Good travel games

[MrsDaffodill]

We have to travel for around 30 hours each way with the children this Christmas.

Would like to buy travel versions of games but there are so many on the market - Ludo, Guess Who, Operation, Kerplunk, Snakes and Ladders, etc.

If you had to choose two games to entertain a five-year-old and an eight-year-old on along journey which would they be?

This is probably the wrong forum, but I couldn't figure out where to put this. Sorry.

Yellow car - spot and keep tally on the yellow cars - mindless but fun.

Numberplate scrabble - making up phrases where the words start with the letters in the plates

Alphabets - on the sides of vans or in numberplates or in exit sign place names

Chelsea tractor - a prize for spotting the most trashy bling mega tonka toy

Police camera action - running commentary on the dire driving of OTHER cars!

Colouring books and pencils are great
horrible history CD's
stuff like that

I would seriously urge you to consider buying a DVD player for your car, for us it's been the best £80 ish we have spent. And remember that when the children want to take the thing inside to watch more you have to remind them that it ONLY WORKS IN THE CAR {wink}

Wrong symbol, , that's better!

My kids like games like I Spy, I went to the shops and making funny sentences out of the letters on registration plates. They often make questions up like "Can you find 3 silver Fords?" or take turns in decoding road signs.

I make sure that I have lots of pop music and we change the seating arrangements each time we stop for a rest.

Not ker plunk as there are the marbles go everywhere!
Second the DVD

Thanks everyone. We're flying - left that crucial bit out!

We will have some long car drives when there, I think. Has anyone bought a DVD player for the car when they have a child that frequently gets car sick? How has that worked? DH is worried too much focus into the car will lead to more voms.

AHA
OK, the 7 hour flight
each child has a small rollalong bag
books, top trumps, colouring books (pencils not pens due to air pressure) travel draughts
cuddlies
on the plane, they will each have a headset and can watch the kids movie channels
abroad driving
all the above games plus enjoy the strangeness

I've done the US several times, plus long drives over there. MAN we trashed the rental car with cookie crumbs!

NB
Take your own booster seat with you for in the car - saves a fortune

Thanks Talkinpeace - we're actually staying with family and they will buy booster seats for us which will then stay there for future trips. They will pay themselves off in about three days!

We fly to the states about twice a year with our child, now 5 years old.

Recently, at Luton, we bought a Snakes and Ladders travel game. It's perfect because the pieces are all magnetic and the die is in a little bubble so it can't be lost. It is probably cheaper to buy them ahead of time -- but the airport stores will have lots of options; games, Top Trumps, Coloring Books, cards etc.

Do you have a laptop that you can bring for them to watch movies? I wouldn't rely on the in flight offerings completely. Usually there is only 1 (maybe 2) full length movie and then about 2 hours' worth of cartoons, not all of which are appropriate for a 5 year old, imo.

Do you have a smart phone that can hold games apps? It's not ideal to let your child stare at a screen for 7 hours but we do pretty much whatever it takes to keep him happy while we're in the air!

In addition to coloring books, we like sticker books. Usbourne makes a travel one and several others as well. They are lovely -- not messy and no crayons to roll down the aisle!

Talkinpeace -- what does the air pressure do to pens? We've taken pens on most of our flights and never had a problem.

I had a rather bad experience with cheap felt tips and a long haul - ink went everywhere
biros can also go a bit do lally

Get them a Nintendo DS each. Some of the games eg Mario & Sonic at the Olympics, allow two players (one on each DS) so the DC can still interact if they want too.

We did a 10 hour flight in the summer and the DC (similar ages) were so thrilled by the in-flight screens and the kids meals, they didn't bother with anything else we'd brought along.

Got a really good game in the USA - like a bingo card with little windows for each item to spot on the highway.

Sorry but I'm anti DS / DVD player
I see too many kids in beautiful / interesting / historic parts of the world staring at a screen.

Why take them if you do not want them to look out the window?

Utterly agree with Chippy - that will make them LOOK at the country and spot the differences and similarities.

Flying - best way to cure fears of takeoff / landing is to look out the window at the terrain you are flying over.
West coast - Greenland is beautiful. The irrigation east of the Rockies is so cool
East coast - Newfoundland and Maine - SO MANY LAKES
NYC - the descent into JFK is a belter
Caribbean - SO BLUE

Travel is wonderful.

I totally agree about DS/DVD when out and about , but they do have their uses when sensibly rationed.

Print your own US car bingo