Activities for Travel Time

What activities can you do while traveling?

A few months ago we went on a long train trip with my daughter. The first time that far and only the two of us (besides the 100+ other passengers) 😅  

We had so many great programs planned for the weekend! The only thing that made me anxious before the big adventure was how to manage the train trip itself?

Photo: pexels.com

I love so much travelling and wanted to make the whole train thing to be a great experience for her! 🚆

I packed a bag full of stuff to ensure entertainment (and peace) 🙈

However surprisingly sometimes the easiest games and activities turned out to be the most engaging ones!

You can find below some activities that worked well for us:

1. Scavenger hunt 

Honestly, this was not planned in advance, so I did not have a checklist or anything like that. We just started to talk about the sights and suddenly she had the idea to draw a list of animals we might see on our way. It became a properly tailored list with checkboxes for what we have seen. She was so proud and we had a great time with a scavenger hunt based on her creation 😊

Now I prepared a template for Train Trip Scavenger Hunt, feel free to use it!

2. Journaling

On our way back home after the weekend, we were talking about our experiences, and what was the best part of each day... then we decided to prepare a journal of all the things we had seen, tasted, or tried 😊

She loves drawing, and can already write some words by herself, so our journal became a kind of comic in the end!

3. Activity books, stickers, coloring, and drawing

Well, it stands for itself 😏

Just one thing to add: do not forget the sharpener!

You can also prepare with some activities that are beneficial for your Little One's fine motor skills - without making a mess and too much preparation: playdoh or origami can be great options!

4. Cards

Kids of friends and family already know, that I always have some cards in my bag 😆

Cards take only a small place and can come in really handy in restaurants and in all kinds of unplanned waiting situations. With smaller kids, I prefer the ones that can be played as memory games as well as Black Peter. Luckily we had a table at the train so we could play the memory game on the way - Black Peter is not that fun if there are only the two of us 😅 

For older kids, I think French-suited playing cards could be a great option too!

5. Jigsaw puzzle

A small new jigsaw puzzle was a great investment before the trip 😊

As we had a table it was easy this time - but we also have some puzzle books, that can be useful in cars or other, smaller places!

6. Books, comics, magazines

I brought books for both of us!

For me, the most relaxing part of the train trip was when I could read a few chapters during her drawing, reading, and looking-out-the-window times 😊

She chose her comic at the station, and we also brought some books - eg. a tale about the city that we were about to visit.

7. Table games

Table games like chess or battleship can be a great activity for travel time. We like to play sudoku with colorful figures as well as various games of logic - for this trip she got the SmartGames Squirrels go nuts, which is super cute!

8. Word games

I think all families have their favorite word games 😊

Obviously what can be played depends on the age of the kid(s) pretty much, for us this time the winner was the simple word trail.

You can also try "Going on a bear hunt...", "I spy", or "The alphabet game"!

+1. Just talk, plan the next days, and enjoy the trip 😁

If you are traveling by plane with kids, this post that I found on Freedominsidethebox can also be really helpful!

Do you have some other activities in mind that work well with kids on the way?

Share with us in a comment!

I am also glad for additional hints and tips 😁