Skip to Content

20 Cool Glow Stick Games & Activities

Check out these glow stick games and activities. They can make summer nights or campouts super fun for the entire family.

Glow Stick Games for Kids

How Are Glow Sticks Made?

Glow sticks were created in the 1960's by a chemist who wanted to show how chemicals can give off light without giving off heat.  This process is called “chemiluminescence.” There are 3 chemicals inside of a glowstick.  Two of the chemicals are more common. The common chemicals are hydrogen peroxide and fluorescent dye. The third chemical is phenyl oxalate ester.

The hydrogen peroxide and phenyl oxalate ester chemicals cause a glowing light when they are combined. A glow stick tube has the two chemicals inside, as well as a glass tube with hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide is released when the glow tube is cracked. Then the hydrogen peroxide mixes with the other two chemicals. This is what causes the glow stick light that we love playing with today.

Are Glow Sticks Toxic?

The chemicals inside glow sticks have minimal toxic effects. If glow stick chemicals are swallowed, an upset tummy can be the result. A rash may be the result if glow stick chemicals stay on the skin. The fact that glow sticks are safe and inexpensive gives us all even more reason to enjoy them!

What Can I Do With Glow Sticks?

Glow sticks are a popular birthday party favor. They are also used for safety reasons during trick or treating.  However, once kids bring them home, the glow sticks are usually forgotten about. Glow sticks are wonderful, but what can kids do with them?

Glow sticks can be incorporated into fun glow stick activities for kids to enjoy. These activities don't require much planning, but they do provide a whole lot of fun. Glow sticks add an extra pizazz to activities for celebrations. They can also be added as an ingredient to make a basic activity more fun.

If your Cub Scouts are like mine, they love playing outside after meetings! Give them some glow sticks, and let them play. They're also perfect for campout activities. And don't forget these games if you have a glow party-themed Blue & Gold banquet.

boy with glow stick

Glow sticks add an extra flair to holiday celebrations. For example, kids can use some extra light sticks during Halloween to make glowing eye yard decorations. Another idea is to make glow in the dark Easter eggs with glow sticks to add a fun touch to an Easter egg hunt.

Kids can have hours of imaginative play in their own adventure after crafting glow stick light sabers. When kids get bored during the summer, they can take part in a glow-stick treasure hunt after dark.

Glow Stick Games

Glow stick games are fun for the whole family and are extremely simple to set up. Gather some glow sticks and glow stick bracelets and you are ready for a glow stick ring toss game on a warm summer night. There are more glow stick games that can be played outside, as well as glow stick activities that kids can do inside.

Games like tic-tac-toe with glow sticks and bracelets can be played outside or inside the house. Glow sticks are not only fun toys, but they can be put to use to create one-of-a-kind pieces of art. The fact that there is no mess involved in glow stick art is one of its most appealing features. With glow sticks and glow stick bracelets, kids can use their imaginations and show their creativity by creating pictures.

girl with glow sticks

Glow Stick Crafts

When kids make glow stick crafts, not only do they get a chance to develop their creativity, but they also have a lot of fun with glow sticks in the process. Glow stick crafts are crafts that even young kids can make. A simple craft becomes an eye-catching creation with the addition of a glow stick. The light from a glow stick provides a unique special effect. Glow stick lanterns are an example. They can be used as cool decorations in addition to being a fun glow stick activity that kids love to do.

Glow sticks are budget-friendly items that are available for purchase at the Dollar Tree or from Amazon. Get your glow sticks ready, and get ready for your kids to have a lot of fun!  

Here are some of the best fun glow stick activities for kids that are guaranteed to keep kids of all ages delighted.

20 Fun Glow Stick Activities for Kids

Everyone loves glow sticks! Here are 20 ways to incorporate glow sticks into fun activities.

As you can see, glow sticks can be used for a wide range of activities. Make any event or activity more exciting for your kids by adding a glow stick. If you’re looking for some entertaining things for kids to do, try a few of the fun glow stick activities for kids from our list. Once you discover which ones your kids like the most, glow stick activities can provide hours of entertainment for them throughout the year.

pHqghUme

Monday 11th of March 2024

1

aiPxvpay

Friday 1st of March 2024

1

pHqghUme

Wednesday 13th of March 2024

1

dTjdNQKi

Saturday 13th of January 2024

1

pHqghUme

Monday 11th of March 2024

1

Jeanne

Friday 2nd of September 2022

Glow sticks are neat and fun. However...horrible for our environment. Leave no Trace, a few hours of fun vs the years ( if ever) of sitting in land fill. We are "trying" to move away from these and disposable trinketts and cheap "crafts". Love the flashlight ideas. Those darn glow sticks do look cool at night! Really like the water effect too... however if we all do a little bit, it will add up to a lot ;) PS LOVE your site!

pHqghUme

Monday 11th of March 2024

1

aiPxvpay

Friday 1st of March 2024

1

50 of the Most Incredible Blue and Gold Banquet Themes ~ Cub Scout Ideas

Wednesday 8th of June 2022

[…] Glow Party – Check out this post with lots of glow stick games and activities. […]