Spring is right around the corner and national parks across the country are preparing to welcome visitors from around the world. There’s no better way to celebrate the season than by visiting these iconic parks as a family. For many, a road-trip to parks in the western United States offers a cost-effective and memorable adventure. While long drives can sometimes feel daunting – especially with young children – this guide will provide a few fun and practical ideas to help make the journey enjoyable for everyone.
First off, there’s the 20 Questions game. This is a family favorite that allows everyone to work together! Here’s how you play:
- One member chooses an object (person, animal, place, etc.) but doesn’t tell the rest of the players.
- The rest of the players ask up to 20 yes or no questions to guess the object the family member chose.
Examples of questions:
- Is it alive?
- Does it have wheels?
- Is it a type of animal?
- Is it related to technology?
- The person that correctly guesses the object gets to choose the new object for the next round.
- Repeat this process as many times as you’d like!
Second, we have the road trip Scavenger Hunt! This game will keep each person’s attention focused on the scenery while providing some friendly competition during the drive. Here’s how it works:
- Before the trip, research special landmarks, buildings, restaurants, more, then list them on a sheet of paper.
- Make a copy of the paper for each person in the car.
- When someone spots an item from the list, they check it off.
- First one to check off all the items wins!
Our third and final recommendation is Road Trip Bingo. Bingo is a family classic that will keep everyone entertained and in good spirits. Friendly competition never hurts anyone right? Here’s how to play:
- Print or create Bingo Cards (usually 5 x 5) and bring pens or pencils for each player.
- Each Bingo Card will have boxes filled with things you may encounter during the trip (e.g., a cow, a mountain, snow, McDonald’s, etc.). Be sure to make each card unique by varying the items in the boxes.
- Players mark off boxes as they see different items on the list
- The first player that marks off a line (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) wins a prize (a snack, the chance to choose the next song on the playlist, etc.)
Road trips can be an integral part of the overall trip experience. You spend a lot of time in the car together so why not make the most of it? Though the journey can be long, visiting the national parks this spring as a family is well worth it! Make this family vacation unforgettable by booking with Wander Camp – it’ll make the drive well worth it!
