Black light glow parties!

 

Who doesn't love a good black light party??  Elementary groups, youth groups, even adults - every age loves glow parties!  

The problem is, you can get stuck on one idea that eventually gets a little stale.  You get in a rut, right?  So, I went on a search for lots of fun black light glow party ideas - and my facebook groups didn't disappoint!  People have really thought outside the box and gotten creative with this!  So, here are some ideas for games, activities, and even a few suggestions on supplies.  Maybe you'll find something new that you hadn't thought of before!  If you've done something awesome and it's not on this list - please comment below!  Your idea may just be what someone else is looking for :)

Before you get started - here are some fun ideas from other educators on things you can do or tell your group to do to get ready!  

    - wear white or neon clothes that glow...if you make youth group or children's ministry shirts, kill two birds with one stone and make sure it glows in black lights!

    - when they arrive make sure they are adorned with glow sticks!

    - when they arrive, if they are okay with it, you can do face paint/body art with glow body paint!

Black light pickleball

Black light gaga ball

The ever popular black light dodge ball

Black light nerf gun and darts competition - could also put up glow in the dark targets to have target practice.

Black light volleyball - with younger kids, light up balloons make this easier and fun!

Black light 9 square in the air

Simple but fun game idea for younger children - blow up tons of light up glow balloons and put them all over your room.  Divide the group up into two teams and put down glow tape in the middle of the room to partition it into two sections.  When you say "go", everyone on one side tries to put all the balloons on to the other side.  When you call "time", the team with the most balloons loses :) 

Airplane toss!  Have them make paper airplanes and put up glow in the dark targets.  Divide them into teams and see which team hits the most targets.

Paint over the Twister circles and play glow Twister!

Glow in the Dark Wiffle ball - paint the bat, put glow sticks inside the wiffle balls, tape off the bases with neon glow tape, and make sure everyone is wearing shirts that glow.

Black light 4 square (use black light/neon tape on the floor to mark off your court)

Ring Toss and mini golf!

Also, pictured above - Glow Jenga :)  Paint the blocks different colors!

Paint ping pong balls different glow colors and play this game:  toss into neon buckets, or into neon cups.  As a twist, make them earn the ping pong balls somehow.

Spray paint bean bags and a cornhole game to play glow cornhole!

Glow bowling!  There are different ways to light up the water...here are 3 suggestions:  use tonic water (says it glows on it's own!), put a glow stick in a bottle of water (someone else said you can break open the stick as well), or squeezing highlighter liquid into water bottles.

Glow hopscotch - you can use your spray painted bean bags from cornhole :) 

With the water bottles from bowling, you can empty them out so only 1/3 of the water is inside, and do a bottle flipping contest!

Neon Cup stacking contests.

Take the legs down on a table, prop it up on one side, and make a sort of Skeet ball game using glow buckets and glow wiffle balls (or glow balls from the dollar tree).

Make circles with glow sticks, hang them from the ceiling and have football toss contests.

Glow in the dark tic-tac-toe

Dance party - tape glow sticks on their arms and legs so it looks like stick figures dancing :) Add in Toby Mac's Light Shine bright and do a freeze dance!

Do a stem activity - spray paint legos and do some lego stem card activities or build a volcano and let them add in their own cups of baking soda (mix highlighter liquid with the vinegar).  

Many churches have sponsored black light egg hunts, but you can also do regular prize hunts at your event.  Fill up a small space (gaga pit would work well) with lots of glowing balloons and hide lots of little prizes under the balloons.  Let in a small group of kids at a time and give them 10-15 seconds to grab as many prizes as they can (keeping the balloons in the space ;). 

Neon Glow painting - there were a number of ideas with this.  One, was to put up BLACK paper along the walls and let them paint.  Another was to lay out WHITE paper on the floor and let them draw/paint.  Both would work and they would create different effects - the paper would glow if it's white, only the drawings would show if it's black.  Either could be used for a fun photo back drop or decoration for future parties!  According to other educators, there is glow paint available, glow chalk (you can also make your own), or someone else suggested painting with detergent!  If you're using white paper - you can just draw with highlighters!  These were also suggested from oriental trading.

Make glow playdoh.

Make glow bubbles (someone suggested just emptying the glow stick liquid into the bubbles - 1/2 stick for small bottle of bubbles)!

Ask them to bring a white tshirt or provide them - they can decorate their own shirts with glow paint to use for future events.

1.  To illustrate that there is more going on around than we can see, and that God is always with us even though we can’t see Him, we had the kids write their fears on a poster board. What they didn’t know is that during the week we had written truths about God with invisible black light pens on the same posters. So, when we hit the lights and turned on the black lights, their fears disappeared and the truth of God shined brightly!

2.  One educator did a version of the Wordless book (but this idea could be used with other lessons that involve different colors).  Every kid/participant was given a different color glow-stick. As I told the story, I asked those that had the corresponding color to wave it in the air as I related the color to the story. It was cool to see the room filled with blue, then red, then white, then green, then purple, then orange.

Neon Duct tape - on any and everything :) Including pool noodles!

Floor neon tape

LED lights with floor neon tape

neon paint and chalk

Did you know these little guys glow? 

Neon cups from Amazon or Party City

This is a vendor that was suggested for glow products.

Beach balls (evidently they glow?)

This light strip was recommended.

Well, that's all I have for now!  Any other suggestions, comment below so we can all see your ideas!  Thanks!

Did you know I create religious games for elementary and youth as well as religious Escape rooms!?  Check them out! :)  Small group, Large group, active, screen games, you name it!  All are $3 or under!

Thanks for all you do in your ministry!

In Christ,

Laurie J