In these long winter months, with school lasting from dark 'til dark, how can we get our kids out of doors to play? Well, there are lots of great games that you and your family can play, either camping or at home in the garden, and the darker the better! Here are our top ten after dark family games. Warning - you'll need a torch and some re-charged back-up batteries! The kids on this campsite had a fantastic time as you can see from the pinboard images:
Shortlands Farm Anyone got any more to share?
1. Trace your name in the stars: if it's a clear night, with children who can write their name you can play this easy game. Can they trace their own name in the stars, like playing dot-to-dot? Lying on their backs, side by side, they can make the night sky their own!
2. Play ‘torch tag’ using the beams of light to make someone ‘it’. As soon as they have been 'hit' by the beam of light, you call their name and they have to freeze. They are then handed the torch and become 'it' with the torch.
3. Using a torch on the inside of the tent, perform a shadow puppet show – careful now! It's an old favourite for a reason!
4. In the deliciously thick darkness of a tent pitched out in the sticks, you can play this old favourite: ‘squeak piggy squeak’. Choose a willing participant and turn them around three times so that they are just disorientated enough not to know who is where. They reach out to touch someone close by - they can touch their face or a part of their body. No one must make a sound until prompted 'squeak piggy squeak'. Can they guess which member of the camping trip they have laid hands on and heard? (There is an adult-only version of this game...email us for the rules!)
5. Take some glow sticks with you: perform some glow in the dark dancing or write glow messages in the sky – can your audience read them? If you're really brave, an adult can mix the contents of glow sticks with bubble mixture and make glow in the dark bubbles. Be warned - it can be messy! But magical!
6. Flashlight hunt: one member of your party hides an object, the rest look for it using torches. Add a timer and countdown from your phone and the competition can really hot up. This one's useful when you’ve lost the toothbrushes!
7. Museum After Dark. This game generates sniggering followed by outright laughter. One player becomes the "museum guide", armed with a flashlight. The rest of the players spread out and strike an interesting pose, as if they are art exhibits. The museum guide visits each piece of "art", checking it over with the beam of light and describing the exhibit in funny ways. The rules: the museum guide can't touch. His/her aim is to make the exhibits laugh or move - then they become the guide.
8. Night pirate: a game of stealth! Choose one player to be the "pirate" with the torch. You'll also need a special object to represent the 'treasure'. The pirate sits in the dark with the "treasure" sitting in front. The other players line up 15 steps away, readying themselves to steal the treasure. Each player sneaks as secretly close to the pirate as possible, without being detected. If the pirate hears a sound, he shines the flashlight in that direction. If the flashlight beam tags a player, that player must go back to the starting line. The first player to nab the treasure without being tagged with the torch beam is the new pirate.
9. Flash jump: a simple game but great for getting everyone warm. One person holds the torch and turns on the beam, shining it on the ground. The players need to rush as soon as they can to the place where the beam shines. You can add points for arriving first if you like. Turn off the torch, move it to another spot and turn the torch on again. Great! And you can do all of this with your hand wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate!
10. This one is great for really young children all the way to life-toughened adults! Simple enough - have a stock of odd, varied objects at the ready and turn out the light. Place the object in front of either a player or a team of players: can they guess what it is? Get them to describe the object as they are feeling it - what they say will have everyone else in stitches.
Fun fun fun, in spite of the fact that the sun has popped off elsewhere for a while.
