10 Best Travel Games and Activities for Kids

These travel games and activities for kids are some of our family’s favorites for road trips, or anytime you are in need of a little mess-free fun! If you have a road trip planned for this Summer, these travel games are sure to keep the kids entertained along the way. A big thank you to our friends at Melissa & Doug for sponsoring today’s ideas for creative play on-the-go!

1. Reusable Stickers

One of our favorite travel activities are the reusable sticker sets from Melissa & Doug. We love how easy they are to pick up and move around on the various background pages. The kids love the wide variety of sets that are available!

Here’s a short video demo of one of the reusable sticker sets:

2. Picnic Snack

If time allows, consider stopping along the way for a picnic snack. It is amazing how hungry and thirsty kids can get while traveling in a car! This is a great time to use the bathroom facilities, or play a quick game of catch or tag to let the kids burn off some of their extra energy before getting back into the car to continue your journey.

3. Water Wow

Water Wow is another favorite travel activity my kids enjoy immensely. Using a special brush that is filled with just plain water, kids can “paint” colorful masterpieces that are completely mess-free! If your kids enjoy painting, I highly recommend Water Wow for on-the-go art or anytime they want to paint without the mess!

Here is a little video demo of Water Wow in action:

4. Box Girls

The Box Girls games are a series of question cards decided to spark conversation and get to know one another. There are many different themes available, but we particularly love the Family Dinner Box of Questions set as well as the Family Road Trip Box of Questions set. These are great ice-breaker activities and really get the kids talking!

5. Audio Books

Listening to audio books is a great way to pass the time and enjoy a good book while on a road trip. Some of our all-time favorite titles include: How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl.

6. Travel Pinball

This travel pinball game from Melissa & Doug is so simple, but kept my kids happily entertained for a long time. They loved taking turns to see who could score the most points, and there are different backdrops included. I love that all of the pieces are contained!

7. Travel Bingo

We have had the Travel Bingo set from Melissa & Doug for years, and it has withstood the test of time. This set has traveled with us on numerous road trips, and it is our go-to travel game! The kids love that it includes a variety of bingo cards for different traveling scenarios (ie city travel, country travel, etc.). Highly recommend!

8. Flip to Win Travel Memory Game

Another classic game, the Flip to Win Travel Memory Game from Melissa & Doug includes 14 different themes on 7 double-sided cards that slide into the game board. There are no loose pieces, so it is perfect for travel! It even includes a two player scorecard on the bottom.

9. Puppet Shows

Long car trips are the perfect excuse for little ones to perform their own puppet shows! My kids love to use puppets to act out the scenes of a favorite book, or sometimes they improvise to create their own stories as they go along. Either way, it’s great imaginative playtime fun!

10. Milestone Surprise

For lengthy car trips, consider using one of the games or activities above as a “milestone surprise”. For example, once you have reached the half-way point of your trip, let the kids know that you have made it halfway through the journey and surprise them with a small treat (Reusable Stickers, or Water Wow is great for this.)

For more travel fun this Summer:

• 10 Fun-Filled Play Ideas for the Beach
• 10+ Parent-to-Parent Travel Tips
• Tips for Traveling with Toddlers
• Essential Packing Tips for Traveling with Kids

Have fun!