After a fun day full of activities, it won’t be much fun to hit the sack right away. As we don’t get to enjoy moments like these every day, what better way to end it than to light up a campfire, have s’mores ready in our hands, and tell the best spooky stories under the moonlight. This is an even more magical time for kids, who look forward not only to the camping experience, but also to the campfire stories to be shared. Making it a point to have the balance of spook factor and lighthearted lessons for kids, here we have compiled some of the most noteworthy kid-friendly spooky stories perfect to tell around the campfire.
1. Going on a Bear Hunt
This one isn’t much of a spooky tale, but it is a fun little fireside chant that can get every child’s adrenaline up after a fun and restless day. We wouldn’t want the young’uns to be too scared that they won’t get to sleep at all, right? A bear just provides the right amount of cuteness and scary factor for younger kids.
2. The Pink Jellybean
This is a short but sweet (and definitely creepy) tale about the little jellybean. The majority of the story plays with kids’ imagination in building up the setting. It would be best to play upon the creepy aspects of where the jellybean lies to let the kids visualize where exactly the jellybean is.
3. The Purple Gorilla
A way to amp up the spookiness factor during fireside camping stories is the way you tell the story, and this one must be done just like that, up until the very last line. It’s a great tale that has a great twist in the end, letting kids know that one scary beast ain’t so bad after all.
4. The Ghost of the Bloody Finger
Before you jump out of your seat after reading the title, rest assured, this story isn’t so bad. The story does contain everything in the title, but you can be sure that this won’t keep the kids up all night, shivering and cooped up in their tents, not wanting to go out anymore. Ever. The website also has some great resources for kid campers, so you can learn how to introduce more scary stories to kids while camping!
5. The Open Window
This one is sure be a hit to kids as it tells the story of a little girl who had some fun telling her own spooky story to a visiting neighbor. It’s quite rare that a kid plays a prank on adults, so who would want to miss a chance of hearing one of ’em?
Photo: Tunaolger/Pixabay
6. Tommy Knockers
You may think of Stephen King’s sci-fi story after reading the title, but this isn’t it (who would have time to tell such a tale, anyway?) The tale of the Tommy Knockers features California miners. Not so bad right? But they’re actually ghosts, not people. This could send some chills to the kids’ spines, and add some more suspense on it until the end, as it adds a very silly twist.
7. Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping
Who wouldn’t want to hear about the adventures of a scaredy squirrel? This story is perfect for the littlest campers who are real scaredy squirrels that even stories that are scary at first but have a funny ending would be a little too much. The Scaredy Squirrel books written by Mélanie Watts are the perfect stories for these kids as it teaches them the fun in going outdoors, especially when with friends and family!
From very creepy stories to ones mixed jolly jokes, these campfire stories will surely be a great addition to camping activities for kids. They not only provide great entertainment before bed, but also offer real-life lessons. In this day and age, it’s important to take advantage of entertainment that doesn’t involve phones or television all day long. Bonding moments with the whole group or family without technology is always something to be remembered!