From night time charity runs, to 90’s raves, and everything in between, there’s a place for glow sticks in everybody’s life and at every event no matter what. To prove it, we’ve created the most essential, substantial, glowtastic article you will ever see to tell you every single glow stick idea there is.

Got one we haven’t listed? We’ve been waiting for you! Get in touch and let us know and we will add it to the list, lets make this a team effort!

So, drum roll please….

Sit back and enjoy the most essential list of glow stick ideas you will ever find:

Accessories & Costumes

Just about any outfit can be improved with a bit of glow. Check out these ideas for using glow sticks to make yourself stand out from the crowd…

1. Glow stick jewellery

Bring a bit of glow to your bling with glow stick bracelets, necklaces, earrings, anklets, head bands… In fact you can stick a glow stick on just about any appendage on your body…

2. Glow in the dark glasses

Get serious about your glow and snap on a pair of glow stick glasses

3. Glow stick cap

Top off the whole look with a glow in the dark cap

4. Glow stick flip flops

And so your feet don’t feel left out, use zip locks to attach some glow sticks to a pair of flip flops. Check out this great tutorial from dollar store crafts

5. Glow in the dark stick man costume

This simple costume idea is so effective. Dress in black and attach glow sticks to your clothes in the shape of a stick man.

Or get really clever and see what other great effects you can create

Parties & Decorations

Glow sticks were made for parties. Well, actually, they were first invented and used by the military, but glow sticks found their true calling when it came to making a good party.

6. Halloween Jack O’Lantern

Safer than candles, but just as effective. Pop a glow stick inside your Halloween Jack O’Lantern for a spooky glow.

7. Glowing jar of spiders

Creepy but effective. All you need is an empty jar, some cotton buds, plastic spiders and a few glow sticks.

https://twitter.com/CrashMacDuff/status/522223129360601088

8. Spooky eyes

Make your own by cutting eye shapes into an empty toilet roll and popping a glow stick inside, or go wild and get some ready made.

9. Party chain

Link a few glow stick bracelets together for some really eye-catching party chain decorations

10. Table settings

Love this place setting idea by Partywirks.com

11. Chandelier

Give the palace at Versailles a run for its money with a chandelier made from glow sticks

View this post on Instagram

No one throws a party like @nicoleasmall No one. #happybirthday #glowstickchandelier

A post shared by Beth Oram (@bethoram) on Jan 21, 2017 at 3:52pm PST

12. Glowing ice bucket

Put some glow sticks in a bucket of ice to keep your drinks cold and classy

View this post on Instagram

#ledicecube #glowice #party_glow #glowstick #party #glow

A post shared by لوازم تولد رنگارنگ (@funglowing) on Sep 27, 2014 at 3:04am PDT

13. Glow stick candy floss

It’s all the rage at weddings now don’t you know?

14. Garden path lighting

15. Garden tree and shrub party lighting

16. Glow stick signage

Stick glow sticks to the wall and make signs with them – like this one by smileandwave

17. Glow ceiling fan

Secure some glow sticks to a ceiling fan, switch it on and VOILA

18. Glow stick balloons

Crack a glow stick and pop it inside a balloon for additional party lighting.

Games and Activities

Just about any activity can be made more exciting with glow sticks. Here are some of our favourites:

19. Photo art

Get your camera on slow shutter and make some glow stick art. It’s the obvious thing to do.

20. Glow in the dark Easter Egg hunt

A twist on the traditional easter egg hunt. Here’s how: plan your own glow in the dark easter egg hunt

21. Diving lighting

Glow sticks are waterproof – that’s why they’re ideal for lighting the way when deep sea diving

22. Garden festival or rave

No need to brave the portaloos at Glastonbury – throw your own festival in your back garden with some loud music, a few hay bales, and a lot of glow sticks

23. Glow in the dark bowling

Put glow sticks in bottles of water to act as the skittle and light the bowling alley with glow sticks. Use a glow in the dark ball to knock dem skittles down!

24. Glow stick skipping rope

Attach glow sticks to a skipping rope for an INSANE skipping experience

25. Glow in the dark noughts and crosses game

Perfect for a summer’s evening

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/185210603401176254/

26. Glow stick hopscotch

Once you’ve had enough of tic-tac-toe, rearrange your glow sticks for a glow in the dark game of hopscotch

27. Glow in the dark musical instruments

Attach glow sticks to drum sticks or around the outside of a guitar for some truly rock and roll moments

28. Hoopla

12 inch glow sticks and a few glow necklaces are all you need for this simple lawn game. You can get it all in a handy pack here.

29. Sensory play

Glow sticks are great for sensory play. Find out more here.

30. Glow stick bath

Kanye West lets his kids play with glow sticks in the bath. You should too.

31. Glow stick jacuzzi

But if we’re going to be all celebrity about it, you really should be putting glow sticks in your jacuzzi

32. Glow stick pool party

Is this taking it too far?

33. Glowsticking

Ever heard of Glowsticking? Well now you have:

34. Glow stick yoga

If you’re after something a bit more Zen, how about incorporating glow sticks with a spot of yoga? Or glowga, as we like to call it.

35. Glow stick fitness

Perhaps you’re after something to get your blood pumping. Get your glow sticks out and slap on some neon paint for a glow stick fitness class

36. Glow stick war

Get rid of some pent-up aggression and start a glow stick war

37. Fundraisers

If you buy them wholesale, glow sticks have excellent mark-up value which is great for fundraising for charity events or school PTAs.

Craft

38.Pop bottle firefly

Onelittleproject have come-up with this kid-friendly craft using empty bottles and glow sticks

39. Mushroom decorations

Not sure where you’d use them, but these DIY mushroom decorations look pretty good

40. Valentine’s or Mother’s day gifts

Make someone’s heart glow with this cute little craft. It could also work well as wedding favours

41. Night light

Use glow sticks to create a comforting glow for little ones who don’t like the dark.

Have we missed anything?

Get in touch and let us know. Share your glow stick ideas with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Never used UV hair mascara? Here are some top tips to create a great new look with some colourful hair streaks. But first…

Why use UV hair mascara?

UV hair mascara is a quick way to update your look. It works in the same way as eye mascara (warning: do not use hair mascara on your eye lashes!), with a mascara wand that gently combs colour through strands of hair.

Unlike hair extensions, or professional dyes, it’s easy to use, instant and won’t break the bank. And because it washes out, it’s a great way to try out bold, new looks without committing to a permanent change.

After all, neon pink UV hair streaks might be a great shout for a festival weekend but may not be so appropriate in the office the week after…

Does hair mascara work on dark hair?

To some extent, the lighter your hair, the brighter the hair mascara will look.

However, that’s not to say people with dark hair can’t create a great look with it. Paint Glow hair mascara comes in really vibrant colours that do stand out on dark hair. It’s also UV, so under a black light, it really doesn’t matter what your natural hair colour is. The UV colour will shine just as bright.

Rather than changing the colour of hair figments like hair dye does, hair mascara works by creating a coating that sits on top of the hair. So, yes, if you have dark hair you can still use UV hair mascara.

Here’s how the different colours show-up on medium brown hair:

As you can see all of the colours show up pretty well on brown hair, but the neon orange, pink and yellow are the most vivid.

How to use UV hair mascara

What you need:

• Wide toothed comb
• Hair brush
• Neon UV Hair Mascara

1. Wash and style your hair as usual

2. Give your hair a thorough brush so that it’s smooth and easy to run the mascara wand through without tangling

3. Use your comb to gather 1-2 inch sections of hair

4. Start with under-layers first and work up to the top layer. This helps you achieve an even spread of colour, as well as giving you a chance to get the hang of using the hair mascara on hair that is less visible

5. Starting at the roots, comb the hair mascara through to the tips. Avoid clumps by ensuring there is not too much product on the mascara wand when applying to your hair – use less and build it up gradually.

6. Build-up the intensity of colour by applying more layers of hair mascara

7. Leave to dry for 1 minute and use your comb to lightly brush the mascara through your hair

8. Leave to dry for an additional 3-4 minutes. Once dry, use your hairbrush to thoroughly brush the product through your hair. This prevents the product from becoming brittle and blends it more naturally with the rest of your hair.

The colour will wash out easily with your usual shampoo. Top tip: If you want to ‘undo’ some hair mascara without washing your hair, use a make-up wipe to quickly remove any unwanted product from your hair. Great for touch-ups and perfecting the ultimate look.

Now you know how to use UV hair mascara, all you need to do is decide how you’re going to style it! Check out these neon UV hair ideas for some inspiration.

This Autism Awareness Month, let’s shed some light on how you can use glow sticks for sensory play, providing tactile and visual stimuli that will make a world of difference for autistic children and adults alike.

What is autism?

Autism is a lifelong disability that can effect the way a person communicates and interacts with people and the world around them.

Children with autism may struggle to make friends and relate to people in a meaningful way.

People on the spectrum have what’s knows as the ‘triad of impairments’, namely:

• Social interaction such as playing or working with other people
• Social communication; for example, a lot of communication is non-verbal and we use many metaphorical turns of phrase (see the opening paragraph) which may cause confusion.
• Social imagination; this is the ability to understand and predict how other people think. For example, an autistic person may assume that because they know something that other people also know the same information.

Making sense of sensory experiences

People with autism often experience over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity in some areas of perception, and can even experience both at different times. The National Autistic Society (NAS) offers some helpful advice on how to engage in positive sensory play with an autistic person:

• Be aware of the environment and try to spot any potential problems. Can you change anything?
• Be creative. Think of creative ways to create positive sensory experiences (see our list of suggestions below)
• Be prepared. Tell the person about the sensory experiences they may have in different environments so that nothing surprises them.

The NAS suggests it can be helpful to draw up a sensory profile detailing the sensory abilities of a person with autism to help you create positive play scenarios.

What is sensory play?

Sensory play is any play activity that stimulates one or more of the five senses to help children develop a positive connection to the world around them.

Sensory experience plays a crucial role in development from birth to early childhood.

It can be hard for children or adults with autism to block out the sensory input from the world around them in order to focus on interacting with a teacher or play mate.

The use of glow sticks in sensory play is a great way of helping a person with autism focus on their immediate environment without getting overwhelmed by sensory overload.

The bright, joyful colours of a glow stick are exciting, and they emit a very gentle light that is not at all harsh, and so is unlikely to provoke a negative reaction.

Glow sticks not only emit pleasing hues that can have a calming effect on those experiencing stress or anxiety, they are really tactile too.

It’s important to make sure that autistic people are happy with tactile experiences such as wearing a glow bracelet or necklace.

Ensure that any autistic person is made aware of the kinds of sensory experiences they will have, and always ensure they are comfortable in their environment. Stop if they experience any distress.

Body awareness

Some autistic people struggle with body awareness. A glow bracelet or glow stick cap can be a great fun way to encourage autistic people to be more aware of their own body.

Eye contact

Eye contact can be very difficult for people with autism. Using a pair of glow glasses is a fun way of encouraging eye contact. Pop on a pair to demonstrate how eye contact doesn’t have to be scary… it can be fun – and funny – too!

Exploration

Placing glow sticks and other luminous objects like glow in the dark balls, or LED balloons, around a room is a great way to encourage autistic children to explore their environment. They can help people with autism focus in specific areas, will help spark curiosity, and encourage them to explore their surroundings in a fun way.

Discounts

We offer a discount for Parent Teacher Associations and Charities, so if you’re looking for glow products to facilitate sensory play, fill in this short form telling us a bit about yourself, and we’ll send you a special discount code for all orders placed through our website.

Safety

All our products are high quality, carry the CE (European Conformity) mark, and conform to the British EN71 safety standard. Always check the packaging for minimum age requirements, and individual product safety guidance.

Before engaging in any sensory play activities, it is a good idea to consult an autism specialist, understand the needs of any autistic persons under your care, and make sure play is fully supervised.

Ideas for sensory play with glow sticks

Here are some fun and easy examples of sensory play with glow sticks.

Glowsticks in the bath

Glowtopia glow sticks are waterproof so they can be a great addition to any water play. They can be a great way to encourage bath time or make a trip to the swimming pool less daunting.

This is a great idea to encourage reluctant bathers, but also a great way of enriching your child’s sensory experience.

One mother writes about both her and her child’s joy of watching brightly coloured glow sticks reflect on the water, then be submerged in a colourful display of bubbles (bubble bath optional) and swishing water.

Glowsticks at the pool

Glow sticks in the bath is a great way to engage in sensory play in a solo environment.

There’s some fun to be had with a more social encounter with water… at the pool.

Lots of autistic people love swimming, but there can be pitfalls.

Loud music played through the PA; the echoey acoustics of poolside chatter; peeping whistles… all these things that most take for granted at a swimming pool can cause distress for those with autism. Here’s how to make the experience more positive and a great way autistic people can interact with others.

Many pools and leisure centres are keen to provide disability friendly swimming sessions in a calmer environment. If your local centre doesn’t do one, just ask if that’s something they would be interested in considering. That’s what happened at the ON-X centre in Renfrewshire, and now they have a dedicated autism friendly swimming session each weekend.

Glow with the flow

At the pool, hand out glow sticks to encourage autistic people to interact with each other and fellow children or adults. It can help focus their attention on their immediate surroundings rather than being distracted by the ambience of the pool. It is of course important that adult supervision is in place at all times. The NHS provide lots of valuable services for those caring for autism. Take a look at what support is available for autism carers on their website.

Glow in the dark Noughts and Crosses

Encourage playing with others with this simple game with a colourful twist. A mother tells the story of how she created a game of Noughts and Crosses (or Tic-Tac-Glow as she calls it) with her kids. This can be achieved by using glow bracelets for the noughts and using short sections of pipe cleaner to strap two glow sticks together to create the crosses.

For more creative suggestions on using glow sticks for sensory play activities, check out this fantastic list of ideas or head over to oneswitch.org.uk for more great ideas that people with severe disabilities can actively enjoy.

UV hair streaks, UV hair chalk and glow in the dark hair gel are a great way to instantly brighten-up your look. With a bit of creativity you can easily achieve a temporary look that is guaranteed to turn heads on a night-out. And with festival season fast approaching, now is a great time to start seeking-out some UV hair inspiration for the summer.

To whet your appetite, here’s some of the best UV hair inspiration and ideas we’ve found on Instagram:

Neon UV Hair Streaks

Sometimes simple is best. Just a few streaks of UV hair mascara are all you need to make a statement. You can go for a single colour, or a blend of two or three different colours, like this hairstyle by @alkmista_

A post shared by Antonella Romita (@alkimista_) on Apr 15, 2017 at 12:42am PDT

All over colour

If you really want to turn heads, go all out and commit to some all over UV colour. This UV hair by @hairbyjennanoel looks amazing and makes a bold statement when combined with UV make-up.

A post shared by 🌜ʝɛŋŋą ŋơɛٳ🌛 (@hairbyjennanoel) on Apr 13, 2017 at 10:47am PDT

Rainbow streaks

Rainbow streaks are massive at the moment. And the best way to achieve that bright, neon look is with hair chalk. Take it a step further with some UV hair chalk to get a pretty night-time glow.

The Ombre

The dip-dyed Ombre look is going to be huge this festival season. And it’s all about using bright colours you wouldn’t expect. Think pastel pink, purple or mermaid blue. You can achieve a UV ombre effect by using some UV hair mascara or hair chalk to add highlights and colour to the tips of your hair. This festival look by @sarahlovenfestivalstyle is a great place to start for inspiration

A post shared by Top Festival Style (@sarahlovenfestivalstyle) on Apr 17, 2017 at 10:42pm PDT

Glow in the dark plaits

This is an easy way to spice up some simple UV hair streaks. Carefully plait the coloured sections of hair so that they stand-out from the rest of your hair. This look reminds me of those braids you get on the beach when you’re on holiday!

A post shared by ChloesHair (@chloerosehairstyles) on Apr 13, 2017 at 9:07am PDT

UV Mermaid

Mermaid hair is about using bright pastel shades to create a magical, flowing, almost fantastical look. You might need a pro to achieve something like this amazing do by @shelleygregoryhair, but imagine adding a bit of UV colour to these locks. The effect would be spectacular.

A post shared by Model Malay (@modelmalay) on Apr 19, 2017 at 5:45pm PDT

For the guys…

Some of you fellas may be well into the mermaid look, or pretty rainbow curls. But if you’re after something for short hair, go for some glow hair gel. It’s invisible, so you can’t see it in the light of day, but under a UV light it glows brightly. Use one colour, all over, or separate your hair into different sections of colour.

We’d love to see some of your festival looks. Use #glowtopia to share your photos with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

For any parents out there despairing about the amount of that brown sugary nectar consumed by their children over the Easter period, why not consider a glow stick Easter egg hunt over the holiday period!

Let’s face it, Easter eggs seem to be appearing in supermarkets earlier and earlier (I think some were spotted as early as the second week of January this year) and you’ll have done well to get to March without giving into temptation. And I’m not even talking about giving in to your children. Bribery? Chocolate? Heaven forbid!

Here’s an easy, low-cost way of entertaining your children over Easter without chocolate.

A glowing Easter egg hunt! What child doesn’t enjoy an Easter egg hunt? And what child doesn’t enjoy glowing things?

It’s simple to set up.

What you need for a glow in the dark Easter egg hunt

• A selection of large, multi-coloured plastic eggs (most supermarket chains sell these cheaply)
• A selection of multi-coloured glow sticks
• Roll of sellotape

Here’s how to set up your glow stick Easter egg hunt:

1. Begin by bending the glow sticks to activate the luminescent liquid
2. Make two smallish loops by twisting the glow stick around your finger a couple of times (don’t bend too forcibly or they may snap)
3. Stuff the glowing, looped glow stick into a plastic egg (preferably using coordinating colours to enhance the colours of the eggs)
4. Seal the egg tight with sellotape
5. Repeat til you run out!
6. Hide the eggs around your house, turn the lights off and get searching!

Some extra glow stick Easter ideas:

You could begin your glowing Easter egg hunt by asking the children to find one of each colour, or by asking each child to only find one colour and then re-hide and repeat with a different colour. The beauty of this glowing egg hunt is that they can be re-hidden multiple times and with no melting, sticky mess to clean up!

And they will also enjoy hiding the eggs again and again for their siblings and friends. Once activated these glow sticks will remain glowing for 12+ hours, so you’ve got plenty of playing time!

Jazz up your glowing Easter egg hunt a little by giving the winner of each round (if you’re happy to keep re-hiding!) a glow in the dark set of bunny ears.

By the time you’ve finished you’ll have a house full of bouncing, glow in the dark Easter bunnies, minus the sugar-induced hyperactivity! A win-win situation for everyone!

Some top tips for older kids

This idea works quite well with older children who might roll their eyes at a ‘normal’ Easter egg hunt. But you can get added fun by taking some creative glow in the dark photos using the night-time mode on a camera. They’ll love posing with their eggs and bunny ears!

Party Delights suggests using some of their free printable clues to make the hunt more interesting. Lastly, why not get a few marker pens and get them to decorate their eggs or draw faces on them. It will add that finishing touch to your glowing Easter egg hunt!

Happy hunting!

Ever thought about using glow sticks for wedding decorations? Planning a wedding can be great fun. Using your creativity to plan an event that celebrates everything unique and special about your relationship is exciting. Glow stick wedding decorations add something magical to a venue, and an element of fun for your guests. They’re also not going to make a huge dent on the wedding budget.

So we’ve scoured the internet for some of the most memorable glow stick wedding ideas to light-up your wedding day – here’s the best of the best.

Glow stick Wedding Favours

The cost of wedding favours can easily add-up to be surprisingly expensive. Not ideal when more often than not guests forget to take them home at the end of the day. This glow stick idea would work well re-worked as wedding favours to lay next to place settings. Glow sticks are cheap to buy in bulk and your guests will enjoy activating them as part of the celebrations. You could even incorporate them into a grand wedding exit.

“Welcome to our wedding” sign

This sign made from glow sticks looks really effective and is so simple to create. It would work really well as décor at an evening venue, or even as a sign directing guests to the party. You could personalise it with your own names, or with a word or quote that holds particular meaning for your relationship.

Glow stick place settings

OK, so lots of these ideas are for kids’ parties, but how amazing would it look spruced-up a bit at a wedding? Alongside some sliver tableware or vibrant flower arrangements it could look stunning. You can probably buy all sorts of glow-in-the-dark party accessories, but if you wanted to keep it simple, all you’d need would be a few glow necklaces to place on plates and some glow bracelets to place under glasses.

Glow stick chandelier

View this post on Instagram

No one throws a party like @nicoleasmall No one. #happybirthday #glowstickchandelier

A post shared by Beth Oram (@bethoram) on Jan 21, 2017 at 3:52pm PST

This is a budget centrepiece that could really pack some wow factor into a wedding venue. Use full-size hula-hoops instead of embroidery hoops and get heaps of cheap glow sticks on wholesale to make a real impact.

Glow stick party chains

Another cheap, simple décor idea, glow stick party chains add a kitsch feel to a celebration. All you need to do is link a load of glow stick bracelets together.

Glow-in-the-dark candyfloss

Candyfloss is becoming increasingly popular as an after-party treat at weddings. Take this sweet snack to another level by wrapping the cotton candy around a glow stick. Glowing candyfloss will look amazing displayed on a table, and as your guests wander around eating it.

Glowing ice

View this post on Instagram

#ledicecube #glowice #party_glow #glowstick #party #glow

A post shared by لوازم تولد رنگارنگ (@funglowing) on Sep 27, 2014 at 3:04am PDT

If you’re stocking your own bar at the wedding reception, glowing ice is an easy win. Place a glow bracelet at the bottom of an ice-bucket and you have instant glow-in-the-dark ice. Blue glow sticks give a cool, stylish vibe.

Glow straws

Whilst we’re on the drinking theme, check out these glow stick straws. Just bend and snap them to activate the glow and they’ll last for 6+ hours. You could put a load of activated glow straws in jam jars on the bar. Along with your glowing ice, they’ll add some ambience to your bar area.

Glowing balloons

View this post on Instagram

Just beyond obsessed with the final product of the balloon ceiling for Angel Ball 2016! So much time and work and a lil bit of frustration but it turned out fabulously! #eventdecor #angelball #eventdesign #balloonceiling #technocolor

A post shared by Holly McAnally (@hollybrenna) on Dec 11, 2016 at 1:39pm PST

Glowing balloons are easy to make. Just blow-up a regular balloon and pop an activated glow stick through the opening before you tie it up. Or you could use some LED balloons instead. String the balloons together using needle and thread to create an effective, yet easy decorative feature. Or fill the balloons with helium and release them for a spectacular, glowing balloon ceiling.

Keep your guests entertained

Everyone knows that attending a wedding can involve a bit of waiting around, making polite conversation to distant family members. Lots of weddings these days go beyond a glass of bucks fizz and hors d’ouevres to keep guests entertained.

Lawn games are particularly popular for summer weddings. Go one step further and add a touch of glow to your lawn games.

Glow in the dark hoopla is a great way to get guests interacting and break the ice. Plant some large glow sticks into the ground and use glow necklaces and glow bracelets as the hoops. It’s easy to make yourself, or get hold of our glow hoopla pack to save yourself a bit of money.

Other glow in the dark lawn games include giant tic-tac-toe using glow sticks as your pieces, or glow bowling. Pop some glow sticks into clear bottles of water as your skittles and guests can use a glow in the dark ball to knock them over.

Glow stick grand exit

https://www.instagram.com/p/97U0jHm7NS/

A glow stick send-off is a great alternative to using sparklers if your venue isn’t keen on the use of fireworks in enclosed spaces. Ask your guests to take some glow sticks and gather either side of the exit as you leave. With a talented photographer you’ll be able to get some beautiful photos to remember the day. But with or without photos it’ll be a vibrant, colourful send-off to mark the end of a special day.

We’d love to hear your glow stick decoration ideas and see your photos. Tag @glowtopia_uk on Instagram to share your inspiration!

It’s that time of year where we celebrate those special ladies in our lives. Yes, Mother’s Day is this weekend folks. THIS WEEKEND. And if you haven’t had a chance to get hold of a card or a bunch of flowers yet, then have no fear. We’ve put together this simple Mother’s Day glow stick craft to help you show her how much you care.

Mum, you make my heart glow

All you need to do is to get hold of a template and print it out. You could design your own by hand, on the computer or you’re welcome to download our free printable template.

Dig out a hole punch and make a hole in the top and the bottom. Then pop a glow stick through the holes. Don’t forget to write your message on the back. And there it is! A simple, original Mother’s Day glow stick craft that anyone can make.

We recommend presenting it to her along side a big pile of cake, a steaming cup-of-tea or even a full English breakfast-in-bed.

Share your Mother’s Day glow stick craft makes with us

We’d love to see any Mother’s Day glow stick crafts that you make. Send us a photo, or use #glowtopia and we’ll share it on Social Media with a shout-out to the special lady in your life.

P.S. Did we mention that we can arrange same-day dispatch if you order some glow sticks before 2pm? No order is too big or too small.

Fundraising for schools and PTAs can be tricky, especially when existing funds to plough into events or initiatives are so tight.  That’s where glow sticks come in… Glow stick fundraising for schools and PTAs is particularly effective for a number of reasons. They’re cheap to buy, have high markup value and kids absolutely love them.

Some glow stick fundraising ideas for schools and PTAs include:

• An Easter dance or fayre, where you could sell glow in the dark bunny ears
• A school disco where you could sell glow sticks, glow glasses, glow in the dark caps, and other novelty items
• A glow in the dark charity run, where you sell glow sticks for people to run with or wear
• A glow in the dark sports event and obstacle course, where those taking part can purchase extra glow accessories to wear during the event

Easy, time-effective fundraising

As with any charity, time is a valuable commodity for PTAs. More often than not, members of the PTA may not have time to make cakes for a bake sale, or make any items to sell on, so the perfect products for selling are the most convenient. And it doesn’t get any more convenient than a glow stick. Simply order the products you need online and you’re all set to go – order before 2pm and we’ll dispatch your glow sticks the same day.

Buy wholesale glow sticks for higher fundraising profits

Our pricing structures allow you to buy glow sticks in bulk at wholesale prices. This leaves plenty of room for a high mark-up resale, providing great profit for school fundraising. Buy glow sticks for as little as 22p each and mark-up value can easily be as high as 500% or more.

Appeal to the fad side of children with glow stick fundraising

Children love a harmless fad, and glow sticks are an ideal way to appeal to that side of them. Once one child has seen their friend wearing one and waving one around, they will want one as well, and so, the fad begins… Parents can join in to if they want to with glow accessories, and those selling on the stall will stand out a mile adorned in glow tiaras and earrings. Who needs signage when you’ve got glow sticks?!

Glow sticks are a cost effective way for your PTA to fundraise

Glow stick fundraising for schools and PTAs is the cheapest and most effective way to raise money at school events. Whether you boogie on down at a glow in the dark disco, or you cheer on the kids in a glow in the dark obstacle course, glow sticks bought at wholesale prices, will be a sure hit with customers, and with your charity bank balance.

We’ve provided glow sticks at wholesale prices for many school events, so if you’d like to find out more about how we can best support your PTA fundraiser, get in touch. Or go ahead and order your glow sticks online. Order before 2pm and we’ll arrange same-day dispatch.

The magic of luminescence never grows old. Switching the lights off and watching multi-coloured objects glowing in the dark is a total win for most children! If you can’t get past ‘musical bumps’ or ‘pass the parcel’ and need some fresh ideas, then look no further. Below are some innovative suggestions for hosting your very own glow in the dark party.

Glow stick Invitations

Start as you mean to go on and set the tone with some neon invitations! Using black card, use UV paint to include the details of your glow in the dark party and include a dress-code – neon or white work best. Charge the paint under normal light, turn the lights off and hey presto! So much excitement and suspense before the party has even started! 

Alternatively, this great Valentine’s idea by Delia Creates could easily be adapted into a party invite.

Glow in the dark party decorations

The possibilities are endless when it comes to decorating the space for your glow in the dark party. Blacken out the windows if it’s not dark outside already and replace any normal bulbs with black bulbs- even your teeth will be illuminated in this light!

Try these flashing LED balloons to make clusters of colour appear all around your party space. Each balloon features a multi-coloured LED that lasts 15 hours. You could even hand one out to each of your guests at the end of the party to take the magic back home.

Use a selection of those UV glow paint sticks again with black card to make a birthday banner for your entrance. Alternatively use these UV paints especially designed to use on fabric. When the lights are turned off, the painted letters will glow and appear to be suspended mid-air.

For the wow-factor, try crafting this simple but high-impact glow stick chandelier to utilise ceiling space. It will add a little more lighting if you’re feeling it’s too dark and …well… it just looks pretty impressive. Or link a few glow stick bracelets to make a glow stick party chain to hang on the walls.

Set up the snack or party food table with glow sticks indicating each place setting like here. Alternatively, just stick a handful of multicoloured glow sticks in a couple of glass jam jars for an immediate flash of light. The children will be mesmerised while eating their sausage rolls and chocolate fingers!

Don’t forget to set up a drinks table- partying is hot work! For added neon fun, line up a few rows of cups and put a glow in the dark straw in each one. 

Get creative!

Take advantage of some amazing products and get the kids glowing themselves. Your glow in the dark party will really kick off once everyone is looking the part.

Set up a station for face-painting, nail-painting and hair-chalking. Choose a range of colours from a selection of glow paint sticks, glow nail varnish and these professional quality UV hair chalks and let your creative juices flow!

Word to the wise- the glow paints and cosmetics don’t need a UV light to glow (although they will glow under UV light), but are ‘charged’ with natural light and then glow in the dark. The UV paints and cosmetics will appear as a bright colour in daylights and will glow brightly under a UV light or ‘blacklight’.

Glow in the dark party games

Pretty much everything gets better when it’s glow in the dark! For a really glow-tacular party setting, why not try some classic games with a neon twist?

Take indoor bowling. Normally a firm favourite amongst kids, but make it glow in the dark and they won’t want to do it any other way! Our kids glow sticks  are waterproof, so get hold of 10 water bottles, tip some water out (depending on how heavy you want them), add the activated glow sticks to make the bottles glow and roll a football to see if you can get a strike!

Hoopla is another classic game. The twist? Aim and throw with a selection of multi-coloured glow sticks! The winner gets to wear them. Each necklace is made up of three different colours and will glow for up to 12 hours. What’s not to love? Here’s our glow stick hoopla party pack to get you started.

When they’ve danced ’til they’ve dropped, get your guests to try mini noughts and crosses- perfect for tired feet. Set up little grids with kids glow sticks and then start placing your ‘naughts and ‘crosses’ to win three in a row.

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Why not try out some fabric paint and get designing and decorating some pre-bought plain white T-shirts. Don’t forget you need to fix the design with a hot iron on the reverse once it has dried. The pop of colour on a white T-shirt will look really striking under the black light!

For the more creative among your guests, you could choose to get crafty with the UV paints and design some murals, greetings cards, or canvasses.

Glow Stick Party bags

You can’t have a glow in the dark party without a glow in the dark party-bag! Start off with a few staple glow sticks, necklaces or bracelets and a few extra connectors so they can experiment. Try some of these glow stick party bag filler ideas.

For a twist, try setting up a lucky dip for your guests on their way out. As they plunge their hands into a deep filled box, they could take home the ultimate party bag gift. Anything from LED sound reactive glasses,  glow bunny ears, a stylish glow stick cap, a glow tiara, an LED sword or light sabre (for any Star Wars fans) or a glow ball that you just have to bounce hard on the floor to activate. Your guests will leave on a real high with a great gift they can take home. The magic doesn’t have to end there!

(Don’t forget to hand out any balloons, unless you want a glowing living room when the party’s over.)

A glow in the dark party is guaranteed to be a hit with children of all ages! And there are a myriad of ways to get creative and make sure this is a party to remember. It’s time to get glo-ing!

Kids party bag fillers don’t need to break the bank. Shove a few glow sticks in a bag and you’ll have some happy customers. In fact, you could make the whole party glow-in-the-dark themed – it’s unique, easy to pull off and popular with kids and teens of all ages. Combine it with a space theme, fairy theme or spooky theme for extra brownie points. Here are some great budget party bag fillers for a glow-in-the-dark themed party.

Glow sticks

Obviously, as retailers of glow sticks, this was always going to be our first suggestion! But placing bias aside for a second, you can’t go wrong with a few glow sticks. They cost pennies, and I don’t know a child (or adult) that can resist snapping a glow stick and waving it around in the air. Even better, get hold of some glow stick connectors and your guests can enjoy making their own glow bracelets and glow necklaces

Party cupcakes that glow in the dark!

You might not want the mess of cutting the main birthday cake and wrapping individual pieces in tissue paper. In which case, cupcakes in individual boxes or fairy cakes wrapped in foil are perfect. You can make glow in the dark cupcakes to match the party theme. All you need to do is put tonic water in the mix – it contains quinine, which glows under a blacklight.

Glow In The Dark Hats and Glasses

Every child loves dressing up, especially if their costume glows in the dark. These glow stick glasses and glow stick hats are always crowd pleasers. Or if you have any princess fairies amongst your guests, they’ll be over the moon with this glow stick tiara.

A Secret Ink ‘Thanks For Coming’ Letter

Although not glow in the dark, a secret writing letter fits nicely into the party theme because it is a novelty. Plus, you can make them for next to nothing. Simply mix some lemon juice with a bit of water then write your message with a cotton bud and wait for it to dry. You can label the letter ‘get mum or dad to iron me to read me’ so their parents know to iron the letter for the child to reveal the writing.

Glowing Spooky Eyes

Glowing spooky eyes are certainly budget party bag fillers because they cost so little. And yet, they bring so much fun to the child that receives them because they can be hidden in all sorts of places to creep-out passers-by. They’re especially good if you’re throwing a Halloween party.

Glow In The Dark Stickers

Most kids are pretty excited about the concept of stickers, let alone stickers that glow-in-the-dark. Save money by getting a large packet like this one and sticking an individual sheet in each party bag.

Glowing body art

To continue the fun of face painting when they get home, why not give each child a small tube of glow paint? No child can resist face-painting, especially when the paint they use glows in the dark. Include some glittery temporary tattoos to complete the look.

We hope these budget party bag filler suggestions have helped you feel inspired about planning your next kids’ party. Please do remember that age appropriate gifts should always be given, and supervision is advised.

Happy party planning! The kids are gonna glow wild!