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10 Incredible Party Games to Play in the Dark This Summer

06/02/2018 By Nicole EtolenCategories: Celebrate, Party Ideas for Kids

Night time is the best time for parties, don’t you agree?

You will after you check out these incredibly fun games to play in the dark this summer!

Night time is the best time for parties, don’t you agree? Check out these incredibly fun games to play in the dark this summer.

Some games are just more fun when the sun goes down. Tic Tac Toe in the sun?

Eh. But throw some glow sticks down for the board and it’s a whole new ball game.

Just about every game we loved as kids takes on a whole new spin!

These ideas are a great way to keep a backyard BBQ party going long after the sun sets.

Check them out!

Table of Contents

  • Party Games to Play in the Dark
  • Tips & Must-Haves for a Successful Party in the Dark
    • 1. Awesome Party Decorations
    • 2. Tableware Essentials
    • 3. Cool Party Lights
    • 4. Outdoor Party Must-Have
    • 5. Party Favors

Party Games to Play in the Dark

Affiliate links included below. We earn a commission if you make a purchase.

1. Glow Tick Tac Toe

Tic tac toe is a game everyone knows. This fun twist keeps it super fun!

What you’ll need:

  • 12 glow sticks for the board
  • 18 glow sticks for the Xs and Os

Use the glow sticks to create the tic tac toe board. You’ll also need to bend the other glow sticks into Xs and Os. Turn off the lights and have some fun!

2. Glowing hop scotch

Hop scotch is another game that goes back to when you were younger! All you need for this game is glow in the dark duct tape.

Create a hop scotch pattern on the sidewalk and you’re all set.

novasolutions Glow in The Dark Tape - Bright Long Lasting Premium Quality Glow Tape - 10 Bonus Glow in The Dark Dots for Hazard and General Marking - 30 ft Long 1 inch Wide
novasolutions Glow in The Dark Tape - Bright Long Lasting Premium Quality Glow Tape - 10 Bonus Glow in The Dark Dots for Hazard and General Marking - 30 ft Long 1 inch Wide
  • MULTIPURPOSE USE - Secure stairs, ramps, switches, sidewalks, entrances,exit signs, and outdoor equipment to enhance visibility in the dark. The glow tape is photolab safe, so you can use it to illuminate your darkroom. Use it for X-mark on stages for music and theatre productions.
  • LONG LASTING AND DURABLE - Only 30 minutes of exposure in direct light will make the tape and dots glow in the dark for 8-10 hours! You can recharge it many times. It also glows very bright when near a UV light source. They are waterproof and will stick to any surface.
  • BONUS ITEMS - With each roll of tape you get 10 free 1-inch glow in the dark dots. Convenient for small or round objects! Never again will you have to spend a long time looking for a light switch or remote control.
  • INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SAFE - The tape and dots do not damage any surface; you can always take them off with a pull and a wipe! They are non-toxic and perfectly safe to use around children and animals. The peel-off protective backing makes it effortless to carry in your bag or car as it will not stick to anything unintended.
  • 100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE - 100% satisfaction guarantee or you get your money back.
Buy on Amazon

3. Twister in the dark

Twister in the dark

If you’re looking for a seriously fun time, be sure to try Twister in the dark! This game is best played outside on the lawn.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 white sheet or white plastic
  • 4 glow in the dark paints
  1. Paint circles on the sheets/plastic using each color of paint.
  2. If you do not have plastic or a sheet, you can paint the lawn!
  3. You will need six circles for each color.
  4. Give the board a few hours to dry. Once the sun goes down, the fun begins!

4. Capture the flag

If you and your friends have some energy to burn, glow in the dark capture the flag is perfect!

This game is just like normal capture the flag with a little added glowing fun.

What you’ll need:

  • Plenty of friends! (enough for 2 teams)
  • Glow sticks in two different colors. (Each player gets 2 glow sticks)
  • Capture the flag gear (flags and waistbands)
  • Tons of energy
  1. Divide your friends into two teams.
  2. Give one team one color glowsticks and the other the opposite color.
  3. Have everyone put the glowsticks on their wrists.
  4. Put on the gear needed for capture the flag.
  5. Head outside when it’s dark and see which team wins!

5. Glow Bowling!

Energy Ball

A staple of just about every nighttime party, glow bowling is super simple to put together.

  • Just grab some empty bottles (2-liter soda bottles work) and fill the bottom with a bit of sand.
  • Make sure you use the same amount in each one, you want your “pin” to be consistent. Toss in some glow sticks and/or paint them with glow paint, then set up your alley.
  • For the ball, you can get creative and use coconuts.
  • They actually work pretty well!

6. Hide and Seek

If you think hide and seek is a boring kiddie game, you haven’t played it in the dark!

This is by far one of the easiest party games to play in the dark because you only need two things: people and darkness!

I think we all know how to play hide and seek, so I won’t bore you with long instructions. In case you’ve somehow forgotten the rules of the game, they’re simple.

  • One person is “it.” That person counts to a specific number (go to 100 if you’re playing outdoors) while everyone else hides.
  • Then the “it” person tries to find them.

This game takes on a whole new spooky “horror movie” vibe when you’re playing at night, especially if you’re doing it outdoors.

Trust me, your heart will be beating faster every time you hear the snap of a twig!

7. What Is It?

I can’t really think of a name for this, but I think we’ve all played it at Halloween parties!

Basically, you fill a bunch of bowls or other containers with random stuff, like peeled grapes (they feel like eyeballs), thick spaghetti with sauce (to simulate intestines, perfect if you want to avoid carbs for the foreseeable future!) and other foods that feel like disgusting body parts.

Because, you know, what’s a party in the dark without a little gross-out session?

Or is that make-out session?

Hmmm, I may need to rethink my circle of friends!

Anyway, the goal is to try to identify what you’re touching. You can make this even freakier by spinning a horrifying tale to go along with it.

8. Finish my ghost story

This camping favorite is a classic for a reason! It’s crazy fun and super simple. You’ll need:

  • At least 4 people (more is better)
  • A flashlight
  • Darkness!

Instead of having one person tell creepy old urban legend ghost stories, take turns adding onto one. Have one person start by putting the flashlight under his chin (a must when telling a ghost story) and beginning the story.

Rather than just having each person offer a sentence or two, set a timer to one minute.

When the time is up, pass the flashlight, even if the person is in the middle of saying a word. That way it’s more of a challenge.

9. Flashlight tag

Another super simple party game to play in the dark, you just need people and a flashlight!

  • The “it” person gets the flashlight, and everyone else tries to avoid it.
  • Get caught in the beams and you’re out!
  • You can add on extra rules, like creating a “safe” home base, or putting “out” players in “jail,” and letting them escape when so many minutes pass without someone else being tagged

Here’s another fun variation on it:

10. Blind Painting

Put your friends’ artistic talents to the test by making them create a masterpiece in the dark!

Here’s what you’ll need for each person:

  • Some sort of canvas (can be poster board, a spot on a dark driveway, or anything else you come up with
  • Washable paints
  • A brush (or sidewalk chalk if you’re using your driveway). NOT glow-in-the-dark paints!
  • You can also use washable markers or even crayons.

How to Play:

  1. First, choose a theme for the artwork. It can be something relatively easy and vague, like “must be a fruit,” or complicated, like “must be a self-portrait.”
  2. Next, give everyone a canvas and their art supplies, then give them exactly 30 seconds to set up the supplies in a way that they think they’ll be able to figure out what’s what.
  3. Turn off the lights (or the flashlights) and set the timer to 3 minutes (you can choose a different time but keep it relatively short).
  4. Start the clock and go! The goal is to create something that fits the theme without being able to see what you’re doing.
  5. When the time is up, judge artwork on things like “most realistic,” “most abstract,” “best use of color,” and so on!

This is a great game to level the playing field for those of us who have zero artistic talent! You never know, your work could be better in the dark! I know mine is!!

Tips & Must-Haves for a Successful Party in the Dark

1. Awesome Party Decorations

View this post on Instagram

#neonpartydecorations #blacklights #partydecorations #nofilter #uvlights #glowparty #neonparty #partyideas

A post shared by Glow Party World (@glowpartyworld) on Jul 1, 2016 at 4:42am PDT

If you’re planning on keeping your party outdoors in the dark, then you don’t need to go wild with decorations. Choose one area that will be party central- the spot where your guests will meet, greet, and eat!

  • Once you set up the area, add some glow in the dark balloons and some neon decorations to brighten it up a bit. I love the look above.
  • Another fun idea: set up a disco dance floor! Mark off the area with bright neon duct tape, then hang a disco ball over it.

2. Tableware Essentials

Karaoke Machine - Singsation All-In-One Karaoke System & Party Machine - Performer Speaker w/Bluetooth Microphone Sing Stand - No CDs! - Kids or Adults. YouTube your Favorite Karaoke Videos & Songs

I shared this idea in our glow in the dark party games post, but it also works great here.

For party cups, grab some black plastic cups and neon markers, then let your guests decorate their own cup as they arrive.

For party plates, you can go with a neon-theme to make the plates stand out, or grab plain black plastic plates and surround them with glow necklaces.

3. Cool Party Lights

Karaoke Machine - Singsation All-In-One Karaoke System & Party Machine - Performer Speaker w/Bluetooth Microphone Sing Stand - No CDs! - Kids or Adults. YouTube your Favorite Karaoke Videos & Songs

Even if you plan to play most of your party games in the dark, you’ll need a few lights around the food and to mark pathways. Try these:

  • LED neon balloons – Grab this 30 pack of LED balloons and place them in bunches at strategic locations.
  • LED Paper Lanterns– get paper lanterns in a style to fit your theme, then add these little lights to them inside.
  • String lights in a mason jar– these copper string lights are super cute, but you can use any string lights! Just bunch them into mason jars!

4. Outdoor Party Must-Have

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leslie Hicks (@majesticinglewoodpartyrentals) on May 31, 2018 at 12:01pm PDT

If you’re having your party outdoors, make sure you have a party tent in case it rains!

You can find them in just about any size to fit every budget. Below are a couple that I recommend.

I know the prices can be a bit high on some of the tents, but think of it as a long-term investment.

While you can rent one, if you throw a lot of parties it’s much better to have your own.

Outdoor Basic 10x20 Ft Pop up Canopy Party Wedding Gazebo Tent Shelter with Removable Side Walls White
$249.99
32'x16' PE Party Tent White - Heavy Duty Wedding Canopy Carport Shelter - with Storage Bags - By DELTA Canopies
Galvanized steel frame, rust & corrosion resistant; Beautiful arched plastic windows and zippered entrance on both end walls
$1,245.00
Punchau Pop Up Canopy Tent with Sidewall 10 x 10 Feet, Red - UV Coated, Waterproof Instant Outdoor Gazebo Tent, Bonus Roller Carry Bag
Peach Tree Party Tent 10x20 FT Pop Up Canopy Portable Folding Canopy with Carry Bag Instant Gazebo Outdoor Wedding BBQ Shelter
Heavy duty steel frame: stable with rust&corrosion resistant powder coating steel; Durable&waterproof 210D oxford silver fabric roof cover

5. Party Favors

For a night time party, you’ll want to give out a few glow in the dark favors!   Here are some that I love:

  • Glow in the dark necklaces– give these to your guests as they arrive!
  • Light up flashing rings– another great item to give out in the beginning of your party.
  • Make a glow bar! I love this idea from Party City: set up a whole station of glow in the dark goodies and let guests grab their favorites.

If you follow these tips and plan a few of our favorite games to play in the dark, your party with be a hit!

Have you played any of these games? What are your favorite party games to play in the dark? Tell us all about it!

Tagged With: glow games, nighttime games, party games

About Nicole Etolen

Nicole Etolen is a blogger, freelance writer, and all-around busy bee. She spent her teen and early adult life as a childcare provider before finally have her own little boy (now 7), so she knows what kids like!

Comments

  1. Jessica Hughes says

    06/06/2017 at 2:25 pm

    This is such a great idea! I’ve never thought about playing these games in the dark, but it really does add an extra element of fun! I will have to plan a few of these for our next bbq.

    Reply
  2. mail4rosey says

    06/06/2017 at 9:54 pm

    Twister in the dark would be awesome! We’ve done bowling in the dark and it was fun.

    Reply
  3. Marceline Dementori says

    06/07/2017 at 1:16 am

    I’ve never tried hosting or attending a glow in the dark party before! That sounds like a lot of fun and these are all awesome ideas! Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Jhentea Guzman says

    06/07/2017 at 3:24 am

    Woah that was awesome! Never tried to play games in the dark! This seems very interesting game!

    Reply
  5. Krystal says

    06/07/2017 at 8:18 am

    We love bowling at night but these are more fun ideas! I think my son would love them.

    Reply
  6. Travel Blogger says

    06/07/2017 at 10:11 am

    What great ideas! I would have never thought to do this! This would be so much fun for summer get togethers. Capture the flag would be so much fun!

    Reply
  7. ElizOF says

    06/07/2017 at 12:20 pm

    Glow sticks must be the rage this summer. I think kids are going to love this very much.

    Reply
  8. Melissa Bernardo says

    06/07/2017 at 1:35 pm

    What great game ideas! I think I might do some of these games for the kids on July 4th!

    Reply
  9. Amber Pilcher says

    06/07/2017 at 8:20 pm

    Glowing Hopscotch looks like a whole bunch of fun! I’d love to do that with my daughter this summer!

    Reply
  10. Sojourner Walker says

    06/07/2017 at 8:49 pm

    Twister and tic tax toe in the dark sound like a party! I’ve gone bowling in the dark and that’s fun too!

    Reply

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