Post by Aura Walker
Road trips are a big deal in my family. I have learned many lessons on what works and doesn’t work when it comes to having a comfortable and fun trip, you can read about it in another article entitled “Epic Roadtrips – 5 Tips to Ease the Pain of Car Travel with Kids.” The fun we have on road trips has a lot to do with enjoying time in conversation and laughs together, playing our versions of car games that you may recognize. Here is a list of our family’s games that you might enjoy on your trip to Cabin Creekwood.
Sweet and Sour
To play this game kids will have to exercise the outgoing side of their personality. Its simple, kids wave and smile through the window at passing cars. If the passengers smile and wave back, they are SWEET, if they frown or ignore the greeting they are SOUR. You can keep score of how many sweet and sour people you find. When passing a semi-truck, its a little different, instead of waving, smile and make the universal “toot-your-horn” sign by pumping a fist (to mimic pulling a horn cord). If the truck driver blows the horn, its 10 points! If the passengers or driver doesn’t notice your kid waving then its a “dud” and doesn’t count. My kids often ditch the formal scorekeeping and make up points as they go. One 3 hour trip can yield one-hundred-kookagillion points. Not bad.
Adventure in Oddities
If your family enjoys roadside oddities and tourist traps, here is a fun game to help pass the time as you anticipate your stop, count the number of signs that advertise for the particular site you are going to visit. Not only does this game fend off the continuous “are-we-there-yet” chorus, but it also helps keep you from missing your exit as the kids notice direction signs that you didn’t see. If you are driving through the Carolinas on I-95, stop at “South of the Border” (seemingly endless signs). If you go through Virginia, check out “Foamhenge” on I-81. In South Dakota, check out “1880 Town”, off of I-90. Whether you come to Cabin Creekwood from the north, south, east or west, there is a lot of “America” to see along the way.
A Story Full of Twists and Turns
This game comes from when I would tell bedtime stories and run out of ideas, the kids would finish my thought or sentence. This game is basically taking turns adding to a story. One person starts the story, “Once upon a time there was a little boy…”, the next person adds another sentence, you go around with everyone adding to the story. It can get completely hilarious as little kids add outlandish sentences, and older kids try to get the story to segway back to their own intended plot. This game is great because the driver can also play. I would caution you that this game can get too hoot-hollering funny and the driver may have a hard time keeping the wheel straight through hysterical laughter.
More Great Games From Around the Web.
From Disney’s Family Fun
2 Minute Tens- everyone takes turns coming up with a category and challenging the rest of the family to come up with 10 items in the category within a 2 minute time limit.
From We just got back.com
Spot the Car- A car scavenger hunt game; each player gets a list of car models to find. The player who finds the most, wins.
From Mom’s Minivan.com
Fortunately-Unfortunately- Another great story-game where everyone gets a chance to add to the plot by coming up with a fortunate or unfortunate paradox to whatever the previous person said. Example Player 1-“Unfortunately there was a dragon in my house”, Player 2- “Fortunately I have a dragon proof sweatshirt”, Player 3- “ Unfortunately I left it at school”.