What is Travel Bingo?
Travel Bingo
Travel Bingo is a game that adds an element of fun and engagement to long car rides or journeys. It’s a variation of traditional bingo that is adapted for travel. The game typically involves creating bingo cards with items or landmarks commonly found along the route or at the travel destination.
Travel Bingo sets usually include bingo sheets, pencils, and a game board that can be reused for multiple trips
Each player gets a bingo card, which is a grid with different items or scenarios related to travel. These items can include things like a red car, a gas station, a specific road sign, a certain type of animal, or any other relevant element to the journey. As players spot these items during the trip, they mark them off on their cards.
The goal, similar to traditional bingo, is to complete a row or a specific pattern on the card by spotting all the items in that row or pattern. The first person to complete the pattern calls out “Bingo!” and is declared the winner.
There can also be a second winner if someone then goes on to complete the entire card during the course of the journey.
Travel Bingo is a great way to keep passengers entertained during long trips, and it encourages observation and engagement with the surroundings. It can be customized for different age groups and preferences, making it a versatile and enjoyable travel game.
- Dice-based Travel Bingo: This variation comes with ten dice featuring objects that might be seen while driving, such as animals, vehicles, and buildings. Players roll the dice into the
- Classic Travel Bingo Game: This game set includes bingo sheets with common sights to search for while on the road, such as a gas station, restaurant, smokestack, water tower, bird on a wire, flag, and traffic signal. The set includes four different Bingo game pads and four pencils. It is designed to make road trips more fun for the whole family and helps develop observational and simple logic skills.
- Road Trip Bingo Cards: There are free road trip bingo cards available for download and printing, which can be used to entertain kids or adults on a long drive. This variation is suitable for road trips and car journeys.
- Original Travel Bingo: This is a game board that can be used over and over for miles of fun. It is perfect for long stretches of open highway and comes with one bingo board. This variation was released in the 1950s and is still popular today.
Where to Buy Travel Bingo
You can buy Travel Bingo games from various online and retail stores, including:
- Etsy: Visit Etsy for a selection of unique or custom Travel Bingo games.
- Amazon: Amazon offers a variety of Travel Bingo games, including the eeBoo Travel Bingo Game and the Regal Games Original Travel Bingo Cards & Travel Scavenger Hunt Game.
- Walmart: Walmart also provides Travel Bingo cards for purchase.
- Schylling: Schylling offers the Travel Bingo game, which is a game board that can be used repeatedly for miles of fun.
These are just a few options, and you may find Travel Bingo games in other stores as well.
How to create a printable travel bingo
You can create a printable travel bingo game using various online resources that offer free templates. Here are some options:
- My Free Bingo Cards (https://myfreebingocards.com/travel): This website allows you to make free travel bingo cards that can be printed at home or sent out individually to play virtual bingo on any device. The cards can be edited and customized to suit your preferences.
- Make Life Lovely (https://www.makelifelovely.com/free-printable-travel-bingo-game/): This website provides a free printable travel bingo game for kids. The game is designed to keep kids busy on family vacations or car drives. You can print the game cards directly from the website.
- The Winding Road Tripper (https://thewindingroadtripper.com/road-trip-bingo/): This website offers free printable road trip bingo cards for the car ride. You can access 10 free printable road trip bingo cards by clicking on the provided link.
- Travel Channel (https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/road-trips/articles/road-trip-bingo): The Travel Channel provides free road trip bingo cards featuring road signs, landmarks, and wildlife. You can download and print the bingo cards directly from the website.
- MomsMinivan.com (https://www.momsminivan.com/free-printable-car-games/): This website offers a variety of free printable car games, including road trip bingo and travel scavenger hunt. You can find the road trip bingo game along with other car games on the website.
These resources provide a range of options for creating and printing travel bingo cards, allowing you to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Popular Travel Bingo Brands:
- Regal Games: Regal Games offers the Original Interstate Highway Travel Bingo & Highway Hunt Card Game Bundle, which includes travel bingo cards and a travel scavenger hunt game.
- Schylling: Schylling provides the Original Travel Bingo, a game board that can be used repeatedly for miles of fun. This variation was released in the 1950s and is still popular today.
These brands offer a variety of travel bingo games that can be found on platforms such as Amazon and Walmart. Additionally, Etsy is a good place to find unique or custom travel bingo games
Common objects on travel bingo cards
- Red car
- Blue truck
- Stop sign
- Gas station
- Rest area
- License plate from a different state
- Horse or cow in a field
- Windmill
- Train
- School bus
- Airplane in the sky
- Bridge
- Bicycle
- Police car
- RV or camper
- Billboard with a specific word or image
- Hotel or motel sign
- Playground
- River or stream
- Mountains
- Church
- Construction site
- Wind turbine
- Fast food restaurant
- Horse trailer
Travel bingo games for adults
Travel Bingo games for adults can be customized to include items or scenarios that are more tailored to the interests of older players. Here are some ideas for Travel Bingo games designed for adults:
- Landmark Bingo: Include famous landmarks or unique roadside attractions that adults might find interesting, such as historical sites, museums, or iconic buildings.
- Culinary Bingo: Feature items related to food and dining experiences, like a local specialty restaurant, a food truck, or a unique dish only found in certain regions.
- Nature Bingo: Focus on natural elements, such as specific types of trees, birds, or landscapes. This version can be great for road trips through scenic areas.
- Historical Bingo: Include items related to history, such as historical markers, battlefields, or monuments. This can add an educational element to the game.
- Brewery or Winery Bingo: If your route takes you through regions known for their breweries or wineries, create cards with items like a brewery tour sign, a vineyard, or a craft beer label.
- Cityscape Bingo: If you’re traveling through cities, include items like skyscrapers, public art installations, or famous street names.
- Music Festival Bingo: If you’re heading to a music festival or an event with live performances, create cards with musical instruments, concert venues, or specific genres of music.
- Photography Bingo: Focus on visual elements that would make for great photographs, such as unique architecture, street art, or picturesque landscapes.
Remember to tailor the bingo cards to the specific interests and preferences of the adults playing the game. You can easily create these cards yourself or find pre-made ones online that suit the theme of your journey.
How to make a diy travel bingo game
Creating a DIY Travel Bingo game is a fun and creative way to customize the game to suit your specific journey and the interests of the players. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making your own Travel Bingo game:
Materials Needed:
- Paper: Use cardstock or a thicker paper for durability.
- Markers or Pens: For drawing or writing on the bingo cards.
- Ruler and Pencil: For drawing grid lines.
- Stickers or Images: To represent items on the bingo cards.
- Laminator (optional): To protect the cards from wear and tear.
Steps:
- Decide on the Theme:
- Choose a theme for your Travel Bingo game based on the interests of the players or the nature of your journey. Themes could include landmarks, nature, culinary experiences, etc.
- Create a List of Items:
- Make a list of items or scenarios related to your chosen theme. For example, if you’re doing landmark bingo, your list could include specific landmarks or historical sites.
- Design Bingo Cards:
- Use a ruler and pencil to draw a grid on the paper. A traditional bingo card has 5×5 squares.
- In each square, either draw or write the items from your list. Be creative and use stickers or printed images for a visual touch.
- Make Multiple Cards:
- Create multiple unique bingo cards with a different arrangement of items on each card. This ensures that each player has a different card for variety.
- Add a Free Space:
- Include a “Free Space” in the center of each bingo card. This space is automatically marked, giving players a head start.
- Optional: Laminate the Cards:
- If you have access to a laminator, consider laminating the bingo cards for added durability, especially if you plan to reuse them for future trips.
- Create Markers:
- Players will need something to mark off the items on their cards. You can use small items like buttons, coins, or create custom markers.
- Instructions:
- Include simple instructions on how to play the game. Explain the goal (e.g., complete a row, column, or diagonal) and any specific rules.
- Test the Cards:
- Before your journey, test the cards to ensure that the chosen items are observable and realistic for the route you’ll be taking.
- Enjoy the Game:
- Distribute the cards to the players, and enjoy playing Travel Bingo during your trip!
Remember to tailor the game to the preferences and interests of the players, and feel free to get creative with the design and content of the bingo cards.
Some other car games to play on a road trip
- License Plate Game:
- Try to spot license plates from as many different states or countries as possible.
- 20 Questions:
- One person thinks of an object, and the others have 20 chances to guess what it is by asking yes-or-no questions.
- I Spy:
- Choose an object within sight, and say, “I spy with my little eye, something that is [color/shape/etc.].” Others try to guess the object.
- Alphabet Game:
- Find words on signs or license plates that start with each letter of the alphabet in order.
- Car Karaoke:
- Take turns singing along to your favorite songs. Create a road trip playlist before you leave.
- Would You Rather:
- Take turns posing “Would you rather” questions to the group. For example, “Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?”
- 20 Dollar Challenge:
- Each passenger has a virtual $20 to “spend” during the trip. They “spend” by spotting items on their side of the road. For example, a cow might cost $1, a red car $5, etc.
- Story Cubes:
- Use story cubes (dice with images) to inspire creativity. Take turns incorporating the images into a collaborative story.
- Travel Bingo (as mentioned earlier):
- Create bingo cards with items related to the journey and see who can complete a row or pattern first.
- The Movie Game:
- Start with a movie title (e.g., “Jurassic Park”). The next person has to name an actor from that movie (e.g., Jeff Goldblum). The game continues with the next person naming a movie featuring Jeff Goldblum.
- Rhyme Time:
- One person says a word, and the next person has to say a word that rhymes. Keep going until someone can’t come up with a rhyme.
- Animal Alphabet:
- Go through the alphabet, taking turns naming animals that start with each letter.
- Number Plate Math:
- Use the numbers on license plates to create mathematical equations. For example, if a license plate reads “452,” you could say “4 + 5 – 2 = 7.”
- Punch Buggy:
- When someone spots a Volkswagen Beetle, they can call out “Punch Buggy” and lightly punch another passenger. Just be sure to establish rules for how hard the punches can be!