Summer is officially here! With the warm weather and the kids on summer break come picnics in the park, road trips, family vacations, air travel, and much more. All this newfound free time can have parents and caregivers wondering how to fill those hours, ideally with some educational value. Whether you've got a busy preschooler to entertain or a pre-teen that keeps claiming they're 'so bored,' and everyone in between, there's a SimplyFun game that will no doubt produce smiles and giggles and result in some play-based learning. Gameplay is also a wonderful way to introduce or brush up on core academic skills to avoid the dreaded 'summer slide.' But shh, they don't need to know they're learning!
Whether you're packing for a road trip or need games to keep kiddos entertained on an airplane, here are some family-friendly games and portable games for all ages and interests.
Travel-Friendly Games
You've made it to your destination. Now what? Unpack one of these travel-friendly card games to get started on the FUN!
- Corner Center Match: Work both sides of your brain matching colors and shapes with 68 double-sided shape cards! This shape-shifting game of focus and self-control is great for ages 7 and up.
- Do It Again!: Practice your memorization skills and move your body while you're at it! Players take turns performing the existing sequence of actions, plus a new action from drawing the card at the top of the deck. Make a mistake, and you are out! Ages 7 and up.
- Word Bits: Stretch your creativity to make words in this fast-paced card game. Be the first to think of a word using all the letters that fit the category card to score! Ages 8 and up.
Great Games for Road Trips
Hitting the open road? Make sure you save a seat for these road-trip companions that are sure to liven up even the longest rides.
- Are We There Yet? - Chat Ring: Foster social interaction and self-discovery and help put the 'Are we there yet?' phrase to rest. This collection of 50 activity cards - neatly organized onto a travel keyring - is designed to engage your child's mind while passing the time, and encourage skills like observation, imagination, creativity, and problem-solving. Ages 5 and up.
- Family Stories - Chat Ring: Keep strong social interaction alive in your family with these 98 questions that will spark ideas for conversations you will always treasure.
- Take Your Pick & Take Your Pick II: This all-purpose, get-to-know-you game is perfect for travel and gatherings where you may not know some of the guests as close as others and works for groups of all sizes. You can learn this game in under two minutes, but it will keep you talking, laughing, and learning about each other for hours! Ages 8 and up.
Portable Games for the Entire Family
These portable games can easily fit into a backpack, purse, or tote bag and are fun, on-the-go games to play no matter your destination.
- Chalk-A-Word: An interactive word game to play with your favorite wordsmiths or young spellers! It stimulates cognitive function and memory while boosting spelling and vocabulary skills. Ages 8 and up.
- Get the Fly: Our toad-ally fun version of Old Maid for ages 4-100! Letter recognition and matching are the main skills in this fun portable card game.
- Sneaks: A quick-thinking matching game that will keep you on the tip of your sneaks! Practice decision-making and quick thinking in this fast-paced game. Ages 6 and up.
No matter where your summer travels take you, make sure you take your SimplyFun games to ensure the entire group is entertained while brains stay active. Here's a full list of our most travel-friendly 'games on the go.' Ready? Game on!