Age can make a big difference in choosing the best type of games to play outside in the dark. Safety needs to be a priority, especially with younger children. But games outside in the dark can also help young children deal with the normal childhood fears of the dark if proper precautions are taken to make it safe and "monster free".
Location would also be another variant in the type of play that could be recommended, again, especially given the age of the players. A rule of thumb would be: the younger the participants the more light, more adult supervisors, and bigger area of flat surface free of trees or obstacles will be needed. Adult players need to have safety considered, as well, if on a very dark moonless night.
Here are some ideas:
- For very young children, games that can be played while sitting down, maybe in a circle, would be good. For example, sing songs or tell stories (not scary ones).
- Hand out glow in the dark items like stickers to put on things and themselves, T-shirts with glow in the dark patterns on them, light tubes, etc.
- Give younger children each a flashlight, just playing with them can be real fun for the little ones (like shining them in their mouths, up their faces from their chins, looking at their closed fingers with the light held below them). This also can alleviate fears since they can have their own personal control of a light source.
- Slightly older kids might have fun with hand shadow puppets. Shine a bright light on a sheet or the side of the house and let each one take turns making hand shadows and let the others guess what it is. They can use just their hands and arms or get their whole bodies in the act.
- You can place glow sticks around and have a hunt for them like an Easter egg hunt.
- Children old enough to be safe moving around in the dark in an open area free of obstacles might enjoy playing dark or night tag in the moonlight.
- Older players could play glow in the dark football or Basketball (these can be found in most discount stores and some drug stores). The younger kids could play with these while seated, too.
- Finding constellations in the sky can be fun for older teens and adults.
- Scary story telling is usually fun for teens and adults. Or just do "round robin" story telling where each person adds a sentence to the prior sentence to make up a group story.
- Play Manhunt. This game is best played in the dark. People have to try to find "it" and then try to run away from "it" if they find "it".
- Flashlight Tag is a perfect night game, people hold flashlights and try to tag someone with the light beam.
- Capture the flag: use something big and make sure there are some lights on.
