One common element is the unknown. For example, in many stories, there are strange noises at night that the kids can't figure out where they come from. It creates a sense of fear. Another element is the isolation. Like when a kid is alone in a big, old house or lost in a forest. Darkness is also a key element. Most scary stories for little kids happen at night or in dark places, which adds to the spookiness.
One short scary story for kids is 'The Red Ball'. A little girl found a red ball in the park. Every time she played with it, strange things happened. At night, she could hear the ball bouncing on its own in the hallway. When she tried to get rid of it, it always came back to her. Finally, she threw it into a deep well, but she could still hear faint bouncing sounds coming from the well.
One little kid scary story is about the haunted doll. There was a little girl who found an old doll in the attic. At night, she would hear the doll whispering strange things. The doll's eyes seemed to follow her around the room. Eventually, she threw the doll away, but she could still sometimes hear its faint whispers in the wind.
There was a little girl who walked in the forest near her home. She got lost and as the sun started to set, the forest became very spooky. She heard whispers all around her. Then, she saw a shadowy figure that seemed to be following her. She ran and ran until she found her way home, shaken by the experience. Since then, she never went into the forest alone.
Surprise is a key element. For example, in many stories, an unexpected thing like a doll moving on its own can startle the reader. Another element is the unknown. When kids don't know what's in the dark or behind a door, it creates fear. Like in 'The Dark Closet' story, the boy doesn't know what the red eyes are in the closet.
There are numerous kids in scary stories. They can vary greatly depending on the specific story. Some might be curious kids who end up in dangerous and scary situations because of their inquisitiveness. Others could be innocent victims of some sort of curse or evil entity. Take the kid in 'The Babadook' for instance. The kid is haunted by a mysterious and menacing figure, and the story revolves around his experiences with this terrifying presence. It shows how the kid tries to cope with the fear and the impact it has on his life and the life of his mother.
One is 'The Haunted Doll'. It's about a doll that seems to move on its own at night. But it's not too scary as it ends with the discovery that it was just the family cat knocking it over. Another is 'The Ghostly Footsteps'. In an old house, a child hears footsteps at night. Turns out it was just the old floorboards creaking in the wind. And 'The Strange Shadow'. A kid sees a strange shadow outside the window, but later realizes it was a tree branch moving in the moonlight.
One classic is 'The Hook Man'. It's about a couple parked in a lovers' lane. They hear on the radio about an escaped lunatic with a hook for a hand. Strange noises start coming from outside the car. When the guy finally drives away in a panic, they find a hook hanging from the car door handle.
One popular kid scary story is 'The Babadook'. It's about a mysterious creature that haunts a mother and her son. Another is 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark', which contains a collection of spooky tales like the one about the big toe that gets cut off and comes back to haunt. And then there's 'The Haunted House' type of stories where kids enter a spooky old house and encounter all sorts of strange things.
The story of 'The Greedy Goblin'. There was a goblin who was always stealing things from the villagers. One day, he stole a magic ring that was cursed. Every time he tried to sell it or use it for bad things, something bad would happen to him. The moral is that greediness can lead to trouble.