Sometimes playing music, video games, and movies don’t cut it when you are traveling on the road for a long time. The best way to spend some time with your family and friends is by playing different types of games. If you can’t think of any games that you can play, I have put together a couple of games that you can do to enjoy yourself with the people you love.
1. Cornhole and Mini Cornhole: A Popular RV Game
Cornhole is considered to be one of the most popular RV games to play with kids. Players can be two or four, and you would need to find a flat ground space to play the game. The boards are about 27 feet between the front of each board directly across from one another. When you are playing with two players, make sure to decide which side of the board you want to throw from.
When it is time to switch sides, you will need to walk directly to the space across from you. If you are playing with four players, it is best that you play as partners, and that partner will be across from you. Once you have positioned yourselves, you need to decide what color you or your team want.
There would always be two different colors of beanbags, and each player or team should get about four bags. When you are done setting up, decide which team or player goes first, and then start taking turns throwing the bags towards the boards.
Once the bags have been tossed to the other side, it is time to add the score per player or team. Whoever scores the most points will get to throw first from the other side. When the score is equal at the end of each throw, whoever threw the first in the last round will throw first again.
There are fouls that you need to take note of when playing the game. Your feet should not pass the front of the board, and a bag should not touch the ground. When this happens, the player should not go pick up the bag, and points will not be counted for the bag on that turn.
The rules of scoring are pretty simple, where a bag on the board would count as a point. On the other hand, a bag that goes into the hole is counted as three points. The winner of the game will go to the player or team that reaches 21 points with a lead of two or more points without going over. The first team to win two games will win the match.
Now, if you don’t have the space for the regular-sized cornhole, you can find mini cornhole on Amazon
. It only weighs two pounds and measures ten inches by five inches. You can play tabletop cornhole inside or even outside your rig. You can get mini cornhole for only $27.37.
2. Ladder Toss: Also Known as Ladder Golf
Ladder Toss is a game where you can play with two or more players or even in teams. All you need to do is find a flat ground space to play the game and place the ladders 15 feet apart from one another. Make sure that you determine a ‘Toss Line’ when you are setting up the game.
Once you have finished setting up the game, you have to decide who will go first by tossing the bolas towards the ladders one at a time and one player at a time. Each player should get three bolas to toss, and player one will toss all three bolas. Once the first player is done, the next player will toss their three bolas as well.
Tossing the bolas can be done, but the players will choose if they will be thrown individually. When the bolas bounce off the ground and land on the ladder, it would be counted as a point. The winner of the round tosses will go first on the next round. In this game, you should not go over 21 points.
When you score over 21 points, the score goes back to your previous score before the particular round began. It is encouraged to knock over opponents’ bolas off the ladder with your own bola.
In case of a tied score, there would be overtime rounds, and it will be as many as it takes until a player ends the round two points ahead of the other player. Now, the two points ahead rule would only apply when there is a tie in the game. Otherwise, you would follow the 21 points to win the game.
The point system is as follows:
- Top Step is three points
- Middle Step is two points
- Bottom Step is one point
- Bolas that are knocked off o any Step during a play would be zero points.
There are bonus points when it comes to the game. When all three bolas are on the same Step in one round, it would equal one point. When one bola on each of the three steps is placed in one round, it would also result in one bonus point.
Now, distracting the opponent with sounds, taunting, and movement is allowed, but you shouldn’t touch the opponent. There is no direct blocking of the ladder either.
3. Giant Yard Pong: Known as Bucket Ball
The Giant Yard Pong game is great for two or more players or teams when you have more than two people playing. Just like the first two games, you would have to find concrete or flat ground space to play the game. Setting up is pretty easy since all you need to do is set up a triangle shape with the six buckets opposite each other. Make sure that they are 15 to 25 feet apart from each other.
You will play the game by either throwing or bouncing the ball into the other team’s buckets and eliminating all the other teams’ buckets before they eliminate yours. You will start throwing from behind your buckets.
When you successfully throw a ball into the bucket, remove that bucket from your triangle setup. If you bounced a ball into the bucket, remove that bucket from the setup, and one of the shooters gets to choose another bucket to get removed. Lastly, if the ball goes in and bounces back out, this doesn’t count, and it is called Bounce-Out.
There are no points to this game as all you need to do to eliminate the bucket of your opponents. Throwing the balls at other players and pouting is not allowed in the game.
4. Knockoff Toss Game Or Polish Horseshoes
Knockoff Toss Game is also a game of throwing. It can be played by two or more players. You can play the game anywhere, from sand to grass to hard floors. Place the two stands about 20 to 30 feet apart, and then place a target of your choice on top of the platform.
The players or teams will take turns throwing the disc at the object that you chose, which rests on the top of the stakes.
Each team or player will stand behind their poles when the setup is done. The game’s object is to throw the disc and hit either the particular object or the pole of the opposing team or player and knock the object off the pole. The other team or player will try to catch the object when it is hit as well as catch the disc.
It is important that you stay behind the pole. When you step in front of the pole and catch the object or disc, the throwing team will get two points. When you knock off your own object off of your own pole, the other team or player will get the two points.
The team that is throwing the disc can only score points. It is equivalent to zero points when you catch the flying disc the other team threw. If you drop the flying disc that is thrown from the other team, one point goes to the throwing team.
Two points will go to the throwing team when the target is dropped, hits, and falls. Lastly, when you drop the target and the flying disc, three points will go to the throwing team.
It is not counted if the throwing team throws the disc in an ‘uncatchable’ way. The first team or player to reach 21 points will win, and if it’s a tie, you must win by two points.
5. Spikeball: An Active Game to Play
Spikeball is typically played with a four-player game with two teams of two or with six players with three players per team. The setup is pretty simple where the Spikeball round net is placed between one team on each side. The team that is starting will hit the ball onto the net, which should be toward the opposing team.
The game’s objective is to hit the ball onto the net where the opposing team cannot return it. On the other hand, the opposing teams’ goal is to hit it off the net and back to the other team. The rules of Spikeball are pretty similar to volleyball. Each team will get a chance to have three hits to hit it back to the other team, but the same player cannot hit the ball twice in one play.
The points are awarded every service in the game and are given when the ball hits the ground. One point will be awarded to the other team when the ball hits on the outside of the net on the plastic rim.
All of the hits should be one-handed. Hitting, punching, setting, and bumping are all allowed but only towards the ball and not each other or the opposing team. The first team to get 21 points will win, and if it is a tie, two points ahead will take the game.
6. Jarts: One Game That Even Kids Can Enjoy
Jarts can be played by two players or two teams of two people. Jarts is a game that is based on ‘Horseshoes,’ which I have mentioned above. The only difference is it uses target rings in place of stakes that you place 40 feet apart. On each round, one person stands in the ‘toss’ area and alternates tossing their two Jarts at the target ring.
The Jarts are not allowed to be thrown in any direction, and they can only be thrown towards the target ring. Any player that is throwing in any other direction will be disqualified. The first to score 21 points is the winning team or player.
Jarts that land in the ring, you or your team will get three points or get closer than your opponent and get one point.
Jarts is a fun game to play for all ages of family and friends. Make sure just to have fun, but don’t throw the Jarts at each other. It is not the 1960’s original Lawn Dart game, but people can still be hurt. Always keep safety in mind!
7. Road Trip Kit: Great for Short and Long Travels
When it is time to go on your next adventure, whether it is short or long, Road Trip Kit can be a huge part of your adventure. This game kit will keep the kids busy and happy during your travels, so you don’t need to buy multiple activities to keep them accompanied while on the road.
With the Road Trip Kit, it comes with everything you need for hours and hours of fun. It comes with countdown cards which is a great game to learn geography. There is 24 fun, colorful cards that can be filled out so kids can follow along during the game and know exactly when the destination will be reached.
The cards are reusable, which can make traveling fun as landmarks and stops can be mapped out in a visual format for RVers that have younger children. The kit comes with five feet of sting, wood clips to hang the cards, and instructions on how we use the countdown cards. All you need to do is fill them and hang them up.
The Road Trip Kit also includes hangman, connect 5, battleship, dots, license plate hunt, tic tac toe, visual scavenger hunt for toddlers that can’t read, challenge hunt for teens or adults, drawing faces, and creating emojis.
Aside from the games, the kit also has four dry eraser markers (two black, one red, and one blue), five feet of twine to hang the countdown cards, two car clips, 12 regular clips, and two sets of 14 reusable activities. The Road Trip Kit is available on Amazon for $27.68.
8. RV Games to Play Inside: When You Just Want to Stay In
If you are not in the mood to play outdoors or you lack the space, there are a couple of games that you can play indoors. The fun doesn’t only exist outdoors but also indoors. While watching movies, listening to music, or video games can be fun, it is still great to have the entire family join in the fun and games.
Card Games. Now, card games are a no-brainer and can be played anywhere. They take up hardly any space, and the games are limitless when it comes to using cards. Some of the games that you can play are Euchre, Gin Rummy, Spades, Go Fish, Crazy 8’s, and so much more.
Monopoly Deal. Monopoly has been put into a travel-friendly box of cards. It is a great game for just two people or the entire family or friends. You get to have fun with a classic game with some twists and turns. You can easily purchase this game in retail stores or Amazon.
LCR. This is a tiny game and comes with a ton of fun. It has three dice which are marked with three dots, plus an L for left, C for the center, and R for right. Now, you can see where the game’s name came from. In this game, each player has a predetermined number of chips, coins, or pretzels. Players will take turns rolling all three dice.
When an L appears on one of the dice, then the player must give the chip to another player to their left (or right if the R appears). The dot means the player can keep their chips on that round. The last player who is left with the most chips is the winner.
Jenga. Old but golden, and it is a tower of fun. Each player must take turns taking a piece out of the tower without knocking it over. The first player to make the tower fall will lose, and if you want to mix things up, you can write truths or dare on each piece that the player pulls.
Apples to Apples. You can bring this game along on every RV trip that you may have. The game consists of two decks of cards which are Things and Descriptions. In each round, the active player will draw a Description card from the deck. Then, the other players will each secretly choose the Thing card in hand that best matches the Description.
The cards should be face-down on the table. The active player will then reveal these cards and choose the Thing card that best matches the Description card, which is based on the player’s opinion. Then, the player will award the point to whoever played that Thing card.
Once the player has won a predetermined number of Description cards, then that player wins. Rest assured that you need to this game when you don’t have it yet. You can also get an Apples to Apples Junior version as well for your kids to play along with.
Board Games. If you are living on the road full-time, then you may need a handful of board games to play with the kids. You can’t go wrong with the classic board games like Candyland, Life, Operation, Hungry Hungry Hippos, and so much more!
9. Games to Play While on the Road
Driving on the road for long periods of time can be boring for kids. They can be bored with the video games they are playing, watching videos, and listening to music. There are a couple of games that you can play while driving on the road.
Alphabet Game. The objective of this game is to find objects on the road that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Every player will try to find each letter, and the person who finishes ‘Z’ first wins the game. You add a twist to the game by allowing billboards or letters on other vehicles to count. Players cannot use the same word for each letter, and each has to be different.
Are We There Yet?. This game is a map-based game where it will teach kids how to use a map and navigate without the help of technology today as well as GPS. You will need to print different copies of a map so that it can be used while you are on the road. The kids will mark out destinations that they would like to see.
The kids can only ask ‘Where are we now?’ and the adults can only answer ‘Are we there yet?’ and everyone will be on the lookout for any road signs and landmarks to mark your stops.
Car Color Game. For everyone who is not driving, they will get a piece of paper and different car colors. The objective of the game is to tally all the cars of your color. Make sure to set a time limit, live ten to a half an hour, then everyone will switch colors. Towards the end of the game, the person with the most tallies on each color will take the win.
License Plate Game. In this game, everyone will look out for different license plates on the road. When the next license plate is announced, one must start with the last letter of the previous license plate. An example would be if someone finds a ‘Chicago’ plate, the next plate should start with an ‘O’ (Oregon or Ohio). Depending on where you are, this game can take up some time, and without you knowing it, you have reached the destination.
Final Thoughts
Even though our age is advanced and there are plenty of games that we can play online such as video games or apps on our phones. However, it can be hard to entertain your kids, and they might get bored easily when you are on the road for too long. It is best always to bring other games that you can play with the entire family. Of course, family time is always great rather than being on the phone at all times. Take some time to play different activities, especially when you have kids with you on the road. Have a blast!
