Are we there yet? This familiar refrain from kids on a journey can often lead to restlessness and boredom.
But fear not, as we have the perfect solution to keep young travelers entertained and engaged during those long trips – fun travel games for kids!
Whether you’re heading on a family road trip, flying to a dream destination, or riding the rails to your next adventure, these delightful games are designed to make the travel experience an absolute blast for children and parents alike.
From classic games with a travel twist to creative and interactive activities, these travel games will turn those “are we there yet” moments into laughter, excitement, and unforgettable memories.
Get ready to make the journey as much fun as the destination with these fantastic travel games for kids!
Road Trip Scavenger Hunt:
Turn your family road trip into an exciting scavenger hunt that will keep the kids engaged and their eyes peeled for hidden treasures along the way. Before setting off, create a list of items commonly found during the journey, such as road signs, specific vehicles, or natural landmarks. Hand out the lists to each child and let the adventure begin! As you travel, the kids can mark off the items they spot, earning points for each discovery. To add an element of competition, you can offer small prizes for the child who finds the most items or completes the list first. The Road Trip Scavenger Hunt not only keeps boredom at bay but also encourages observation skills and makes the entire journey more interactive and enjoyable.
License Plate Game:
The License Plate Game is a classic travel activity that never gets old! It’s an excellent way to pass the time while learning about different states or countries. Provide each child with a notebook and pen, and have them write down the license plates they spot from different places. You can even turn it into a friendly contest, seeing who can find the most unique or faraway plates. This game not only keeps the kids entertained but also introduces them to geography and encourages them to engage with their surroundings.
Travel Bingo:
Travel Bingo is a fantastic game to keep kids entertained during long car rides. Create bingo cards with various items that are likely to be seen during the journey, such as cows, gas stations, windmills, or specific road signs. Distribute the cards among the children and provide them with stickers to mark off the items they spot. The first one to complete a row or the entire card can be crowned the Bingo Champion! This game promotes focus and observation skills while adding an element of friendly competition among the kids.
Related: 20 Invasion Games for Kids
Storytelling Chain:
Foster creativity and imagination with the Storytelling Chain game. One person starts by narrating the beginning of a story, and each child takes turns adding a few sentences to continue the plot. The story can take unexpected and hilarious turns, providing lots of laughter and excitement along the way. This game not only keeps kids entertained but also enhances their storytelling abilities and encourages cooperation as they build a narrative together.
Travel Mad Libs:
Mad Libs are a delightful way to turn travel time into an entertaining language and grammar activity. Prepare Mad Libs sheets by leaving out key nouns, adjectives, and verbs from short stories. Ask the kids to fill in the blanks with their own words without revealing the context. Once they’ve completed the sheet, read the hilarious stories aloud, leading to fits of laughter as the nonsensical tales unfold. Travel Mad Libs not only provide amusement but also reinforce parts of speech and language skills in a playful manner.
Colorful Road Trip Drawing:
Encourage your young artists to bring out their creativity with a Colorful Road Trip Drawing activity. Provide each child with a clipboard or a sketchbook and a set of colored pencils or markers. As you journey through different landscapes, prompt the kids to sketch what they see outside their windows. It could be the rolling hills, a beautiful sunset, or even the passing landmarks. This activity not only keeps them engaged but also allows them to appreciate the beauty of the world around them and develop their artistic skills.
Travel Song Karaoke:
Turn your travel vehicle into a karaoke stage and let the kids showcase their singing talents with a Travel Song Karaoke session. Create a playlist of their favorite songs or classic travel tunes and sing along as a family. For added fun, provide some musical instruments like a toy keyboard or a tambourine to enhance the performance. This activity brings out the musical spirit in everyone and turns the journey into a memorable musical adventure.
Related: 20 Exciting Playground Games for Kids
Travel Memory Game:
Enhance memory and concentration with a Travel Memory Game. Before the trip, create pairs of cards featuring images of different objects, animals, or landmarks that the kids are likely to encounter during the journey. Shuffle the cards and lay them face down on a flat surface. Each child takes turns flipping two cards at a time, trying to find matching pairs. The one with the most matches at the end wins! This game not only keeps the kids entertained but also sharpens their memory skills in a playful way.
Destination Trivia:
Make the journey an educational experience with Destination Trivia. Research interesting facts and trivia about the places you’re visiting or passing through. Prepare a list of questions and quiz the kids along the way. You can cover various topics, such as history, geography, or fun facts about the destinations. The children will not only have fun trying to answer the questions but also gain knowledge about the places they are exploring.
ABC Word Game:
The ABC Word Game is a fantastic way to engage kids’ minds while working their way through the alphabet. The first player begins by saying a word that starts with the letter “A.” The next player has to come up with a word that starts with the last letter of the previous word and corresponds to the letter “B.” The game continues until you reach the letter “Z.” If a player can’t think of a word for a particular letter, they can ask for help, but it should be a word they genuinely know. This game enhances vocabulary and word association while keeping the journey entertaining and interactive.
Travel Alphabet Hunt:
Transform the surroundings into an educational adventure with the Travel Alphabet Hunt. Assign each child a letter of the alphabet and challenge them to find objects or signs outside that begin with their assigned letter. For instance, if a child has the letter “B,” they might look for “billboard” or “blue car.” This game keeps the kids observant and engaged in discovering the world around them while also reinforcing their knowledge of the alphabet.
Travel Fortune Teller Origami:
Engage the kids with Travel Fortune Teller Origami. Teach them how to fold origami fortune tellers and write travel-related messages or challenges inside each flap. They can take turns predicting each other’s “fortunes” during the journey. It’s a creative activity that adds an element of surprise and fun to the travel experience.
Travel Storybook Reading:
Encourage reading during your travels by bringing along a selection of travel-themed storybooks. Choose books that are related to the places you’ll be visiting or that feature adventurous journeys. During breaks or quiet moments, take turns reading the storybooks aloud, creating a cozy and immersive reading experience for the whole family.
Travel Pictionary:
Put artistic skills to the test with Travel Pictionary, a creative and interactive drawing game. Prepare a list of travel-themed words or phrases and divide the kids into two teams. Each team takes turns selecting a word and having one member draw it while the others guess what it is. The team with the most correct guesses wins. This game encourages imagination, teamwork, and communication, making it a fantastic activity for the whole family.
I Spy with My Little Eye:
An evergreen favorite, “I Spy with My Little Eye” is perfect for keeping kids entertained during travel. One player begins by saying, “I spy with my little eye something that starts with the letter…” followed by the first letter of the object they have in mind. The other players take turns trying to guess what it is, and the one who guesses correctly gets to be the next “spy.” This simple yet engaging game sharpens observation skills and fosters creativity as kids come up with clever clues.
Travel Memory Scrapbook:
Transform your travel memories into a beautiful Travel Memory Scrapbook. Provide each child with a small scrapbook or notebook and encourage them to collect mementos like tickets, brochures, and postcards from the places you visit. They can also add drawings, and photos, and write down their favorite experiences. As the journey progresses, they can personalize their scrapbooks and create a treasured keepsake of the trip.
Travel I-Spy Memory Game:
Combine elements of “I Spy” and a memory game with Travel I-Spy Memory. Place a selection of small travel-related items on a tray and let the kids study it for a minute. Then, cover the tray and challenge them to recall and write down as many items as they can remember. This game enhances observation skills and memory while keeping the kids entertained and attentive during the trip.
Guess the Flag:
For journeys that involve crossing borders, play the Guess the Flag game. Prepare images of different country flags and show them to the kids. They have to guess which country each flag represents. You can provide hints or information about the country’s location or landmarks to make the game more engaging and informative.
Guess the Country/City:
For international travels, play the Guess the Country/City game. Before the trip, research some interesting facts or landmarks about the countries or cities you’ll be visiting. Provide clues or descriptions to the kids, and let them guess which country or city you’re talking about. It’s a fun and educational game that broadens their knowledge of different cultures and places.
Road Trip Riddles:
Challenge your kids’ problem-solving abilities with Road Trip Riddles. Prepare a collection of age-appropriate riddles related to travel, nature, or objects commonly found during trips. Take turns asking the riddles, and let the kids brainstorm and guess the answers. Riddles are not only fun but also stimulate critical thinking and creativity in children.
