8 things to do when the power goes out at the cottage

You can play hide or seek any time of the day, of course, but it's especially fun indoors in the dark. Keep a candle or two lit for safety, but otherwise let the shadows do the work!

If you have a guitar, great. If you don't have a guitar, that's fine too. Gather round and sing some of your favourite songs — bonus points for acting them out. Stumped about what to sing? Check out "Rise Up Singing" and "Rise Again," two fantastic collections of songs for group singsongs.

Anyone can put on dress-up clothes and have a ball — but what if you have to make clothes out of newspapers? Put everyone's inner Valentinos to work — divide into groups, grab a roll of duct tape, a pair of scissors and some newspapers, and set a time limit to create high fashion out of paper. A fashion show to cap off the activity will guarantee hilarity, if not high fashion.

Reading out loud isn't just for kids (although it's a great kids' activity too). If you're stuck with no light and limited flashlights or candles, pick a book that everyone might find appealing (classics are good) and gather everyone around for some old-fashioned reading aloud. You can elect someone to be the reader, or take turns. It's amazing how a book can come to life when you hear it being read.

Take advantage of a darker night than usual to do some real stargazing. Grab your flashlight and head to an open spot where you can see the stars. Even if you don't know the official constellations, it can be fun to make up stories about the patterns that you do see.

If the lights are off, a night hike might be the perfect way to pass the time. Take flashlights, tie on sturdy shoes and see the woods in a way that might not be familiar. If you're going to be walking on rural roads, make sure you're wearing something reflective, and walk facing traffic.

Rather than everyone drawing their own picture, make this a group activity. Tape together multiple pieces of paper to make a mural, then decide as a group what you're going to draw. Everyone gets a chance to contribute, and, when the lights come back on, you'll have a fun piece of art for the wall.

Whether you play charades, broken telephone or truth or dare, games that have you interacting with everyone can have a lot more fodder for hilarity than board games. (Plus, they're infinitely adaptable to any age group.)