Going on a holiday is always great fun, but getting there is another story altogether. Being stuck in a vehicle for many long hours is enough to get anyone cranky, and it’s even worse when there are restless kids on board. How does one keep everybody happily engaged and enjoying the time together? Many parents talk of using the opportunity to play fun travel games and have interesting conversations as a family. Some of the favorite travel games, like Road Sign Bingo, are just pure fun while others like Odd or Even have an educational element to it. Here are five fun reading games that you can play on your next road trip to have a blast with the family.
By Florida Memory [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons
1. Category ABCs – Category ABCs is a fun travel game that is suitable for all ages, and provides phonics practice for young kids. To begin, players agree on a category, like animals, places or food. Then, the first player calls out an item from that category that begins with the letter ‘A’. The second player continues by repeating that item, and adding an item from the same category that begins with the letter ‘B’. Each player repeats the list of items called out so far and adds one more item starting with the next letter of the alphabet. Players who mess up the order or forget items are out of the game. This reading game is also great for improving memory.
2. Billboard Alphabet Hunt– The object of this travel game is to find the letters of the alphabet in order on the billboards or signboards that you pass. Sounds easy? Not so quick. Each board can only be used for a single letter. The game can be played in several ways to adjust the difficulty level. Everyone can play together, working on finishing the alphabets once, or you can play as individuals to see who can get through the entire alphabet the quickest. This reading game is great for kids who are practicing letter recognition.
3. Roadside Alphabets – A variation of ‘Billboard Alphabet Hunt’, ‘Roadside Alphabet’ is about finding objects that begin with the different letters of the alphabet. Starting with the letter ‘A’, players try to find objects that begin with the different letters of the alphabet, in order. This reading game can be played as a group or as individuals racing to see who can get through the entire alphabet the quickest. The game helps with practicing letter sounds.
4. License Plate Words –This is a great reading game for older kids, and helps practice spellings. One person in the car calls out the letters from passing license plates, and the others take turns thinking of words that contain those letters in the same order. For example, the caller might say ‘CSN’ and the player can respond with the word ‘cushion’ or ‘cruising’.
2. Billboard Alphabet Hunt– The object of this travel game is to find the letters of the alphabet in order on the billboards or signboards that you pass. Sounds easy? Not so quick. Each board can only be used for a single letter. The game can be played in several ways to adjust the difficulty level. Everyone can play together, working on finishing the alphabets once, or you can play as individuals to see who can get through the entire alphabet the quickest. This reading game is great for kids who are practicing letter recognition.
3. Roadside Alphabets – A variation of ‘Billboard Alphabet Hunt’, ‘Roadside Alphabet’ is about finding objects that begin with the different letters of the alphabet. Starting with the letter ‘A’, players try to find objects that begin with the different letters of the alphabet, in order. This reading game can be played as a group or as individuals racing to see who can get through the entire alphabet the quickest. The game helps with practicing letter sounds.
4. License Plate Words –This is a great reading game for older kids, and helps practice spellings. One person in the car calls out the letters from passing license plates, and the others take turns thinking of words that contain those letters in the same order. For example, the caller might say ‘CSN’ and the player can respond with the word ‘cushion’ or ‘cruising’.
5. Backwords – This reading game may sound like spelling practice, but it’s a lot of fun! One person in the car calls out words and the others take turns spelling the words backward. It’s a lot more difficult than it sounds, and gets everyone racking their brains sounding out words and revising their spellings.
These travel games may not sound like reading games at first, but they get players practicing letter recognition, phonics and spellings all of which are crucial to reading fluency. They’re also a lot of fun, and are pretty effective in keeping young travelers thinking about something other than how much longer it’s going to take to get to their destination.
Reposted from http://funkidsgames.beep.com
Reposted from http://funkidsgames.beep.com
