5 Best Compact Travel Games for Children

Introduction

Being a full-time travel family at present, we are always looking for interesting ways to entertain our 3 young children. Especially, for things that don’t involve staring at a screen the whole time. One activity that is fun for us all to be able to share together, is to play a game.

I remember always playing games with my family back when I was growing up. It was a staple of any summer holiday away. Sadly, with developments in technology, this seems to be something that is getting less and less common. That’s a real shame, as playing games promotes so many great life skills for children, from social interaction, to critical thinking, to even learning to lose graciously (the thing that seems to take the longest to learn!).

With the current uncertainties around international travel still rumbling on from the Coronavirus lock-down, I know that a lot of people are planning ‘staycation’ holidays at home this year. In particular, camping-type trips. These are the type of trips that we tend to like best, with an emphasis more on the outdoors and reconnecting with nature, preferably with lots of walks and adventures. These holidays can also provide the perfect opportunity for everyone to get together and play a good game.

With that in mind, I thought I’d share 5 of my tried-and-tested favourite compact travel games for children. We’ve enjoyed playing all of these while living away in our classic motorhome, over this last year. So here goes…

#1 Dobble

Players: 2-8

Recommended age: 6+ (age 4+ can manage pretty well)

Price: £9.99 (Buy Here)

‘Dobble’, from Asmodee Games, is a truly innovative card game, that can be played by children or adults alike. The game is played with a stack of cards, each with a selection of different cartoon images of different sizes. Every card will have 1 (and only 1) image that matches to every other card. It is a very clever design. The game mechanics involve racing to match pictures from one card to the next, with the fastest player placing their card onto a communal stack. Whoever places all of their cards first, is the winner. Although very young children struggle to keep up, it is unusual to find a game where otherwise children can genuinely compete against adults. This makes it a great family choice.

The game also includes instructions for playing several different variants, all utilising the same stack of cards. This has the potential to extend levels of interest from those with short attention spans. There is also a separate, simplified version of the game available, called ‘Dobble Kids’, that has been especially created for younger children.

#2 Avocado Smash!

Players: 2+

Recommended age: 6+ (age 4+ can manage pretty well, if helped a bit)

Price: £11.95 (Buy Here)

In Ridley’s ‘Avocado Smash!’, a fast-paced card game (and a fresh twist on the classic ‘snap’), players compete to be the first to rid themselves of all their cards to be the winner. The design of the game is colourful and loosely based around an avocado theme. Lots of cards means that lots of players can play at the same time, and children can give adults a decent game (though younger children may need a little prompting to help them keep up at times). The game mechanics are simple, but there is enough variety to keep it feeling fresh, even after a few games. As the majority of gameplay centres around counting numbers, it’s also great for numeracy. Each game round only takes around 10 minutes, making it a good, quick option.

One thing to watch – the game can get loud and, depending on who you’re playing with, quite rowdy too, as players frantically compete to slam their hand on the table first accompanied by the shout of “smash!”. It’s maybe not one to take with you to play at a quiet restaurant!

#3 Uno, and Whot!

Players: Uno 2-10, Whot! 2-6

Recommended age: Uno 7+, Whot! 5+ (age 3+ can just about manage both, with some help. Whot! is easier overall)

Price: Uno £5.60 (Buy Here), Whot! £3.89 (Buy Here)

I have included these 2 games together, as they are both very similar in the way in which they are played.

‘Uno’, from Mattel Games, is undeniably the classic family card game, having been enjoyed by thousands of children from all around the world. Its popularity endures for good reason – it is a well thought out game that is simple enough that almost anyone can play, while having just enough special cards to keep it interesting (and give a chance to inflict some misery onto your opponents). The game mechanics involve players taking it in turn to play a matching card onto the communal deck. Cards are matched by colour or by number. A selection of special cards add additional actions into the game. The player to finish playing all of their cards first, is the winner.

‘Whot!’, from Winning Games, is essentially a scaled down version of the same game (so consequently easier for younger children to pick up). There is only 1 type of special card and other than that players simply take it turn to match the (colour-coded) shapes and numbers. I grew up playing ‘Whot!’ with my grandma over 30 years ago, so it is nice that my children still enjoy playing the same game today.

Both games are not only fun, but also great for helping to develop shape, number and colour recognition skills in younger children. Both can also be played with lots of players, making them great for family get-togethers. A good dose of chance in each means that children can give adults a good game. Smaller children can also lay their cards out face up on the table if they need assistance, without the dynamics of the game being overly comprimised.

#4 Peppa Pig Memory

Players: 2-6

Recommended age: 3+ (age 2+ can usually manage pretty well)

Price: £4.00 (Buy Here)

This game of ‘Peppa Pig Memory’, from Ravensburger Games, is a modern take on the classic game of memory ‘pairs’. All the small board card pictures are placed face-down on the table (with each image featured on 2 cards only). The mechanics of the game then involve players taking it in turn to turn 2 separate pictures over. The aim is to uncover a pair. If a pair is found, the player keeps those cards. If the images do not match, they are turned back over and play passes to the next player. Players need to remember where the images are, in order to utilise them to form pairs in subsequent rounds.

Not all of the cards have to be used in order to play the game. It is sometimes an idea to remove some of the pairs before starting if playing with very young children, so that they are not overwhelmed. That said, I quickly discovered that my 3 & 5 year old kids have got a memory that far exceeds mine!

This version features characters from Peppa Pig for the pictures. Countless other versions are available, if Peppa Pig is not your thing. It’s a good idea to have pictures that the children playing are familiar with, so that it is easier for them to recognise and remember where the pictures are located during the game.

#5 Dominoes

Players: 2-4

Recommended age: Classic 5+, Animal Picture 3+ (age 2+ should manage with picture ones)

Price: Classic from £3.99 (Buy Here), Animal Picture £6.99 (Buy Here)

For my last selection, I’ve gone with another classic. Sometimes they’re still the best, after all. Dominoes is a timeless game that I’m sure needs no real introduction. For anyone who doesn’t know, players are dealt several dominoes each, then take it in turn to play these pieces, lining up the number or image from one side of the piece, with another matching number or image from a played piece on the table. The player to first play all of their dominoes, is the winner. Whatever the design style, this is one game that’s best played on a solid surface, like a table.

The classic version utilises pieces that are divided in half and marked with a number from 1-6 on each side, usually drawn with dots (as they appear on the faces of a dice). This is great for helping children’s number skills, by getting them to practice quickly recognising and familiarising themselves with numbers, from only this pattern of dots. However, this is a skill that very young children find hard, so they may struggle to play without constant assistance.

A better option for these younger children, is the same game, but utilising pictures instead of numbers. I find that kids tend to find it easier (at first at least) to work out how to match pictures. The set I have linked to above is a cute version using animals for the pictures. There are endless varieties out there though, with images of all kinds. Our set of picture dominoes have proven to be an enduring favourite with my kids, as other, flashier games seem to have come and gone around them.

In Summary

Games are one of our absolute travel essentials for children. You never know when you’ll need to keep them entertained for a while. Learning to play (and master) them can be a useful, learning experience, offering the potential to develop many different types of life skills. It also feels great to be able to extract the kids away from any screens for a while, with games proven to be an engaging way in which to do this. In most cases, portable travel games (such as these listed here) are also an extremely affordable source of entertainment.

Playing games can also bring with them perfect opportunities for connecting as a family, as they usually rely upon plenty of social interaction throughout. They really are perfect for taking away on holiday. All these that I’ve listed here come in small packages and are extremely portable.

There are an almost endless assortment of games available out there, many of which have been designed primarily with children in mind. There would be too many good ones to ever hope to make a full list. I hope though, that these 5 favourites from our family travels have given you some ideas and inspiration. Even if already familiar with some, I think it is always good to get a reminder for how a classic game (like some of these) can still work effectively in a modern family scenario.

When planning your next foreign holiday, camping trip, or this year, perhaps, a local ‘staycation’, be sure to try and include some of these (or other) travel games onto your packing list. I feel they should be considered as essential items, both for children to play together amongst themselves, and for offering opportunities for some much-loved family time and togetherness. After all, you never know, it could happen…

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