Episode 1 · 17 min
The Cotton Candy Trap
GentleLeo says there’s no such thing as a spider the size of a wolf. Leo was asleep.
Maya & the Fog / Halloween
Scary stories for Halloween
For kids 4 to 8. Real suspense, nothing gory, and a safe ending every time.
Start here
Three stories, gentlest first
Each one is a 15–18 minute audio drama, told by five-year-old Maya while her big brother Leo insists none of it happened.
Episode 2 · 18 min
The Squelching Slime
BraverFloor is lava. Except it wasn’t lava. And it wasn’t a game.
New
Episode 3 · 18 min
The Grumble
BravestLeo says eight-year-olds don’t nap. Leo has never napped in his entire life. Allegedly.
Which one first?
- Age 4, or a first scary story: The Cotton Candy Trap, together, with a hand to hold.
- Ages 5 to 6: The Cotton Candy Trap, then The Squelching Slime.
- Ages 7 to 8, or anyone who says nothing scares them: The Grumble. It’s the scariest so far.
Halloween week, in the fog
- The car ride to trick-or-treating. One episode fits the drive.
- Halloween bedtime. Lights low, not off.
- A sleepover. Maya tells it the way a kid tells a story at a sleepover, so it fits right in.
- The morning after. Every episode page has questions to talk about when it’s light out.
Read one out loud
Every story is here word for word, with the voices marked, so you can do Maya and your kid can do Leo.
- The Cotton Candy Trap: the full story
- The Squelching Slime: the full story
- The Grumble: the full story
Parent questions
What’s a good scary story for little kids at Halloween?
Maya and the Fog is a scary story podcast made for kids 4 to 8. Each episode is a 15–18 minute audio drama with real suspense, nothing gory, and a safe ending. Start with The Cotton Candy Trap, the gentlest one.
Is it too scary for a 4- or 5-year-old?
It is meant to be actually scary, so it depends on your kid. Maya warns listeners out loud before the scary part so they can grab a hand, nothing gory happens, and every episode ends safe. Episode 1, The Cotton Candy Trap, is the gentlest place to start. If you’re unsure, listen together the first time.
Are the episodes about Halloween?
Not exactly. They’re about fog, monsters and the rules that keep them away, in a foggy town on the California coast. That makes them spooky any night of the year, and just right for Halloween week. A Halloween episode is on its way.
Can I read the stories out loud instead?
Yes. The whole story of every episode is on this site, word for word, so you can read it at bedtime. Each one takes about 15 minutes to read aloud.
Is it free?
Yes. Free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart and most podcast apps. Season 1 is also on YouTube with read-along captions.