Set your story in a kids’ playground, or at a roundabout.

Posted in Kids on Oct 31, 2022

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✍️ 44 stories

“Desire Deprived Destroyed” by Pranav Nalam

Submitted to Contest #155

The power of routine is often underappreciated. The influence of predictability on one's life can be mighty. I found myself a victim to the overlord named habit that particular day when I woke up, got dressed in my business best, and sat in my car scratching my head as flashes of forgetfulness made me immobile. As I placed my hands on the steering wheel in repose, I finally remembered - I was unemployed. I hadn’t fully digested yet the impact my firing from my place of employment would have on my life. Suddenly I was the useless one aro...

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“I Hope I Did the Right Thing” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #155

TW: Swearing and hints of abuse. It is my curse to spend most of my time with people I despise. Tonight is no different. I’m following a rumour. There’s a man who goes to the playground near my house. He offers children cigarettes and alcohol. All they must do is go to his house. It’s just a rumour. Let it just be a rumour. I don’t have a job. I have a calling. I rid the world of terrible people....

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“Kindred Souls” by Aeris Walker

Submitted to Contest #155

Content Warning: Mild foul language, gore, death.Skin sagged on his bones like melting wax. A chunk of flesh had pulled away from his bicep and hung like a red tongue. Deep lacerations on his shoulder revealed gashes of congealed blood and tissue. Fitzgerald Nicholas Bartleby, Jerry, as he was known in life, sat on a bench, watching children laugh and squeal as they chased each other across the unnaturally verdant Astroturf of the local playground. Jerry came each morning and chose the same wrought-iron bench in the center of the park; it wa...

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“Decomposing Glory” by S. Thomson

Submitted to Contest #155

ㅤI found the body in the playground my father had built with his own two hands. Maple stakes driven into an oak formed steps up to a treehouse. Each year on my birthday my father would shorten the rope on the tyre swing so my feet wouldn’t drag against the ground. Twenty years without use and the rising tide of grass and ferns had grown waist-high. The sweet, earthy smell of rotting wood filled the air. My father had died the previous week, along with my mother, when their car left the road and fell into the North Sea. An onlooker said their...

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“The Carousel” by Nina Strelov

Submitted to Contest #155

Sarah looked so happy on the carousel. This day turned into a real mess, but none of it mattered now that Sarah’s face was beaming, amber locks waving as she spun. It was like her whole world existed right there and then on that spinning top, with her grounded at the center of it. I can’t remember the last time I found something that so completely released all my woes and sent me shooting off into the distant land of worry-free-ness. I felt muddled with a sad type of joy, for how fleeting this moment was for my sweet five year old girl. For ...

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“A Night at the Playground” by Prince Vang

Submitted to Contest #155

“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” I whisper, “I don’t think this will be safe.” My friend, Wade, rolls his eyes and keeps on dragging me along towards the rusty gates of the abandoned park. “Maybe you should stop being such a pussy and live a little,” he replies as we reach the entrance. The gates slowly swing open, as if inviting us inside. I give Wade a pointed look, but he ignores me as he enters the playground. I scurry right behind him and grab onto his sleeve. “Why did you want to come to this haunted playground anyways?” I ask while ...

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“Little Devils” by Dave Pasquantonio

Submitted to Contest #155

“Thanks for inviting us,” Tanya says to Jocelyn. The two moms are sitting on a bench at the playground. The orange sky is a mix of sun and volcanic plumes, the temperature a pleasant 320 degrees, and the light breeze carries the scent of decay. “This is such a pretty park.”“My pleasure,” Jocelyn replies. “It must be hard, being new in town. I’m so glad that you joined us! We hold these ‘Mommy and Me’ playdates every Tuesday morning until school starts. Gotta keep the little demons busy!”The kids seem like a well-behaved bunch, Tanya thinks. ...

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“Come home” by Angelia Grey

Submitted to Contest #155

I laugh as I watch you play. I get so much joy out of watching you running around playing with your brothers and sisters and your friends, watching you interacting and communicating with those who surround you. You love to make people laugh, you love to make people happy, you are filled with love and are yourself very much loved. You are only seven but yet you seem to have walked this world before. You defiantly are an old soul. For such a young person you are quite wise and knowledgeable. Having an older sister and older brothers has taught...

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“Stranger At The Playground” by M. M.

Submitted to Contest #155

I dont remember exactly how old I was at that time, five, maybe six with not a care in the world during the summer of '62 when life was supposed to be simple compared to these days. Post-war times, mom's stayed at home raising their kids while the dad's went off to work diligently expecting supper on the table every night at six sharp. Growing up in the small town of Morris, Minnesota everyone knew everybody that was inevitable. Of course we lived right across from the school's playground where swings sat waiting for children to come. School...

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“Climbing Frame” by Treasure Chisom-Nwosu

Submitted to Contest #155

TW: This story alludes to the theme of child abduction.Ade needed help being pushed on the swings.He had been taught how to propel himself before. Chika spoke about how he needed to push his legs forwards or backwards depending on how the swing moved, but now, as he sat on the rubber seat, he only flailed his pudgy legs above the ground, to no avail.He sighed as he surveyed the playground. Chika was far away, on the other side with a friend of hers. He knew she wouldn't be interested in humouring her younger brother when she could be playing...

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“Meet-cute” by Leina Broughton

Submitted to Contest #155

Lexi fell back on the roundabout and looked up at the wispy grey clouds that streaked behind the trees. The playground equipment was rust filled and the shade sail over top was ripped and banging against the poles. Positioned in a dark wet corner of the main park in Anderlee, Lexi was pretty sure no-one had ever come there.With absolutely nothing to do except lie in silence, Lexi’s inner thoughts screamed even more intensely at her. She hated being in this shitty town. It was hard enough feeling out of control but without any distractions it...

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“Twins” by Lindsey B

Submitted to Contest #155

I saw the sister first. It was midsummer, and I didn't know what I was doing in the town park. I was probably twelve years older than the average visitor of the park, and my legs were two feet too long to actually use the swing I was sitting on. A woman was with a toddler across the playground on the smaller, plastic play set. I watched the little boy giggle as he went down the slide over and over again. The woman waited for him at the end of the slide every time, beckoning him down. Every time, he'd squeal as...

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“It All Comes Back” by Ash Tenebris

Submitted to Contest #155

Robin kicked his legs, determined to swing higher than his friend. He started to sway side-to-side, the chains twisting as he struggled. Jasper was already soaring through the air. If he just reached out his hand, he could touch the sky. Then he was falling back down. “How do you swing so high?” Robin squealed. “I just… put my legs out… when I’m going forward,” he said as he went by. “And pull them in… when I go back.” “That’s what I do!” “Then just keep going.” When they got bored of swinging, they jumped off into the sawdust, and rac...

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“That Kid” by Trinity Womack

Submitted to Contest #155

Thomas scraped his foot against the ground in an effort to push the swing. He only rose a few inches from the ground before stopping. He sighed. "Mommy! Can you push me?" Thomas' mother looked up from where she was talking with other moms and waved a hand. "Thomas, I am talking right now." Thomas rolled his eyes and hopped off the swing. He was unaware, however; that his shoe was unlaced. His left foot tripped on the lace and he fell to the ground, scraping his hands and knees on the wood chips below. "Ouch, Mommy. I felled." "Thomas, I a...

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“Roundabouts Suck” by Davie McGuinn

Submitted to Contest #155

Dear Editor, This is America. We have four-way stops here, the way God intended it. Not roundabouts like some kind of Godless European country. You know, the kind of country that’s utterly thankless that we singlehandedly wrestled them away from the Nazis after we mozied on in, fashionably late to the party. The American way. We like to come to a complete stop at an intersection and stare down the other driver straight in the eye like we’re about to quickdraw our six-shooters at high noon, tumbleweed bouncing across the dusty landscape and...

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Set your story in a kids’ playground, or at a roundabout.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 44 stories

“Desire Deprived Destroyed” by Pranav Nalam

“I Hope I Did the Right Thing” by Graham Kinross

“Kindred Souls” by Aeris Walker

“Decomposing Glory” by S. Thomson

“The Carousel” by Nina Strelov

“A Night at the Playground” by Prince Vang

“Little Devils” by Dave Pasquantonio

“Come home” by Angelia Grey

“Stranger At The Playground” by M. M.

“Climbing Frame” by Treasure Chisom-Nwosu

“Meet-cute” by Leina Broughton

“Twins” by Lindsey B

“It All Comes Back” by Ash Tenebris

“That Kid” by Trinity Womack

“Roundabouts Suck” by Davie McGuinn

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a character facing a situation that isn't awful, but isn't great.

Write a story that includes a character using the phrase “swings and roundabouts.”

Write about a character who gets good and bad news in quick succession — not necessarily in that order.

Write about a character who is pathologically ambivalent, until something shakes them up.

Contest #155

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

194

Contest entries

77

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: