A lengthy ride on the bus can easily become tedious, especially if you are travelling alone. You may turn to their electronic devices for entertainment, but sitting for hours can make you feel incredibly antsy. However, if you are travelling with your friends can make the journey fun. You may have many to talk about, but holding a conversation for hours can eventually become boring. However, you do not need your mobile phones or tablets to keep you busy. Wouldn’t it be a great idea to keep them away for the meantime and engage in fun games and activities with your family and/or friends while enjoying your journey?
Luckily, you do not need to pay for a tour guide to come up with some fun bus trip activities for adults or kids. You can keep boredom at bay with just a bit of forethought, ingenuity, and help from online guides like this one!
There are some fun non-electronic activities that will surely make the experience worthwhile no matter who you’re travelling with.
Fun bus team building activities or field trip bus ride activities:
- Road Trip Bingo
This time-honoured game is a great entertainment activity for a large group on a long bus trip. Instead of using the traditional bingo cards, use the magnetic type or easy slide bingo cards to allow players to play the game in a moving vehicle.
You can follow a specific pattern during each game. Assign someone to draw and call the lettered and numbered ball from a bottle or bag during the game. The first one to complete the pattern wins. Remember to bring prizes for the winners. Think about things or snacks they can enjoy on the trip.
- 20 Questions
This traditional highway activity never gets old. 20 Questions is quick and easy to play. To play the game, you need to think of an object that is found inside the bus. The other passengers will ask you 20 questions answerable by yes or no. This will help them identify the specific item you’re thinking of. The first person to get it right wins the game.
- Scavenger Hunt
Who says a game of scavenger hunt is not possible during a bus trip. You do not have to go crazy and scavenge for items inside the bus. Instead, list down items that you would see during the bus ride. It could be farm animals, trees, or fast-food restaurants. Give each player a copy of the list. The first person who can locate all the items gets the prize.
- Magnetic Mini Board Games
Mini board games are a great way to kill the time. Choose easy-to-setup games, such as Guesstures, Bananagrams, Thirty Seconds, and The Settlers of Catan, which have few pieces and can be played by 2 or more passengers. Some charter buses have small trays or tables where you can place and play mini board games conveniently. Contemporary games like Quirkle is a perfect game for adults who want a strategic game on board.
- Name That Tune
You do not need a sound system to play this game. You just need a list of bus ride songs and randomly choose a participant to start the game by singing a line or two of a song of their choice. The rest can guess the title of the song. Whoever can guess the song correctly gets to sing the next song.
- Chain Game
This game may be simple, but it requires quick thinking. Choose an interesting topic. It could be the names of popular celebrities or movie or TV show titles. The person sitting in the front seat will start the game by choosing their favourite celebrity, such as Taylor Swift. The next player must use the first letter of the last name of the celebrity. In this case, the next player must think of another name of a celebrity starting with “S,” such as “Scarlet Johansson.” Work your way until to the last person in the back. Someone who fails to provide an answer is out of the game.
Enjoyable bus ride activities for people who enjoy themselves:
- Puzzle Games
If you prefer thinking games, why not give your brain a workout while onboard the bus? You should include in your bus ride planner a book of puzzles to keep yourself entertained. Crossword puzzles, sudoku, and word search games are fun and addictive activities that help sharpen your brain. In addition to that, it widens your vocabulary, instills patience, and improves your problem-solving skills.
- Enjoy the View
Travelling long distances can be a bit boring. However, some people find solace simply by staring at the window and enjoying the picturesque view of different landscapes during your long-distance journey. Make sure you have a good camera ready so that you can get some beautiful shots.
- Read a Book
This one is a no brainer. Reading a book or magazines is a great way to survive a long bus ride. Make sure it is a good one to keep you entertained. However, this activity only applies if you do not get car sick during a long bus ride.
- Bring a Colouring Book
Who says colouring books are just for kids? Bring some colouring books, crayons, or coloured pencils can keep you entertained. There are colouring books for older people you can buy in bookstores.
- Write a Travel Diary
Writing is a great way to pass the time for solo travellers. You can use a simple notebook to describe and record your travel experience. Make it artsier by adding some cute drawings, sticking in tickets, photos, and small souvenirs. This can make your long bus trip more memorable.
- Cards
You can bring a deck of cards on a charter bus trip and play a game of spades, hearts, rummy. Since cards are affordable, you can bring multiple decks and share them with the group.
Long hours spent on the road are a perfect way to bond with friends or enjoy some time alone, whether you’re on a bus ride home, from a school trip, or towards a remote vacation spot. Choosing the right games or activities can make the whole experience fun and memorable. You or your group would not feel bored as long as you have something to keep you entertained. If you get tired of playing games, engage in conversation to catch up with some of your friends.
You may not realize it but the bus company you will be hiring plays an important role in ensuring a great travel experience. At Parkinson Coach Lines, we take pride in our modern fleet of buses. We make sure our drivers meet the highest training and safety standards in Ontario. For a fun and safe ride, call us at (905) 451-4776 to book one of our state-of-the-art rental buses in Toronto.
