# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Search this site.

Delight your family at your next campfire by telling these short campfire ghost stories for kids.

Telling stories around the campfire is a great way to end the day. This might become one of your favorite camping traditions!

Tips for telling short campfire ghost stories

Keep your audience in mind.

Some children get very scared by ghost stories - even very silly ghost stories like these one. Wait until they are older.

In the meantime, sing campfire songs together!

Some sensitive children might enjoy these stories if you are careful in the telling. Choose a gentler tone of voice and make the story silly, rather than scary.

Make the story your own.

You could read this story to your family - but it will be much more effective if you tell it in your own words.

You don't have to memorize every detail. Just learn the general idea of the story, and add your own details as you go along.

Be dramatic!

If you have bigger kids who enjoy being scared in a deliciously fun way, ham it up! Make your voice spooky. Pause for effect. Use sound effects. Have fun!

Short Campfire Ghost Story #1:

The Ghost of The Bloody Finger

This scary story turns into a funny story at the very end.

Be sure to make the ghost's voice very mysterious and spooky. Have him get louder and louder and scarier and scarier as the story progresses.

Then, at the last sentence, change his voice completely. Make him sound conversational and friendly.

In a small town not far from here, there was an old abandoned house. No one ever went near it because everyone said that it was haunted.

One day, a bunch of local people were sitting in a coffee shop, chatting about bravery.

One man in particular was bragging loudly. "I'm not afraid of anything!" he boasted.

"Oh yeah?" asked his buddy. "I'll bet that you aren't brave enough to spend a night alone in that old abandoned house!" The boaster didn't want to admit that he was afraid, so he agreed to sleep in the house that very night.

At dusk, he arrived at the house alone. He checked every room and found nothing unusual. He chose an upstairs bedroom, spread out his sleeping bag on the floor, and tried to sleep.

He had just dozed off when he heard a faint noise from downstairs. He strained to hear what it was. It sounded like someone moaning these words:

"I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am in the front hall!"

The man told himself that he was just imagining things. It must be the wind, he thought.

But then he heard, a bit louder,

"I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am at the bottom of the stairs!"

"My imagination is running wild!" thought the man. "I am just going to go to sleep, and soon it will be morning."

But then he heard, even louder,

"I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am at the top of the stairs!"

The man dove inside his sleeping bag, but he could still hear the ghost coming closer.

"I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am in the upstairs hall!"

The man hid his head under his pillow, but he could hear the ghost coming even closer.

"I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am at the bedroom door!"

The man was shaking with terror. The door creaked open.

"I am the ghost of the bloody finger! I am in the bedroom!"

The ghost paused in the doorway.

"I am the ghost of the bloody finger!" (pause) "Do you have a bandaid?"

Short Campfire Ghost Story #2:

Rap, Rap, Rap

Here's another classic scary and funny ghost story. Be sure to make your voice very mysterious when you say the last sentence. Pause dramatically before revealing the last words.

There was once a woman who inherited an old house. The neighbors told her that it was haunted, but she didn't believe them.

When she inspected the house, she was delighted to see that it was completely furnished. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary, and she moved right in.

On her first night in the house, she got into bed happily. She was just drifting off to sleep when she heard an odd sound, way off in the distance. It sounded like this: "Rap, rap, rap."

She tried to ignore the sound, but she couldn't. Finally she decided to get out of bed and investigate.

When she opened her bedroom door, the sound was louder: "Rap, rap, rap".

She walked down the hallway. The sound got louder: "Rap, rap, rap".

She headed downstairs. Now it was even louder! "Rap, rap, rap."

She went into the dining room. It was so loud! "Rap, rap, rap."

The sound seemed to be coming from a corner of the room. She walked in that direction. "Rap, rap, rap."

There was a chest of drawers in the corner. The sound was overwhelming now. "Rap, rap, rap."

She opened the top drawer. There was nothing there.

"Rap, rap, rap."

She opened the second drawer. There was nothing there.

"Rap, rap, rap."

She opened the third drawer. There was nothing there.

"Rap, rap, rap."

She opened the bottom drawer - and saw ......... a roll of wrapping paper!
I hope your family enjoys these short campfire ghost stories! And once the fire has burnt down to coals, be sure to enjoy some camp fire cooking!
You'll find lots more information to help you plan your next camping trip at The Camping Family home page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Delight your family at your next campfire by telling these short, not too scary campfire ghost stories for kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As her parents struggled to awake and learn the whole story, Cassie sobbed in her mother's arms. Her father got his gun and a lantern and headed for the cemetery. When he got to it, he couldn't believe the sight he saw. There was Anne, dead, lying on a grave.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Purple Gorilla Story for Boy Scouts, Webelos scouts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
MacScouter -- Stories for Scouts & Scouters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The MacScouter - Stories for Scouts & Scouters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
retold by
S. E. Schlosser

Tommy Knockers are the spirits of departed miners that help miners find ore. They also knock on the walls of the mines right before a cave-in. When you hear a Tommy Knocker knocking, it's best to depart the area right quick. They have saved the life of many a miner who has been in a danger. Some folks say that the very first man to hear the sound is jinxed, but that is not always the case.

It's important to stay on the good side of the Tommy Knockers. Many miners leave a bit of their lunch for the spirits, and to please them, they fashion the little clay figures of their spirits. The Tommy Knockers can be spiteful creatures if they don't like you.

One unlucky miner named Eddie became a target of the Tommy Knockers. They drove him crazy, pelting him with stones, stealing his tools, blowing out his lantern. He couldn't figure out why the Tommy Knockers had singled him out until one day he heard a voice calling to him from the dark opening of a nearby shaft. "Eddie, I want my five dollars!" the Tommy Knocker said.

Eddie was so startled he dropped his tools all over the ground. The voice sounded just like that of his old friend Joe who had died in a cave-in a few months back. Eddie had borrowed five dollars from Joe and had never returned it. Eddie went into the shaft, and sure enough there was Joe Trelawney's ghost, shrunk to the size of a two-foot dwarf with a big ugly head, large ears and a crooked nose. He wore a peaked hat, a leather jacket, and water-soaked leather boots.

The Tommy Knocker was not pleased to see Eddie. "Give me back my five dollars, Eddie!" the ghost of his old friend demanded.

"I don't have any money on me, Joe," Eddie said, patting his pockets for emphasis.

"I've heard that before," said the Tommy Knocker dryly. "I didn't believe it then, and I don't believe it now!" The Tommy Knocker disappeared into thin air, leaving an uneasy Eddie to wonder what the ghost would do next. He soon found out! All day long, Eddie was plagued by the Tommy Knocker. His ladder was shaken so hard that he almost fell. The loud tapping noise of an invisible drill nearly drove him mad. He just missed being buried by a rock fall. And through it all, Joe's voice would taunt him: "Give me back my five dollars, Eddie!"

"All right, Joe, all right!" Eddie finally yelled into the mouth of the tunnel where his friend had appeared. "I'll get your bloody five dollars!" Abandoning his work for the day, Eddie made the long climb to the surface and took five silver dollars from the moneybox he kept under a loose board in his bedroom. The he climbed back down into the mine and stuck the five dollars into a crack in the wall next to the place Joe's spirit had appeared to him.

"There's your five dollars, Joe!" Eddie shouted, his voice echoing oddly in the dark tunnel.

"It's about bloody time," Joe said, appearing next to him and peering critically into the crack where the money lay.

"Are you going to leave me alone now?" Eddie asked.

The Tommy Knocker grinned impishly at Eddie. "Maybe," he said. He scooped up the five silver dollars and disappeared into the dark.
Joe the Tommyknocker helps a miner locate the Mother Load in the retelling of this ghost story featured in Spooky California by S.E. Schlosser.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
retold by S. E. Schlosser Tommy Knockers are the spirits of departed miners that help miners find ore. They also knock on the walls of the mines right before a cave-in. When you hear a Tommy Knocker knocking, it's best to depart the area right quick.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Ball Pit is a scary urban legend about the hidden dangers lurking beneath the hundreds of brightly colored balls in a children's play area.

A mother took her eager 3 year old son to a fast food restaurant for lunch. The boy finished his lunch quickly and asked his mom if he could go play in the play area. The restaurant had a special little play area at the side with some tunnels, a slide and a ball pit for kids, filled with plastic balls.

She watched as the boy crawled through the tunnels, went down the slide and jumped into the ball pit. He jumped up and down on the brightly colored balls, dove into them and burrowed down under them. The boy had been playing for about 10 minutes when, all of a sudden, he stopped and began to cry loudly.

The mother rushed to her son, picked him up and asked him what was wrong. The little boy just wailed and pointed to his butt. His mother pulled down his pants and saw two little red marks on one of his butt cheeks. She thought he must have just sat on something sharp, but just to be sure, she took him to the hospital.

A doctor examined the little boy in the emergency room and told the mother that the marks on her son's butt were a snake bite. The doctor gave the boy an antidote for the snake poison and kept him in hospital overnight for observation.

The next day, the boy's mother returned to the fast food restaurant to complain. She approached the counter and shouted at one of the teenagers who worked there.

"My son was bitten by a snake in your ball pit", the woman screamed.

"You should count yourself lucky, lady", said the teenager. "A kid got eaten by a shark in there last week".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Ball Pit is a scary urban legend about the hidden dangers lurking beneath the hundreds of brightly colored balls in a children's play area. A mother took her eager 3 year old son to a fast food restaurant for lunch.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Coffin is a scary funny story about a man who was walking home alone one dark and windy night. His path took him down a dark, deserted street that ran right by the local cemetary.

As he passed the gates, he heard a strange noise in the darkness behind him. Not daring to look back, he quickened his pace, but the bumping noise continued behind him. He stopped and turned to see what it was. Coming down the road behind him was a coffin, standing on end, bumping from side to side. BUMP, BUMP, BUMP.

The man clouldn't believe his eyes. Terrified, he turned and ran into the driving rain. Behind him, the coffin came faster - BUMP, BUMP, BUMP!

Ahead of him, there was a branch that had fallen from a tree. He reached down and grabbed it as he ran by. He turned and threw it at the coffin - but it just splintered and the coffin continued chasing him faster and faster - BUMPITY, BUMPITY, BUMPITY!

The man turned the corner onto his street and ran through his front gate, the coffin right behind him. The man dashed into his house, but the coffin crashed through the front door. The front of the coffin swung open and the man glimpsed the horrible sight of a dead skeleton inside.

He ran upstairs and grabbed his shotgun off the wall display. Then he took aim and blasted the coffin with both barrels, but the shot bounced harmlessly off the coffin as it continued up the stairs - BUMP, CLOMP, BUMP, CLOMP!

The man, desperate and scared to death, jumped into the bathroom and locked the door - but he knew it would do no good. The coffin banged against the door and suddenly the door exploded and the coffin came through it.

In desperation the man reached out his hand and grabbed the first thing he could reach. It was a bottle of cough syrup. He threw it at the coffin and the coffin stopped.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Coffin is a scary funny story about a man who was walking home alone one dark and windy night. His path took him down a dark, deserted street that ran right by the local cemetary. As he passed the gates, he heard a strange noise in the darkness behind him.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
flesh-eating rabid zombie chipmunks story

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Flesh-eating Rabid Zombie Chipmunks Story

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Flesh-eating Rabid Zombie Chipmunks Story for Boy Scouts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Vera smiles at Mr. Nuttel. "My aunt will join us soon," says Vera. "Until then, you must try and put up with me. May I take your hat and coat?"

Mr. Nuttel is a nervous man. He shyly smiles back at Vera. "Thank you," he says. He gives her his hat and coat.

Mr. Nuttel nervously looks around the drawing room. He looks at all the pictures on the walls and the couch. He looks at the open window. He looks at the green lawn just beyond the open window.

Vera closely watches Mr. Nuttel.

"You just moved to the country?" she asks.

"Yes," says Mr. Nuttel. He fidgets with his hands. His eye twitches. "I moved here to benefit from country life. Country life is relaxing and slow."

"Do you know anyone in the country?" asks Vera.

"Not a soul," says Mr. Nuttel. "Your aunt, Mrs. Sappleton, is my first new friend." Mr. Nuttel takes a deep breath. His body shivers. "My sister, Olivia, lived in the country four years ago. Olivia met your aunt at that time. Olivia says your aunt is very nice."

"So you don't know anything about my aunt?" asks Vera.

"I only know her name and address," says Mr. Nuttel. "Is she nice?" he asks with a gulp.

"Oh, yes, very nice indeed," says Vera. "She is nice despite the tragedy."

"Tragedy? What do you mean?" asks Mr. Nuttel. He fidgets with his hands. His eye twitches. His body shivers.

"The tragedy happened about three years ago, since your sister was here," says Vera. Vera looks directly into Mr. Nuttel's eyes. "You may wonder why this window is open," she says.

"I had noticed it," says Mr. Nuttel. "The view is very pretty."

"Pretty and tragic," says Vera. "Three years ago today, my aunt's husband, two brothers, and their favorite dog left through that window on a hunting trip. They never returned. They had gone hunting on the moors. When they crossed a moor, they fell into a deep bog and were never seen again."

Mr. Nuttel's eyes widen with fear.

"On the anniversary of their deaths," says Vera, "my poor aunt leaves the window open. She believes that they will return. And, you know, Mr. Nuttel, on such a lovely day as this, I sometimes think they will."

Vera's aunt walks into the room. "Mr. Nuttel," she says, "I am sorry to keep you waiting. I hope my niece has made you comfortable."

"Y-y-y-es," says Mr. Nuttel, his eyes looking quickly from Mrs. Sappleton to Vera to the window.

"I do hope you don't mind the open window," says Mrs. Sappleton. "My husband and brothers are hunting on the moors. They should return soon. They always come back through this door. I do hate how they track mud onto my carpets. Those moors are so muddy, you know."

Mr. Nuttel listens with horror. He fidgets with his hands. His eye twitches. His body shivers. Vera watches Mr. Nuttel.

"I-I-I see," says Mr. Nuttel, anxious to change the subject. "I am pleased to meet you. I will be in the country for a few months. I moved to the country for the benefit of my nerves. My doctor says I absolutely must relax. Country life is relaxing and slow, don't you think?"

Mrs. Sappleton turns from the open window. She looks at her guest. "Yes, it is, Mr. Nuttel," she answers. "And the hunting in the country is very good, too."

Mrs. Sappleton turns back to the open window. "I wonder how the hunting is today?" she asks.

The drawing room is silent.

Mr. Nuttel nervously tries to fill the silence. "My sister, Olivia, met you about four years ago," he says. "Olivia said the country would be very good for my nerves."

"Look! Here they are," says Mrs. Sappleton. "And they're back just in time for tea." The older woman walks towards the open window. She looks out across the green lawn. "Goodness! Look at all that mud. They will surely ruin all of my carpets today."

Mr. Nuttel cannot believe his eyes and ears. What a tragic situation. This poor Mrs. Sappleton needs more help than he does. Mr. Nuttel turns to Vera to show his sympathy, but the child is staring out the window. Vera's eyes are wide with horror.

Mr. Nuttel fidgets with his hands. His eye twitches. His body shivers. He turns to look out the window.

Far across the green lawn, a dog runs toward the drawing room. Following the dog is an older man with a shotgun resting on his shoulder and two young boys carrying sacks. Their boots are covered in mud.

Mr. Nuttel screams, "AAARRRGGGHHH!"

Mr. Nuttel grabs his coat and hat. Without turning back, he runs from the drawing room and out the open window. He runs across the lawn and disappears from sight. In his hasty exit, he almost knocks over the returning Mr. Sappleton.

"What got into that young man?" asks Mr. Sappleton. He steps on the clean carpet with his muddy boots.

Mrs. Sappleton shakes her head and looks at the mud.

"Such an odd, nervous fellow," Mrs. Sappleton tells Mr. Sappleton. "He fidgeted with his hands. His eye twitched. His body shivered. He talked all about his nervous condition. Then he left without saying good-bye. Very peculiar."

"He was probably frightened by the dog," says Vera. She bends to scratch the dog's head.

"Makes sense, really," Vera continues. "He told me that he was very scared of dogs. Several years ago he was hiking in the mountains. While following a dark and narrow trail, he stumbled upon a pack of wild dogs. The dogs chased the poor fellow for three days. Mr. Nuttel finally climbed up a tree and hid in the branches. Below him, the dogs walked back and forth, snarling and barking, for a whole week."

Vera sweetly smiles at her aunt and uncle. Vera likes to tell stories.

Sailors are known for the bravery. Read about sailors who've seen phantom ships at sea in the next story, "Flying Dutchman."

Want more Halloween stories? Try these:

Halloween Stories: Rediscover your favorite spooky stories and share them with friends.

Scary Stories: Browse this collection of scary stories for children, featuring such favorite characters as Dracula, Dr. Jeckyll, and Frankenstein's monster.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Open Window - Kids love scary stories. Check out "The Open Window," a read-aloud children's story about a mysterious house in the country.