Games for Travelers

“I See” is a game that even the smallest traveler can enjoy. The players take turns calling out the name of some object, saying, “I see a truck,” or “I see a cow.” Because no object may be mentioned more than once, the game becomes more exciting it progresses.

Players take one-minute turns counting all the moving trucks coming toward them on a stretch of road. The one who sees the largest number of trucks during his turn wins.

Try to locate, in alphabetical order, all the letters of the alphabet on signs, license plates, or trucks. Only one letter can be used from a sign, and only one person can use that sign. This game is fun to play alone or with someone else.

Players write down ten license numbers from passing cars, trying to choose the highest numbers. Once a number is written down, however, it cannot be changed for a higher one. After 15 minutes numbers are added together, and the player with the highest total wins.

For travel baseball, each player takes a turn at “bat.” He watches every car coming from the opposite direction. A red car counts as a home run, a blue car is a base hit, a black car is an out. After a player has three outs, the next person takes a turn. When all the players have had nine innings (turns), the player with the most runs wins the ball game!

Ask each traveler to write down five questions and the answers to those questions on a piece of paper. Now cut the questions and answers apart, fold each one, and separate them into two paper bags. One person draws a question from a bag and reads it aloud and another draws an answer from the other bag and reads it aloud, to everyone’s amusement. Questions and answers are returned to their proper sacks. The game can continue indefinitely.

It’s fun to send someone a picture postcard while on vacation. After writing a message on the postcard, cut it into odd-shaped pieces and mail it to a friend in an addressed envelope. You can also make puzzles for yourself.

This game can be played with any number of passengers in a car, including the driver. Each person takes a turn, and by observing some object inside or outside the car, says, “I am thinking of an object and it’s an animal (or mineral or vegetable).” The other passengers take turns asking yes or no questions to determine what the object is.

Illustrated by Julie F. Young