Top 10 Outdoor Night Activities & Games
There’s something special about a cool evening after the sun has set, with the soothing sounds of crickets chirping and fireflies in the air. The ambience of a starry sky turns the outdoors into a serene escape. Why not host a party during this time? There’s something for everyone to enjoy, whether it’s actively exploring your surroundings or simply relaxing with friends and family around a fire. Embrace the moment and create lasting memories by trying out our favorite outdoor night activities and games.
10) Night Swimming
Dive into an evening swim, whether in a pool, lake, or ocean, and enjoy the thrilling allure of dark waters. Ensure safety with lifeguard supervision and proper lighting. Tiki torches and overhead market lights enhance both visibility and ambiance, with their glow reflecting off the water’s surface.
For added fun, incorporate night time outdoor games like an underwater treasure hunt with hidden treasures. At a lake, organize a glow-in-the-dark paddleboard race, or at the beach, play with a glow-in-the-dark frisbee near the shore. Balancing safety and excitement, your night swim will be unforgettable.
9) Glow-in-the-Dark Minigolf
Glow-in-the-dark mini-golf is one of the best outdoor evening activities that turns any outdoor space into a vibrant course everyone will enjoy. Start by planning your course layout, designing each hole with unique obstacles and themes. A backyard, driveway, or even a field can be the perfect setting.
Next, gather glow-in-the-dark materials like paints, chalk, black lights, tape, and other decorations to make your course stand out. Ensure players can easily see their ball and the path to each hole. For the holes, a simple DIY option is painting the inside of a solo cup with glow-in-the-dark paint and securing it to the ground with tape.
Enhance the atmosphere with music, and give each guest neon accessories, along with a putter and ball, for a fun, glowing mini-golf experience.
8) Stargazing
Stargazing can be a simple yet enjoyable outdoor group activity for all ages. To enhance the experience, find a spot with minimal light pollution, away from city lights; high-elevation points or open fields offer great views of the night sky. Bring along a telescope for a closer look at the constellations, but if you don’t have one, the SkyView app is a free, easy-to-use tool for identifying celestial patterns. For added fun, you can include games to play while camping at night, such as giving kids connect-the-dot coloring sheets to draw constellations while learning their stories.
7) Dark Hide-n-Seek
Take hide-and-seek to the next level by making it one of your outdoor night activities. Start by clearly defining the play area and marking off-limit zones for safety. The seeker can use a flashlight to help spot players hiding in the dark. For younger kids, implement a buddy system so they hide in pairs. Set a time limit for the seeker to find everyone, and afterward, gather in a safe area for a head count.
For a twist, try variations like Sardines, where one person hides, and each seeker who finds them quietly joins the hiding spot until the last seeker finds the group. Or, try Ghost in the Graveyard, where one "ghost" hides, and the first to find them yells, “Ghost in the graveyard!” Everyone must then race back to base before the ghost tags them.
6) Firework Lantern Festival
Looking to elevate your outdoor evening party? Create an unforgettable atmosphere with the warm glow of lanterns and the excitement of fireworks. Guests can get creative by personalizing their own lanterns, which can be strung around the venue or released into the sky for a magical send-off. Set up a design station with paints, brushes, stickers, and pencils, and offer themed ideas or let them explore freely in a well-lit decorating area.
Fireworks bring an exhilarating visual element, from simple sparklers to colorful sky rockets lighting up the night sky. This combination of serene lantern beauty and thrilling fireworks will make your event truly memorable. Be sure to follow local fireworks regulations and have safety precautions in place, such as a nearby water source and adult supervision.
5) Karaoke Competition
Host a fun karaoke competition to see who has the best voice, with everyone welcome to participate. It’s one of the best outdoor night activities, perfect for all ages and promoting social interaction. Simply designate a large enough space for crowd seating, a stage, speakers, a microphone, and a screen for song lyrics. If you don’t have the necessary equipment, don’t worry, FunFlicks® can bring a professional karaoke setup, arranged by a local technician.
Create a dreamlike atmosphere with dimmed string lights for just the right amount of ambient glow. To boost excitement, offer a grand prize for the top performer. A karaoke party is also a fitting occasion to serve food and drinks, ensuring everyone has an enjoyable time while helping raise funds to support the event.
4) Video Game Tournament
Experience gaming like never before with an outdoor video game party on a big screen. Choose a venue based on the number of guests, whether it’s your backyard or a local park (with city permission). Opt for multiplayer games that can involve four or more players to maximize fun, selecting titles that match the group’s age and interests. Some of our video game party favorites include:
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (E10+)
- Just Dance (E10+)
- Mario Kart 8 (E)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (M)
- Fortnite (T)
FunFlicks® offers a wide variety of screens to suit your event size and needs. For those seeking an affordable yet high-resolution option, inflatable and fold-out screens are ideal. For top-quality viewing any time of day, our LED trailers and modular walls provide excellent clarity and performance. We can display any game as long as your console has HDMI compatibility.
3) Silent Disco
Hosting a silent disco offers a fun and unique way to bring music lovers together while avoiding noise issues late at night. It’s a personalized experience where guests can choose their preferred music channel through wireless headphones. All you need is a space large enough to accommodate your guests, and FunFlicks can handle the rest. Organizing a silent disco is both affordable and easy, with select FunFlicks® locations offering hundreds of headphones and equipment to manage the music channels.
2) Campfire Cookout
There’s nothing quite like gathering around a campfire to enjoy a great meal with friends and family. It’s one of the oldest and most beloved outdoor night activities, bringing everyone together in a warm and inviting setting. Here are some of our favorite meals to have by the fire:
Grilled BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
▢ 2 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
▢ ¼ cup tomato paste
▢ ¼ cup brown sugar
▢ 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
▢ 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
▢ ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
▢ 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
▢ ½ tsp salt
Grilled Smothered BBQ Chicken Foil Packs
Ingredients
▢ 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - pounded to ½-inch thickness
▢ 2 cups Kansas City BBQ Sauce - divided (see below for recipe)
▢ ⅓ cup white mushrooms - sliced
▢ ½ medium onion - thinly sliced
▢ 8 slices provolone cheese
▢ fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)
Kansas City BBQ Sauce
▢ 1 cup ketchup
▢ ½ cup brown sugar
▢ ¼ cup yellow mustard
▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
▢ ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
▢ 2 tablespoons honey
▢ 2 tablespoons dark molasses
▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
▢ 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
▢ 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
1) Outdoor Movie Party
For a memorable event that brings everyone together, consider hosting an outdoor movie party. This activity perfectly combines the enjoyment of the outdoors with a cinematic experience, making it ideal for any season. Whether it’s a summer blockbuster or a cozy fall outdoor movie night, the flexibility and affordability of an outdoor movie make it a great choice for gatherings of any size, from intimate backyard get-togethers to large community screenings.
FunFlicks® offers a complete movie screen rental package with cutting-edge audiovisual services, ensuring a smooth setup and management for a professional experience.
Outdoor Movie Night Rentals
FunFlicks® Inflatable Movie Screen Rentals
FunFlicks® inflatable movie screens are professional quality at an affordable price. There's a size for everyone, whether you're throwing a massive film festival with thousands in attendance or a small birthday with family at your house. To make sure everything runs smoothly, a local FunFlicks® event technician will arrive at your location on time, set up the screen, oversee the technology, and pack it all away at the end of the screening. Booming high-definition sound, crystal-clear laser projection, and a larger-than-life display are all included when you book an event with us.
Backyard 16'
12'x7' Display
100 Guests
20 Cars
Premiere 21'
16'x9' Display
250 Guests
50 Cars
Blockbuster 26'
20'x12' Display
500 Guests
75 Cars
Elite 32'
26'x15' Display
750 Guests
100 Cars
Epic 40'
30'x17' Display
1500 Guests
150 Cars
Xtreme 50'
40'x22' Display
3000 Guests
250 Cars
FunFlicks® LED Screen Rentals
FunFlicks LED screens are perfect for day or night display in almost any environment. Utilizing electroluminescent technology, our LED screens generate light effectively at any time of day. Each panel is rated IP65, meaning they are both rain and dustproof. Day or night, rain or shine, you get to decide when the magic happens. All of our mobile LED trailers have onboard generators for portable power. Therefore, no power supply is needed. Similar to our inflatable screens, our fleet of LED screens comes in a variety of dimensions for a variety of crowd sizes. Local event technicians across the country are available to bring our LED trailers anywhere for you to enjoy video games, live sports, movies, advertisements, or almost everything else!
8'x5' LED Trailer
75 Guests
15 Cars
12'x7' LED Trailer
100 Guests
20 Cars
15'x8' LED Trailer
250 Guests
50 Cars
17'x10' LED Trailer
500 Guests
75 Cars
23'x13' LED Trailer
750 Guests
100 Cars
Purchase Movie Licensing with Angel Studios for your FunFlicks Event!
Angel Studios, a premier independent media enterprise and film distribution powerhouse, is dedicated to seamlessly delivering outstanding, freshly released, and family-centered entertainment to communities across the United States.
