Fun Flashlight Games and Crafts for Kids and Adults

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.

With the COVID-19 pandemic going on, however, one could use any creative ideas they can get to keep their kids as well as themselves entertained during isolation. In this article, we will discuss some of the best flashlight crafts and games to play in the dark.

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 a large 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 it has been 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 tremendously. It is especially good at breaking the ice during occasions where there are a number of people in the group who 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.

Now ask the participants to turn on their flashlights and go to the ‘crime scene’ to try to determine what the ‘thief’ might have taken. You can add difficulty to the game by using more than 20 random objects. The participant that is able to determine 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 certain 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 spotlight 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 cast a spotlight 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 that 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 educative. 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

This is another educative 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, and then flash Morse code to the group inside with hints to where the prize is located. The one who cracks the code gets the prize.

Underwater Flashlight Craft

This is one of the most popular flashlight crafts for pre-schoolers. To play, you will first need to get a zip-close plastic bag, construction paper, and markers. The objective is to create an underwater scene.

Place the transparent zip bag and place it on a white paper so you can see what you are drawing clearly. Draw various kinds of sea animals on the zip bag. Next, remove the white paper and put a piece of black construction paper in its place so that the animals are barely visible.

Make a flashlight with a beam out of the white paper and slide it between the zip bag and black construction paper. Anywhere the paper flashlight will be will look brighter with the animals in that section clearly visible. Have the kids name the animals that have a spotlight on them.

Check out this video to learn more about this craft.

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!