Whether you’re running errands or going on holiday, travelling with small children can be stressful. Luckily, children are curious and new environments can quickly stimulate their imagination. This makes it easy for you to play simple games with your children while travelling. Make the journey fun with these five games you can play while on the go:
Five simple games to try while on the go
Car Cricket
Car Cricket works better on long roads rather than in cities. The rules for this game are reasonably simple:
- The first person to bat scores runs with each passing vehicle. Coloured and black cars get two runs, while white cars are worth one run.
- Caravans scores four runs and trucks score six.
- A car with a trailer gets a bonus run.
- Red cars do not count.
- Cars only count if they travel in the opposite direction.
The first person to get to 100 is the winner.
Scavenger Hunt
Before your trip, make a list of ‘treasures’ your child may spot along the road. These can be anything from a red car, a brown horse, a cow or a stop sign. If you have more than one child in the car, you can have a little competition to see who spots the most ‘treasures’.
I spy with my little eye
A classic favourite! One person starts with ‘I spy with my little eye’ and then gives a clue about an object such as the colour or first letter of the word. For example, if someone spots a cow, he or she could say: “I spy with my little eye something that starts with a ‘c’.”
20 Questions
This game is also a family favourite. It works with three categories: Person, place or thing. One person thinks of something and names the category to the others. The rest of the players then take turns asking up to 20 ‘yes or no’ questions to get clues to the answer. After the questions, each player is invited to make a guess.
Tell a story
Before you travel, collect a few toys in a container. Soft toys are a great option! Each person in the car gets an opportunity to pick a toy from the container and tell a story about the character, using the environment through which you are travelling. This is a great way to keep children engaged while boosting their imagination.
Learn new skills while on the go
Travelling with your children can be a great opportunity for them to learn new skills. As you move through new environments, it a great way to use the above games to keep them aware of their surrounding and learn new things. If you’re travelling far, it is also a good idea to pack light snacks and liquids to stay hydrated.