Summer means fun. And summer means playing outside. Summer also means weekend-long family reunions, holiday celebrations and parties. Be prepared for those extended events by stocking up on glow sticks for your nighttime outdoor events.

Glow sticks are small wands (the most popular size is six inches - although you can get glow necklaces and glow glasses, as well) that contain reactive, non-toxic substances. When the stick is bent, a little glass tube inside the plastic stick breaks, allowing the two substances to combine to create a long-lasting glow. In the case of necklaces or glasses, you give them a quick snap to combine the non-toxic chemical substances.

Glow sticks (as well as glow necklaces and glow glasses) are great for lighting up summer nights, and they're sure to add a big dose of fun to any little kid's summer! Stock up on them for all your summer outdoor occasions - Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day - plus any other outdoor events you may have on your summer schedule: beach parties, camping trips, graduation parties.

Glow sticks are a great promotional item to sell at town celebrations that extend into the evening hours. Kids love the brilliant colors and the long-lasting glow - and parents love the safety factor and economical price.

Parents also like the fact that the glow sticks come in so many different colors. They can give each of their children a different colored glow stick and let them go play, secure in the knowledge they can keep track of them in the dark, distinguishing each one by his or her individual light color.

Adults also have other reasons to like glow sticks: they add a festive touch to grown-up events, like garden cocktail parties and outdoor soirees. String assorted-color glow sticks around the perimeter of your deck, yard or garden area. Lay them along pathways to light your guests' way. Dangle them into the water at your next pool party (they're waterproof) for a fun lighting option. Or, for a quirky touch of romance, stick a few into your favorite candleholders during your next romantic evening al fresco and watch the sparks fly.

Even adults' summer-night events can benefit from some brightening up: evening pool parties, backyard parties, apartment-dwellers' porch parties perhaps even a midnight swim or a quiet soak for two in the hot tub. You can try hanging glow sticks from low-hanging tree branches for a fun, festive touch (doing that yields an especially appealing effect when there's a slight breeze and the glow sticks sway in the dark).

Besides, what better light source could there be to bring along on those romantic moonlit walks and the moonlight isn't cooperating with your plans?