring kids with it. Also, kid - friendly Halloween stories tend to have a happy ending. Whether it's the old lady in 'The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything' who overcomes her spooky encounters or the animals finding a place on the witch's broom in 'Room on the Broom', the endings make kids feel good. Moreover, the characters are often relatable for kids, like the boy in 'Pumpkin Jack' who loves his pumpkin.
To make your own kid - friendly scary Halloween story, you should consider the age of the kids you're targeting. For younger kids, keep it really simple and use more humorous elements. For example, a story about a pumpkin that comes to life and just wants to play hide - and - seek with the kids in the yard. But for older kids, you can add a bit more mystery. Say, a story about a strange old book in the local library that glows on Halloween night. When a group of kids open it, they find themselves in a spooky world full of magical creatures. They have to find their way back by solving riddles. Always make sure to end the story on a positive note, so the kids aren't left feeling too scared.
They are usually not too scary. For example, they might have spooky elements like ghosts or witches, but these are presented in a more light - hearted way. So, instead of a really terrifying ghost, it could be a friendly ghost that just wants to play. They also often have a moral or a lesson. Such as in 'The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything', the lesson could be about facing your fears. And they typically use simple language that kids can easily understand.
A group of kids once decided to explore an abandoned asylum on Halloween night. Inside, they heard strange noises, like children crying. One of the kids saw a shadowy figure of a little girl in a tattered white dress. They followed the figure into a room filled with old hospital beds. When they entered, the door slammed shut behind them. They were trapped. They huddled together, terrified, until morning when someone finally found them and let them out. It was the scariest Halloween experience they ever had.
One scary Halloween kid story is about the haunted house on the corner. Every Halloween, kids would dare each other to go near it. Legend has it that a witch once lived there. One brave kid went close and heard strange cackling sounds coming from inside. He ran away as fast as he could.
The idea that kids can be part of the spooky world in these stories is what makes them so scary. In normal life, we protect kids from harm and danger. But in spooky kid Halloween stories, they can be the ones causing the fear or being in danger themselves. For instance, a story where a group of kids go into a haunted forest on Halloween and start to act possessed. It's a deviation from our normal perception of kids, and that's what sends shivers down our spines.
A great kid - friendly Halloween story is 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. Although it has some spooky elements like the Headless Horseman, it's usually told in a way that is not overly terrifying for children. The story is set in a small town where Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolteacher, has an encounter with the Headless Horseman. Another one is 'Goodnight Goon', which is a parody of 'Goodnight Moon'. It has all the Halloween - related things like a goon instead of a moon, and little monsters instead of little bunnies. It's a fun and not - so - scary story for kids.