Glow-in-the-dark party

What it is

The lights go off and everything glows. Blacklights make white clothes and neon paint light up, glow sticks become game pieces and the living room turns into a club. It is cheap - glow sticks and a UV light bar do most of the work - and works best after dark or in a room you can black out.

Plan ahead

• Two weeks before: ask guests to wear white or neon clothes.
• One week before: buy one or two UV light bars, bulk glow sticks (100+), UV face paint, glow balloons and neon tape.
• The day before: black out the windows with bin bags or blackout blinds and test how the room looks under UV.

Set the scene

Put UV lights high in the corners, pointing in. Use neon tape to draw shapes on walls and outline the dance floor. Put glow sticks inside balloons before inflating them. Tonic water glows under UV, so put some in clear cups as decoration.

Activities

UV face paint

Set out stencils (stars, lightning bolts, tribal lines) and UV paint. Guests paint each other or an adult runs a face paint station.

Glow games

• Glow ring toss: connect glow bracelets into rings and toss them onto bottles filled with glow sticks.
• Glow bowling: put a glow stick in each of 10 water bottles and bowl with a football.
• Glow limbo: tie glow sticks together into a limbo bar.
• Hide and glow: hide glow sticks around the house and find them in the dark.

Dance-off

Make a playlist ahead of time. Run a freeze dance and a “dance like a…” challenge.

Food and drink

• Neon jelly cups (they glow under UV if made with tonic water)
• Highlighter-bright sweets and popcorn
• Glow drinks: tonic water or lemonade with a glow stick bracelet around the cup
• A cake with neon icing and light-up candles

Tips

• Keep a light on in hallways and the bathroom so nobody trips.
• Glow sticks contain a liquid that stings - tell guests not to bite or break them open.