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When you’re riding a bus, you don’t need to worry about traffic, directions, or stopping to take bathroom breaks. You have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, talk, and play games with your bus-mates. But we’ve all been there: you’re an hour into your five-hour trip and everyone, whether they’re 5 years old or 50, is starting to go stir-crazy. Here are some ideas to keep your group entertained.

Scavenger Hunt Games

There are all sorts of scavenger hunt type games you can play on the road. Have you ever actually found a license plate from every state? Well, good luck with Hawaii. One game requires finding words that start with each letter of the alphabet. Whatever your favorite scavenger hunt game, you can keep your party engaged and enjoy the scenery as well. Small prizes can raise the stakes, so tack on a dollar store gift or let the winner choose where the group is eating dinner.

Bus-ercises

If you’re needing a stretch or to burn off some extra energy, try some exercises from your bus seat. You can make up or modify your own stretches and movements or try out some pre-made chair yoga routines. You can also turn this into a game by giving everyone on the bus an opportunity to model a pose for the rest of the bus to copy in a pseudo-Simon Says type game.

Collective Storytelling

This one takes some creativity and collaboration. One person starts a story with four words, the next person adds another four words to the story, and so on. You can keep telling the story with as many people and as many rounds as you would like until someone decides to end the story with the words “the end.” The results can be wildly unpredictable. If you want to spice things up, you can set a time period, theme, or other parameters.

World’s Longest Telephone Chain

We all know what happens when whispered messages get passed around a group. With a whole busload of people, things can get even more out of hand. What happens when you start a message in the front of the bus and send it to the back?

A Moment of Peace

If you need some alone time, put on a pair of headphones and enjoy the ride with some solitary activities like reading, coloring, or journaling. You can encourage your group to take some down time with writing or drawing prompts.

Group Favorite Games

Pack the tools for the group’s favorite games, whether it’s a deck of cards for rummy or dice for Dungeons and Dragons, for a bit of familiar fun. Some games may need to be modified for travel, like a small box to contain dice rolls, so make sure to plan ahead.

Icebreakers

If you and your group don’t know each other well, take advantage of the travel time to fix that. If you’re traveling with a business group or other group of acquaintances, then icebreaker games like "never have I ever" and "two truths and a lie" can help your party pass the time and learn things about each other.

Online Games, Social Media, and More

With our on-bus Wi-Fi, you can browse social media or do some online shopping. Engage the whole group with online games like the online version of Cards Against Humanity, or enjoy a moment of peace with headphones and a good online read.

This list is only the beginning of your bus-time possibilities. You can customize your travel activities for your group to include things everyone will enjoy. Indian Trails specializes in worry-free bus transportation and would be happy to transport your group on your next adventure. Click the button below for more planning ideas.