Halloween may come once a year, but the appetite for spooky stories? That’s a year-round thing. If your younger kid is obsessed with all things ghostly and mysterious but you’re not ready to hand over the full-on scary stuff yet, this list is for you.
Every show here has been picked specifically for kids in the 5–10 range: old enough to enjoy a good spooky story, but young enough that you still want to keep it fun rather than frightening.
The Scare Scale
- 🌙 A Little Spooky: Gentle thrills. Creepy vibes, not scary moments.
- 👻 Getting Spooky: Some genuine scares, but nothing that’ll cause nightmares.
Night Light Zone
🌙 A Little Spooky · Ages 5–10
Think of this as the kids’ version of The Twilight Zone, turned way down. Each episode is a short anthology story, mysterious and imaginative, with just enough edge to feel exciting. The tagline says it best: “where goosebumps meets funnybone.” A great entry point for younger kids who are spooky-curious but still a little sensitive.
The Mystery Kids Podcast
🌙 A Little Spooky · Ages 6–10
Picture Unsolved Mysteries for kids, and yes, that’s pretty much exactly what it is, just without anything actually disturbing. Kids explore weird and unexplained things in a format that feels investigative and fun rather than frightening. Perfect for the kid who can’t stop asking “but WHY.”
Spooky FM
👻 Getting Spooky · Ages 8+
A mysterious radio station broadcasting werewolf warnings and witch reports. This Irish podcast from RTÉ Radio 1 has real production quality and a darkly funny sensibility, all spooky world-building with a surprising amount of heart. The monsters feel fun rather than threatening, which makes it a great step up from the gentler shows above.
Scary Stories for Creepy Kids
👻 Getting Spooky · Ages 8+
Short, silly, and spooky: stories written by kids, for kids, and recorded by a whole family (mom, dad, and their two daughters). The scrappy, homemade energy makes it genuinely charming, and the “side of silly” is real. Good for kids who want to try scary without committing to a big, polished production.
Unspookable
🌙 A Little Spooky · Ages 8+
Instead of telling scary stories, Unspookable breaks them down. Host Elise Parisian digs into the actual history and brain science behind things like Bloody Mary, Ouija boards, and Charlie Charlie. It manages to feel both spooky and educational, which is a genuinely hard balance to strike. Great for the kid who loves the idea of scary things but wants to understand them too.
Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest
👻 Getting Spooky · Ages 8+
Bestselling author Adam Gidwitz retells classic Grimm fairy tales to a group of kids who comment, crack jokes, and brace for what’s coming. The genius move is right there in the name: every episode is rated Grimm, Grimmer, or Grimmest, so you can actually choose your scare level before you hit play. It’s a Parents’ Choice Gold Winner and genuinely one of the best podcasts in this whole genre.
Olympus Dale
👻 Getting Spooky · Ages 9+
A mysterious bubble traps an entire town, and a ragtag group of kids and a teenage ghost have to face paranormal threats while uncovering its secrets. It’s serialized storytelling with a strong mystery-box hook, the kind of show kids will beg to keep listening to in the car.
The Weirdness
👻 Getting Spooky · Ages 9+
Middle schoolers Arlo and Sierra are obsessed with cryptids and unexplained phenomena, and then one day Bigfoot turns out to be real. What follows is a globe-trotting adventure to figure out why legendary creatures are disappearing. More adventure than horror, but firmly in spooky territory.
Ready for the next level? Check out our list of spooky podcasts for tweens (ages 10+), which is where the real chills start.
You can also browse all of these shows, and filter by age, in our podcast directory.
