In the summer we stay out later, so here is our ultimate bucket list of things to do at night to put more play in your longer day! Get the most out of your summer.
Backyard movies.
There are lots of ways to hold a backyard movie night. First, make an outdoor movie screen. Bob Villa shows how. Did you know that you can turn your cellphone into a movie projector? Then decide on a theme: pool party, go with the theme of the movie, pajama party, or a drive-in movie with cardboard box cars. (Ask for large boxes at an appliance store for adults, grocery store for kids.)
Bonfire
There are lots of places to have a bonfire. How many will you have this summer? At the beach, camping, in the picnic area of state parks, Disney campgrounds, at home or the cottage.
Capture the glow stick.
This is like the game Capture the Flag, only there are glow sticks instead of flags.
Make two teams (or more if you have lots of people). Each team wears a different color. Give each player a glow necklace or bracelet and 1 or 2 thick glow sticks in their team color. Divide the play area into sides for each team.
Ask players to hide their glow stick in their area. (They can’t bury it. Obviously this game is best played in a field or in the woods.)
Ask them to stand at the furthest spot in their area. Then send them out to find the glow sticks within a specified amount of time based on the age of the players. Team to find the most glow sticks wins.
Corn Hole at night.
You can play cornhole at night when you add these LED lights to your existing cornhole game.
They are operated by remote control and can glow in the dark in 16 different colors.
See on Amazon.
Capture the flag in the dark with glow in the dark gear.
This Glow in the Dark Capture the Flag kit contains enough bracelets for 20 players. (Or, you can have 10 players with 2 bracelets for added brightness, added safety.) Includes game cards so you can make variations to the game.
See on Amazon.
Cemetery visit.
Visit an old cemetery and night and see how long you can stay before everyone needs to leave.
Take photos with your phone in night mode and see what your eyes can’t see. That’s spooky!
Dance in the dark outdoors.
Dance by yourself.
Dance with friends.
Dance like no one can see you.
Feel the freedom of dancing in the darkness.
Ferris wheel ride at night.
The summer is time for carnivals and there’s something exhilarating about goin to one at night. Some cities have a ferris wheel that overlooks the lake or a special area of the city. Seeing your city at night is a beautiful moment.
Firefly catching.
Fireflies show up after the rainy season so you’ll usually start seeing them from late May into June. They are found where a field meets a forest near water – but it doesn’t have to be a lot of water. They are nocturnal so they sleep on the ground and crawl up the grass and fly in the trees at night. (When we lived in a rural area, the fireflies would come and fly around us when we swam in the pool at night. So surreal!)
Flashlight tag.
This is a fun impromptu game using the flashlight on your cellphone. This is a game of hide and seek at night. Whoever is “it” has the flashlight, so you only need one. Their goal is to find where everyone in the group is hiding. When they do, the first person discovered becomes it and the game starts again.
Frisbee fun at night.
This Flashlight Nite Ize flying disc is amazing! Once you see it glow in the dark, it will blow your mind. It is balanced to fly like a frisbee, and floats through the air in an impressive way. It grabs attention, so you never know who you’ll meet.
This bright one is available on Amazon. There are other cheaper ones available at department stores and dollar stores with that green glow.
Ghost stories.
Read ghost stories. Or have someone tell their favorite ghost story. Or make them up. Take turns adding to the story – this might be funnier than scary, but it’s still Good Times Glue in your friendships.
Ghost walk.
Ghosts aren’t just for Halloween. Research all the “haunted” areas of your city and go on a ghost walk at night.
Giant Yard Pong
Giant yard pong game glows in the dark for night use. You can put sand or water in the buckets so they don’t tip over. Comes with 12 buckets glow in the dark and 4 glow in the dark balls. (Can be used in daytime, too.) See on Amazon.
Lawn darts. (Yes, you can play lawn darts at night.)
Lawn darts at night sounds ultra dangerous, but they aren’t giant darts with sharp points like they were back in the day. They have shock absorbent tips that are weighted so they stand up. These ones glow in the dark for playing lawn darts at night. If you want to make it super easy for kids to play, the two rings can be joined to make one huge ring. See on Amazon.
Tag with glow bracelets & necklaces.
Hand out glow bracelets, necklaces and head bands. After everyone is all decked out, organize a game of tag. (It’s so much fun in the pool at night too.)
Write words with sparklers.
Get some extra long sparklers and write words with them. (Or, you can use glow sticks, which is safer.) Think of the words you want to take turns writing before you light the sparkler. (The number of letters in the words you choose is the number of people in your group minus 1 to hold the camera.) Don’t forget to post them on Instagram!
Want more summer fun ideas for adults?
