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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of kids short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

150+ Kids Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Whether you plan to read them aloud or just indulge your own childlike imagination, look no further! The most magical tales live in this collection of free short stories for kids.

Kids Short Stories – Page 5 of 10

Arlo and the Fallen Tree

Submitted to Contest #301

As soon as Arlo’s feet hit the wood chipped trail, he took off running. He couldn’t wait to get to the Exploration Area. He was planning to make a cake in the mud kitchen, same as he did every Wednesday afternoon. He would mix dirt and water from the pond to create the perfect batter. His mom even let him bring a stick of chalk with, so he could add sprinkles to his cake.Arlo ran as fast as he could, never slowing down, not even once. When he turned left toward the clearing, he saw something that stopped him in his tracks. Arlo ran back to h...

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Chief Tecumseh

Submitted to Contest #301

Chief Tecumseh.Larry and me got our go-kart lined up on the sidewalk so that when the motor kicked on and the centrifugal clutch kicked-in and the V-belt from my dad’s ’57 Studebaker tightened-up on the drive shaft pulley, one of us would go flying down the sidewalk screaming our crazy heads off so fast we’d only be a blur in front of the DeWall’s house where Amaryllis and Belinda, who were twin sisters, were pretending to not notice what me and Larry were doing because they were so busy playing jacks or dress-up dolls or something with the ...

5 likes 3 comments 3
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A Dozen Duck Eggs, Please

Submitted to Contest #301

A Dozen Duck Eggs, PleaseBy Jeannette CampbellWord Count 1471 “Moesha,” said Mom, “can you stop at the farmers’ market after school today? Here is the list and some money.” I glanced at the list and groaned. “Mom, you want 5 pounds of potatoes, and a couple of pounds of different fruits, eggs, a loaf of bread and some red sauce from Crazy Dan’s.” “I won’t be able to carry all this by myself,” I declared. “Why can’t Thomas help? He keeps telling us how strong he is. “ “Well, Thomas that is a good idea. You will have to go with her today.” ...

7 likes 2 comments 2
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Wizard Owl's Perfect Day

Submitted to Contest #301

Wizard Owl controlled the weather. He had for many centuries and would for many centuries to come. He was as wise as the old trees in the forest and as silent as the wind that shook their leaves. His big brown eyes missed little, and his speckled white feathers reflected his age as well as his wisdom. Many forest creatures would come to Wizard Owl for advice or for guidance.Please, old wise Mr. Owl, make it rain. Please, old wise Mr. Owl, we haven’t seen the sun in days! Make the rain stop!Please, old wise Mr. Owl, the river is overflowing! ...

17 likes 9 comments 9
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Ancient Creatures of the Black Ponds on the World Voyages of the Destiny's Dreams

Submitted to Contest #300

A gigantic bone stuck up from the black goo like something beckoning from beneath the surface.It was the 1800s. Anya, the Storyteller of the Blue Lantern, stopped breathing and her heart pounded.Her thoughts raced. “The legends are true. It is them. Underneath. How many are there? What are they like?”The stories carrying ancient wisdom awakened deep inside of Anya. They bubbled up from somewhere beyond time.She could almost hear sounds coming from beneath the shiny dark surface of the seepage. It was neither liquid nor solid. The dark slime ...

38 likes 35 comments 35
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First Confession

Submitted to Contest #300

Fuming, Sister Agatha slammed the desk with her hand. Everyone in the classroom sat up, bleary eyed, and stared. The subject, written on the blackboard, was ‘My First Confession.’ Sr. Agatha was well practiced at preparing first graders for this milestone. It was a big deal. She said, “Once again, thank you for your attention. Your first confession is tomorrow. If you’re not ready, I won’t be the one who suffers.” Her threat was not lost on anyone.One of the boys at the back of the classroom mumbled something and a wave of giggles spread thr...

20 likes 20 comments 20
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Grandma's House

Submitted to Contest #300

When we get to grandma’s house, mom steps out of the still-running car to open my door. A wave of summer heat pushes against me, but I hop into it anyway and turn back to help Owen. He scoots along the back seat towards me, reaching out a small, clammy hand when he’s close enough. Using my arm for balance, he slides his body down the side of the seat until his toes touch the ground. Then, Owen releases me immediately to run into grandma’s arms, blue sandals slap-slapping the length of the concrete porch. She must have seen us from the bay wi...

7 likes 3 comments 3
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The Good News

Submitted to Contest #300

He was only 6 when mom and dad called him up to tell him the good news, except to him the news would not be good until many years later. Right then and there the “ good news” was terrifying. He was told by his smiling parents that in just a few months he would be packing all of his cherished belongings and giving away everything else. He was told, too, that he would say goodbye to his meticulously decorated room, his cherished toys and worse than all, he would be saying see you later… maybe… to all of his friends and relatives, besides his p...

7 likes 2 comments 2
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Silent Upon Impact

Submitted to Contest #300

When Vada King was 12 years old, she and her mother wrapped their Toyota Supra around a lamppost. Vada was caught in a particularly awful screaming match with her mother. As Vada aged, the cause of the fight morphed and twisted until she couldn’t remember it in the slightest. This argument caused Vada’s mother to throw her hands up in an action of anger and lose control of the Supra. However, it wasn’t necessarily just this lack of hands on the wheel that caused the car to spin out of control.Vada never admitted this to anyone, but she shove...

6 likes 1 comment 1
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The Ghosts That We Knew

Submitted to Contest #300

It was a Thursday afternoon when three ordinary friends, Sophie, Jack, and Ella gathered in their usual spot near the swings at the neighbourhood playground. School had finished a couple of hours ago and the sun was beginning to dip low, casting long shadows over the cracked asphalt. But there was something unusual about their visit to the playground today: whispers had been floating around school all week. Kids talking in hushed voices, shushing each other whenever a teacher would walk near. The old, rundown playground on the edge of the ne...

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Troy in Motion

Submitted to Contest #299

Troy slid into his seat in the middle of the second row, his chair tipped sideways, nearly falling over, but settling on all four legs as the tardy bell faded away. Mrs. B raised one eyebrow at him and started roll call.“Peter Emory”“Here”“Angeline Emory”“Here”“Eric Getty”“Here.”Ripples of stifled giggles went through the classroom. Mrs. B looked up from her ledger, the giggles and grins were coming from the area behind Troy. “Troy”“Here.”“We know you are here, what we don’t know is why everyone behind you is laughing.”“I wouldn’t know, ma’...

9 likes 3 comments 3
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The Magician

Submitted to Contest #299

Martha donned her black cape with the red velvet lining and packed her bag of essentials. There was no doubt that this would be a make-or-break career opportunity. She’d landed this gig by pure luck and she wasn’t about to mess it up. She checked herself in the mirror before she left her house, making sure there wasn’t any spinach in her teeth. The crowd tonight would be discerning and scrutinous. The event was a dry one, and without alcohol to smooth over any rough edges within the audience, she had to be perfect. She arrived a few minutes ...

4 likes 0 comments 0
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Royal the Dancing Sea Lion on the Ship Destiny's Dreams

Submitted to Contest #299

Royal the Sea Lion knew he could out-blubber all the other sea lions. He could out-roar them too. He loved the satisfaction of hearing his own guttural voice echoing over the ocean."So musical," he thought.He hauled his 1000 pounds of wobbling blubber across the sand to the ocean with ripples bouncing. He paused, and raised his head and neck in his favorite pose so he could be admired."Aaarrrrrgggghhh."He sent a raspy bark across the the water.Then he erupted like a volcano and spewed out another one even louder."AAAAaaaaaaarrrrrgggh." He si...

29 likes 21 comments 21
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The Great Fish Story

Submitted to Contest #299

There is a story of a man, named Jonah, in the Bible. Now some of you may have never heard of the story or may have forgotten. Jonah was told byGod to go to a certain city and tell the people they needed to follow God and listen to HIm. And if they didn’t, God would punish them. Well, Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. As a result, Jonah spent 3 days inside a great fish, uhh. to think about if he was going to do what God had told him.But what if you heard the story from the Great Fish’s point of view?***The water was still and calm, the su...

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Leprechauns Beware: Gold Costs Blood!

Submitted to Contest #299

"Leprechauns Beware: Gold Costs Blood!" That's the sign that hangs above Grimhollow Gate, the entrance to Dwarfton, where I live with my parents in our underground stone hovel. My dad is Dwarfton’s high chief. He’s brave, he’s strong, he’s ruthless, the scar across his face a reminder to all that no one messes with Durgan Blooddeep. Ever. He single-handedly caught and slew a group of thirty leprechauns looking to steal our gold.“I wish I was more like dad,” I say to Mum, as I pull on my favourite pyjamas. The pattern is of fierce dwarf faces...

9 likes 7 comments 7
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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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