By analyzing the different ways in which children encounter "yōkai spirits", the purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between "yōkai spirits" and children, and also to consider the significance to children of "school ghost stories". Previous research into folklore has explained contemporary "school ghost stories" as residual "folk sensations" handed down from pre-modern times. This study attempts to reveal the contemporary significance of "school ghost stories", and the results of the survey show clearly that modern children categorize "school ghost stories" as an aspect of play.