How to Tell a Scary Campfire Story

A campfire is an invitation for a scary story.

Telling a scary campfire story is a fun activity that anyone can learn. If you find yourself in front of a campfire on a dark, summer night, try your hand at scaring your fellow campers with a well-told campfire story. Kids also love scary campfire stories, and any campfire story can be modified to be age-appropriate. Formulate ideas for scary campfire story before you get to the campfire.

Things You'll Need

• A campfire
• An audience

Instructions

1. Research urban legends and local ghost stories online before a weekend outing that will include a scary campfire. Also look for mysteries and scary stories related to the local history of the region you will be visiting. Using some information that is based on fact will lend credence to your scary campfire story.

2. Talk in a low, and slow voice when telling a scary campfire story. This will help build anticipation in the story. Start the story in the middle of things, as they did in ancient Greek storytelling. A scary campfire story is not time for "once upon a time."

3. Engage your audience by asking open-ended questions which require answers from the campers. Ask leading questions which will help you discover what the campers find scary. Incorporate these scary things, people or places into the story.

4. Describe in detail, the characters in the scary campfire story. The villain or monster should have some sort of ailment or deformity that makes it stand out from other woodland creatures. Also describe the weakness of the villain or monster. A scary campfire story should be scary, but the campers want to know that the other characters have a chance of surviving.

5. Choose the ending of the scary campfire story based on the age of your fellow campers. An adult and teen crowd can handle a scary or spooky ending. A younger campfire crowd may like a happier and safer ending to the scary campfire story.

Tips & Warnings

• Make the scary story age appropriate.

• Ask for suggestions as you tell the story, to engage the fellow campers.

• Do not rush the story.