Glow sticks from the Dollar Store have kept my kids BUSY and HAPPY for many many hours over the years. In fact, they are one of my favorite, go-to items for so many reasons, and the kids NEVER seem to get tired of them. If you read this post, please leave a comment on your favorite glow stick uses.
1. Glow Sticks In The Bathtub: My kids love to get in a dark bathroom (turn all lights off, the glow sticks will give more than enough light) and let them play in the water (supervised, of course). My kids sometimes play that they are electric eels in the ocean. Sometimes they play that they are ships, and sometimes they just play with them.
2.Glow sticks in pool, lake or ocean: If you ever have a chance to swim outside in the evenings when it is dark, my older kids love to throw the glow sticks around the pool and then dive for them. They sink. We throw out maybe 10 of them, and then everyone races to see who can get the most the soonest. (again, supervision!)
3.Glow sticks in the van for long car rides: We head to WI every few months which is a long car ride of about 5 hours, and by hour 3 it is DARK out. This is also about the time the kids are DONE being in the car. This is when we pull out the glow sticks and the kids happily wave them around and play with them for the last 2 hours.
4. Hide and Search Glow Sticks: My youngest two LOVE to take turns hiding glow sticks in a dark room and letting the other one search. This seems to be something they could play forever.
5. Hide and Seek WITH Glow Sticks: Play hide and seek in the dark, like the basement in the evening, and keep all lights off but everyone holds a glow stick. Makes it a little spooky and a little more fun than normal hide and seek. OR, after dark TAG with glow sticks!
6. Glow Sticks inside blown up balloons, and glitter too!: Blow up a balloon, and insert a glow stick before tying. If you want you can use a funnel to pour some glitter in too. Then go to a dark room, or play outside in your backyard and play keep the balloons in the air with a group of people. Or just have fun throwing and kicking around glowing balloons.
7. Glow sticks for sleepovers or camp-outs: This is simple, but often when there is a special occasion like a birthday party, sleepover, or camp out, each kid gets a couple of glow sticks when they get in bed. Makes a great night light for each kid, and is great incentive for them to get IN bed! Also, anytime we camp out, each kid gets a glow stick in the evenings while the adults sit around the camp fire. Not only fun for kids, but we can keep better track of them in the dark!
8.Bring glow sticks to any event where they might be selling them to save money: Disney on Ice, Sporting Events, parades, 4th of July celebrations, etc, all have vendors walking around selling glowing things! These are very expensive, but if you have a stash in your purse from the dollar store, your kids will be happy and you will save lots of money.
10. Follow the Glow Sticks Pathway: We live in the woods, but you could do this anywhere: make a pathway of glow sticks around your driveway and backyard, and have kids follow it. Put out obstacles such as traffic cones, and play follow-the-leader.
11. Big Backyard Glow Stick Hunt: This is like an Easter Egg hunt, but at night, and with glow sticks. Trust me, your kids will think it is the greatest! Have a prize for the one that finds the most. Or not :)
12. Make Crafts with Glow Sticks: Using tape, make necklaces or headbands, or goofy masks or costumes. Then have everyone wear their creation outside in the evening. Think glowing aliens and monsters. Make a giant snake. This would be a great boy birthday party idea.
13. Create a huge driveway picture: Using the driveway or lawn as your canvas, make a huge picture on the ground! Everyone can work together or create their own. Think RAINBOWS, or even better, OUTER SPACE...with shooting stars, comets, and planets, all glowing. SO NEAT!
14.Write a huge message in Glow Sticks: The possibilities of this are endless. Write a message on your childs' wall (taped) for him to see when he goes to bed. Expecting dad home late? You and your kids can spell out a message on the porch or driveway with glow sticks. Expecting special company late in the evening? Write a welcome message on the guest bed or wall.
15. Practice letters and words with glow sticks: This works best with the small ones, but have your child practice her letters in a dark room using glow sticks. Trust me, this is much more fun that paper and pencil.
16. Bury glow sticks in sand or snow~ treasure hunt: Anytime you and your kids are outside in the evening, you can use glow sticks in your play. In winter, bury glow sticks (shallow) give your kids a shovel and let them dig for treasure. In summer, do the same with sand.
17. Use as a night light in unfamiliar places: Staying at a relatives house or motel? Set a glow stick by the bedroom door and the bathroom door so if someone gets up in the night they can find their way to the bathroom.
18: Bedtime incentive: read by glow stick: Help get your kids to bed without a fuss...Let them take a couple of glow sticks to bed with them and use as a night light to read books by. Set a timer or give them a certain number of books (such as 5) before they must stop reading and go to sleep. Or for a child scared of the dark, simply let them have a glow stick by them in bed each night. For this, use the fatter glow sticks in the single pack from the dollar store.
19: Glowing Jar Fairy Dust: Carefully cut open glow sticks (adult only) and pour the inside stuff into a jar. Put on the cover and shake. Let your child pretend she has caught lightning bugs or fairies. Or tell her it is magic fairy dust. This would be awesome for a little girls' fairy birthday party!
20. Make Roads or Runways: Make them on a small scale and let your child drive his trucks or airplanes between them for roads or runways. Or make them LARGE and you and your child can BE the airplane or the trucks. You can 'crash' into them, knock them over, make bridges and tunnels, etc. Or have your child pretend to be a policeman and direct 'traffic' using toy cars, or an air traffic controller directing toy airplanes on where to land.
