Travel Games Without Pieces

‘Tis the season for traveling!  In fact, the last couple of days I’ve logged quite a bit of Windshield Time with my awesome husband and cute-as-a-button kids.

Before we started driving a 15 passenger van, we found more often than not our precious little ones had managed to drag the entire contents of their rooms into the minivan.  Not cool when you have children packed in like sardines with no elbow room in a van that is piled to the ceiling with junk, beloved toys.

When the 15 passenger came home I knew something had to change or else we’d end up with not just the contents of their rooms in the van, but the contents of the rest of the house in the van.  I just couldn’t hack the clutter.  So, I made a rule…

That equals 10 items…plenty to keep ’em busy, right?

To be honest, there are still times when they need something to do.  So, in the spirit of eradicating boredom, our family invented a myriad of travel games …all without pieces!  (I do so love games without pieces!)

My kids and I spent some windshield time the other day brainstorming all our games, so here is the list:

• ABC – Find all the letters of the alphabet along the road.  This is a cooperative game where all the players search out billboards, license plates, restaurants, street signs, etc in the hopes of finding every single letter (no skipping or giving up allowed!) before reaching their destination.

• I Spy – Good old-fashioned game of “I Spy with my little eye something…orange.”  Other players guess until someone discovers the answer.

• Last Letter-First Letter – Start the game with any word.  The last letter of that word is then used to begin the next word from the next player.  So, if CAT is the word, the next player has to start a word with “T”.  If TURTLE is the word, then the next player has to begin their word with “E” and so and so forth.

• Color/Shape Hunt – Pick a color or a shape (or both!) and work together to find as many things along the road that shape and/or color.

• 20 Questions – One player thinks of an object and the rest of the players ask Yes or No questions until someone guesses the object correctly.

• Spell a Word – Similar to ABC, except you pick a word and then try to find the letters in that word in order.

• Penny Hawks – This game started in an act of desperation (too many voices in too small of a space!) and has become one of the kids’ favorite games (probably because they get paid!)  The older kids get a penny (up to ten cents) for each hawk they spot.  The little kids just get a penny per bird of any kind.  You can choose any bird or landmark…make it hard if you’re not in the mood to pay out!

• Rhyming Game – Mom or Dad pick a word and everyone takes turns coming up with a word that rhymes.  I say Mom and Dad pick out the word because inevitably if left up to a child to choose, he or she will want to have everyone rhyme with something like “hippopotamus”.

• Spelling Bee – Just what it says it is.  Pick a word…have them spell it.  Great way for you homeschoolers to work in a little car-schooling!

• Stories with Holes (also known as Lateral Thinking Puzzles ) – A favorite of mine!  But beware, these are tough!  We have several books of these that we sometimes take along on trips, but I also have a few memorized as well.  One person gives the scenario and everyone else asks Yes or No questions until someone solves these sometimes outrageous brain-teasers.  Riddles can also be a good way to pass the time.  If you get good enough, you can make up your own.

Now, gather up your family, jump in the car, and play some games this busy travel season!

If you’d like to know what I pack for our family day trips, just click on the link!