Welcome to our four part series of “The Playing Outside Guide to Better Health.”  The title is a little long, yes, we know this.  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?

For the next four weeks we will be diving into some of the research on how playing outside can help your kids’ health. Capture the Flag REDUX is very excited to get people thinking about what it means to live a healthier lifestyle even as a child.

 

WEEK ONE: BUILD UP YOUR IMMUNITIES

While some scientists are careful to suggest that simply being outside can help the immune system, they are suggesting that research is showing that there may be a connection between the two. In a 2010 study published in the journal Environ Health Preventative Medicine, research and tests have shown that those outside inhaling certain tree oils and pollen show an increase in immune functions.

Numerous other studies, like one from the University of Pennsylvania, show that playing outdoors can shape the immunity of young children. Exposure to microbes can help the body build up defenses at an early age.

Through outside games and playing outside, your kids not only get additional activity hours in their day, but they also get the natural benefit of building up their immune system just by playing outside.

The trick is… how do you get your kids to play outside long enough for these benefits to really kick in?

Maybe try out Capture the Flag REDUX! With multiple game variations, you can keep them outside all evening long! That’s why one customer in Michigan of ours just told us on the phone, unsolicited, that the game is “the hit game of the summer” because of how it gets the entire neighborhood playing outside for hours and that it’s “a miracle!” We love hearing things like that!

When searching for Capture the Flag perhaps you’ve come across the term “Capture the Flag hacking.”

So what is capture the flag hacking?

Cyber security, an important and growing field, started a training game for up and coming security officials called capture the flag. The premise is quite similar to the real game capture the flag, but with an entirely cyber application.

For this field training exercise, two cyber security teams set up “flags” – which can be files, folders, images, etc. – hidden within their computers. Then both teams come together and they must hack into the other side’s system and collect all of the flags. What makes this difficult is that at the same time they must defend their network from getting hacked by the other side.

These games have become quite popular in the cyber security world. There are even global competitions that take place on a semi-regular basis.

In summation, it’s basically a digital version of Capture the Flag! And that’s how you use a computer technique called hacking to capture the flag.

Even though fidget spinners on the average are fairly cheap toys, why not keep your kids busy this summer by having them make their own, teaching them simple engineering in the process? This YouTube tutorial uses cheap materials and doesn’t use bearings. It also has a nice “green” vibe to it because you can use all recycled materials like the water bottle caps that are used in this one.

This is a great way to keep your kids busy for a few hours and then keep their hands busy for days after as they play with it.

 

Here’s a fun post about how are kits get made and our upcoming capture the flag strategies guide.

First off, we thought we would share a few photos from our April production run below. There are moments in the year when we briefly run out of stock. Usually because demand is too high (hellooooo Christmas) and when we have not received a new shipment due to quality control checks.

However, we feel it is important that instead of rushing large orders, that we take the time to do medium batches, knowing that all the kits are complete and that production has taken the time to undergo every check point. These are small parts after all and we want to make sure the kits are safe for everyone playing.

In other news, are you in the market for capture the flag strategies? We have created a FREE eBook of the ultimate Capture the Flag strategies that you can download as a pdf!

What’s with the latest fidget spinner fad? If you haven’t heard of a fidget spinner then a quick Google search will introduce to 2017’s hottest selling toy. These tiny spinners are simple blades that when you hold down a button in the middle they keep spinning after you give them a flick. While called fidget spinners, some schools have found that they’re actually distracting for many students and others have commented that they help some special needs students focus.

No matter your viewpoint, kids have been hammering to buy these cheap spinners for the past few months. Which led us to wonder… what other toys have been quick and popular fads throughout history.

Hula-Hoops: Hula hoops were so popular at one point in 1958 that every child in America could have owned one. For some reason, however, and probably due to the cheap and easy access to the hoops, households stopped buying them.

Beanie Babies: Everyone remembers the 1990s fade of these stuff tiny animals. From 1993-2000 these popular items paralleled the dot com boom. So not only were people buying up these collectables, but they were also all logging onto eBay to sell them. The Beanie Baby market crashed in early 2000 when people began to realize the product was over-saturated and demand was down.

Tickle Me Elmo: In 1996, around Christmas time, this doll was in high demand. The main reason being that Tyco, the company that made it, ordered a number that was far below demand on accident. They claimed that numbers for demand were understated, which in turn, made this doll in super high demand. Tickle Me Elmo was popular for the next year, but once stock became readily available and after the Christmas rush…well…at this point most kids already had had their turn at tickling Elmo.

While each of the above gave a brief moment of joy to the U.S. kid population, the fads eventually ran their course. That’s why at Starlux Games it was important to us to pick a childhood game that would ALWAYS stand the test of time. Sure, we’ll continue to update it and continue to offer cool glow in the dark games, but kids and adults alike will always love Capture the Flag. If you’re not sure how to play this exciting game, here are the Capture the Flag rules.

 

Slime has become a very popular science project for kids this year. With S.T.E.M becoming more popular in after-school programs, numerous recipes for slime have started to pop up. So we thought we’d pass along one of our favorites for glow in the dark slime!

---

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR GLOW IN THE DARK SLIME
Elmer’s glue gel
4% (saturated) borax solution
Non-toxic glowing paint

---

HOW TO MAKE GLOWING SLIME

The slime is made by combining two different solutions. The ratio is 3 parts glue to 1 part borax, and then you add in the glowing paint for that extra pizazz.

1. First, you can make a glue gel solution by mixing 1 part of glue gel (either clear or pale blue) with 3 parts of warm water.
2. Stir in the glow paint. You can find glowing paint at some paint stores or glowing paint powder at craft stores. This paint needs to be mixed in very well. It won’t ever dissolve but it needs to be spread evenly throughout the mixture.
3. The other solution you need is a saturated borax solution. You can make a saturated borax solution by stirring borax into warm water until it stops dissolving, leaving borax at the bottom of the glass.
4. Mix together 2 tablespoons of the glue gel solution with 2 teaspoons of the borax solution. You can use a spoon and a cup or you can just squish it together with your hands or inside a sealed baggie.
5. The phosphorescent glow is activated by shining a light on the slime. Then you turn out the lights and it will glow.

 

Store your slime in a baggie or other sealed container to keep it from evaporating. You can refrigerate it if desired. The slime cleans up easily with soap and water.

With summer fast approaching, maybe you are looking for fun outdoor games for kids. Why not turn this summer into something out of the future? Maybe add a little bit of science fiction aesthetic to your fun family games.

That is what Capture the Flag REDUX is all about. We took a classic summer activity and turned capture the flag into a futuristic game that would attract new generations. Here’s a few ideas for summer activities that involve the power of glow.

Capture the Flag REDUX: Ok, ok, we had to add our own kit in here. With LED lighting and new game variations, it’s a great way to experience outdoor play.

Glowing Swamp: If you happen to have a pool or water source, grab a bag of glow sticks and drop them in the pool in the evening. This way when your kids play water games it will add a new look to the games. Just make sure the glow sticks have no leaks in them first.

Fireflies: Make your own fireflies by taking glass jars or plastic cups and dotting them with neon. With glow sticks, cut off the top of the stick and shake the materials into the cups. This will create a splattering effect and then when night comes it looks like you have your own cup of fireflies.

Glow in the Dark Swimming Pool Games: We have created some of the most popular and fun to play glow in the dark swimming pool games on the market.

Aside from the obvious benefits of higher education and a future career, attending college has other benefits, such as social groups and plenty of opportunities to stay active with fun games for groups. Many students develop their own clubs with fun games for large groups or fascinating and weird topics of choice.

Of course, the Capture the Flag game has always been a popular choice. Here’s a list of some of those weird college clubs that focus on physical activity and outdoor games for adults. Sometimes you need the peer pressure to get you out and exercising, but why not make it something more playful and fun?

Sky-Diving Club – Virginia Tech: A club for kids who love to fly. The club meets for base jumping nearly every weekend.

Humans vs. Zombies – Goucher College: A national phenomnon for students across the country, although Goucher claims to have started the game. Two large groups meet up on campus: one team are zombies, the others are humans. Nerf guns are involved. Need we say more?

The Tree Musketeers – Northern Michigan University: A club where students literally practice swinging from tree to tree using branches.

Capture the Flag Group – Calvin College: The campus pits dorms against each other every year in a large capture the flag night battle. We wish we could have been there for their game because we would have loved to have lent them one of our Capture the Flag REDUX kits. It would have been perfect for a nighttime glow  in the dark game.

Did you know that running can drop your chances of premature death by 40%? 40%?!?

According to a study which was featured in the New York Times, an average of two hours of running per week can lengthen your life by 3.2 years! Incredibly, the amount of time spent actually running is significantly less than the amount of time gained.

Of course those who go outside and run tend to keep healthier lifestyles in general. Conversely, it’s also been shown that starting regular exercise and play changes your eating habits as well.

That’s why we are Starlux Games are such huge fans of getting kids and adults outside and playing to get exercise! Especially when they involve running and consistent movement.

Capture the Flag REDUX is a great outdoor games to play because it will get your kids up and moving for hours during the day, while still having fun. The game is also a great workout because during play there are irregular bursts of speed, making this game a great way to get in a high intensity interval training. That can help you lose weight.

So whether you are an adult or a kid, playing Capture the Flag REDUX is a fun outdoor glow in the dark game that is a super fun way to stay healthy, and in turn, extend your life.

It happens after every birthday party or after every holiday… your kid(s) gets burnt out on the toy you spent your hard earned money on. You can probably relate to when you were a kid. Sometimes toys don’t have the staying power that you as a parent would want. It can be difficult to keep your kid interested and curious during play.

For this reason, many toy companies have started to transition their products towards multi-use and multi-play items. People love options, and people want options.

So how do you keep your kid engaged for longer? Offer them more options and the resources for ongoing imagination.

For example, Capture the Flag REDUX comes with game variation cards. With school almost out, many parents have been searching for fun summer games for their children, something to engage their kids. Something to keep them going all summer long.

With these variation cards, your kids will not only be able to play the standard Capture the Flag game, but will also be playing up to 12 different game variations!

Each game variation gives you a new and entertaining way to play outdoors with friends and with family. It has been a top seller of fun summer games for the past few years and for good reason.

Some variations include role playing parts, such as “Werewolf.” In this one, some kids pretend to be wolves by howling and “scratching” (technically, touching) others, who turn into werewolves, as everyone else searches for the “antidote” (orb).

Not only do these cards introduce new forms of play, but they also ignite the imagination of your kids and neighborhood. We have had numerous players send in their own game variations that they created with the kit. So if you’re looking for a fun summer glow in the dark game that will engage your kids longer, then consider Capture the Flag REDUX.