There might be a story where a group of kids discover an old, abandoned amusement park. As they explore, they encounter creepy animatronics that start to come to life in a spooky way. The atmosphere gets scarier as they try to find their way out.
Perhaps a story where a little girl finds a strange doll in the attic. The doll has an eerie look and seems to have a life of its own. It starts to cause strange things to happen around the house, like objects moving by themselves. At first, the girl is curious but then she realizes it's something very frightening.
There could be a character named Tommy. He might be the brave one who tries to figure out what's going on when strange things start to happen. For example, if there's a mystery in an old castle, Tommy would be the one leading the exploration among his friends.
One of the scary stories could be about a haunted house. In the story, there are strange noises at night, like creaking floors and whispering voices. It gives kids a spooky feeling.
One classic scary story for kids is 'The Three Little Pigs'. The big bad wolf is a menacing figure. Another is 'Hansel and Gretel' with the evil witch in the forest. And 'Little Red Riding Hood' also has some scary elements, like the wolf disguising as the grandmother.
Another one is 'The Haunted House'. It usually involves a spooky old house that kids enter, either by accident or out of curiosity. There are strange noises, moving objects, and maybe even a ghost or two. It plays on the fear of the unknown and the idea that there could be something lurking in a dark, empty place.
One common element could be a sense of mystery. Like an unknown sound or a shadow that keeps appearing.
One element is the unexpected. For example, when a spooky ghost turns out to be friendly. It surprises the kids in a good way. They expect something really scary but then get a positive outcome. Another is the use of silly characters. Like a vampire who is afraid of garlic bread instead of garlic cloves. It twists the traditional scary ideas into something funny.
One classic is 'The Babadook'. It's about a mysterious pop - up book that brings a terrifying creature into a child and his mother's life. The illustrations in the book seem to come alive and the Babadook itself is a very spooky figure that haunts them.
There's also 'The Girl with the Green Ribbon'. A girl always wears a green ribbon around her neck. When finally the ribbon is removed, a horrifying secret is revealed. It's a simple yet spooky story that can send shivers down a kid's spine.
A scary kids camping story could be about a group of kids camping in the forest. In the middle of the night, they woke up to the sound of footsteps circling their tent. They were terrified, thinking it was a monster. But in the morning, they found out it was a deer that had been wandering around. Another story is when kids were camping and they heard a whispering sound. They thought it was a ghost, but it was just the wind blowing through the leaves. There's also the story where kids camping by a river saw a figure emerging from the water. It was just a fisherman who had been fishing late at night and was coming back to shore.
One classic is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It has a spooky atmosphere as the narrator becomes obsessed with an old man's 'evil eye'. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw' which has a sense of dread and unexpected consequences. Also, 'Hansel and Gretel' can be quite scary for kids with the idea of being lost in the forest and the witch who wants to eat them.