Games to play on a train ride with a small child?
June 2, 2013 12:50 PM Subscribe
What are some good games to play on a long train ride with a small child (age 4)? The ipad makes him motion-sick. He gets frustrated with drawing or dot-to-dot because of the bumpy movement of the train. We have audiobooks but they won't cover the whole ride.
Play-dough? Or wax? It is not as messy, but rather expensive.
posted by nostrada at 12:58 PM on June 2, 2013
posted by nostrada at 12:58 PM on June 2, 2013
+1 wax. Need not be expensive -- Wikki Stix aren't much and I've seen dollar store knockoffs of it, too.
posted by kmennie at 1:02 PM on June 2, 2013
posted by kmennie at 1:02 PM on June 2, 2013
memory with heavier cards?
I had a magnetic travel sized backgammon set for camping that was awesome. You can probably get magnetic checkers as well.
Does your four year old do any spelling? You can play alphabet games.
Etch-a-sketch?
posted by bilabial at 1:08 PM on June 2, 2013
I had a magnetic travel sized backgammon set for camping that was awesome. You can probably get magnetic checkers as well.
Does your four year old do any spelling? You can play alphabet games.
Etch-a-sketch?
posted by bilabial at 1:08 PM on June 2, 2013
Card games. Go Fish, War, etc.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:13 PM on June 2, 2013
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:13 PM on June 2, 2013
Rabbit-spotting. 1 point for a rabbit, 10 points for a fox.
posted by BinaryApe at 1:30 PM on June 2, 2013
posted by BinaryApe at 1:30 PM on June 2, 2013
From this list of ideas for entertaining small children on long flights, I personally like the ones about Presents, Eating (aka tiny snack breaks), Comfort Factor (aka facilitate naps), and the Maps one.
posted by ceribus peribus at 1:34 PM on June 2, 2013
posted by ceribus peribus at 1:34 PM on June 2, 2013
Best answer: I'd go with something that interacts with the environment and people on board. If it's a really long train ride, go to the observation car -- you may well encounter another 4 year old there, and bob's your uncle. If not, try I Spy, or make up bingo cards with spaces marked out for things you are likely to see: electrical substation, crossing, conductor, etc. Rubber Neckers is a card game for playing on long drives in which you get points for "spying" things along the way, it would probably also work for the train.
posted by apparently at 1:35 PM on June 2, 2013
posted by apparently at 1:35 PM on June 2, 2013
We play I Spy but use colors instead of first letter for the little one.
posted by Joh at 1:55 PM on June 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Joh at 1:55 PM on June 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Car Bingo aka Travel Bingo. My kids loved this game when we would travel. This website has a few games you can print to take with you.
posted by JujuB at 2:53 PM on June 2, 2013
posted by JujuB at 2:53 PM on June 2, 2013
String games is fun and easy. Cat's cradle is a classic.
(I quit smoking last month, I carried around a loop of string and would do string games when the urge to smoke got really bad.)
posted by JujuB at 2:58 PM on June 2, 2013
(I quit smoking last month, I carried around a loop of string and would do string games when the urge to smoke got really bad.)
posted by JujuB at 2:58 PM on June 2, 2013
You may be able to adapt some of the games from this AskMe thread about word games: Simple word games -- no accessories required
posted by SuperSquirrel at 3:03 PM on June 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by SuperSquirrel at 3:03 PM on June 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Number counting games: odd numbers, even numbers, skip counting, counting backwards (counting down).
Rhyming games: say a word and he/she comes up with a rhyming word.
Finger puppets.
Rock, paper, scissors.
Patty cake.
Can he/she watch videos without getting motion sickness?
posted by Dansaman at 10:12 PM on June 2, 2013
Rhyming games: say a word and he/she comes up with a rhyming word.
Finger puppets.
Rock, paper, scissors.
Patty cake.
Can he/she watch videos without getting motion sickness?
posted by Dansaman at 10:12 PM on June 2, 2013
What about actual games? if not prone to same motion issues, then Sleeping Queens is a fun one at this age, or Uno, and neither takes a lot of space. A tray puzzle might not be bad -- less picky than drawing, with regard to motion, and there are cheap cardboard ones not too bad to transport. What about a cluster of plastic animals (old favorites or a new set for the trip)? A million games on the tray, window ledge, wandering the train with critters. And what about real books, that you can read aloud to him? Catwings is a tiny "chapter book" that might earn its keep and was beloved by our 4-year-old.
posted by acm at 8:59 AM on June 3, 2013
posted by acm at 8:59 AM on June 3, 2013
I didn't discover until my 30s that one little pill can let me read in cars. It's amazing. AMAZING. I wish I'd known this before. I use the non drowsy dramamine (or anything with its active ingredient). Can you check if this is available for kids or in a dose appropriate for them? Why let him keep suffering totally pointless motion sickness? It didn't build my character, I'm pretty confident of that.
posted by Salamandrous at 6:56 AM on June 9, 2013
posted by Salamandrous at 6:56 AM on June 9, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kmennie at 12:57 PM on June 2, 2013 [2 favorites]