The Best Travel Games for Planes, Trains and Hotels
We've got the best attention-grabbers for kids and for you, blessed silence.
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Nothing ruins the excitement of a family vacation faster than being stuck in the car or on a plane for hours. Keep the peace with these entertaining games that can go anywhere from cars, planes, trains and hotels. Toss them in your carry-on for
vacations or in a picnic basket for an afternoon at the park.
No matter where you're going for vacation, you actually have to get there. Finding the right game for everyone that you can whip out at a moment's notice can mean hours of entertainment and engagement — a lifesaver during flight delays or long layovers. For younger kids, self-contained games like Fifteen Puzzle prevent pieces from getting lost and can keep their attention for hours. For older kids, more complex games like Farkle can be played anywhere with a flat surface, like plane tray-tables, tables near restaurants in the airport, even the hotel or RV floor. No matter where you're going or how you plan on getting there, there are plenty of choices to keep your family (or even just yourself) playing and laughing even for the longest of drives. Before you pack up your suitcase and head out, check out some of these exciting travel games.
MONOPOLY MONOPOLY Deal Card Game
You can't bring the full-size board game on the road, so bring this fast-paced card version instead. Players collect property as they use action cards to earn money throughout the game — no houses, die, or game pieces necessary! Ages 8+
Bananagrams Bananagrams
Bananagrams comes in a cute, banana-shaped pouch that's easy to pack in case you're left with time to kill before you can check into your hotel room. Race your family to be the first one to build a crossword using all your given tiles. Ages 7+
Hasbro Gaming Yahtzee Handheld Digital Game
Take the electronic version of the classic game on the go without worrying about losing dice. It's perfect for passing across your row on the plane to see who can get the best score. Ages 8+
SmartGames SmartGames IQ Fit
This compact logic game is fun for one or many brains. The goal is to fit all the 3D pieces in the correct formation according to one of 100 different challenges. Ages 6+
Mattel Games Apples to Apples Mod Card Game
This version of the family favorite comes in convenient packaging that makes it easy to bring the fun wherever you go. Throw the pack in with your picnic for a day of playing games at the park. Ages 12+
Think Fun ThinkFun Fifteen Puzzle
While you run errands, your kid can stay busy by solving this old school puzzle over and over again — and yes, that's the same design from your childhood. Ages 8+
PlayMonster Pop-A-Tops Match-A-Martian
Pop-a-Tops' cute UFO shaped game has a domed top that keep the dice contained and the cards fit into the body of the spacecraft. Give the container a 'pop' (get it?) to roll the dice without worrying about losing them under the table. Ages 6+
Enjoy the classic mystery game without all the small pieces (where did the candlestick go, anyway?) Now everyone in the family can play the detective everywhere you go! Ages 8+
This travel dice game is small enough to stash just about anywhere, even in just your pocket. Since it's easy to put away too, you can take it out when you're sitting around waiting on food or on play it on tray tables without worrying about rushing to clean up. Ages 4+
Crayola Crayola Color Wonder
This coloring activity set comes with a hard shell case to store the coloring sheets, markers, stamps and ink pads all in one place. Since the Color Wonder markers can only draw on Color Wonder coloring pages, you don't have to worry about cleaning up stray marks. Age 3+
Tamagotchi Tamagotchi Star Wars: R2-D2 Classic White
Tamagotchi Tamagotchi Star Wars: R2-D2 Classic White
Take care of this pocket sized friend by teaching them all kinds of tricks and playing one of the 7 mini-games you can unlock. Ages 8+
Shop all The Op Games Tapple Game
This word guessing game is great to pull out when you're waiting around in the airport when your plane is inevitably delayed. Try and come up with as many words as you can before the timer runs out. Ages 8+
Hasbro Gaming Guess Who? Card Game
Like the other card games on this list, the Guess Who? Card Game allows you to bring the classic guessing game along for the ride. Ages 4+
Frequent Flyer Frequent Flyer Game
While this board game isn't exactly travel friendly, it is a great way to teach kids the ins and outs of traveling before embarking on your family adventure together. Choose your home city and race to be the first to visit all 20 airports including JFK, BOS and DFW. Ages 8+
Nintendo Nintendo Switch
Nintendo's newest console can easily convert from a home system to a portable system by detaching from the dock. So you can bring games like Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Legend of Zelda basically anywhere. Ages 6+
Why Trust Good Housekeeping?
The Good Housekeeping Institute provides expert reviews and advice on everything parents and children love, including beach games. Rachel Rothman has been testing games and toys for nearly 15 years and has served on several ASTM committees for helping with industry standards. She has three toddlers who actively support her in her testing pursuits in this space. As the Assistant to the Institute Director, Abigail Bailey has tested all manner of products and games. She has two younger siblings who graciously support her through game testing.
Abigail (she/her) is product reviews writer who has covered everything from kitchen gear to mattresses and smart blinds. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.A. in creative writing and earned her M.S. in publishing digital and print media from New York University. She currently works at Wirecutter, but has also spent time on staff at Good Housekeeping and The Southern Review literary magazine. In her free time you can find her quilting, cross-stitching or trying to figure out how to squeeze one more bookshelf in her tiny apartment.
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