RVing is much more than enjoying the vast open spaces of America; it’s about creating space in life for family and friends.  Fill a little of that time and grow relationships around some new and classic games on the road.

Wile away hours on the road and quiet nights in a cozy RV, time around the picnic table by the glow of a camp lantern, or under the soft LED lights of an extended awning with games that can bridge generations and build new bonds.

Games on the Road

Keep kids looking outward, rather than at phones or tablets, with a series of observational games and keep them in the game with a creative reward such as being the selector of the night’s dinner menu or choosing the camp site at the next venue.

Play a round of the “Banana Game” awarding points for the first person to spot a yellow car, bus or truck. Keep the hunt going until the winner reaches a set bunch of bananas.

Never underestimate the classic road sign or license plate bingo as time-killing fun for all ages.  Old-school Bingo cards with sliding windows are still available for purchase at stores carrying vintage products, but it’s just as easy to print your own set from free templates on line. Sweeten the game by using M&Ms or some other treat as markers – and no eating the markers until Bingo!

Turn your RV or towing vehicle into the mystery mobile.  Queue up an audio collection of family-friendly mysteries – clue: Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain – and work together to solve the mystery before Sherlock.

Games for in the RV

Whether you’re off the grid or at a deluxe site with full-hook-up, enjoy quality time with family and friends around the game table.  With space at a premium, pack small games that provide big entertainment.

Choose game boards with a small footprint – or games that don’t require a board at all. Consider cubes – or dice games – that spark creativity and travel in tiny boxes or pouches.  Farkle, a dice game of strategy and luck, Boggle, a word building game, and Rory’s Story Cubes are all easy to transport, fast to play and will work on a small RV table.

Cards are the backbone of RV entertainment.  While tried and true favorites such as Canasta-style games, which require multiple decks and space to layout many hands of cards, may pose a big challenge, rapid-fire quicker games can add hours of fun to a trip.  Consider family-friendly options such as Crazy 8s and gin rummy when there’s no room for Canasta or Hand and Foot.

Add card-based games that provide hours of fun in a compact package.  Uno is fun for all ages, moves fast and fits in the tiniest of spaces.  For older travelers, Yahtzee is a classic addition to the RV game chest.  Mix it up with Skip Bo for equal measure of fun and frustration.

No RV trip would be complete without the RV classic Mexican Train Dominoes.  While it’s large footprint may be challenging inside the RV, head to the recreational hall or pavilion where RVers gather around the noisy clacking of the dominoes.  For RV newbies, pack along a set of Mexican Train dominoes – these dominoes include the special “double 12s” — to find some instant friends, but be flexible because no one can quite agree on the rules.

When all else fails, but the cell phone battery is still going, use your head – for a quick and simple round of Charades.  Known by many names in online stores, Heads Up, Charades, Evil Minds (for adults) among them, this phone-based game is a modern twist on old fashioned charades.  One player holds the phone against his or her head with the screen – with the clue – facing outward – while other players act out the charade.

Modern or old school, RVs create the time and space for fun with family and friends around the game table.