Let the Games Begin!
Cruising down the highway for hours on end can get a bit old after awhile. One of the best ways to kill time on long bus rides is to play games. Here are a few bus-friendly, stimulating games for travelers on the road.
Alphabet Game
Complete the alphabet by finding words outside that start with each letter. Start with A and work your way through Z by finding words on cars, road signs, billboards and buildings you pass. When a person sees the next letter, they shout out the word they see. This can be cooperative or competitive. Play it together as a team, or pit players against one another. Good luck finding X!
Brackets
Construct brackets for any simple game you might play on the road. Take a few decks of cards with you and have competitions in card games such as Spit, Go Fish, Rummy and more. You can find a list of card games from around the world and the rules for play here. If card games are too much to handle, try pre-printing sheets for tic-tac-toe or hangman.
Magnetic Bingo
Use traditional bingo cards with magnetic disks that allow passengers to play the game in a moving vehicle without losing pieces. You could also create your own version of travel-themed bingo. Instead of calling out boring letters and numbers, the cards feature items that can be viewed inside or outside of the bus—such as bridges, airplanes, dogs, schools and more.
Scavenger Hunt
Write out a list of items you might see on a long road trip—farms, animals specific to a region, motorcycles and more. Each player gets a list, and whoever spots all of the items first wins the game. You can even make it tricky by listing a quantity or color for specific items.
Travel Board Games
Smaller versions of classic board games such as Scrabble, Backgammon and Connect Four are designed specifically for use in the car or on the bus. Typically, they feature spaces to hold game pieces in place, so you don't have to worry about losing anything.
Written by Cassie Westrate, staff writer for Groups Today.
Photo courtesy of FreeImages.com/Junior Gomes.
