Arguably the two of the most popular children’s games, tag and hide-and-go-seek, are merged together to form this insanely fun game that is especially popular among teens. Flashlight Tag is fun for everyone and is a great way to get the kids up and moving, instead of passively sitting around. Like most popular games, there are several variations that have been created over the years. The three most popular variations of Flashlight Tag are described below.

Planning for Flashlight Tag

The main component to planning a game of Flashlight Tag is to make sure that there is ample room and hiding spots available. This game can be played either indoors or outdoors. Keep in mind that this game is played in the dark, so players will be much more susceptible to injuries from tripping or running into something/someone that they can’t see. Games played indoors can often lead to furniture or decorative items being knocked over or broken. Generally, the bigger the group, the more fun this game is. You’ll want to have at least five people to play this game.

The only material that you’ll need to play Flashlight Tag is a flashlight!

If you’re expecting to be playing for an extended amount of time, you should prepare extra batteries for the flashlight in the event that the current batteries die.

Playing Flashlight Tag

Variation #1

The group is split into two equal teams (this variation is best for larger groups of players). The “jail” is chosen between the teams that is a space large enough for an entire team to fit into. For example, a jail could be a trampoline or a large circle made with sidewalk chalk. Teams decide who will be “it” first by flipping a coin. Once an “it” team is chosen, that team goes into the “jail” and counts to a designated number (this depends on how large the playing field is) while the other team hides. When the “it” team is done counting, they all turn on their flashlights and try to find people from the other team (Note: for this variation, you will need enough flashlights for everyone on a team to have one). If a member of the hiding team is spotted, they can run away and try to hide somewhere else. If the person is caught, they must go stand in “jail”. In this variation, other members of the hiding team can free their teammates from jail by touching their hand, at which point they go and hide again. The “it” team will often have someone stand guard near the jail to make sure that no one is freed. Once all the members of the hiding team are captured and in jail, the teams switch sides so that the hiding team is now “it.”

Variation #2

One person is “it” and everyone runs and hides as he/she counts. When the person who is “it” finds someone and tags them, he/she gives that person the flashlight and they become “it”. For this variation there is no jail and only one person is “it” at all times (which means you’ll only need one flashlight).

Variation #3

This variation is similar to the last one, except that there is a “jail” in this version. So the person who is “it” sends the other players to the “jail” as they’re found. Once everyone has been captured and is in jail, the first person who was found now becomes “it” and the game restarts.

Please exercise caution and good judgment when it comes to safety!  Avoid dangerous obstacles and have fun.