Chilling tales with just the right amount of spooky fun
Looking for scary stories for 10 year olds that will thrill without terrifying?
These seven spooky tales are perfect for curious kids who love mysterious noises, strange shadows, and ghostly surprises.
Each story is creepy—but not too creepy—designed for readers who enjoy just a little chill down the spine.
1. The Whisper in the Wall
Lena’s new house was strange from the start. The floorboards groaned, the windows whistled in the wind, and the wallpaper peeled like old skin.
She didn’t like the attic. It smelled like dust and wet socks.
On her first night, as she curled under her blanket, she heard a sound. Faint. Whispery.
“Help me…”
Lena sat up. “Mom?”
No answer.
She tiptoed to her door, peeked into the hallway. Nothing. Everyone else was asleep.
The next night, the whisper came again.
“Please help me… I’m stuck.”
Now she was sure it came from the wall. She pressed her ear to it. Cold.
She listened.
Whispers. Faint scratching.
The next day, Lena searched the attic. Behind an old dresser, she found a loose wooden panel. Inside was a tiny box with a faded leather diary.
She opened it.
“My name is Sarah. I lived here in 1912. I used to play hide-and-seek. One day I hid in the wall, and no one ever found me…”
Lena’s hands trembled.
She whispered, “Sarah?”
The air grew warm.
The next night, the whisper didn’t come. For the first time, the house felt calm. Like it had taken a deep breath and finally rested.
Lena placed the diary by the window. The curtains fluttered.
Sarah was free.
2. The Doll That Blinked
Maya didn’t really like dolls. But her grandma gave her a porcelain one—white face, painted lips, perfect curls, and cold, glassy blue eyes.
“She’s a family doll,” Grandma said. “Take care of her.”
Maya smiled, but something about the doll made her skin crawl.
She placed it on a shelf.
The next morning, the doll was on her desk.
Maybe Mom moved it?
She put it back on the shelf.
The next day, it was on her bed.
By the third day, Maya asked, “Mom, did you move my doll?”
“No, sweetie.”
That night, Maya stayed awake.
At midnight, her room was silent.
Then she heard a soft clatter. She peeked from under her blanket.
The doll was standing on her desk.
And it blinked.
Maya screamed, grabbed the doll, and locked it in the attic.
But in the morning, the doll was back on the shelf, smiling.
Its eyes… were wide open.
3. The Ghost Bus
Jared missed the last regular bus after soccer practice. As he waited in the fog, an old bus rolled in. Its headlights flickered. It creaked to a stop.
The number on the front read “13 – Nowhere.”
Weird, Jared thought. But it was cold, and he didn’t want to walk.
He stepped on.
The driver wore a hat from the 1950s and didn’t say a word. The other passengers were silent. Their faces pale.
Jared sat down. He noticed something odd—no one blinked. No one even breathed.
The bus drove into thicker fog. The windows grew frosty.
Suddenly, Jared couldn’t move. His legs were stuck. His arms felt heavy.
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them, he was sitting on a bench near home.
The bus was gone.
But something had changed.
When he looked into the glass of the bus stop, he had no reflection.
4. The Picture That Changed
Ava loved to paint. She painted every day—flowers, forests, animals. One day, she decided to paint something new.
She painted a cottage in the woods. It had a crooked chimney and a single window. In that window, she painted a small girl with long hair, staring out.
It turned out really well, maybe too well.
The next morning, Ava looked at her painting and gasped.
The girl in the window wasn’t there.
Now, the girl was at the door of the cottage.
She hadn’t painted that.
Ava rubbed her eyes. Was she imagining things?
The next day, the girl had stepped out of the door. She was standing on the stone path, closer to the front of the painting.
Day after day, the girl moved closer.
By the end of the week, she was standing right in front of the painting’s edge—almost like she was looking at Ava.
That night, Ava woke up and saw her painting glowing faintly in the dark.
The girl was gone.
Suddenly, a soft knock tapped on the bedroom window.
Three times.
Ava pulled the blanket over her head and didn’t move until morning.
When she finally peeked, her painting was blank.
Just trees and a cottage.
But sometimes, when the room is quiet, Ava swears she hears someone knocking.
5. The Shadow in the Mirror
Sam was brushing his teeth when he noticed something strange. His reflection wasn’t copying him exactly.
He raised his left hand. The reflection raised its right.
Weird, but maybe it was just his brain playing tricks.
He made a silly face.
The reflection didn’t.
Sam leaned forward. So did the reflection.
Then it smiled—a little too long. A little too wide.
Sam jumped back and the mirror returned to normal.
The next night, he went back to check. He waved.
The reflection didn’t.
He blinked.
It didn’t.
Then the reflection raised its hand. Slowly. Deliberately.
Sam ran from the bathroom and shut the door.
The next morning, he asked his mom if they could get rid of the mirror.
She laughed. “Mirrors can’t hurt you, Sam.”
But that night, when he passed the mirror, his reflection wasn’t there.
Only a shadow.
And it waved.
6. The Library After Dark
Ella loved the library. She stayed late reading every day. But one evening, she stayed too long.
The sky grew dark. The lights in the library dimmed.
“Closing time,” said the librarian. “Time to head home.”
Ella nodded and packed up, but she forgot her favorite book.
When she went back inside, the door creaked. The lights were off. The library was silent.
She tiptoed through the rows of books.
Then—flutter flutter flutter.
Books started opening on their own. Pages flipped. Whispers filled the air.
Ella froze.
Then a voice, deep and echoing, spoke from the shadows.
“You read our secrets… Now you must stay and guard them.”
The shelves began to close in around her. The air grew heavy.
She ran, dodging flying papers and glowing books. She barely escaped through the door.
Now, when she walks past the library, the windows fog up.
Sometimes, her favorite book is lying outside—waiting.
7. The Cold Spot
Ben’s house was normal—except for the cold spot on the stairs.
Every time he walked up, one step felt freezing. No matter the season. No matter how warm the house was.
He told his parents.
“It’s just old pipes,” they said.
But Ben tested it with a thermometer.
It read zero degrees.
One day, Ben placed his toy robot on that step.
In the morning, the robot was shattered. And on its surface, scratched in tiny letters, was the message:
“Don’t step here.”
He tried again with a marble.
The next day, the marble was cracked in half. The same message appeared—smaller, but there.
That night, he heard a soft meow.
His cat, Whiskers, was sniffing near the step.
“Don’t!” Ben shouted.
But Whiskers darted over the cold step.
And vanished.
No sound. No shadow. Just silence.
Ben searched all night. No sign of the cat.
Now, he jumps over that step. Always.
But sometimes, when the house is quiet, he hears scratching…
From under the stairs.
Final Thoughts
These scary stories for 10 year olds offer just the right mix of thrills, mystery, and fun.
Whether you’re sharing them at a sleepover, during a Halloween party, or under a blanket with a flashlight, they’re sure to send shivers in the most delightful way.
Also read: 7 Best Sleep Stories for 10 Year Olds
Mark Richards is the creative mind behind Classica FM, a podcast platform that brings stories, knowledge, and inspiration to listeners of all ages. With a passion for storytelling and a love for diverse topics, he curates engaging content—from kids’ tales to thought-provoking discussions for young adults.
