Whether traveling by plane, train or automobile children get bored on a lengthy excursion. How many times have you heard the expression, “when are we going to be there?†It may be easy to pack an activity bag when traveling by car, so stock up on paper, crayons, stickers and a deck of cards. But, when you ride a train or airplane, the space is limited so parents must think of other modes of entertainment to pass the time. Why not play some travel games along the way. Games are fun and a great diversion to travel time. They are also educational as well. Here are a few of my favorites when I traveled with my kids and now the grandkids.
How Much Geography Do You Know?
You can start with any place in the world, but keep the game age appropriate. Let’s say the first player calls out Arkansas. The next player needs to think of a place that starts with the last letter of the previous word. So with an “S†the player says Scotland. Now, the next player needs to pick a place that starts with “Dâ€. The game continues as long as the children are content. You many not use the same location twice and it must be a real place. I find this game quite educational.
Let’s Play the “What If†Game
This game takes a lot of imagination. Take turns answering hypothetical questions. For example, one child may ask another child, “what if you were the President, how would you use your power?†Or, “If you were stranded on a desert island what would you find to eat? And lastly, if you could create a new holiday, “what would you call your holiday and how would you celebrate it?†Put on your thinking caps and create unique questions to ask and interesting answers to respond.
A Minute of Words
If you are sitting and are able to write, this game will engage the kids in thinking. Everyone will need paper and a pencil. The parent is the timekeeper of a minute and gives out a letter of the alphabet. When the timekeeper says, “goâ€, the kids need to write down all the words they can think of that start with that letter. When the minute is up, all pencils are laid down. Whoever has written down the most legitimate words wins the game. Have fun reading each child’s list of words. See if the kids can make a sentence with all the words. Sounds easy – maybe not!
Two Truths and One Lie
How much do you know about each other? The first player tells the group three statements about himself. Two are true and one is a lie. The other players try to figure out which one is the lie. Each statement is numbered one, two or three. The other kids hold up the correct number of fingers (1, 2 or 3) to display which statement is the lie. The player sets the record straight with the correct answer. Then, the next child begins the game again.
Happy Travels!