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Travel Games

Keep everyone entertained while you're on the road this summer

By ClubMom Family Vacations Expert Jeanne Muchnick

Jeanne Muchnick is the former Travel Editor of Woman’s World Magazine. She's been on planes, trains, and automobiles with her two daughters since they were each just 3 weeks old, and she writes frequently about traveling with young kids for a variety of national publications.


Road trips are an American tradition. I still remember being 10 and packing our station wagon with games (mostly cards and drawing paper), while my younger sister packed the snacks for one of our many (long) drives to the beach. Of course, time passes more quickly — both for kids and adults — when children are absorbed in games or activities (rather than in junk food — though, admittedly that can help, too!).  Here, a kid-tested (and mom approved!) version of some of the best toys to keep your youngsters occupied and keep those dreaded "Are we there yet?" words at bay, for those times you're driving or flying.

For babies

For toddlers
For grade schoolers
For tweens and teens
  • Kids love the variety of Scene It? Games...coming out this fall: a travel version of the movie edition complete with a magnetic game board. Also look for Scene It? American Idol, sure to be a bit hit. $24.95 and higher; screenlifegames.com.
  • 20 Questions Handheld Game by Radica guarantees hours of fun as you ask a variety of questions. $9.99; etoys.com.
  • It's always fun to see how your kids will answer certain questions. Which is why the Would You Rather games are perfect. The games ask players to choose between two impossible choices. As in: Would you rather always have to keep one eye closed — or always have to breathe through your mouth? Or would you rather eat a bucket of apple stems or eat 20 banana peels? Turn down the music from the front seat so you can play too. $9.95; zobmondo.com.
  • With teens, the iPod rules. Which is why kids will love the iBoost (tm), a slim and compact rechargeable battery pack for iPods which adds up to 16 hours of extra music playtime and four extra hours of video play back. $69.99; nyko.com.
  • Being a baby boomer, I prefer games that bring back old-fashioned fun (and conversation). Which is why I like the Magnetic Seven-in-One travel game, which includes everything from chess to dominoes, all in an easy-to-carry tin. $19.95; frontporchclassics.com.
  • Sometimes, all you really need is a digital camera or a camera phone to occupy your teens. Another easy option: the one-time-use camcorder by CVS. This pocket-size, light weight camcorder is perfect for capturing memories and the 1.4-inch color playback screen lets kids instantly enjoy their home videos. $30; cvs.com.
© Jeanne Muchnick, 2006.