[Bus Rec] No boredom on the bus! Fun activities and games to liven things up
There are times when you might charter a bus for a company event or enjoy a day trip by chartered bus for a neighborhood event or bus tour.
For those looking for something fun to do while traveling on the bus, this article introduces games and activities you can enjoy right on the bus.
These days, many buses are well-equipped so you can have fun without preparing anything, but we’ll also introduce options that require just a little preparation or no equipment at all.
Most of the activities are suitable for a wide range of ages, so everyone from children to seniors can enjoy them!
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[Bus Activities] No More Boredom on the Bus! Exciting Games and Activities (11–20)
Price Guessing Quiz
Everyone, do you usually pay attention to the prices of everyday items? You probably have a rough idea of how much an onigiri, sandwich, or snack you pick up at a convenience store costs, but not down to the exact yen.
This is a simple game where you guess the prices of those everyday items all around us.
It could be fun not just with food, but also with household goods.
Try mixing in things around you with brand-name items, luxury goods you might never buy in your life, or rare curiosities.
You’ll be surprised by unexpected prices—and that’s part of the fun of the game.
Word association game
Games to play on the bus aren’t much fun if they end too quickly, right? It’s best when you can keep playing for a long time and suddenly realize you’ve already arrived at your destination! With this word-association game, you can keep it going as long as everyone’s vocabulary allows.
For example, if the prompt is “When you think of apples…,” you might answer “tasty” or “red,” saying whatever comes to mind from “apple.” If someone answers “red,” then the next person starts from “When you think of red…” and continues the chain to the next player.
Magical Shout
Participants try to think of the quiz answers and shout them out faster than anyone else.
Instead of raising hands or pressing buttons to decide who answers, the rule is that whoever figures it out shouts the answer immediately.
The person who answers first earns the points, but since it’s hard to judge when voices overlap, encourage contestants to project their voices loudly enough to drown out others.
A plus is that no equipment is needed once the quiz is ready.
As everyone thinks of answers while aiming to shout louder, the energetic, fast-paced format will liven up the atmosphere.
Telephone game in the palm of your hand
The classic recreation game of telephone.
This version is a telephone game where you write letters with your finger on someone’s palm to pass the message along.
Because you’re writing with a finger, it can be hard to understand or a bit ticklish, but that’s part of the fun, isn’t it? Since you’re on a bus, the shaking might make it harder to convey the message, but that could be another element that livens things up.
Will the message make it correctly all the way to the last person? It’s also fun to look back and figure out where it went wrong later (lol).
I wonder what’s inside the bag?
What’s in the bag? This game is thrilling and fun for all ages.
Bringing a box is bulky and a hassle, so on the bus, prepare a clear bag and put various items inside.
The guesser should wear a blindfold, gently reach into the bag, and try to figure out what’s in it.
People around them must not say the answer.
Keep the excitement going by giving hints! If you pass the bag along in order from the front seats of the bus, everyone can enjoy it.
Do-Re-Mi Song Game
“Do-Re-Mi Song” is often sung by children to learn the solfège notes.
The “Do-Re-Mi Song Game” that uses this tune tests not only whether you remember the Do-Re-Mi syllables, but also whether you can sing the original lyrics and melody correctly.
You sing the lyrics associated with each solfège syllable in turn, but the order of the syllables is scrambled—for example, after Do comes La, after La comes Mi, and so on.
You must sing the lyric that matches each syllable and also convert the melody to the correct phrase for that part.
If you get carried away by the previous person and just keep following their flow, you’re out.
Because it requires concentration, it’s a great way to forget the time and have fun even during a long traffic jam!
Kōhaku Uta Gassen (NHK New Year’s Eve “Red and White Song Battle”)
Let’s hold a “Kohaku Uta Gassen” during the bus recreation time! It’s a classic year-end TV program, so I think everyone knows it.
If you have karaoke equipment with a scoring function, you can use that; or you can appoint judges to rate the performances and compete based on the total points.
If there are only a few participants, do it as an individual competition; if there are many, make it a team contest.
It’ll be even more exciting if you create multiple scoring categories—not just singing skill but also performance and more—so even those who aren’t confident in their singing can join in.
Prince Shōtoku game
Prince Shōtoku is said to have been able to listen to and understand everything spoken by about ten people at once.
Inspired by this ability, here’s a game called the “Prince Shōtoku Game.” One person plays the role of Prince Shōtoku and tries to catch the words spoken by everyone else.
All the other players simultaneously say a word.
It’s better to use single words rather than full sentences.
You can narrow down the options to a category, like animal names, convenience store chains, or famous spots in the area you’re about to visit.
If the Shōtoku player successfully identifies every word that everyone said, they win! Try adding limits, like allowing only three requests for repeats.
Dosukoi Game
@ve4snxqh♬ original sound – LUMINARY FOR CARS – LUMINARY FOR CARS
The “Dosukoi Game” combines hand play and word play.
First, everyone makes fists with both hands, and at the leader’s cue of “Dosukoi ___,” each person raises any number of thumbs they like.
After saying “Dosukoi,” the leader says one hiragana character.
Players must answer with a word that starts with that hiragana and has a number of letters matching the total number of thumbs raised.
Be sure to add “dosukoi” after the word.
The fastest person to answer wins! Decide in advance how many wins are needed, and the person who remains without meeting the goal by the end (or is last in the group) loses.
Command Game
This is a game where you move your body while carefully listening to the quiz master and deciding whether to follow the instructions.
The rule is to follow only the words that come after “Everyone,” so be mindful not to be misled by the rhythm or the quiz master’s movements.
Changing the movements and words, and increasing the tempo of instructions, are tricky points for the quiz master as well, so it’s a good idea to prepare a script to keep the game running smoothly.
It’s easy to make mistakes if you listen halfheartedly, so it’s important to focus closely on the words.