Games to play in the car, on a walk, in a waiting room. . .

[Jean in Newcastle]

We like to play "I spy" when we are walking in the mall or when we are stopped in the car at the gas station (I never play it while moving in the car - too frustrating!).

 

We also like to play "Vegetable, Animal, Mineral". (a 20 questions game).

 

Today I made up a new game while doing errands with the kids. It is called "Colors". I thought of a color. Then the kids asked me questions but they could not ask me straight out "is it red?" etc. They had to ask me "Is it the color of a stop sign"? etc.

 

What games do you play with your kids when you are out and about?

[myfunnybunch]

We play "I Spy" too, especially when the guys are getting restless.

 

Our favorite car game lately is singing the road signs and business names going by to the tune of The William Tell Overture. (Sing it with me: "Left turn, Playful Pet, Will-a-mette Street...")

[Alice]

My son's favorite is the "Animal" game. Like 20 questions only the thing you are thinking of has to be an animal and then you ask questions to figure it out.

 

Sometimes we play a numbers game where I'll think of a number and then he'll guess numbers and I'll say bigger or smaller until he gets it.

 

We look for letters on signs in the order of spelling the names of all our family members.

 

Mostly, though he wants stories. Either me telling them or books on CD. If I'm telling them sometimes I'll try and make it a game where I'll tell a little...then he tells a little...etc.

[Jane in NC]

We played I Spy as well. Our sit down restaurant game when my son was younger was an alphabet game. The first person would say something along the lines of "An angry anteater ate." Going around the circle, the next would take the letter b: "A busy boy banged." When my son was a bit older (and understood the use of adverbs) we would add on to the sentences. "A crazy cat cuddled curiously." The sentences did not have to make logical sense, but required the use of interesting adjectives and later adverbs. Eventually the game move into long, rambling alliterated sentences. We did not think that the verb necessarily needed to fit the pattern, but worked on alliterated modifiers.

 

Jane

[RoughCollie]

We play a game that goes something like this: "I'm packing for trip and I'm going to take an albatross." The next person says the sentence and adds something that begins with "B", the next repeats and adds something that begins with "C", and so forth.

[Sue G in PA]

My dd11 LOVES to play this alphabet game where you must find a word that begins with each letter of the alphabet. You can play as one cooperative "team" in that you all look for the letters/words together OR competitively where everyone is on their own and whoever gets to 'Z' first, wins. For ex/ everyone starts with 'A'. You are traveling and somebody calls out, "Amoco, A" (gas station sign!). That player moves on to B while everyone else must find an 'A' word before they can move on. Follow? We just love that game for the dc who know how to read. We sometimes will be lenient w/ 'Q' and say that it can be in the middle of a word b/c there are NOT many 'Q' words around (except Quiznos!). All words must be outside your car (if you are traveling).

 

You can also play with numbers. Find numbers in order, 1 - whatever.

[I talk to the trees]

We have a very long car trip coming up- just me and dd- and I'll take all the ideas I can get about how to keep her occupied!

 

One of our favorite games to play in a car is the "Herbie" game where you count all the Volkswagen "bugs" you see. Yes, I know the "punchbuggie" version of this game, and no, I don't play it. (Bad experience involving me turning the wrong way and getting hit in the chest!)

 

We also play the "Good news/ bad news" game. Example:

 

person 1: I just won the lottery! Isn't that great news?

 

person 2: No, that's bad news. Now you'll have to pay more in taxes!

 

person 1: No, it's good news! I won enough that I can buy my own island,

move there, and never pay taxes again! Etc...

 

 

-Robin