STATE OF PLAY I tested 10 cheap travel games – the winner was light and kept my kids entertained for hours
KEEPING the kids entertained on planes, road trips and in hotel rooms can be tough.
But there are plenty of travel games out there for them to get stuck into – and you might find the grown-ups love them just as much, especially if it means the children spend less time begging for tech.
Toyologist Peter Jenkinson says ditching screens and playing games as a family is one of the best things about going on holiday as a family.
“It is great getting kids to get back to basics and playing games together, they’ll always have more fun than if they are staring at a screen solo,” he said.
“It just takes parents to get them started and away they go. Same goes for parents too – what’s not to love about playing games as a family.”
Here Peter, shares his top 10 picks and LynseyHope, 42, a mum-of-three, from West Malling, Kent, gives them a go with her children Jacob, 10, Olive, seven and Ivy, four, and rates each one of ten:
Ubongo!
£11.99, amazon.co.uk
Age: 8+
Number of players: 8+
This game is compact and easy to carry around, and the kids picked this up really quickly.
At first glance, it looks a bit like Tetris and kids have to lay out the coloured pieces to match what appears there.
It’s easy to begin with, but challenging enough to keep them occupied on longer journeys and it gets harder as you progress.
You can play solo or against others. My son Jacob in particular loved this and would spend hours at it.
However, the one major downside is the little pieces which could very easily get lost or dropped, especially by younger players, which is easily done while travelling.
5/5
5 Second Rule Mini Travel Card Game
£8.49, amazon.co.uk
Ages : 4+
Number of players: 2-4
This is a fun game with a mini five-second timer. All you have to do is flip a card and name ‘three things’ which might be three things you do when you wake up or three hairstyles.
It’s easy enough, but can you do it in five seconds? Harder than it sounds!
This is fun for all the family.
The only downside with the travel version was the limited number of cards and the timer wasn’t as fun as the bell in the full sized version.
3/5
Othello On The Move Travel Game
£13.99, amazon.co.uk
Ages: 7+
Number of players: 2
This one was the best from my test.
The kids got quite competitive with this one but it was a firm favourite.
It’s simple to play, white versus black, and the player with the most coloured tiles facing up at the end wins.
There are loads of strategy decisions the kids can make which took them a while to pick up, but they would go on and on for ages with this and it kept them entertained for hours.
A real standout.
5/5
Sounds Fishy
£9.99, johnlewis.com
Ages: 10+
Number of players: 4+
A fun game with some pretty fishy answers.
Think you can guess which animal was mayor of Alaska? You don’t need to know the right answer, you just need to identify the fake answers invented by other players whilst trying to avoid the right one.
The travel version contains 50 questions and it’s all packed into a handy compact travel tin.
It was easy to play, but some of the things you have to think of on the spot are hilarious.
Overall, this is a good one for the whole family.
4/5
Color Addict
£8.60, amazon.co.uk
Ages: 7+
Number of players: 2-6
A little like Uno, this is a race to play all your cards simply by matching the word or ink colour to the previous colour played.
You can pick it up and play a game in as little as 15 minutes.
There are four special power up cards which can really change the game. Fun and the older kids enjoyed it, but Ivy, my youngest, got fed up quickly as it was a little challenging for her age.
2/5
5 Up The Addictive Push Your Luck Dice Game
£8, thetoyshop.com
Ages: 5+
Number of players: 2-4
This is a simple dice game where you roll the dice and try to get rid of as many tokens as possible by matching numbers.
But, if you push your luck and roll a number that is already covered, you must collect up all the tokens on the mat.
My kids loved it, but I found it tricky on the plane and in the car as the dice kept disappearing under the seats.
We did play in the airport though, and at the villa.
3/5
That’s Not A Hat
£7.99, ravensburger.co.uk
Ages: 8+
Number of players: 3-8
Those with a good memory were best at this and in fact, the kids tended to beat the grown ups.
It’s a bluffing game where you receive and regift items. You have to bluff about what you are giving away to win.
But if your recipient calls you out you could end up with a penalty.
And the issue is that when you regift so often, sometimes you forget what you are giving.
Not a bad game overall.
3/5
Dobble Waterproof Edition
£14, argos.co.uk
Ages: 6+
Number of players: 2-8
This symbol matching game has long been one of the kids’ favourites.
Each card has eight symbols, with 55 cards in total and whilst I still can’t understand how, somehow every card matches every other. It’s about being quick with your eyes and shouting out the matching symbol.
The waterproof version was especially handy to play by the pool.
The kids loved it and though it’s recommended for kids aged six and up, my four-year-old daughter Ivy could play – and often beat me.
Great for keeping the family entertained for a while.
5/5
UNO Flip! Game
£6.99, smythstoys.com
Ages: 7+
Number of players: 2-10
There are many versions of Uno on sale now, we’ve tried many and some are hard to fathom – but this was great.
It was simple enough that even four-year-old Ivy could join in with a bit of a support. It was nice to have some new cards and the ‘flip’ card meant your luck could change in seconds.
4/5
Exploding Kittens Grab & Game
£9.99, waterstones.com
Ages: 7+
Number of players: 2-4
This game is highly strategic and has an element of Russian roulette, so anyone can win. It’s not necessarily about skill.
Players simply draw cards until someone picks and Exploding Kitten, which means they’re out – unless they also has a defuse card. The only way to win is not draw an exploding kitten. Simple, and easy to play on the go.
4/5