Keeping kids entertained while traveling can be challenging. Long car rides, flights, or even downtime in hotel rooms can quickly lead to boredom and restlessness. Luckily, there’s a fantastic solution: children’s travel games. These portable and engaging games are designed to keep kids of all ages happy and occupied, turning travel time into fun family time.
As travel experts at travels.edu.vn, we’ve explored countless options and handpicked the best travel games that are not only entertaining for kids but also enjoyable for parents. Many of these games are family favorites in our own households, and we’ve personally tested them on numerous trips. From travel board games and dice games to magnetic puzzles and classic favorites in travel-friendly formats, this guide features top-rated, best-selling games that are perfect for keeping everyone engaged and off their screens.
Whether you’re traveling with toddlers, teens, or a mix of ages, you’ll find something on this list to suit your family’s needs. These portable games are generally affordable and readily available, making it easy to stock up before your next family adventure and ensure a smoother, more enjoyable journey for everyone.
Engaging Car Travel Games for Road Trips
Road trips can be wonderful family bonding experiences, but the dreaded “Are we there yet?” chorus can quickly test any parent’s patience. The key to a peaceful road trip? Entertaining car travel games for kids. While many of the games in this guide are portable enough for car journeys, the following options are particularly well-suited for vehicles, featuring minimal pieces and themes that often tie into travel itself.
1. Rory’s Story Cubes: Unleash Creativity on the Go
Recommended ages: 6+
Rory’s Story Cubes are a storytelling sensation and ideal children’s travel games. These compact dice games, available in various themes including a popular Harry Potter version, are incredibly portable and easy to learn. The dice fit snugly into a small pouch, perfect for slipping into a purse or backpack.
To play, simply roll the dice and weave a story inspired by the images facing upwards. While fun with multiple players, kids can also enjoy this game independently, making it a fantastic travel game for car rides, especially if you have a small tray to roll the dice on.
Pros: We love Rory’s Story Cubes because there are no right or wrong answers, fostering creativity and imaginative storytelling. Each roll leads to unique and often hilarious tales. The small pouch is incredibly travel-friendly.
Cons: Sometimes, sparking creative stories can be a bit challenging if inspiration is lacking, but that’s part of the fun – and often leads to unexpected and funny results!
2. Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game: Road Trip Eye Spy
Recommended ages: 7+
The Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game is a quintessential family road trip game. Kids will be excited to spot items on the cards, from common road signs to license plates with specific letters. This game turns the scenery outside the car window into an interactive adventure.
The deck also includes “feel it” cards that add a sensory element, referencing road bumps and other unexpected car ride sensations. This card game is perfect for two or more players.
Pros: Its compact size, similar to a standard deck of cards, makes it incredibly portable. Kids can easily play independently or together.
Cons: Like any card game, cards can be misplaced or become scattered if not kept organized.
3. Pass the Pigs: Portable Pig-Rolling Fun
Recommended ages: 7+
Pass the Pigs is a uniquely popular and highly portable travel game for kids that has recently caught our attention. Instead of dice, you roll pigs and score points based on how they land – a surprisingly engaging and silly concept! The rave reviews truly speak for themselves. Prepare for plenty of pig puns when playing Pass the Pigs!
Pros: Kids can easily play in the backseat with a surface like a backseat divider to roll the pigs. It’s a simple yet addictive game that’s easy to learn and quick to play.
Cons: The pig pieces can be small and potentially lost in car crevices.
4. Travel Spirograph: Artistic Designs on the Move
Recommended ages: 5–12
Yes, Spirograph is now available in a travel-friendly version! This compact kit includes six wheels, pens, and a container for creating intricate geometric designs while traveling. It’s a fantastic way to encourage artistic expression on the go.
Pros: Many adults fondly remember Spirograph from their childhoods, making it a nostalgic and fun activity to share with kids and grandkids. It’s a quiet and engaging activity perfect for travel.
Cons: It can be tricky to keep the gears in place, and the small disk can sometimes pop out if you’re too enthusiastic while drawing, as some may recall from childhood!
5. Skillmatics Card Games: Educational Fun in a Box
Recommended ages: 6+ (junior version ages 3-6)
If you appreciate educational entertainment, Skillmatics Card Games are award-winning family travel card games perfect for you. These games are so engaging that kids won’t even realize they’re learning as they play. The portable box contains 35 game cards and 10 guide tiles. Players ask up to 10 questions to guess the animal or object on the drawn card.
Pros: Skillmatics offers various versions with different themes, providing diverse educational content while being fun. It’s a great way to sneak in learning during travel.
Cons: While educational, these games might be less silly or purely whimsical compared to some other card games, focusing more on learning.
Magnetic Travel Games: Pieces That Stay Put
The brilliance of magnetic travel games for kids, teens, and adults is that the pieces stay in place far better than traditional versions. This is especially crucial in moving vehicles or on airplanes. While magnetic, it’s still important to be mindful of not losing pieces, as many sets don’t include extras. Losing a piece can sometimes mean the end of the game!
6. Take N Play Bingo: Magnetic Bingo On the Go
Recommended ages: 4-8
Take N Play Bingo is a two-player magnetic travel game that minimizes lost pieces. The tin case is lightweight (just over six ounces) and compact (7″ square), storing the pieces, serving as the game board, and easily fitting into a bag.
We own several Take N Play games, from dominoes to checkers, and consider them excellent children’s travel games due to their portability and variety.
Pros: We appreciate the lightweight design and the wide range of game options available in the Take N Play series. The magnetic pieces are a huge plus for travel.
Cons: Dropping the tin case too often can dent it, making it difficult to open and close properly.
7. Quadpro Magnetic Chess: Chess Anywhere, Anytime
Recommended ages: 6+
Bring the classic game of chess on your travels with the Quadpro Magnetic Chess set. This travel chess set folds up, storing the pieces inside for easy portability, and weighs less than a pound.
The magnetic pieces adhere firmly to the board, withstanding movement in cars and planes. The board unfolds to a decent size of 9.84 x 9.84 x 0.78 inches.
Pros: The strong magnetic hold ensures piece stability, even during bumpy rides. It’s a great way to introduce kids to chess while traveling.
Cons: Chess games can be lengthy, which could be a pro or con depending on your travel schedule and preferences!
8. The Purple Cow Magnetic Travel Games: Variety in Thin Tins
Recommended ages: 5–15
We’re also fans of The Purple Cow Magnetic Travel Games, owning several including dominoes, checkers, sudoku, puzzles, and more. These children’s travel games are incredibly lightweight, and pieces are stored securely within the tin cases.
Pros: The cases are remarkably thin and there’s a wide selection of game choices available from The Purple Cow, ensuring variety for travel entertainment.
Cons: Depending on the game, some magnetic pieces can be small, making them easy to lose or difficult to pick up. Like other tin cases, these can also dent if dropped, affecting opening and closing.
Travel Games for Toddlers: Big Pieces for Little Hands
If you’re searching for travel games for toddlers that are both entertaining and have pieces large enough for little hands to manage, here are some excellent options. (The Purple Cow magnetic games mentioned earlier are also popular for supervised toddlers who are able to handle smaller pieces.)
9. Travel Tangram: Shape Puzzles for Little Explorers
Recommended ages: 3+
A tangram is a puzzle composed of seven flat shapes called tans. The objective is to arrange these tans to form specific shapes without any overlap. This Travel Tangram set includes a book with 360 shape challenges of varying difficulty, making it engaging for both toddlers and adults.
Tangrams are fantastic STEM activities, promoting spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills. This set includes a pocket within the book to neatly store the tans. The Purple Cow also offers a magnetic tangram game.
Pros: Tangrams can be played independently or with others, fostering both solo and collaborative play. It’s a quiet and educational activity.
Cons: Some users have reported that the magnets may lose some of their stickiness over time, although we haven’t personally experienced this issue.
10. Wikki Stix: Bendable Fun for Little Travelers
Recommended ages: 3+ (supervised play from age 2)
If there’s one travel toy or game we couldn’t have lived without during the toddler years, it’s Wikki Stix. We always kept a pack or two in our bag for spontaneous entertainment.
Kids can play with these bendable, wax-covered yarn sticks virtually anywhere – airplane tray tables, cars, restaurants, and more.
Individual packs come with a puzzle or shape idea for kids to create. You can also purchase kits like the Wikki Stix Traveler playset, which includes even more activities.
Pros: Wikki Stix are incredibly portable in small travel packs, each often containing a simple connect-the-dots puzzle. They are mess-free and reusable.
Cons: With repeated use, Wikki Stix can pick up dirt and fuzz, becoming a bit less appealing over time.
Travel Board Games: Classic Fun in Compact Sizes
Your favorite classic board games are now available in smaller, travel-friendly sizes, making them perfect for playing on laps or tabletops. These travel board games offer familiar fun in a portable format.
11. Hasbro Family Travel Board Games Bundle: Four Classics in One
Recommended ages: 8+
This Hasbro Family Travel Board Games Bundle includes travel versions of Clue, Monopoly, Connect 4, and Hungry Hungry Hippos. These all-in-one games store pieces within their cases, making them ideal for family game time on the road.
Purchasing this Hasbro set of four provides a variety of game options to keep the whole family entertained throughout your travels.
Pros: These are classic games that parents and grandparents likely played in their own childhoods, offering nostalgic family fun.
Cons: While portable individually, carrying all four games might be bulky due to box sizes. You’ll likely need to choose just one or two for a trip.
12. Travel Scrabble: Wordsmithing on the Go
Recommended ages: 6+
Travel Scrabble is a must-have word game consistently featured on best travel games lists. It’s a fantastic way to engage in wordplay while traveling.
Players of various ages, from parents and grandparents to teens and elementary school kids, can enjoy creating words and earning points with randomly drawn letter tiles.
Several portable versions are available, but this one comes in a convenient zip-up carrying case (a significant improvement over snap-case versions).
Pros: Scrabble is a great multigenerational game that needs little explanation. It’s both educational and entertaining.
Cons: Scrabble games can be time-consuming, and the set is slightly heavier to carry than some other children’s travel games. Even seasoned players sometimes need to refresh themselves on the rules!
Travel Games for Hotels and Airport Lounges: Tabletop Entertainment
Table games are perfect for anywhere you have a flat surface – airport lounges, hotel rooms, vacation rentals, or even camping tables. These games are ideal for relaxed downtime during travel.
13. Bananagrams: Fast-Paced Word Grid Fun
Recommended ages: 7+
Bananagrams is a fantastic word game that comes in a small, banana-shaped pouch for easy transport. Similar to Scrabble but played without a board, it’s a fast-paced and engaging word challenge. It’s a family favorite across generations, even enjoyed by a 95-year-old grandma!
Gather 1–8 players around a table to create individual word grids using tiles, racing to use all their letters. It’s excellent for family game nights on the road and even teens enjoy it.
Pros: The thousands of positive customer reviews are justified – it’s a highly engaging and portable word game. It’s more compact than Scrabble and offers a quicker gameplay experience.
Cons: It’s slightly heavier than some other children’s travel games on this list.
14. Spot It!: Quick-Eye Matching Card Game
Recommended ages: 7+
Spot It! is available in numerous themes, with 55 cards stored in a small circular tin. This fast-paced travel card game is best suited for hotels and airport lounges, as the cards could easily be lost between airplane seats.
It’s a memory and reaction game that improves motor skills. Every two cards share only one matching symbol – spot it first to win! Playable with 1–8 players.
Pros: The small tin is incredibly portable, and the game is quick and engaging. It’s easy to learn and fun for a wide range of ages.
Cons: Not ideal for road trips or airplanes due to the need to spread out many cards to play. Cards can be easily misplaced, especially in busy travel environments like airport lounges.
15. Rummikub on the Go: Tile-Based Strategy Fun
Recommended ages: 8+
Rummikub on the Go involves creating sets and runs with tiles, blending elements of rummy and mahjong. The goal is to be the first to use all your tiles. Jokers add an extra layer of excitement.
A popular game for 2-4 players, Rummikub is enjoyed by multiple generations, making it a great family or friends game.
It’s a fantastic way to exercise STEM skills by recognizing patterns and developing strategies. This is one of the best travel games for teens and older kids.
Pros: Rummikub is excellent for stimulating strategic thinking and pattern recognition. It’s engaging for older kids and adults.
Cons: It might be too challenging or complex for younger children.
16. Kanoodle: 3D Brain-Teasing Puzzles
Recommended ages: 8+ (Kanoodle Junior for ages 4+)
From just 12 puzzle pieces, Kanoodle offers over 200 challenges of varying difficulty. Choose a design from the included book and arrange the connecting beads to solve 2D and 3D puzzles.
The pocket-sized carrying case makes it easy to slip into a bag. The company is so confident in this best-selling product that they offer a 365-day guarantee.
Pros: The sheer number of challenges ensures replayability and variety each time you play. It’s a compact and engaging single-player puzzle.
Cons: You need to be mindful of the pieces, and it’s primarily a single-player game.
17. Scattergories: Category Word Slapdown
Recommended ages: 8+
The classic 1980s favorite Scattergories is now available as a card game, making it a highly portable travel game. It combines the fun of category-based word association with a slap-jack element.
Play uses two decks: category and letter cards. The first player to slap the “I Know” card and provide a relevant answer for the category and letter combination wins the cards (e.g., “dog” for category “pets” and letter “d”). The player with the most cards at the end wins.
Pros: Scattergories is excellent for developing critical thinking and quick word association skills.
Cons: It involves a lot of cards, which could be slightly cumbersome to manage in very tight travel spaces.
18. Travel Boggle: Word-Finding Frenzy
Recommended ages: 8+
For Travel Boggle, all you need is a pen and paper (or a reusable writing tablet like the Boogie Board mentioned later). Shake the letter cubes, let them settle into the grid, set the timer, and then find as many words as possible within the time limit.
Pros: Boggle is a multigenerational favorite, enjoyed by parents and grandparents alike. It’s also great for improving vocabulary and critical thinking.
Cons: Not suitable for younger children who haven’t yet learned to read or spell proficiently.
Printable Travel Games for Kids: Budget-Friendly Fun
Etsy is a fantastic resource for professionally designed printable travel games. You can purchase a digital file once for a small fee and print it as many times as needed for future trips.
Pros: Printable games are very cost-effective, allowing you to print as many copies as you need for multiple children or trips.
Cons: Unless printed on cardstock, the paper quality can be flimsy. You need access to a printer and paper.
19. Printable Travel Bingo: Spot the Roadside Sights
You can find numerous creative travel bingo cards on Etsy, where players can look for specific road signs, animals, vehicles, and more. The first to get five in a row (or a predetermined pattern) wins bingo.
20. Printable Scavenger Hunt: Search and Discover
Another affordable printable option is a printable scavenger hunt, often featuring colorful illustrations that appeal to all ages. The first person to find all the listed scavenger hunt items wins.
21. Printable Camping Scavenger Hunt: Outdoor Adventure Edition
This printable camping scavenger hunt is particularly neat because some elements like fonts, text, and colors are often customizable. You can personalize it with names like “The Smith Family Scavenger Hunt” or “Lily’s Birthday Scavenger Hunt.”
Typically, you’ll receive a printable scavenger hunt bag cover, a clues sheet with directions, and a sheet for participants to mark off found items.
Travel Games for Airplanes: Minimize Dropped Pieces
On airplanes, the primary concern is avoiding dropped pieces that roll into inaccessible spots. No one wants to retrieve items from under seats, especially in today’s travel environment. And we all know the potential for meltdowns if a child realizes a piece is lost forever!
Therefore, travel games for airplanes ideally have pieces that are attached, large, easily retrievable, or are entirely replaceable, like pens and paper. Fun and engaging games are essential for making time fly and keeping the whole family happy, especially during flight delays.
22. Mad Libs: Hilarious Fill-in-the-Blank Stories
Recommended ages: 5+ (version dependent)
Mad Libs offer endless entertainment! For younger kids, choose Mad Libs Junior versions, as the stories are more relatable.
Regular Mad Libs (like “Dog Ate My Mad Libs,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid Mad Libs”) are geared towards ages 8–12.
Be aware that adult Mad Libs versions exist, so steer clear of those for children! Mad Libs are perfect for killing time on the tarmac, waiting at restaurants, and in many other travel scenarios. There’s also a Mad Libs app available for digital on-the-go fun!
Pros: Mad Libs are inherently funny and generate lots of laughs. They are lightweight and require no loose pieces.
Cons: Mad Libs books are generally not reusable (though you could photocopy pages).
23. Boogie Board: Reusable Digital Doodle Pad
Recommended ages: Pen-holding age and up
While not a structured game, the Boogie Board LCD writing tablet is an invaluable travel game tool. It comes with a stylus for writing on the LCD screen, which clears instantly with a button press. The stylus is attached, but consider buying extras in case of loss.
Use it for hangman, tic-tac-toe, drawing, or even as scratch paper for homework. Keep an eye on the stylus, as it can be dropped. A basic version is pictured, but there’s also a version specifically designed for younger kids.
Pros: The Boogie Board is versatile for games, drawing, and even schoolwork. It’s mess-free and reusable, saving paper.
Cons: Be careful not to scratch the screen. The stylus can be dropped and potentially lost.
24. Shashibo Shape Shifting Box: Magnetic Puzzle Cube
Recommended ages: 8+
The Shashibo Shape Shifting Box is a tear-proof, sensory cube that fits in your palm. Kids can spend hours solving magnetic puzzles, building sculptures, and exploring brain teasers. Available in various artistic designs, it’s great for solo entertainment. Combine multiple boxes to build even larger shapes.
Pros: Shashibo is a single-player game with numerous puzzle possibilities. It’s compact and engaging for independent play.
Cons: The seams can start to tear over time with frequent use.
25. IQ Fit: Compact 3D Puzzle Challenges
Recommended ages: 6+
IQ Fit is a strategy puzzle game where players must fit 3D pieces flat onto the game board without leaving any holes exposed. It includes over 100 different challenges in a compact format.
Pros: IQ Fit pieces are easy to handle, and the game offers a wide variety of puzzle challenges. It’s a single-player brain teaser perfect for travel.
Cons: The case closure can become less secure over time. Some find the puzzles too easy, especially after repeated play.
26. Melissa and Doug Flip to Win Travel Hangman: No-Loose-Pieces Hangman
Recommended ages: 6–10
Flip to Win Travel Hangman is a wooden travel game with a dry-erase board and 37 flip letters. The pen stores directly in the wooden board. The absence of loose pieces makes it an excellent travel game for kids, especially on airplanes.
Pros: It’s a self-contained game, eliminating worries about losing pieces in transit. It’s durable and easy to use.
Cons: The wooden construction makes it slightly heavier than magnetic children’s travel games.
Travel Games for the Beach and Pool: Waterproof Fun
27. Waterproof Uno: Beach and Pool Card Game
Recommended ages: 7+
Uno was a childhood favorite for many, and it remains popular even among teens today. Waterproof Uno Splash is an ideal beach game because the cards are waterproof and clip together for easy portability. Bring it to your next beach vacation or hotel pool! It’s a classic matching card game of colors and numbers, where the first player to discard all their cards wins.
Pros: Parents often enjoy playing Uno just as much as kids. Games are typically quick, lasting just 5-10 minutes. The waterproof feature is perfect for water environments.
Cons: Like any card game, cards can be lost. Be careful not to let them get buried in the sand!
Free Travel Games for Kids and Adults: Verbal Fun
Family vacation fun doesn’t have to be expensive. Free travel games for kids and adults are easy to learn and require no equipment. These verbal games are excellent road trip games that don’t involve any pieces to manage in the car, and they can also be played at home or parties.
Pros: Verbal travel games for kids require no pieces and are completely free! They are adaptable to any location.
Cons: Verbal games can become tiring if players aren’t in the mood or if played for extended periods.
28. I Spy: Visual Observation Game
I Spy is playable with two or more people anywhere. One person “spies” an object visible to everyone and keeps it secret for others to guess, offering clues.
The “spy” gives clues like, “I spy with my little eye something that is [color, shape, size, etc.].” Other players guess, and the spy responds with only “yes” or “no,” providing additional clues until someone guesses correctly. The correct guesser becomes the next spy.
29. 20 Questions: Deductive Guessing Game
20 Questions is best played in small groups. One person thinks of a person, place, or thing familiar to all players.
The others ask up to 20 yes/no questions to deduce the secret object. If someone guesses correctly before 20 questions are asked, they become the next “It.”
30. Would You Rather: Silly Choice Scenarios
Would You Rather is a fun way to get to know people. One player poses a question with two possible outcomes, like, “Would you rather eat ice cream or potato salad?” The person asked answers and then poses a new “Would You Rather” question to another player.
31. The Alphabet Game: Spotting Letters on the Go
Younger and older kids, and adults can all play the Alphabet Game on car trips. Players look out the window to spot things starting with each letter of the alphabet, from A to Z, in sequence.
Finally, don’t forget to prepare with a collection of knock-knock jokes for kids and car games for kids for even more on-the-go entertainment.
What are your family’s favorite fun travel games for kids?
