Good travel games for kids are small, quiet and quick to restart after a snack spills on them. You want something that works on a tray table, in a back seat or on a hotel bed, and that doesn't leave a trail of tiny pieces from gate to gate. The six below all fit in a carry-on with room to spare for the stuffed rabbit.
After the six, there's a handful of games that need no gear at all, plus a few packing tips from parents who have learned the hard way. Every family travels differently, so steal what fits yours.
What makes good travel games for kids
A great game at home can be a terrible game on a plane. Before you pack anything, run it through this short list.
- Few pieces. Every loose piece is a piece under the seat in front of you.
- Quiet. No buzzers, no timers that ding, nothing that makes the row behind you sigh.
- Short rounds. Ten minutes is plenty. Travel is full of interruptions, from drinks carts to bathroom breaks.
- Works on a small surface. A tray table or a lap is all you can count on.
- Easy to pause. If you have to stop mid-game to board, the game should survive.
If a game fails two of these, leave it home. It will be more fun on the living room floor anyway.
6 travel games for kids that fit in a carry-on
1. A standard deck of cards
The most useful thing you can pack. Go Fish, Crazy Eights, War and Old Maid all live in one small box. Older kids can learn a simple solitaire for solo time.
Why it travels: one box, endless games. Watch out for: War can last until landing. Set a time limit.
2. A magnetic checkers set
The magnets keep the pieces on the board when the plane bumps or the car takes a corner. Many fold into a flat case with a game on each side.
Why it travels: pieces stay put. Watch out for: the magnets are small, so count them before you pack up.
3. A memory game made from family photos
Lay 12 cards face down on a tray table and take turns flipping two. With the family on the cards, kids get to "visit" Grandma halfway through the trip. Matchy Matchy Memory prints your real photos as a memory game, from $19.99.
Why it travels: it plays in a small space with twelve cards, and kids love finding faces they know. Watch out for: loose cards slide on a moving tray. Keep a small pouch handy, and play the full deck at the hotel instead.
Three more for the tray table
4. A reusable sticker pad
Scenes and stickers you can peel off and move again and again. Perfect for little ones who aren't ready for rules.
Why it travels: flat, light and silent. Watch out for: stickers end up on the window, the seat and your sleeve.
5. A pad of paper games
Tic tac toe, dots and boxes, hangman and the squiggle game, where one person draws a squiggle and the other turns it into a picture. All you need is a pad and two pencils.
Why it travels: it costs almost nothing and never runs out of batteries. Watch out for: pencils roll. Bring a spare.
6. A dice game in a cup
Five dice in a cup with a lid turns into a dozen games. Roll for the highest number, race to roll every number from one to six, or play a simple game of pig.
Why it travels: the lid keeps the dice in. Watch out for: rolling is loud on a hard tray, so lay a napkin down first.
Games that need no gear at all
For the moments when the bag is in the overhead bin and patience is running low.
- The license plate game. Spot plates from as many states as you can. Keep a running list on a phone.
- The alphabet game. Find every letter from A to Z on signs, in order. Car rides only, unless you count airport signs.
- Twenty questions. Think of an animal or a person. Everyone asks yes or no questions until someone guesses.
- Would you rather. Would you rather fly or be invisible? Endless, silly and quiet enough for a plane.
- I spy, travel edition. Limit it to things inside the car or the cabin, so the answer never zooms past the window.
- Who am I? One person is a family member. Everyone else asks questions until they figure out who.
Packing tips from parents who have been there
The game is only half of it. How you pack decides whether it survives the trip.
- One pouch per game. A zip pouch keeps pieces together and makes cleanup a ten second job.
- Pack a surprise. Save one new game for the hardest stretch of the trip. A fresh box buys real time.
- Rotate. Offer one game at a time. Three open at once means pieces everywhere.
- Bring a lap tray. A small baking sheet or a thin clipboard turns any lap into a game table.
- Count before you go. Do a quick piece count at the gate and again before you get off the plane.
Ready to make your own?
Pick photos of the people your kids will miss on the trip, straight from your phone. Choose real or re-drawn. Choose 12, 24 or 48 cards, with 12 being the easiest to play on a tray table. Then check your first card before you pay. Order early before a trip, since shipping takes 3 to 5 business days.
Matchy Matchy Memory keeps your real photos, from $19.99. Matchy Matchy Magic re-draws them in 3D Film, Watercolor or Anime, from $29.99. Questions? Write to us at hello@matchygame.com.