Another theme could be things that are out of place. In a story, a kid might find a strange object in their room that they've never seen before. This object might seem to have some sort of power or be 'haunted'. But as the story progresses, they learn that it was just left there by mistake by someone else in the family. This creates a sense of unease and mystery which is a key part of kid - friendly short scary stories.
Sure. Here's one. There was a little girl who moved into an old house. Every night, she heard strange tapping on her window. One night, she peeked out and saw a shadowy figure. But when she turned on the light, it disappeared. It turned out to be a branch hitting the window in the wind.
There's a story called 'The Mysterious Footsteps'. A boy moved into a new house. Every night, he heard slow, heavy footsteps in the hallway. He was so scared at first. But when he finally mustered the courage to look, he found that it was just the old floorboards creaking under the weight of the family cat that liked to prowl at night. This story plays on the common fear of the unknown in a kid - friendly way.
Scary kid - friendly stories usually have a happy ending. This is important because it helps to relieve the tension that was built up during the scary parts. In 'Little Red Riding Hood', after the scary encounter with the wolf, she is saved by the hunter. This gives kids a sense of safety in the end.
One popular kid - friendly scary story is 'The Teeny - Tiny Woman'. It's about a very small woman who finds a bone in a churchyard and strange things start to happen when she takes it home. Another is 'The Three Little Ghosts', which has a bit of spookiness but also a fun, non - too - terrifying plot. And 'The Green Ribbon' is also great. It tells the story of a girl with a green ribbon around her neck, and as the story unfolds, the mystery behind it creates a sense of mild horror that kids can handle.
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, one element is a bit of mystery. For example, in a story about a strange noise in the attic. The kid doesn't know what it is at first, which creates suspense. Another element is the use of not - too - scary creatures like a spooky shadow that turns out to be a tree. Also, a setting like an old, creaky house can add to the scariness in a kid - friendly way.
There's also 'Where the Wild Things Are'. While not extremely scary, the wild things with their big teeth and growls can be a bit intimidating at first. But it's a story about a boy's imagination and his journey to tame his fears. It's a great story for kids as it shows that they can face their 'wild things'.
Kid - friendly scary sci - fi stories typically feature fantastical settings. Think of stories set in far - off planets or future cities. These settings are exciting but also a bit spooky because they're so different from what kids know. The characters often face challenges that seem a bit daunting but are ultimately surmountable. In 'The Iron Man' (the book, not the movie), the huge iron man coming from the sea is a bit scary at first, but then the story turns into an adventure. Also, the moral lessons in these stories are important. They might teach kids about things like courage in the face of the unknown, which is often related to the scary parts of the story.