5 Easy Games You Can Play with a Flashlight

One non-toy that my kids love to play with is a flashlight. And most other kids that I've met do too. So the next time your kids yell "I'm bored!", simply grab a flashlight and give one of these five simple boredom buster ideas a try.

1. Make Shadow or Hand Puppets

Encourage your kids to do some imaginative play and storytelling by making shadow puppets using construction paper. Or skip the extra materials and just get the kids to use their hands! Shine the flashlight on the hand or shadow puppets and enjoy the stories your kids will tell!

2. Play Flashlight Tag

Get the kids moving to burn off excess energy by playing this twist on the classic game of tag. The person who is "it" uses the flashlight, instead of their hands, to tag the other players.

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3. Do a Hide and Seek Puzzle Search

Take your child's favorite puzzle (those chunky wooden puzzles are the best for this activity) and hide puzzle pieces throughout the room or house. Then turn off the lights and have your child search for the hiding pieces using only the flashlight.

4. Make Projections Using Household Objects or Favorite Toys

There are tons of neat projections that can be made using just a flashlight and things you can find in or around your house. We experimented with cheese graters, whisks, a potato masher and colanders, which all make incredible patterns when the light shines through them. You could also project your child's favorite toys and encourage them to tell a story.

5. Explore Colour Mixing

For this activity, you will need:

• Two flashlights
• Coloured tissue paper or transparencies

Hold two different coloured pieces of tissue paper or transparencies over the flashlight (use one colour per flashlight). Then have your kids shine their new coloured flashlights in the same place. Watch the colours blend together as they overlap in the projection.

What other ways do your kids like to explore with flashlights?