This article from Care2.com features some wonderful ideas about living in the dark. We humans are often so disassociated with the dark, viewing it as only a minor inconvenience; indeed, we have street lamps, electricity, and plenty of ways to avoid it. Many of us work at night, or even shop at night, during a time when most creatures are either asleep or hunting prey. Instead of further alienating ourselves from nature, why don’t we start celebrating the dark once in a while? Not only could we save energy, we could also help our children learn to love the dark and not fear it so much.

In addition to Care2’s wonderful list, here are more things to enjoy in the dark.

Have a Dark Night: One night a week, allow your home to naturally get dark as the sun goes down. What changes do you have to make? How can you accomplish what you need to do? Perhaps you could try an oil lamp one day and candles another, or simply attempt to do your normal routine in the dark! Appreciate how it must have been before electricity.

Let Your Body Rest: Go to bed when it gets dark one night and don’t get up until it’s light outside. How do you feel?

Play with Glow-in-the-Dark Stuff: Experiment with solar lights, chase lightening bugs… For a less natural activity, use only glow sticks for the night, or try out some glow-in-the-dark paint.

Dance: Do like Bruce Springsteen says and dance in the dark! Try it with a group of people and see how much fun it is bumping into one another, or do a one-on-one dance for a romantic evening.

Play Marco-Polo: How much fun would it be when everyone can’t see? Try other games the same way. How about a charades game with only non-word noises for clues? (Example: clucking for “farm.”)

Wind Down: At the end of the week, spend half an hour as a family sitting with candles lit. Sit in silence to contemplate your week, or talk together quietly about things learned, goals for next week, highs and lows, or whatever you wish. Afterward, have some journaling time for additional insights and introspection.

Camp Indoors: When you can’t camp outside, camp inside for additional nighttime fun.

Listen: Just quietly sit in the dark and discover what you learn. Does your house “speak” to you? What does your neighborhood sound like? Can you hear any animals, cars, trains?