Spooky Story Contest 2024

Dear Parents and Teachers;

This is your invitation for your student(s) to submit their creative writing in our 38th annual Spooky Story Writing Contest. Each Fall, beginning in 1986, the staff of the Wooden Horse has looked forward to receiving a brand new batch of original and imaginative Spooky Stories from children all over the Bay Area in grades two through six. It gets us all in the mood for Halloween and gives children in our community an opportunity to use their writing skills with a theme that they find fun and exciting. 

This is also a contest where every writer is a winner. Writers receive a BOO COUPON worth $3.00 in our store for their submission. This is our way of offering recognition to all participating students for the fine efforts that went into writing their stories. The top three participants from each grade level receive gift certificates ,$25.00  for first place, $15.00 for second place and $10.00 for third place redeemable at our store. 

Each year our staff members become the official judges of the stories. They often have a hard time selecting the winners from the twenty to fifty they are given to read. Our staff then selects the first, second, and third place winners from each grade level. The following are qualities that impress the judges when they read the stories:

• Originality – they look for unusual ideas that come out of the writers’ own special and unique imaginations. (Common Core W3)
• Mystery – they love stories that create suspense and surprise and make them curious about the outcome. (Common Core L3)
• Vivid Descriptions – they enjoy vivid descriptions about the places, things and characters in the stories.  (Common Core L1, L4)
• Appearance – stories should be as neat as possible, with good spelling and punctuation. Illustrations are always welcome. (Common Core W5, W6, L1, L2)

We eagerly await the most “terror-ific” and “boo-tifully” written stories ever. Winners will be announced the week of November 11th, 2024. Winners will be contacted by email and asked to come in-store to pick up the gift certificate, so be sure your email is listed on the entry form. We also post the winners on our website at www.woodenhorsetoys.com and social account @woodenhorsetoys on Facebook and Instagram.  Writers will receive their “$3 Boo-Coupon” through email but can pick up their stories in-store after the winners are announced. 

Submitting Stories

Please be sure to submit stories of any length no later than October 31st with the following information: Author’s name, school, grade, teacher, email of the student’s household that can be reached at and the title of story. An entry form must be attached to each story. (See below for download)

Teachers

Please make sure each student fills out the entry form.  Stories can be dropped off at our store by you for your whole class or by students on their own. 

If you have any questions please contact the store.  (408) 356-8821

Frightfully yours,

The Staff of the Wooden Horse