7 Games to Play in the Dark for Summer Family Fun

Are you looking for some amazing ideas for summer family fun? Check out this list of 7 games to play in the dark - your family will love them all!

Summer is one of my favorite seasons. School is out and we’re free to live the relaxed lifestyle we enjoy. This means we all stay up later than we do during the school year.

I love the quiet of the night, but a lot of family fun can be had at night too. It’s a lot of fun to play games that are traditionally played during the day at night when it’s dark. It adds a special touch of fun that the kids will never forget.

Here are 7 of our favorite games to play in the dark for summer family fun.

1. Hide and Seek

One of my childhood favorite games was hide and seek and it’s no different for our daughters. They play hide and seek with anyone that will play along. Playing hide and seek is even more fun in the dark. Just give the seeker a flashlight or head lamp so they can more easily find the children that are hiding.

Are you looking for some amazing ideas for summer family fun? Check out this list of 7 games to play in the dark - your family will love them all!

2. Flashlight Tag

Tag was another one of my favorite games to play as a child. As a mom, I love it because it wears the kids out so they sleep better.

To play flashlight tag, give one child a flashlight (or head lamp). That child has to tag another child while they are running around by shining the light on them.

That child then becomes “it” and takes the flashlight for their turn at tagging another child with the light.

3. Flashlight Treasure Hunt

Another one of the fun games to play in the dark is flashlight treasure hunt. To play, have one child hide something in the yard or at the park. The rest of the children search for that item using flashlight or head lamps.

Are you looking for some amazing ideas for summer family fun? Check out this list of 7 games to play in the dark - your family will love them all!4. Grandma’s Foot Steps

This game is another fun one for the kids to play in the dark. Have the “grandma” (who could be anyone) sit in a chair or on a bench. The kids try to sneak up to her (or him) as quietly as possible to steal whatever goody she has stashed next to her.

If she hears footsteps, she shines her flashlight at the kid she hears. If she gets them, they have to return to the start.

To win, the kid has to steal the goody and  get back to the original starting point without being caught by Grandma.

5. Fun with Casting Shadows

When the girls were little, we’d often go to story time at the library. The librarian would sometimes set up the projector and let the kids play with their shadows. They loved it!

This is a super fun activity to do in the dark with your kids. You can use a lantern, flashlight or head lamp to help cast the shadows.

To make it even more fun, tie a sheet between trees for a fun backdrop for a play or hand puppet show.

Are you looking for some amazing ideas for summer family fun? Check out this list of 7 games to play in the dark - your family will love them all!6. Capture the Flag

Capture the Flag is a classic game that kids play every summer. It’s super fun to play in the dark too!

Divide the kids or your family up into two teams. Then each team will hide a flag on their side of the park or backyard. Then, the teams work together to steal the other team’s flag.

You can definitely use flashlights or headlamps in this game too, but you will want to use them strategically so you don’t give your position away. Whoever captures the other team’s flag first, wins!

7. Stargazing

We live in the mountains, so we have a beautiful view of the night sky. You can see so many stars in the sky!

If there is a meteor shower, head somewhere away from the city and take in the free show courtesy of nature. Or print out constellation charts and see who can spot the constellations first.

Are you looking for some amazing ideas for summer family fun? Check out this list of 7 games to play in the dark - your family will love them all!

These are just a few fun games to play in the dark as a family. I hope you enjoy bonding together over these activities this summer.

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