Go as you Play – Road Trips & Reading Games
You've packed the snacks and checked the maps. Everyone is prepped with their sunscreen and seat belts. It's time for that great summertime tradition: the family road trip. But what do you do when the excited question of "Where are we going?" turns in to the dreaded "Are we there yet?"
You PLAY of course!!
And since this year's TD Summer Reading Club is all about thinking of reading as play, why not try one of these classic car games that let you play with your words?
K – My Name is Katherine and I like kittens
Everyone gets a turn practising their ABCs with this game. Each person starts by saying the first letter of their name followed by their name and something they like that starts with that same letter. For example: "N – My name is Nathan and I like noodles." Play it as a memory game with each person repeating what the others have said or use it as a vocabulary builder by having everyone add to their own list. (Easy for the Tom's travelling in the car but a Zachary might need a little bit of help after he lists "zoos" and "zebras"!)
I Spy a Story
Kids love to search and find hidden images in books like the Picture Puzzle Book. Games like "I Spy" and "Car Bingo" encourage them to look for unusual sites off of the page and out of the car window. These games can also be used as story starters, prompting them to tell the tale of a passing pick-up or someone stopped on the side of the road.
Telling Tales Together
Unfortunately everyone in the car wants to talk at once. Fortunately you can play a team storytelling game that let's everyone have their say, one at a time. In the game "Fortunately/Unfortunately", one person begins a story with a negative statement that starts with the word "unfortunately". The next person continues the story on a positive note by adding "Fortunately…" something else happens. The story grows longer and sillier as each person adds their own part. To make it more of a challenge, tell everyone that each sentence has to rhyme with the one before it or that they must include a colour or number. Storytelling, in any form, can help to make the time pass quicker, no matter how long your journey.
Need more car game ideas? Check out these books:
Road trip games are another great way to PLAY this summer–no extra packing required!
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