Yes, we live with hand-held videogames, iPads, games on cell-phones, and DVDs in the minivan... yet for travel games on long car trips, kids can still have fun with old-fashioned favorites such as Connect the Dots, Tic Tac Toe, and simple word puzzles.
Below are six links for printable
travel games, courtesy of guest contributor Nancy Bates. These travel games suit kids age five and up.
Tip: If your child tends
to get carsick, encourage him/her to look out the window: play the License Plate game or a word game s/he can play while focusing outside the car. Reading or focusing the eyes on a hand-held game can make motion sickness worse.
Simple Travel Games to Print Out and Play in Cars or Planes
- Connect the Dots
- Tic Tac Toe
- Simple Word Games to play out loud: The Sound Game, The Alliteration Game, Straight Face ( - good for laughs)
- Animals A to Z
- Rhyme Game
- Word Scramble
- The License Plate Game - two versions of this classic game to play
Here are some good places to try.
- Mom's Minivan: print out car bingo games, and also check out other ideas such as make a cootie-catcher or string figures.
- Games based on Dr. Seuss Books : print out Seuss-ish Tic-Tac-Toe, Who's Whoses, a Cat's Hat maze, and more.
- Printable travel games and more at FamilyEducation.com: this website has thousands of printable activities including puzzles, quizzes, coloring pages, and holiday activities.
- For preschoolers, the Nick Jr. website has printable materials including travel games such has Dora the Explorer's connect-the-dots and Diego's Car Bingo.
