by Kim Park

Created on: July 31, 2007

Playing games in the dark night is very exciting for children. Not only do they get the fun of playing a game but they also get the adrenaline rush of playing in the dark or under the stars.

The following games are meant for larger groups of children and are suitable for playing with a Scouts group while at camp or at a weekly meeting but most of these games can be adapted for smaller groups of children as well and would be lots of fun to play on a family camping trip or a sleepover.

Lantern on the Hill and Stalker are two similar games involving being quiet and stealthy to reach a goal. Mission Impossible also requires being stealthy but is a much larger game and meant for older children. Night Eyes is a game that works for many age groups and is a good puzzle type adventure and going on a Night Hike is a great chance to learn about your night vision.

LANTERN ON THE HILL
The only materials you need for this game are a flashlight, a hill (preferably not just a mowed grass hill) and a whistle.

To play this game one child (or leader) is chosen as the guardian of the whistle and is given the flashlight. The guardian sits at the top of the hill and the whistle is placed just behind them. Their job is to keep the rest of the players from getting to the whistle and blowing it. The guardian protects the whistle by trying to catch the other players with their flashlight. When someone is caught in the flashlight beam they must go back to the bottom of the hill start making their way up again. But it not as easy as just seeing a player coming up the hill, the guardian must listen for the other players because they are blindfolded.

The rest of the players all start at the bottom of the hill and make their way up towards the guardian as quietly as possible so they are not heard. Once a player reaches the whistle and blows it they become the new guardian and the game starts over.

This was one of those games that EVERYONE loved to play at camp because there were so many different strategies and techniques people developed. From experience I have found this game great for children of all ages because the older they get the better the guardian usually is and so the difficulty is increased.

STALKER
This game is similar to night eyes but it meant to be played inside. It is appropriate for younger and older children because it is easy to increase the difficulty.

To play this game you will need a large playing space, some tables or mats (something to be propped up and hid behind) as well

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