Whether you’re taking in the sights on a five-day hike, going on a scenic road trip or visiting family at the coast, there is always space for a family-friendly boardgame. This year the shelves are brimming with a wide selection to choose from. Below are our top five best travelling games:
Five Second Rule SA edition
A quick-thinking game that is easy to play and is compact enough to throw into a backpack. It should be easy to name 3 South African foods starting with “B”, but can you do it under the pressure of 5 seconds twisting down and other players staring at you? With this game time is not on your side, so players just say what comes to mind and risk ridiculous answers. For 3 to 6 players, ages 8+. Available from Takealot, Toy Kingdom, and Hamleys. from: R349.00
Qwirkle
Perfect for younger children, as there’s no reading required. Qwirkle is about shape and colour recognition. Simply build lines by matching tiles based on either colour or shape and score points for doing so. For ages 6 plus. RSP: R599.99. Available from Takealot, Toy Kingdom and Hamleys.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
To play Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, each player places a card from their hand face up into a community pile while saying taco/cat/goat/cheese/pizza in player sequence. When the card matches the mantra – boom – everyone slaps their hand on the deck, with the last one to slap picking up the cards. Whoever rids themselves of cards first wins! Special action cards add to the slapstick fun. Ages 8 plus. Available from Takealot, Toy Kingdom, and Hamleys. RSP: 199.00
Perfect for getting the whole family into the travelling spirit. Ticket to Ride is a fun, adventure strategy game where players need to build tracks and connect iconic cities across a map to earn points. Good for 2 to 5 players, ages 8+. Available from Takealot, Toy Kingdom, and Hamleys. From R 895.00
Pass the Bomb Junior
Pass the Bomb Junior is an association game that is ideal for young children. A player draws a card showing a beach and needs to name something associated with that scene, such as ‘sandcastle’ or ‘sea’. What makes this game a fun challenge is a time bomb which is passed to each player on their turn. The bomb goes off at a random interval somewhere between 10 seconds and 1 minute. The player holding the bomb when it ‘explodes’ has to keep the card. The player with the least number of cards wins. For ages 7 plus. Available from Takealot, Toy Kingdom, and Hamleys. From R349.00