Everybody knows how to play “I spy” but do you know these? Here are some other games to help you and your child pass the time when traveling. They are all talking games – no toys or pens needed so they can easily be played on road trips or when waiting in an airport. You can simplify the games for toddlers by not taking score.
Where do I live?
One of you thinks of a place. This could be anywhere e.g. a building, city or room in your house. People take turns asking questions which either have a yes or no answer. Questions may be something like: “Is it a hot place?” or “Is it where grandma lives”. A total of twenty questions are allowed. If someone thinks they know where the place is they can guess, however if they are wrong this counts as one of the questions. The person who guesses the place is the winner and is the next one to choose a place. If nobody guesses the place the person who thought of it is the winner.
What’s that noise?
Someone thinks of a noise to make. Examples of noises include a dog barking, a door slamming, or a balloon popping. They then make that noise. The first person to correctly guess what the noise is meant to be is the winner and gets to make the next noise. Make sure if you play this game on road trips nobody makes sudden loud noises that can distract the driver.
Filling a pie.
This game tests people’s memories. Everybody gets to add an ingredient to an imaginary pie. The first person says “when I bake a pie I fill it with…” They add an ingredient that you don’t expect to find in a pie such as “strawberry milkshake”. The next person then repeats this phrase adding their own imaginary ingredient as well. For example they may say “When I bake a pie I fill it with strawberry milkshake and brussel sprouts.” Everyone takes turns adding imaginary ingredients. If anyone either forgets an ingredient or says them in the wrong order they are out. The winner is the last person left able to list the ingredients of the pie.
I don’t spy.
Encourage your child’s imagination by playing this game that is the opposite of “I spy”. One person thinks of something which they can’t see anywhere such as a hot air balloon. They then say “I don’t spy with my little eye…” and give two clues such as it flies and it floats. Everybody then takes turns to guess what the person is thinking of. The first person that guesses correctly may then choose the next object. You can vary this game by allowing people to ask questions such as in the game “Where do I live.”
Story-telling game
Make up a story together in this game. Somebody starts by making up the first five words of the story. Take turns adding another five words. It is okay for the story to be nonsense but it must be understandable. When everyone wants to stop somebody has to come up with a good ending. You can still play this game with children who can’t yet count by being flexible about the number of words you add.
What games do you play when traveling. Feel free to add to the list by writing them as a comment.
