Children love scary stories because they provide a virtual thrill. They can experience the adrenalin rush without being in any real danger. Some of the best scary tales are the urban myths and classic scary stories that have been retold over and over.
How to Tell a Scary Tale
The correct delivery makes the story one to remember. Some general rules about telling scary stories are:
- Only tell scary stories at night.
- Dim the lights if telling the story indoors.
- Turn off distractions, such as the television.
- Tell the story slowly and look the listeners in the eye.
- Speak softly so listeners have to lean forward to hear.
- Tell the story in a serious tone.
Following are the skeletons of some classic stories. It is best to embellish and personalize them.
In a Dark, Dark House
This story is especially good for young children because the scare is in the surprise, not in any graphic images. One version is: Once there was a dark, dark house and in this dark, dark house there was a dark, dark staircase. Up this dark, dark staircase, there was a dark, dark room. In this dark, dark room, there was a dark, closet. In the dark, dark closet there was a dark, dark box and in the dark, dark box, there was . . . Boo!
To tell this story correctly, start out with a normal volume and tone, accentuate and slow down at the “dark, dark” parts. Become quieter and quieter as the story continues. The dark box should be a whisper after which the “Boo” is very loud. By adding more details, the story can be longer.
The Big Toe
This is another story that is not too scary for young children and can actually be quite funny. It should be told in a serious tone though. It is a traditional Southern tale. A woman finds a hairy toe while gardening and brings it in the house and puts it in a jar. When she goes to bed that night, she hears the wind moaning and groaning and then she hears “Where is my Hair-r-r-y To-o-e?” She creeps further under the covers as the house creaks and cracks and again hears “Where is my Hair-r-r-y To-o-e?” This story continues with more details about the scary noises in the house until he asks “Where is my Hair-r-r-y To-o-e?” for the final time in a low voice. Then the narrator jumps up at one of the listeners and screams, “You’ve got it!”
The Hook
This is a classic favorite, but may be too scary for younger children. It was originally intended to scare teenagers away from premarital sex.
A girl and boy are out on a date and he decides to go park at Lovers Lane. They turn on the radio and hear reports of a lunatic who escaped from the insane asylum. He can be identified by a hook arm. She gets scared and wants to leave. He insists on staying. It becomes windy and stormy and they hear scraping on the car. She locks the doors and begs him to leave. He speeds away. When he drops her off at her house, he gets out to open the door and finds a bloody hook stuck to the car handle.
Vanishing Hitchhiker
This story is an urban legend that appears in many forms in different parts of the country. Resurrection Mary is the most famous and is associated with the southwest suburbs of Chicago and Resurrection Cemetery. Tell this story as if it happened to a personal friend. “My Uncle Joe was driving home late one night . . .” Uncle Joe picks up a pretty girl hitchhiking in a white dress. She’s very nice, they have a good conversation. He drives her home and drops her off at her house. The next day, he realizes she left her sweater in his car. He takes the opportunity to see her again by dropping the sweater off at her house. When he rings the bell, an old lady answers the door. He tells her his story and she tells him he must be mistaken – her daughter died in a car accident after a night of dancing many years ago.
In the Resurrection Mary urban legend, the hitchhiker never gets to a house. She mysteriously vanishes from the car as they pass the cemetery gates. The story can be expanded with the main character meeting her at a dance and dancing the night away.
There are many more traditional ghost stories and folktales that can serve as the basis for an evening of creative storytelling. Part of the fun is taking a classic ghost story and adding details that personalize the story, and therefore make it seem more real and more scary. The delivery is also as important as the story. Check out the library for ghost story compilations.
Some sources for scary stories for children are:
Schwartz, Alvin, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Scholastic Inc., 1981
Olliver, Jane, The Kingfisher Treasury of Spooky Stories, Kingfisher, 1992
Claudia M. Lenart - Claudia has been freelancing as an editor and writer for more than 10 years. Prior to going freelance, she worked as an editor in ...
