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Best Family Travel Games (that can also be played at home)

by Lindsay

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Our family loves to play board games at home and I frequently pull them out when I need a quick activity to do with my kids. Games promote social-emotional development and lots of reasoning and language skills so I love it when we can work on those skills through play. Many traditional board games involve a large box and lots of little pieces, making them less than ideal for traveling, but I also don’t love a lot of the travel versions of classic games since they don’t tend to be very player-friendly.

The best of both worlds is a game we can play at home but also take on the road with us. I’ve put together a list of some of our favorites. These aren’t games that I would necessarily unpack on the plane or in the car but they are perfect for filling in some downtime as we wait to check in or need to keep everyone fairly quiet during an early morning in a hotel room. They’re small and don’t have many pieces and, for the most part, can be played independently by both my 4 and 7-year-olds.

Best Games to Pack When You Travel With Kids

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Gobblet Gobbler – This version of tic-tac-toe is surprisingly difficult and a game where I legitimately lose to my kids quite often. The strategy required to think ahead is complex enough for my older son but my younger son can still play with the basic knowledge of normal tic-tac-toe. This is the only game on the list that doesn’t stay in its own packaging. All the pieces fit easily inside a gallon Ziploc and are easy to pack.

Uno Dare – We have several different versions of this game but our family almost always reaches for this one. Instead of picking up extra cards, players can choose one of the “dares”. My kids are endlessly entertained by watching me have to talk like a robot or balance on one foot until my next turn. The silliness is what makes this game so fun. You can even create your own dares for the house rules card. [Note: I’m not sure if this version is still being sold, but this and this look like they’d be perfect for traveling.]

Spot It – This game is small enough that I sometimes even slip this into our day bag to use in case we need a little bit of downtime while we explore. There are several different games you can play with the same set of cards and even though we have to go a bit slower, my four-year-old can still join in on this visual recognition game. There are lots of specialty versions of this but I think you can skip the Junior varieties and just get one the whole family will enjoy.

Sleeping Queens – A blogger recommended this game and my older son received it a few years ago. It’s from Gamewright, whose products we have always enjoyed, and while it’s a bit more complex in its rules, once you play a few times, it’s easy to catch on. You’ll need some floor or table space for this one so it’s best for someplace you can spread out. My younger son can play along but needs some prompting. The metal case makes sure that there aren’t any bent cards or smashed boxes.

Story Cubes – While this isn’t technically a board game because you’re not competing, my kids are endlessly entertained by these picture dice that are used to help tell stories. I love that they use their imagination and practice storytelling literacy skills and they love coming up with silly stories to tell each other. This is so small it can easily fit in a purse or backpack. There are also several add-on kits that can expand storytelling as well. I’m thinking about picking up this one for our next trip.

 

5 Steps for Planning Your Family's Next Vacation....and how you can get it done in ONE hour!

So what are your family’s favorite portable games? What do you pack to fill the time when you’re traveling as a family? I’d love to check out some new games, so leave your suggestion in the comments below!

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Filed Under: Family Travel, Fun with Kids

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    February 21, 2017 at 5:05 pm

    Oh gosh! These are all so perfect and couldn’t be more timely! We are embarking in a 15 hour rv trip with our kiddos… this will be socool handy!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      February 21, 2017 at 5:27 pm

      Glad it’s helpful! Some of them are better for one the road and some are better for once you arrive but they all pack small so perfect for fitting in an RV. I’m so jealous. One of my dreams is to take an RV trip!

      Reply
  2. Hanka says

    February 22, 2017 at 1:01 pm

    OH, yeah, Spot it! Is our favorite too! (In our version it’s called Dobble!) I love that the cards are in a tin, so it’s quite undestroyable while traveling! You can check my blog post on how to manage traveling with kids here: http://adinajustina.blogspot.ch/2016/12/5-tips-for-long-car-rides-with-kids-5.html

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. What I’m Into (February 2017 Edition) | Let Me Give You Some Advice says:
    February 28, 2017 at 8:09 am

    […] Best Games to Pack for Family Travel –  My round up of some of our favorite games to pack when we travel. All of them are small and portable and best of all, they can all be played at home too. No travel versions of bigger games, just great choices to take along when you hit the road. […]

    Reply
  2. Road Trip Series: Part 3 – How to Entertain Kids in the Car | Let Me Give You Some Advice says:
    April 6, 2017 at 11:08 am

    […] Games are nice way to promote some non-bickering interactions (hopefully). Our whole family has enjoyed this Travel Scavenger Hunt card game and a few fun printable games like bingo and the license plate game on Pinterest. I print them out at home and run them through my laminator (this makes me sound fancy but this is actually one of my favorite purchases!) so that they can be used with dry erase markers. Magnetic games are also great and we have a few of these that come in a helpful metal case. Some of my other favorite games to pack when traveling can be found in this post. […]

    Reply
  3. How to Rock Your Next Family Vacation - The Merry Momma says:
    June 29, 2017 at 11:51 am

    […] Road Trips for Families Series Getting Kids to Sleep in Hotels Best Family Travel Games […]

    Reply
  4. Great Family Travel Gear You Might Not Think to Pack says:
    August 10, 2017 at 12:53 pm

    […] For more suggestions on what to pack, see my Road Trips for Families Series and Best Family Travel Games. […]

    Reply

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Meet Lindsay

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Welcome! I'm Lindsay and I live for a good adventure. I'm convinced you can always find one, even if it's in your own backyard. As a mom of two, I don't believe in giving up on exploring just because of my Midwest zip code. With a little curiosity, you can find adventures for your family, no matter where you live. Read More...

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