As many parents know, one of the biggest challenges we face when travelling with our adorable offspring is keeping their minds engaged in some form of activity or other in order to avoid the dreaded drone of ‘I’m bored’ coming from the backseat of the car. After all playing games such as ‘I Spy’ can only go so far. Fear not for I have a number of solutions for you that will keep everyone entertained, not only on the journey, but once you have reached your destination. So buckle up, as we are ready to lift off.

First up we have Travel Tension – £12.99 Amazon. This one quickly became a favourite in our household, it is simple yet very effective:  included are a small timer, coloured counters, a large number of up to date questions, all of which are neatly packed away in a container that doubes up as a cardholder for the game.

How do you play ? It‘s very simple , you will need at least 2 players or teams, each team or player takes a turn picking a card from the deck, asking the opposition the question – the team or player has until the timer runs out to name as many answers as possible. When they call out a correct answer the player holding the card deck simply pushes down the corresponding snap button. When the timer runs out, depending on how many correct answers were given, a coloured counter is issued. We have adapted this during car journeys, so that the timer and counters were not included and we simply took turns answering and asking the questions.

We really enjoyed this game as it was easy to use, compact and really got us thinking.

The next item on our agenda is Pop Culture Game, @ £7 from Kikkerland. We found this one to be more family friendly as there were questions that my parents knew the answers to, questions to which I knew the answers, and some that my children knew. This game consists of a pack of cards with pop culture questions on them and multiple choice answers. neatly stored in a small pink tin, no extra pieces involved just the cards, proving to be simple yet very effective.

This game is great to keep in the car, your handbag etc. or it can be used in a group setting, perhaps as you are all sitting around the table and enjoying some down time after a chaotic day.

Geomag Glow @ £19 from Amazon & Geomag Super Colour @ £29.99 from Toys R Us were the next to be ‘tested’, I am putting these two together as the only thing that separates them is the colour of the magnetic poles. The glow version consisted of ‘glow in the dark magnetic rods’ whereas the the super colour version has red, orange, green and blue magnetic rods. They are both a fun way to learn about magnets and ,with the help of the instructions provided, adults and children alike can have lots of fun creating structures. Each set comes with 2 bases to start building on as well as metal balls to connect the magnetic rods to each other. This is an enjoyable alternative to screen time.

I personally love the fact that everything in theses sets are made from 100% recycled materials. Additionally the rods and spheres are stored in small boxes.

Last but by no means least is the Catchphrase Card Game @ £12.99 from Amazon. I have always been a huge fan of the TV game show and when your’e watching it at home the answers seem so obvious but when you’re playing the game – not quite so much. This card game is for at least 3 players and you can decide on how many rounds you would like to play. Included are 123 playing cards, plus a reveal sleeve which is used for the bonus catchphrase if you do not wish to scan the QR code and see the animation online. From personal experience I would reccomend this game for ages 12 and over. My children aged 8 and 9 struggled wth this. Yes, they did get a few answers but when I played with other family members it was more easy going. The rules are simple: simply say what you see. Perfect for those miserable rainy days or a family night in, fun and laughter is gaurenteed.

I hope that this Travel Games guide helps you and your families when you next embark on a journey. Without a doubt there will still be complaints from the backseat about their never ending hunger and thirst or the need to use the loo despite the fact that you told them to go before you left.  At this moment in time I have nothing to help you with those issues but at least with these Travel Games no one will complain of boredom.