Nighttime activities

FALL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, WINTER
Ideas for Getting Outdoors at Night with Kids
- December 7, 2023
The days grow shorter, and nights get longer as we transition from fall to winter. With dark, cold evenings, it’s easy to succumb to the allure of cozy indoor activities. However, just because the sun sets earlier doesn’t mean outdoor adventure has to end. If your kids are anything like mine, even though it’s dark by 5:00 pm, they’re probably still bouncing off the walls and have lots of energy to burn. Today, Amy Eastin, Kansas City mom of three, is here sharing ideas and activities that will not only keep your kids entertained after dusk but will also create lasting memories filled with laughter, wonder, and the warmth of familial bonds. Let’s embrace the darkness and light up the night together with these nighttime activities for the whole family.

Embracing darkness in the winter and fall

Part of what makes winter different than other seasons is the shorter days and longer nights. The lack of sunlight is usually seen as a negative. And I agree that it’s certainly less conducive and convenient for spending time outside. However, it’s also part of what makes winter special and if we can learn to manage our expectations and get creative, we can still spend a lot of time outside in the winter evenings.

The evenings bring with them a special ambiance. By encouraging your family to venture outdoors after sunset, you not only extend your playtime but also instill in your children an appreciation for the beauty that lies within the mysterious realms of the night. When else can you explore in the darkness and still make it home in plenty of time for bedtime?!

So, instead of retreating indoors when the sun goes down, consider embracing the darkness as a special part of the winter experience. From glow-in-the-dark treasure hunts to storytelling by the flickering light of a bonfire, the night becomes a canvas for imaginative play, allowing children to explore their creativity in a magical setting. Embracing the darkness not only opens doors to new activities but also strengthens the family bond through shared experiences under the vast winter sky.

Here are some ideas so your family can continue having fun outdoor time at night. Enjoy playing outdoors after dark!

Flashlight tag

Our family plays our own version of freeze tag with flashlights. We have one person with a flashlight who chases everyone. They tag people by shining their light at them. Then, that person is frozen. In order to become unfrozen, another person must crawl under their legs.

This game has led to me running harder and faster than I had in years. We laugh so hard, and the kids all scream and run. It is so much fun!

Photo by Sarah Boles

Stargazing

Our kids are still fairly young and have bedtimes before it gets dark in the summer. This makes stargazing in the winter extra special because they haven’t seen the stars for a long time. Sometimes, we put out a blanket on our lawn and bring pillows and blankets and cuddle to keep warm.

We can’t see as many stars from our house in the city though, so we also like going on nighttime drives and looking for stars out the windows. I check out books on stars from the library, and we look at the Sky Tonight – Star Gazer Guide app to learn about the stars and look for specific constellations.

For more great ideas for ways to help turn stargazing into a fun and educational activity, be sure to check out this post on Using Storytelling to Connect Children with the Night Sky!

Glow-in-the-dark toys

Somehow, even simple games become more fun and novel when you do them in the dark. They take on an entirely new dimension of excitement and novelty when played in the dark with the addition of glow-in-the-dark toys. Whether it’s a game of catch with luminescent balls or a spirited round of capture the flag with glow-in-the-dark bracelets, the darkness amplifies the thrill, turning familiar activities into unique and memorable experiences. The bonus is that I can always see where my kids are because the toys illuminate them!

Here are some must-have glow-in-the-dark toys:

Ring Toss: This ring toss tic-tac-toe set is perfect for a family game. It takes skill but is still fun for the whole family.

Capture the Flag: This classic kids’ game can still be played at night! Invite your neighbors, split into teams, and have some fun!

Football: Play catch as a family or a football game with friends. Either way, you can keep playing after dark!

Glow Velcro Catch: This classic toy has a light-up version! This is a great game if you want to get your kids outside but don’t feel like running around yourself. Give this to your kids, and you can sit down and watch them play.

Lawn Darts: Light-up lawn darts are fun for the whole family. We like to break into teams to play. Our family gets competitive. Whoever wins usually gets a prize, like getting to choose the movie at our next family movie night.

Basketball: You don’t have to stop playing basketball if you have a basketball hoop just because it’s dark. This light-up ball will be easy to spot and be a way to get outdoor family time when it’s dark.

Glow Rocket: My kids love rocket launchers like these, but you can’t use the traditional ones at night because it would be too easy to lose your rocket in the dark. These light-up ones are the perfect solution to nighttime play for rocket enthusiasts.

Glow Frisbee: Another great way to play catch even though it’s dark outside!

Light up hula hoop: Let’s be honest, hula hooping at night just looks cooler, and it’s just as fun!

Kick the Can: This classic kids game can still be played at night! Invite the neighborhood kids over, split into teams, and have some fun!

Flashlight hide and seek

We play hide and seek in the dark often. We all carry a flashlight, which we are allowed to turn off. The way we play is that you hide but then try to run to the front door before the seeker tags you. We all start off hiding, then when the seeker is distracted, we run as fast as we can for the porch. It’s so much fun and ends with us all laughing and out of breath.

Outdoor movie night (with hot cocoa)

Hear me out on this one. A movie in the cold might not sound delightful, but imagine that you’re under lots of blankets, snuggling your family, and sipping hot cocoa. The unique ambiance of the season adds a touch of magic to your cinematic experience. The cozy blankets, the breath of cold air, and the hot chocolate create a memorable sensory experience that your kids will love! This is a great way to make an ordinary movie night memorable for your kids and have fun outdoors at the same time.

Here’s a great post on how to have a fun and successful outdoor movie night with your family.

Campfires and s’mores

We eat s’mores at least twice a week in the winter. It’s kind of our winter thing! My kids think it is so fun, plus we get to warm up by the fire! Afterward, the kids almost always end up running around the yard, and my husband and I relax by the fire. It’s a win for everyone as we all get to spend quality time outside together (and get a delicious treat)!

Check out our full post on ways you can take your bonfire up a notch and get creative!

Lantern walk or full moon hikes

Winter is the best time to go on a night hike if you have little kids because it gets dark so early that their bedtime won’t be pushed back too late. There is something magical about hiking at night. If you’re able, go on a night hike when the moon is full (and the sky is cloudless). You’ll be amazed by how much you can see and how magical the world feels around you.

Or, you could go on an evening lantern walk, even just around your neighborhood. Waldorf schools around the world take part in an annual evening lantern walk custom every November to commemorate Martinmas, and again in December around the Winter Solstice, the longest night and shortest day of the year. It’s a beautiful time of connecting with our kids with the Earth.

Lantern walks can be small family affairs, or large gatherings where groups of families or neighbors light their lanterns and go out together after the sun sets. Walks can be quiet and contemplative, or songs can be sung (we like a mix of both!). Bring a thermos of hot cocoa or hot apple cider, and it will make the event even more festive and fun.

Northern lights nights

We live in Missouri, so it’s not very often we can see the Northern Lights, but it can happen. This year, I am following the northern light reports that predict when it is likely that they will be visible. I plan to load up the kids and drive them out of the city to an open spot if there is a good night to view. I think my kids would definitely remember their mom keeping them up late to witness something so special.

If you live in a place where you’re more likely to see the Northern Lights, take advantage of that! Pack the kids up and get outside to observe and appreciate their beauty! Trust me, they’re quite a spectacle that not many people get the chance to see!

Glow stick walks

We go on lots of night walks around our neighborhood, but a way to make them interesting is to add glow sticks! This is such a fun (and super easy!) way to add some fun and excitement to any nighttime activity. My kids love wearing glow necklaces, crowns, and bracelets. It gets them excited about walking at night and makes them easy to spot in the dark.

Photo By Sarah Boles

Add twinkle lights to your backyard

Elevate the allure of your backyard or swingset by simply adding some twinkle lights to your space, which will keep your kids outside longer during evening hours. The lights not only add a touch of enchantment but also serve as a practical solution, providing ample illumination for safe play. Never underestimate the appeal of a set of twinkle lights! Kids who haven’t shown any interest in a swingset, treehouse, playhouse, or sandbox may get excited about it all over again just by the addition of fun lights!

Build a winter fort

This year we’re planning to “winterize” our climbing dome by covering it in plastic. If you have a tree house, play structure, or build a stick teepee, you can make it more winter-friendly by covering it in a plastic tarp. I plan to hang twinkle lights inside so my kids can play out there at night time.

Outdoor public spaces

Take advantage of outdoor lighted public spaces during fall and winter evenings to maximize your time outside. Public ice rinks and ski areas are usually well-light through evening hours to get your family outside and active. Go for an evening stroll in a well-lit downtown area with shops and restaurants. Also, look for botanical gardens, parks, zoos, and other outdoor places in your area that may be open in the evening.

Embrace the darkness

This year, I am looking forward to embracing the darkness and making our evenings fun and memorable. The whole family is happier when we get time outside, and I love the quality time we have. Getting outdoors at night is one way to keep the winter blues away.

Which of these things are you most looking forward to trying with your kids?

About the author

Amy is a Kansas City-based adventure mom to three kids. She loves exploring all that the middle of the USA has to offer, from hiking trails to family experiences, rivers, museums, and everything in between. Before kids, Amy traveled and lived around the world, rode camels, trekked through mountains, and occasionally danced with the locals. Now, Amy is usually road-tripping with her kids (and sometimes her husband), getting outside, and exploring Kansas City. Amy is passionate about promoting the Midwest as a travel destination and encouraging families to get outdoors with young kids.

You can find more from Amy in the following locations:
Website: http://www.everydayoutdoorfamily.com
Instagram: @everydayoutdoorfamily
Facebook: Everyday Outdoor Family
Tiktok: @everydayoutdoorfamily
RWMC posts: Amy Eastin
BOOKS, HIKE, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Full Moon Frolics: Evening Moon Activities for Families
- August 13, 2021
Do you have full moon fever? Are your kids howling at the moon? Do they love staying up late and catching fireflies? Do you ever want to find new and exciting activities to do together as a family in the long summer evenings? Look no further! This post filled with fun full moon frolics for families will give you lots of ideas for creating the perfect evening full of moon-related activities for your kids. Today, Georgia homeschooling mom of three, SarahRuth Owens describes how to frolic under the moon with your kids. You will not only learn why full moon frolics are a wonderful addition to your evening family time, but you will also gain tools and ideas to launch this outdoor activity into action!

Go out, go out I beg of you
And taste the beauty of the wild.
Behold the miracle of the earth
With all the wonder of a child.”
~ Unknown

Full moon frolics for families

A full moon occurs when the moon appears as a complete circle in the sky. We see it as a full orb because the whole of the side of the moon facing the Earth is lit up by the sun’s rays. A full moon is a beautiful sight and one that we love to acknowledge and appreciate each month. Our family celebrates each full moon with an evening of full moon frolics! It’s a tradition we started a while back and have come to love doing month after month. I’m here to help you do the same with your little moon-lovers.

Planning an evening of full moon frolics is easy to embark on and requires as much or as little prep as you want. It can be leisurely and relaxing or it can be an educational teaching opportunity. You can spend a lot of time planning out your activities for the evening, or just wing it as you go! You can make it as elaborate or simple as you want. But no matter how you structure your evening outing with the kids, it’s sure to be fun!

Monthly moon outings

Nearly every month there is a full moon! A full moon happens roughly every 29.5 days. This is the length of time it takes for the Moon to go through one whole lunar phase cycle. Did you know that a month was originally defined to be either 29 or 30 days, to correspond with the lunar cycle? However, some of our calendar months were later padded out with extra days, so that 12 months would make up one complete 365-day solar year. Because our modern calendar isn’t quite in line with the moon’s phases, sometimes we get more than one full moon in a month. This is commonly known as a blue moon.

Since there’s a full moon every month, this means that you’ve got an amazing opportunity to create a year-round experience for your kids, month after month. Being consistent and making your full moon frolics a monthly tradition means that your kids will grow to appreciate and observe the moon. We’re raising “look at the moon” people!

Creating special family traditions

But before we dive into how to set this all up and make your full moon evenings a reality, let’s talk about why…

Why skip a 6:30 bedtime (wait, maybe I am the only one who does that) and hit the trails during or even after the witching hour? Why stay up late and look at the moon? Why plan all these evening activities for your kids?

Because it’s fun! Simple, but true. Families that have fun together, thrive. Consider a full moon frolic for families your invitation to be light-hearted and enjoy something beautiful and magical with your children. Something changes at dusk. Fairies become a real possibility, frogs croak louder, and wonder appears without needing any special encouragement. The evening is a magical time and a little break in your normal evening routine means your kids will think this is a very special adventure!

Beyond fun, there are so many benefits to observing the night sky. It is science and all that jazz (insert cute winking emoji here). So don’t worry, you can write your kiddo a note to take the teacher when they skip out on their homework because the fam was busy checking out the moon.

How to plan full moon activities for kids

Now, let’s get to the specifics so you are equipped with ideas and resources for creating evenings full of magic, laughter, and learning. Otherwise, full moon frolics will likely remain something you want to do, but don’t. This is the good stuff.

So, how on earth do you plan such a thing as an evening of full moon frolics? Does a full moon frolic just mean you step outside and look at the moon? Nope. (Well, okay, it can. But, only if you want it to be that simple.) Luckily, like most activities with kids, there’s no one right or wrong way to do things. There’s no one-size-fits-all-families option. Your family is unique. You know your kids best and what they’d like to do and be interested in. And again, you can plan as many things as you can (or just a few).

But, let’s say you want to go all in and do this thing one hundred percent. Go big or go home, right? Here is how you do that.

1. Note the dates

A quick internet search will give your the dates of the full moon each month. This will help you plan your evening outing on/near a full moon. We try to schedule our full moon frolics on the date of the full moon, but we’re usually flexible (due to weather/clouds, etc.). Jot down all the dates of the full moon on your calendar, which will help you plan. Once it’s on your calendar, it’ll be easier to remember to celebrate.

2. Pick a spot

You need to know where you can see the moon. A quick google search can tell you where and when the moon will rise in your area. Sometimes a full moon shows up in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning, don’t worry about that. Just go when you know it can be seen (the day before the full moon, or even a couple of days after it peaks, is just fine).

We chose a spot a little ways away from our house. Our family enjoys having a brief hike over to where we will make observations. The evening hike just adds to the fun and makes the outing seem a little more special than staying in our own backyard (but that’s also totally fine, especially for families with small children).

3. Learn some basic moon facts

Equipping yourself with some simple knowledge about the moon is helpful when making observations and enjoying your family full moon frolic. With an evening of activities centered around the full moon, your kids are sure to ask a lot of questions about the phases of the moon, the color, the size, and the shapes. You’ll want to know that the moon has eight phases and the same “face” or side of the moon is illuminated during each observable phase. My kids find it most interesting that a new moon is not observable (as in, it is the phase when we cannot see the moon from Earth). You don’t have to know all the facts, though. Learning about something together with your kids is always encouraged.

4. Bring snacks

We also love having food at our frolics. You can keep it simple and bring simple snacks (fruits, veggies, chips, pretzels, etc.), or you can decide to have an entire campfire meal! We’ve done both and neither disappoints. Any food enjoyed outside under the light of the moon is delicious!

If you are feeling up to it, prepare a moon-themed snack to enjoy while you gaze up at the moon on your frolic. Moon pies or moon cheese, for example. Or cut your fruit (banana or kiwi slices) into phases of the moon shapes. During the warmer months, moon-shaped cookies (or any cookies) are perfect, and during cooler months bring some hot chocolate.

5. Grab some books

Taking books with you on your moonlight adventure is the perfect way to learn more about the moon while sitting under it. Plus, if you plan on eating a snack or stopping to sit and watch the moon, it gives your family (think younger kids) something to do while they sit. Below are some of my family’s favorite moon-themed books to get you started.

Best moon books for kids

Books somehow always make it into our full moon frolics. There are so many amazing books and resources out there when it comes to this. Here are some of our personal favorites. Often we read these around a fire or while we are enjoying our snack during our frolic. You can check these out from your local library or you may also find many of these titles on thriftbooks at lower prices than buying them new.

Fiction
Non-Fiction
The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons

The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn Mansfield Branley

What the Moon is Like by Franklyn Mansfield Branley

Activities to do during a full moon frolic

One of the most spectacular benefits of doing regular full moon frolics is noticing seasonal changes. As you go out each month, you and your family will begin to take note of how things change outside around you through the seasons. Here are some fun ways to enjoy the various changes in nature during each frolic throughout the year.

Summer full moon activities

Bring a mason jar and lid with holes poked in it to catch fireflies. Of course, if you do not have fireflies in your area, you can listen and watch for the creatures that you have around you (frogs, crickets, cicadas, etc.).

Collect flowers to press (be sure and check the area you are in for permission to ethically collect wildflowers).

Bring a telescope and observe the constellations in your area.

Autumn full moon activities

Walk silently and listen to the changing creature sounds. What do you hear that you didn’t hear during the summer (or what don’t you hear)?

Make notes about birds you see.

Paint the colors of the leaves in the moonlight.

Make a campfire.

Winter full moon activities

Bring food for the birds.

Bring a ruler to measure the snowfall.

Search for scat and tracks.

Spring full moon activities

Observe moths.

Go to a pond for the frolic, and find frog and toad spawn.

Identify trees by their buds.

Activities based on the name of the moon

A quick search will also help you find out the name of each full moon. For example, a few types of moon names are Harvest Moon (fall), Strawberry Moon (June), Wolf Moon (January). Each full moon has a name and a story behind it. Consider telling the story of the reason behind the moon name to your kids each month. Or plan activities and food that corresponds to each moon name (all strawberry-flavored treats for the Strawberry Moon, a scavenger hunt for the Hunter’s Moon, etc.).

Photo Credit: Molly Pratt

Connection and conversation with kids

One of the reasons I personally enjoy an evening of full moon frolics with my kids is the connection it builds with our family. We have these monthly walks in the woods, at dusk or later, where we have a goal and we have a topic of conversation. In truth, this will work for the oldest kiddos in your home as well as the babies. You can make your frolics simple, like a walk through your neighborhood. Evening walks open us up; there is something unassuming about strolling at dusk or in the moonlight. Guards down, you may find your conversation drifts from the moon to your teen’s concerns at school and questions about life.

If you want to keep focused on the moon, our family likes to choose one picture book and one non-fiction book or general facts about the moon. We learn the common name based on the Farmer’s Almanac as well as some of the names given by Indigenous People. The full moon connects us to the past, to religion, to customs, seasons, nature, the beyond, and so much more.

We didn’t realize we were making memories, we were just having fun.” -Unknown

Everyone will remember these full moon frolics

Making memories is the best part of this amazing activity. Full moon frolics can become a family tradition – a monthly adventure that everyone looks forward to. Some months you may go all out and other months you may keep it simple. No matter what, taking a frolic together under a full moon will create fond memories for all!

If you are looking for a more in-depth guide, I created a resource that includes activities, recipes, book suggestions, music, and more for every full moon. It is a Charlotte Mason-inspired approach to moon frolics and includes some faith-based content.

When are you headed out on a full moon frolic?

About the author

SarahRuth is a homeschooling mother of three boys. She was raised in cities across the East coast, but now resides in the Appalachian Mountains of Georgia where her husband grew up. Passionate about inspiring others to shift from the status quo of Western indoor life, she launched a local Free Forest School chapter in 2017. Her family clocked over 2k hours outdoors in 2019 and believes that outside time as a family is vital to a joy-filled life. She collects books, stray children, and as much coffee as her body will permit. When not foraging, chasing waterfalls, or camping with her crew, you can find SarahRuth crossing the globe from her laptop, teaching English full time online! She has two bachelor’s degrees in Education and is passionate about teaching children to love learning through outdoor adventures.

You can find more from SarahRuth in the following online locations:
Instagram: @kindle_togetherness
RWMC posts: SarahRuth