Even though it may not seem like it, the simple and handy flashlight can be a great source of fun if you allow your creative mind to have a go at it.
Flashlight games have been there since the invention of the flashlight. However, most people only know one or two games, which can get stale over time.
In this article, we will discuss some of the best flashlight games for kids and some crafts. If you are looking for flashlights for your kids then check out our kids flashlight buyers guide. Or you can go over to our main flashlight guide right here.
Ghost in the Graveyard
This game goes by many names, including Ghoul in the Graveyard, the Witch is Out, or the Ghost is Out. Even though it sounds spooky, it is a fun game.
It is best to play Ghost in the Graveyard at night, for obvious reasons. To play, you will need ample open space and several participants. First, you will have to choose your home base; this could be any large structure, such as a tree, the side of the house, or any structure that is on the open space.
Next, appoint one of the participants to be the ‘ghost’ and ask them to find a place to hide. You will then give each of the remaining players a flashlight and ask them to go and look for the ghost. The first one to find the ghost is ‘safe,’ and they will have to yell “GHOST IN THE GRAVEYARD.”
Upon hearing that yell, the rest of the crew should proceed to run to the designated home base, as the ghost will start chasing after them once they are discovered. The participant that will be unfortunate enough to be captured by the ghost will play the ‘ghost’ in the next round.
Play until each participant has played the ghost.
Living in the Spotlight
Adults will enjoy this flashlight game. It is especially good at breaking the ice during occasions where several people in the group do not know each other. Have everyone stand in a circle in the dark so you can begin playing. Give one person in the circle a flashlight, which they will use to cast a spotlight randomly on any person in the circle.
When the spotlight falls on an individual, they will have to captivate the rest with a joke, song, or dance. They can even answer a random question about themselves. To make it more interesting, have the person start a story.
The next person to have the spotlight on the will have to continue with the story. This calls for a lot of creativity, which is what makes the game so much fun. You can record the entire story-telling session and play it for the group later.
A Thief in the Dark
To play this game, you will first need to have a variety of items in a specific location. Next, have everyone come and take a mental picture of all the items. Turn off the lights, then have somebody go and remove a single item.
Next, ask the participants to turn on their flashlights and go to the ‘crime scene’ to try to determine what the ‘thief’ might have taken. Kinda like a reverse scavenger hunt or treasure hunt. You can add difficulty to the game by using more than 20 random objects. The participant that can identify the missing item is declared the winner. You can tweak the game by having the ‘thief’ not take anything at all then watch the players make up ‘missing’ items.
Something is Different
This game follows the same rules as the ‘Thief in the Dark’; however, instead of taking something, you will simply alter something in the scene. You can either switch the position of a particular item or replace it with something else. Next, ask your investigators to try to determine what is different about the scene.
Flashlight Freeze
This is an incredibly fun flashlight game. The objective of the game is to freeze once the flashlight beam is on you. It sounds easy, but it isn’t. To play, first, bring a sound system to the room where the game is going to take place. Next, turn off the lights, play the music, and have everyone dance. Have someone shine the beam of light around randomly. If it is on you, you have to freeze immediately. If you are unable to stop moving instantly, you are out of the game.
Flashlight Hide-and-Seek
This game follows all the rules of typical hide-and-seek. The only difference is you play this version in the dark with the seeker using a flashlight to look for the hiders. To make it more interesting, set a time limit within which the seeker should find as many people as they can.
The person who finds the most people in the least number of rounds is the winner.
Catch the Firefly
Here, you will select one of the participants to be a ‘firefly’ and give them a small pin style flashlight, though other flashlights can be used as well. Ask the firefly to go out into the dark. After 30 seconds, they will flash their torch once, upon which the others will go out looking for him or her.
The firefly will be moving around to avoid capture—the one who captures the firefly wins.
Flashlight Tag
Have your participants outside in the dark and select one of them to be ‘it.’ Only the ‘it’ will have a flashlight, and their job will be to chase the others. To catch someone, they simply have to shine their flashlight on them. The objective is to shine the light on each participant. The last one caught becomes ‘it’ for the next round.
Paper Cup Constellations
This flashlight game is fun as well as educational. You can use it to teach your kids about constellations. First, show them the various constellations that you are going to use in the game, as well as their names.
Next, ask each individual to take a small paper cup and make small holes at the bottom in the likeness of the constellations. Turn off the lights, insert a flashlight into the cup, and point it to the ceiling or wall. Ask them to name the various constellations that appear.
Letter Spotlight
Letter Spotlight is another educational flashlight game as it can help kids learn their letters. Get small foam letters and hold them up in front of the flashlight in a dark room. Ask the kids to name the letter that ‘magically’ appears on the wall. Award a point to the first one to get it right.
Catch the Light
Give the kids a great workout by having them chase the light around the room. The goal is to either catch or stomp the light. Move it around the walls and floor. At times, allow them to catch it. Other times move the light when they are just about to catch it.
Shadow Charades
If the participants are adept at playing charades, they will thoroughly enjoy this game. To play, ask them to act out a particular shadow charade once the spotlight is on them. As such, they will need to stand close to a wall of a dark room. They will act out the shadow charade you asked them to while the other players try to guess what it is that is being acted out.
Flashlight Limbo
How low can you go? That is the objective of this game. Have two participants create a beam by aiming their flashlights at each other. The others will attempt to limbo under the beam. Keep lowering the beam until you have a definite winner.
Morse Code Cracking
Take this opportunity to teach Morse code to those around you. Print a couple of Morse code charts and have the participants study them. Next, hide a prize outside in the dark. Then flash Morse code to the group inside, with hints to where the prize is hiding. The one who cracks the code gets the prize.
Shadow Puppets
Use your hands or make some crafts. If you are one that wants to learn how to make shadows with your hands check out this video for some examples of what can be done.
A book that we like on learning to do shadow puppets is available here. Go make a shadow puppet.
Alternately you can get crafting and make figures on popsicle sticks or skewers and put on a puppet show like in the video below
Final Thoughts
Flashlight games can be a lot of fun; you just need to be creative. Do not shy away from attempting every game on this list. Have fun with these activities for kids and maybe even adults.
Thanks for visiting. If you want to learn more about flashlights and things you can do with them head over to our homepage