One of the many perks of being an RV’er, is that when it comes to family get-togethers during the holiday season, you have your own home on wheels. If parking and accesibility allows, you are able to stay near your loved ones without feeling like an imposition in their home. This is especially beneficial if you have a young family of your own, or if are traveling with small kids or pets. Having a space to allow your little ones to lay down for a nap, or take some time away from the celebrating and just find some quiet time can make the difference between an enjoyable day and a complete meltdown. Whether you’re traveling with your own children, or your grandchildren, you will want to have some games and activities lined up ahead of time to keep them happy and occupied while on long distance drives. Even though kids are usually pretty excited about riding in an RV, boredom can still set in, and it’s always best to be prepared. We found some simple and fun games to occupy the little ones minds at gorving.com. There are no fancy gadgets or supplies required. All you need is a pad of paper, pens, maybe some crayons, and a little willingness to play on your part. IF you do want to play with your fancy gadgets and you have tech savvy kids on board, you can search “GetAWAY” on your Android or iPhone app market and download a mobile game application from gorving. When was the last time you played the license plate game anyway? Go ahead, and have some fun… Being silly keeps you young!
Alphabet Game
How to Play: The objective is to find words outside the vehicle and NOT on any other vehicle that begin with the letters of the alphabet, starting with the letter “A.” Once a player calls out an object they see with the letter “A,” they move on to the letter “B.” The other players continue to look for items that begin with the letter “A.” You cannot use the same word that another player has used for a particular letter. For the letter “X,” an “ex” word can be used, such as “exit” or “exhaust.” However, if “exit” was used for the “e” word, it cannot be used for the “X” word. The first player to reach the letter “Z” wins the game.
Game Notes: Mom and/or Dad may need to act as referee if more than one player sees and says the word at the same time. The one who calls out the word first gets the word.
Animal Game
How to Play: Each player thinks of an animal. Other players then take turns asking simple questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no.” (For example: Is it a reptile? Does it have four legs? Can it be a pet?) Guessing continues until either the animal is identified or everyone gives up. It is then the next person’s turn to think of an animal. There is no scoring and no winner need be identified. This game helps kids use logic to solve problems.
Are We There Yet?
What You’ll Need:
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A map of the territory you will be covering on your trip. Take it to somewhere like Kinko’s or Mailboxes Etc. and photocopy it in black and white.
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A folder to hold the map and keep it neat
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Light-colored crayons, colored pencils, markers
How to Play: Mark the starting point and ending point for the day on the map. During the trip, the kids can color the map with light colors only so that they can still see the words through the colors. They can only ask you, “Where are we now?” That way they can look at their own map and keep track of where you are on the trip. Only YOU can ask THEM the question, “Are we there yet?” This way, not only will the kids have fun and keep busy for a while, they can also learn to read a map, learn about mileage and learn to keep a lookout for the road signs necessary to find on a trip.
Bury Your Horses
What You’ll Need:
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Two eyes and a mouth
How to Play: Everyone in the vehicle watches for horses and cemeteries. The first person to see a horse claims that horse and gets to add it to their count. The first person to see a cemetery shouts out “Bury Your Horses!” and everyone else but the shouter’s horse count goes back to zero. Repeat. The first one who counts 50 horses wins!
Car Color
How to Play: Everyone in the vehicle names the color of the next car they will see in oncoming traffic. No two players can select the same color at the same time. Whoever gets the most right wins.
Game Notes: Instead of color, you can use vehicle type: Jeep, pickup, minivan, 18 wheeler, etc.
Car Color (variation)
What You’ll Need:
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Pad or sheet of paper
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Pencil
How to Play: Everyone chooses one car color. Each person playing should have a different color. Set a time limit, say 10 minutes or half an hour. Now keep your eyes open for cars that are your color and put tally marks on your pad. At the end of the time, the one with the most tally marks is the winner. You might want to write down the color you are looking for on the top of your page. For younger children, take a crayon and color on the top of the page to help them remember what they are looking for. When the game is over, take a short break and do it again.
Game Notes: After you have played the game once, everyone switches colors and plays again for the same time. Continue until everyone has had a chance to look for each different color. Another variation is for everyone to look for a specific kind of vehicle, such as truck, camper, SUV, car, 18 wheeler, etc. The choices will depend on the age of the children playing. At the end of the time limit, see which kind of vehicle was seen the most.
Comic Strip Game
How to Play: Prior to your trip, Mom or Dad can cut up a cartoon strip into individual squares. Then, mix up the squares and place them in an envelope or paper clip them together. On the road, kids will have fun trying to put the squares back in their original order by taping or gluing the strips onto a sheet of paper.
Game Notes: For a challenge, cut up two or more comic strips for the kids to put back together.
Commercial Game
How to Play: Players take turns thinking of a commercial slogan or jingle, such as “Double your pleasure, double your fun” for Doublemint Gum. The other players take turns guessing what the product is. Players can assign points for each winning guess. The first player to earn a certain number of points, such as 10, wins.
Cow Game
How to Play: Each person (or team, if there are four or more players) is assigned the right or left windows of the vehicle. Each person (or team) counts the number of cows they see out “their” side. Cows are counted until the trip is completed. The catch? If a cemetery is spotted on “their” side of the road, “their” cows must be “buried,” and they begin counting cows again, starting from zero. The side with the most cows at the end of the trip wins. If you are traveling in an area without cows, the game could be played with other objects, such as mailboxes.
Do you have any favorite travel games to share? Let us know by posting it to our Facebook page, or leave your comments here!
