Play Glowing Ring Toss

Who says outdoor play has to end after sunset? With inexpensive glow sticks and recycled plastic bottles, you can create a magical nighttime game of ring toss! While traditional horseshoe-style games only let 2 players complete at a time, this simpler, kid-friendly version lets everyone get in on the fun.

What You'll Need

• Flexible glow stick necklaces or bracelets
• 2 empty, clear plastic water bottles or beverage bottles of the same size/shape to use as posts
• 1 to 2 cups of sand, rice, dried beans, or gravel to weight the bottles
• Duct tape or sturdy packaging tape (optional)

Get Ready… Get Set…

1. Just before you're ready to play, activate the glow sticks by bending and shaking according to the instructions. You'll need 1 to 2 necklaces or 2 to 3 bracelets per tossing ring, plus some extras.

2. Set aside 2 to 4 glow sticks to use as posts. Add a small amount of sand, rice, dried beans, or gravel to both plastic bottles, insert 1 or 2 glow sticks into each one, then screw the caps on. (For younger players, see the variation below.)

3. Use the remaining glow sticks and connectors to create tossing rings. If you don't have connectors, use duct tape or packaging tape to hold the ends together. Double-check to be sure that your rings are large enough to fit around the bottles you're using as posts.

4. Measure 2 points on your lawn that are about 8 to 10 feet apart. (Pick a distance that's manageable for your players based on their heights and ages.) At one end, set the bottles about 3 feet apart. At the other, gather your players and the tossing rings.

5. Designate a grown-up to help keep score.

Variation for younger players: Instead of making posts, connect several glow sticks together to form a single, large ring about 2 feet in diameter. Place the large ring on the ground at the end of the play space.

Play!

1. The youngest player goes first.

2. Player 1 tosses all of the rings, one ring at a time, trying to get them to land around either post.

3. After all rings have been tossed, Player 1 retrieves the rings for the next player.

4. Players take turns until someone lands all of the rings around the posts… or until they get tired.

5. Everyone crowns the winner with the glowing toss rings.

Variation for younger players: Take turns tossing the rings toward the large ring. The first player to get all of the small rings to land completely within the large ring—without touching it—is the winner.

When you're done playing, put your rings and posts in the freezer to help extend their glow for another evening.