Last Updated on September, 2024
What is the best game to play during a power outage or when you are on a camping trip? I’ll give you a hint; it requires only one device…
A flashlight game, of course!
Picture this, you just had dinner with your family, and power goes out in the neighborhood. What activity can you do with your family to kill boredom? It’s no fun sulking away in the dark.
Flashlight games are great mood boosters for any occasion or location! There are a variety of flashlight games available for all ages. Let’s take a look at some of the best games to play.
Quick Summary
Flashlight games are a great way to have fun with family and friends during a power outage or when camping.
Flashlight games come in a variety of forms, from scavenger hunts and charades to photography and storytelling.
Flashlight games are suitable for all ages and can be adapted for any occasion.
Table of Contents
What are Flashlight Games?
First and foremost, what is a flashlight game, and how do you play it? It’s easy. As the name suggests, Flashlight games are games that you can play with a flashlight. There are so many games you can invent with a flashlight. The only downside is that flashlight activities can only be played in the dark.
Have you ever made shadow puppets with your siblings or friends? Well, that is a flashlight game too. These games have evolved over the years to numerous versions and inventions.
Don’t just limit flashlight games to your home. You can play them outside during camping, halloween, or any occasion.
Let me take you on a flashtastic journey on the best games you can play at home and outdoors.
Best Flashlight Games for Campers!
These are some of the top choices for flashlight games to make your camping trip the most fun and memorable.
Flashlight Charades
If you like to play charades, you will LOVE flashlight/ shadow charades!
This shadow charade game combines charades and shadow puppets that you can play in teams.
Just like regular charades, one person can write different topics or actions (for example, swimming) on pieces of paper and place them in a bowl.
After each team has taken a piece of paper, the selected participant will act it out.
The selected team member stands next to a tent or a large tree, and a flashlight will be shown towards their hand. The campers can take turns making guesses based on the shadow puppets.
Firefly Tag
Don’t worry; you won’t need to have real fireflies for this game!
The flashlight firefly game is a type of flashlight tag but a bit more fun and creative. One person will become the “firefly” or the hider, and the rest will have to seek you.
Once everyone has closed their eyes and started counting, the firefly will find a good hiding spot. (beware– if you are at a camping site, please do NOT wander off too far into the forest).
You can flash your flashlight and move to another hiding spot. The goal for the fellow seekers is to catch the firefly and tag them.
Morse Code Cracking
Do you and your kids love spy movies? Wouldn’t it be amazing to learn a new language with your kids? This fun game is called morse code cracking.
Send each other morse code messages in the dark by using a flashlight and a part of the tent. Have an adult use a flashlight to send the group a message in Morse code. The first person to decipher the message wins! Your children will be thrilled when they think about speaking a secret language!
Capture the Flag
Capture the flag is one of the best flashlight games campers can play. Firstly, separate the players into two teams and split the area into two sides. For flags, you can use a flashlight or glow sticks. Another option is giving each player a glow bracelet that matches their team’s flag.
The teams can hide the flag anywhere as long as it’s visible. Each squad also chooses a location to serve as its “jail”. A player who is tagged while on enemy ground is imprisoned in the “jail” of the opposing squad.
Finding and bringing the opposing team’s flag to your team’s side of the field is the objective of the game.
Spooktastic Halloween With Flashlights
Although dressing up and trick-o-treating is fun during Halloween, it can be even better when you add flashlight games to the mix. These games can be played all year round, but they are extra joyful when merging ghouls and flashlights.
Scavenger Hunt
The nighttime scavenger hunt is an enjoyable game to play with your kids. You can change the level of difficulty depending on their ages. All you have to do is have your kid form a team and give the team leader a flashlight, you can let them compete with each other too.
For the scavenger hunt, hide different types of objects around the house and provide the kids with the list of the things that are hidden and let them find those.
The Ghost is Out
The ghost is out, or ghoul in the graveyard, is a spooktacular game for kids. This game is the opposite of firefly tag. You must first choose a “home base” such as a tree or a house. The ghoul then hides after every player is handed a flashlight and proceeds in search of the ghost.
The first player to discover the ghoul is secure from being tagged and cries, “GHOUL IN THE GRAVEYARD,” remaining with the ghoul. The other players will then need to run to home base, or they will be the next “ghoul” if they are captured.
I Spy
Have you played I spy before? It’s very straightforward, you look at an object and describe it without giving away the name, and let the other players guess.
It’s the same concept. except you are playing with all the lights out, and the only source is a flashlight. This lovely game can be played with any age group, even toddlers.
Spooky Storytelling
A family favorite for many. Who doesn’t love scary stories? Well, why not top the suspense up a notch with a flashlight!
The storyteller will be the person holding the flashlight. They can keep the flashlight under their chin for theatrical effects or use shadow puppets, then hand over the flashlight to the next person to tell another spooky story.
Pumpkin/Egg Hunt
Have you ever played an Easter egg hunt in the dark?
Why not get creative and try it with mini pumpkin toys or eggs painted as pumpkins?
This is a beautiful game to play, especially if you have younger children. It would be best if you had a big yard or open space for this. Hide the pumpkins around the yard and give each kid a flashlight to find the objects. You can make it a competitive game to see which kid collects the most “pumpkins.”
No Light No Problem! Indoor Flashlight Games for Kids
Have you ever wondered what kind of games you can play indoors, even without electricity? With just a flashlight, gather your family around to play these amazingly fun flashlight games.
Shadow Puppets
The most classic flashlight game is the shadow puppet show! The shadow puppet game requires you to lay the flashlight on a table and shine the light on a wall.
Teach your child to make different animals or people on the wall by placing their hands in various positions. This is an excellent game for younger kids to let their imaginations run wild.
Flashlight Limbo
Flashlight limbo is easy. You use the flashlight beam like a limbo pole! One person shines the flashlight at a wall and has all the players try to pass underneath the beam, like in a typical limbo game.
Lower the flashlight each turn until one person’s shadow breaks the beam of light as they pass underneath.
Flashlight Dance and Freeze!
Imagine having a great dance party at home then the power goes out. In a world of smartphones, you can create a flashlight dance party! You can select one person to shine the flashlight and allow everyone to dance for a minute.
The chosen person will shine the flashlight on someone, forcing them to immediately freeze and keep shining the light on different people. A person is out if they are unable to freeze.
This is a great game to play with your family. You can play without the flashlight freeze. Use the flashlight to get everyone grooving! Give everyone a different colored light, then let them dance! The individual with the goofiest dance moves wins.
Hide and Seek
Another classic is flashlight hide and seek. The hiders will find a hiding place after the seeker is given a flashlight. Before setting out on a search, the seeker must close their eyes and count down from at least 20.
They use the flashlight to search for everyone until they are located. The kids can continue playing till everyone has been the seeker.
Flashlight Constellations
Flashlight constellations or paper cup constellations is a fun guessing game for crafty kids. If your kids are very creative, they can make real or imaginative constellations.
To create these, each individual will draw the constellations on black paper, then place it over a tiny paper cup and make holes at the bottom of it. Turn your flashlight on and put it under the cup so that the holes will illuminate like stars in the sky when flashed against a ceiling or wall.
Flash Photography
If you have instagram or TikTok, you must have heard of the “aurora” trend, where a shadow image of the person is created while dancing to Aurora’s runaway song. If you are a crafty person, try flashlight photography! You can create silhouettes with your shadows and take pictures.
Final Words
It looks like we have come to the end of your flashlight adventures. I hope you had a blast getting to know the fun flashlight games for kids.
These are such fun games where kids create endless activities that allow their imaginations to run free. The beauty of a fun flashlight game is that it can be played by both older and younger kids of any age or at any location.
So if you ever want to throw a crazy Halloween bash or have a fun camping trip remember to bring a flashlight to spice up your holidays. Checkout the best flashlights for your kids here.
FAQs
Was this article helpful?
