This list of fun games to play in the dark with your family is sponsored by Energizer. All opinions are my own.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 headllamps 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!

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.

What are your favorite games to play in the dark?

How to Make These Games to Play in the Dark More Fun

Having the right supplies is the key to a fun night of games in the dark with your family. We found that Energizer lights and batteries are the perfect accessories for our summertime family activities. They have some powerful lanterns that are portable, making them great for outdoor activities like these. Their headlights are great for these activities too so you can keep your hands free. And don’t forget the spare batteries. You don’t want to be left in the dark and ruin the fun!

• Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries are the world’s first AA and AAA battery made with four percent recycled batteries.
• Energizer headlights are lightweight, versatile and water resistant with pivoting functionality to direct light where you need it.
• Energizer area lanterns are the safe, reliable way to provide bright 360° light long into the night, at the camp fire, or while weathering a storm.

Two of the Energizer lighting products we use for our family games in the dark are:

• Energizer® Vision HD+ Focus LED Headlight – the highest performing Energizer vision headlight. It has a 250 lumen output and beam distance of 80M. The digital focus feature allows you to customize the light to the desired width. It’s even water and impact resistant up to 1 meter,

• Energizer® Fusion LED Folding Lantern – a cool lantern featuring a light fusion technology panel that delivers vibrant uniform area lighting with a 330 lumen output. It has a sturdy stand on the back of the lantern to allow for hands-free use. It even has two modes – high and low – plus smart dimming technology for customizable light output.

Win an Energizer Prize Pack for Your Own Family Game Night

To help make your next family game night extra special, Energizer is giving one of my readers an awesome prize pack valued at $90 that includes:

• One Energizer® Fusion LED Folding Lantern
• One Energizer® Vision HD + Focus LED Headlight
• Two packs of Energizer® EcoAdvanced® AA and AAA Batteries

Giveaway ends July 31, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST. Enter via the form below. Good luck!

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