We thought it would be fun to showcase a few glowing decorative pumpkins from around the web. Everyone loves to carve a decorative pumpkin, but you can also create some really creative and beautiful pumpkins that glow! No need for fire or a mess! Just buy some glow in the dark paint and use your imagination.

You could also use these decorative pumpkins in your own Capture the Flag REDUX game. After painting small pie pumpkins with glow in the dark paint, you can use them as jail markers or even as the orb for your Halloween Capture the Flag REDUX game! 

Here’s a fun DIY video for this Initial Pumpkin.

Did you know that the month of October has more birthdays than any other month? (Do the math. It makes sense.)

So for funsies, we decided to put together a fun, weird, and interesting list of potentially awesome gifts for boys. (Girls gift guide list to come ASAP.)

 

GIFT GUIDE FOR BOYS

1. MadPax – Funky cool backbacks that are sure to get your kid some attention at school. Who doesn’t love a cool backpack?

 

2. Castakite – An easier way to get your kite up in the air. With this toy, you cast your kite, like you cast a line in fishing, to get it up in the air quicker, faster, and easier. Kids will probably love casting the kite more than flying it. Go figure…

 

3. Slacks and Ziplines – Create an obstacle course and develop your kids sense of balance and core strength with their own slackline. Or maybe create their own zipline in the back yard? This online store has a little bit of everything for the adventurous child.

 

4. Capture the Flag REDUX – Do we really have to say it? This glow in the dark game kit is awesome, unique, and gets your kids outside after hours instead of on their screens indoors. Plus it encourages teamwork and social skills amongst players. You can also purchase more bracelets so you can play in larger groups of 16+.

Less weird, but definitely fun!

5. Vapor Blaster – We promised weird, and boy are we going to deliver. Here’s something for the mad scientist/evil villain in all of us. Learn how water turns to vapor while also blasting your own vapor (and non-toxic) rings at your nemesis.

 

In the past year, we have had many customers who like combining our Capture the Flag REDUX kit with laser tag guns. It certainly would make the game more challenging, although the downside to it is far less running and a bit more hiding. Still, we always find it fascinating how people can take Capture the Flag REDUX and add on their own variations.

This week it got us thinking about how laser tag works. Here are some fun facts we uncovered:

• Laser tag can technically be played outdoors and in light. Most people prefer to play indoors and with some darkness but mainly so they can see the beam of red light shooting out of their gun. (Makes aiming easier.) However the lasers actually work more like a remote control to a tv with the connection being invisible.
• The red laser light used in laser tag usually does nothing other than help you aim at a target.
• That being said, playing outdoors in the light means there could be extra noise interference with the signal. Also, by playing indoors the signal can usually bounce around and makes hitting a target easier. Some laser tag places use mirrors for this very purpose.
• The way they keep track of each player’s points is fairly simple. Each vest has a signal and when it has been triggered by another player’s laser, it sends a binary signal to a main computer to let it know it has been hit.

So there you have it. For a more difficult game, combine laser tag equipment with our Capture the Flag REDUX game and play it outdoors. To make it easier on the players, you should play it indoors and surrounded by walls or mirrors.

Here is another article you may like: How to Throw a Fantastic Laser Tag Birthday Party

It all started with a glow stick….

…and submarines. The military was anxious to invent glowing equipment for their vessels long before anyone thought of playing with glow in the dark materials.

Inventors Clarence Gilliam and Thomas Hall patented the first Chemical Lighting Device in October 1973, but a “chemical lighting device” is far from the glow in the dark sticks we play with today. While many people have patents on variations, the glow sticks with the goopy insides that we recognize today all got started with MIT scientist Edwin Chandross in 1962. He concocted the sticky goo in his laboratory for Bell Labs.

Though glow sticks started out in the military, some claim that the first public glow sticks used for recreation came out at a 1971 Grateful Dead show. The show happened after a Yale football game.

Now we  have a ton of different glow in the dark paints and derivatives because of this initial invention. But hey! Why are most glow in the dark toys a greenish color? That’s because of the zinc sulfide which works well with plastics. The chemical gives off a natural green color and is non-toxic.

Let us just get this out of the way…. YES we want you to play our popular glow in the dark Capture the Flag REDUX game this Fall and it belongs on this list. Why? Because it is great for those cool fall nights when you want to be outside anyway. Plus, during the Fall with all the leaves it would make hiding the orb twice as fun and more challenging. ALSO, it has that fun glowy Halloween vibe to it hence making it perfect for outside games for Fall. HOWEVER, in case you want some ideas for the daylight hours…we scoured the web for some… uh… ideas?

• Pumpkin Kicking: Sort of a variation on the whole “kick the can” game. It’s a simple concept. If you happen to have pumpkins lying around (small ones) or another gourd, have your kids kick the gourd towards a finish line. Maybe you could even use a broom to shuffle it along.  I know, I know… it’s not as exciting as Capture the Flag REDUX.
• Pumpkin/Gourd Bocce Ball: Essentially the same rules of bocce ball but now you play with gourds. Who comes up with this stuff? Also, who happens to have so many gourds laying around?
• Pumpkin Ring Toss: Toss some rings around the stem of some pumpkin. Oy vey…

 

These are the kinds of outside games for Fall you are gonna find on Pinterest. Please, PLEASE, let us help you out and suggest a rousing game of Capture the Flag REDUX. We also have role play variations, game variations, and new game cards that all come with a kit so you have 12 games in one. You’ll save so much money from not buying a billion pumpkins and other gourds.

Your kids have probably been back to school for about two weeks by now. On a scale of 1-10 where are they in the zombie school zone? Already glassy eyed? Already slow to get up in the morning? It is easy to get into the slow motion of habit again, but maybe it is time to surprise your kids and get them excited for going back to school! How about throwing a back to school party for their new class with our Capture the Flag REDUX game kit!

TIPS and THOUGHTS

• Invite your kids homeroom class over for a Friday night party. (Why a Friday? Well, kids can all come over after school that day without having to sacrifice a weekend night.)
• Inviting your child’s classmates is also a great way to get them involved and working with their peers. This builds teamwork, confidence, and helps socialize them to their new group.
• With over 12 glow in the dark game variations and new game ideas, you can keep the crew busy for multiple hours. PLUS! Parents will be happy that their child was out exercising and having fun instead of watching a movie indoors.
• You can also make this event more fun by purchasing glow in the dark face paint and have classmates get creative.
• If you do not have the space to host a large group of kids, then maybe reach out to the school and host a back to school event.

 

Hosting a back to school party is the perfect way to get your kids excited about their new classmates, their new school year, but also keep them active and happy. Playing team-based games in the outdoors has been proven to make people happy and confident after all. 

Here is one thing we really love about our glow in the dark game Capture the Flag REDUX… you mainly play it in the cool part of the day and not during the blazing hot sun hours. Understandably, it is difficult to get people motivated and outside when it’s a 100 degrees! So our Capture the Flag REDUX game already has some built in comfort to it: you’ll be sweaty because of running, not because of the sun.

If you do not know how to play this exciting game, here is an article we wrote on how to play Capture the Flag. And, here are the Capture the Flag rules.

BUT NOT EVERY EVENT TAKES PLACE AFTER THE SUN SETS!

Which is truly too bad. People should really consider us poor weaklings who burn within the first few minutes of sunlight. That being said, we understand that with school events, birthday parties, and youth events…they can’t always take place after dark. So how does one play capture the flag indoors? Here are our ideas of how to play capture the flag indoors:

 

1. Book a location

Find a gym, room, or space through a local group. Maybe it’s a school? Or maybe a community center? Church buildings also have great spaces to play sports. You can also look into renting out indoor soccer fields or sports complexes. For an event on the cheap, it’s usually best to book with a parks and rec center. They tend to have cheapest prices.

2. Measure the space

By this we don’t mean literally, unless that’s something you ARE very concerned with. Just make sure that you gauge that the room will have enough space to run. Even if the room looks big enough, remember that you need to set some “out of bounds” space aside so people running will have some safety space built in. Usually best not to have “walls” as the out of bounds.

If you are finding it hard to find a space that doesn’t have enough running room, consider some of our game variations. Some of the variations involve more strategy and hiding than actual running. Or maybe consider playing each game in slow motion, limit speed to speed-walking, or require players to waddle like penguins!

3. Lighting

For our glow in the dark Capture the Flag REDUX game kit it is vital that you choose a dimly lit place—NOT COMPLETELY PITCH BLACK—to help enhance some of the glowing lights. Also, it’s the only way you’ll be able to see the glowing orbs and jail markers. If you book a place with windows, maybe bring along some parchment paper to temporarily block some of the light.

4. Get creative

How do you play Capture the Flag REDUX indoors without always making the orb so visible? If the orb can’t be hidden because of the space, maybe consider a game variation where one player is holding the orb, etc. Or some game variations don’t even need the orb! (For example, werewolves).

These are just a few examples of how to play Capture the Flag REDUX indoors. If you want more information on game variations, sign up for our newsletter where we send out free ones during certain months!

This is the last of our four part series, “The Playing Outside Guide to Better Health.”  Starlux Games was founded on getting kids outside and playing. We are fighting the system of electronics and indoor play focused around computers and screens. So we figured, why not remind everyone of why playing outside with glow in the dark games is not only fun, but also the healthier choice?

WEEK 4: Healthy  Kids

Over the past few posts, we have talked about how to raise healthy kids in the great outdoors. But do the outdoors influence parents on how to raise healthy kids?

We know that exercise improves mental health (and obviously physical health, like your immune system).  However, something that is often overlooked on the physical side of things are the eyes.

Did you know that studies suggest that outdoor play can help stave off near sightedness?

Nearsightedness is when distant objects appear blurry and out of focus. This is also called myopia. Research suggest that an extra hour a day of playing outside can help reduce myopia by 2%. While some think it’s because of the ultraviolet light, others suggest it’s the physical activity. What they do know is that myopia started to become more rampant when computers and cell phones started to emerge in the hands of younger generations.

Having kids outside could be a cheap and healthy way to keep your kids healthy as they grow.

Now…how do you keep them outside? How about with a few our our glow in the dark games?  With game variations included with the kit, this game can now be played indoors, outdoors, during daytime or nighttime. Introduce your kids to something fun and engaging and you will not have to beg them to stay outside for a few hours.

Another quick blog in our four part series of “The Playing Outside Guide to Better Health.”  

Starlux Games was founded on getting kids outside and playing. We are fighting the system of electronics and indoor play focused around computers and screens. So we figured, why not remind everyone of why playing outside with glow in the dark games is not only fun, but also the healthier choice?

 

WEEK THREE: Better Mental Health

We’ve talked about the benefits of exercise, how the outdoors can help build immunities, and now we’re moving on to mental health benefits.

The Denver Post published an article in 2014 where they interviewed various school officials working with special education and overseeing school districts on the benefits of exercise. Interviewees mentioned that students who had twenty minutes of outdoor exercise had a boosted sense of self confidence after coming inside after play. They also performed better on tests that followed.

In a peer reviewed article “Creativity in the Wild” for the PLOS journal, a research team found that after 4 days of wilderness immersion participants’ creative and critical thinking increased by 50%. While we don’t condone sending your kids outside for four days straight, we do want to mention that a University of Michigan study in 2008 stated that simply walking outside for more than 30 minutes a day can improve focus and attention by 20 percent. Just another benefit of exercise…

Starlux Games knows the benefits of exercise and outdoor play. That’s why we created our Capture the Flag REDUX glow in the dark game kit. We wanted to make exercise and the outdoors fun again! Not only for kids, but also for adults. With Capture the Flag REDUX you can play outside and never miss your phone or TV screens.

Welcome to our four part series of “The Playing Outside Guide to Better Health”.  Starlux Games was founded on getting kids outside and playing. We are fighting the system of electronics and indoor play focused around computers and screens. So we figured, why not remind everyone of why playing outside is not only fun, but also the healthier choice?

 

WEEK 2: Exercise is EVERYTHING!

We are stating the obvious when we say that exercise is vital for healthy kids. You know it, we know it, the world knows it at this point.

The benefits include:

• Lowered Stress
• Better Attitudes
• Weightlose
• Lower Blood Pressure
• Higher Immunities
• Clearer Skin
• Lower Levels of Depression

This is why many schools have fought to keep recess a vital part of the day during school hours. OR, at the very least, why many kids are required to do physical education or sports during school.

However, we now have to fight back about the screen scream. What’s screen scream? The clamouring of today’s tech savvy kids for all things screen related. Kids are more likely than ever to stay inside and play on their phones and computers instead of going outside and getting exercise.

So Starlux Games wanted to reinvent fun ways to get kids back outside and exercising. That’s why we made glow in the dark games that can be played outside in the evening and during the day, so time is never an excuse. Also we updated the game so that kids’ creativity can really run wild.

Healthy kids means happy kids. Happy kids means happy parents.