Travelling with kids can be quite a challenge. It requires extra planning, patience, and creativity to make sure everyone has a fun time. Games are an excellent way for kids to stay entertained while on the move.
Whether you’re looking for car games or something more educational, we have compiled some of the best travel games to keep your little ones engaged while on the road.
This post is part of our travel toys and games series
1. Tongue Twisters
This classic game is always one of the most fun activities on the road. Have your family come up with their tongue twisters. Alternatively, you can browse online for popular tongue twisters for kids, like “She sells sea shells by the seashore.” Then, challenge each other to see who can say it faster and louder without making any mistakes.
2. I Spy
This game is great because it encourages observation skills and healthy sibling competition. One person calls out, “I spy…” followed by the first letter of the object, either in the car or on the road. Then everyone else takes turns trying to guess what they are describing until someone gets it right. Make sure everyone takes turns being ‘it’ so there’s fair play all around. It is a great way for young kids to learn the letters of the alphabet while bigger kids enhance their spelling and grammar skills.
3. Alphabet Hunt
Set yourself up for an interesting activity by finding as many items in alphabetical order as possible outside your window during long rides in cars or trains. For instance, apples and balloons. This helps pass the time quickly and keeps children actively searching for objects.
4. License Plate Game
This game aims to spot as many license plates from different states as possible, and the first to spot and call it out gets to colour that state on the map. However, you can assign points if you don’t have a map. And the person with the highest points at the end of the trip wins.
5. 20 Questions
This is another classic game anyone can play while travelling, regardless of age. One player thinks of something, and then everyone else asks yes or no questions to guess what it is – the first person who gets it right wins.
6. Guess the Song
Everyone loves music, and this game combines entertainment and education for your kids. Someone starts by singing a line from any song or cranking up your car radio, and then everyone else takes turns guessing which song it is until there’s only one left standing.
7. Word Follow Up
This game is simple but entertaining. One person begins by saying a word, and then everyone else takes turns saying words using the last letter of the first word. For instance, if someone says ‘fish,’ someone else could follow up with ‘house’ or ‘hen.’
Alternatively, say words related to the first word. For instance, if someone says ‘fish,’ someone else could say ‘lake’ or ‘ocean.’ This can go on for as long as you want and don’t use complex words.
8. Train of Thought
Here’s another excellent travel activity that will keep kids entertained while on the road. Start with a phrase like “I’m going to…” and then have each person continue the sentence until there are no more ideas left. It’s fun because everyone has different perspectives, leading to conversations about anything from places they’ve been or would like to visit someday.
9. Flip to Win
Flip to win is an excellent travel game for kids that encourages problem-solving and critical thinking. It’s a two-player game where each person has their own set of cards. The goal is to get four in a row either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally by flipping over one card at a time. If no one can do it after five turns, then it’s a draw.
10. IQ XOXO
IQ XOXO is a classic game that’s perfect for travelling. It requires players to connect five ‘X’ or ‘O’ to win the game. This encourages players to think strategically while also having fun at the same time. Kids will love challenging themselves with this exciting travel activity.
11. Rory’s Story Cubes
Rory’s Story Cubes are an excellent way for families to come up with creative stories on the go! Each cube contains symbols that can be used as prompts for building imaginative tales together. You can make up your own rules about how long each story should be or how many cubes should be used per person, making it a great activity while on the road.
12. I Packed My Bags
This travel game seeks to stimulate your child’s imagination. You start by saying, ‘I packed my bag, and it contains….’ Then your child thinks of a vacation or camping destination and lists things that should be in the bag. If you are several in the car, each person should mention an item till you’ve exhausted the list.
Benefits of Games to Kids
There are many benefits associated with playing travel games with kids, from enhancing their creativity to improving focus; these activities can positively impact young minds. Here’s why you should start bringing such activities for your next road trip:
● Enhances Their Creativity
Playing games during travels helps children think outside the box by engaging them in creative problem-solving tasks. This allows them to be more open-minded regarding ideas that can help foster innovation in all areas of life.
● Improves Their Memory
Travelling presents an excellent opportunity for kids to learn new things, like trying new cuisines and seeing monuments they’ve only read about in books. Playing memory-based games while on the road further enhances this effect by helping them remember facts and figures better over time.
● Enhances Their Focus
Playing travel games is also an effective tool for developing attention spans among children who tend to lose focus quickly due to distractions like TV or smartphones. By encouraging sustained concentration through interactive activities, parents can ensure that their kids stay focused even when surrounded by various stimuli.
● Great Way to Learn New Things
Exploring new places is one of the exciting parts of travelling, but there are so many things we don’t know until we’ve experienced them. This is where educational travel gaming comes into play. By playing different games, kids can learn about geography, history, and culture in a fun and engaging way.
Final Thoughts on Travel Games
Travelling is often seen as tedious for children, but with suitable activities, it can become an enjoyable experience they’ll never forget. Games are a great way to keep kids entertained while on the move; from car games to educational travel gaming, there are plenty of options available for parents looking to make travelling fun for their little ones.
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