You know how people sometimes play bus games during fun field trips or journeys, right?
Long stretches on the road can get boring—not just for kids, but for adults too.
So in this article, we’ll introduce some fun games that are perfect for playing on the bus!
They’re all easy games that anyone can enjoy, from children to adults, making them great for class trips, family outings, and even adults-only travel.
If you’re looking for ways to make that often-dull bus ride a little more enjoyable, be sure to check these out!
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- [For Middle Schoolers] Let's Have Fun Together! A Collection of Bus Recreation Ideas
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10 fun bus-activity games that will liven things up (1–10)
Who am I? game
It’s a simple game where various hints are given, and you think from there about what the answer might be.
Since the game progresses using only words, you can enjoy it even in a small space without any problems.
If the questioner prepares the answer and hints in advance, it should run smoothly.
It also seems like it would be exciting to rotate the role of questioner so everyone present can participate.
In that case, it might be fun to have people around ask questions, and the questioner provides hints by responding to them.
Arrival time guessing game
These days, map apps conveniently give you a rough idea of travel time and estimated arrival time.
This is a game where you predict the arrival time the analog way—relying solely on your own intuition.
Rather than being vague, each person should write down a precise prediction like “X o’clock Y minutes” on paper.
Of course, the person who hits the exact time is the winner, but that probably won’t happen often.
Announce the predictions in order from the earliest predicted time, and give a small prize to the person whose prediction is closest to the actual arrival time—doing it this way should make the game even more exciting.
tongue twister
Speaking is trickier than you’d think! Let’s spice up the bus activity with tongue twisters.
Just saying “aka-makigami, ao-makigami, ki-makigami” (red wrapping paper, blue wrapping paper, yellow wrapping paper) can tie your tongue in knots, right? But if everyone tackles it together, laughter is guaranteed.
Even a long ride will fly by.
A phrase like “gojūon nijūgo-mai hashi watashi” (crossing twenty-five bridges of the fifty sounds) might stump even adults.
Still, enjoying those slip-ups is the real charm of bus activities.
It relieves stress and works your facial muscles, too.
It’s a two-birds-with-one-stone game—go make some fun memories!
Name Sorting Game
It’s a game where you look at randomly arranged hiragana and think of a word that can be formed by rearranging them.
If you set a time limit and have everyone answer at once when they figure it out, more people can join in and it’ll be more exciting.
I think the key to making the game lively is to gradually provide hints as time passes, increasing the number of people who can solve it little by little.
Another nice point is that it’s easy to adjust the difficulty to match the mood of the group—for example, by choosing harder target words or increasing the number of characters.
Intro Quiz
It’s a quiz where only a short snippet of the intro is played and you have to guess the song.
It’s a staple format on TV quiz shows and feels familiar and approachable.
The standard, easy-to-understand rule is that the host plays the intro, and whoever figures it out aims to answer faster than anyone else.
Another key point is that it’s easy to run as long as you prepare the songs.
In this game, the sense for choosing tracks is the most important thing.
Picking a variety of intros—like songs that start with vocals or ones with famous openings—is the trick to making the game more exciting.
Focus on the intros as you listen to the songs and build your quiz from there.
Yamanote Line game
The Yamanote Line Game is perfect for bus activities! The rules are simple, so anyone can jump in right away.
All you do is take turns saying words that fit a given theme, which makes it easy to play even on the bus.
It’s sure to get everyone—from kids to adults—excited and involved! Since you have to think up answers, it’s also a nice brain workout.
With this game, even long rides won’t feel boring.
The themes are endless, so you’ll never get tired of it.
It’s a surefire hit for class trips, family outings, and even adults-only travel.
Be sure to try it on your next bus trip!
Rock-paper-scissors tournament
Rock-paper-scissors is both a timeless party staple and arguably the pinnacle of simple games.
Precisely because everyone knows it and it’s so straightforward, it becomes thrilling when played in earnest.
When playing with a large group, an easy-to-follow rule set is: at the host’s signal, all participants simultaneously reveal their hands; anyone who loses to the host is eliminated; the last person remaining is the champion.
To prevent the accident of everyone being eliminated at once, you could switch to having the remaining players compete among themselves once the group has been narrowed down to a certain number.
By transitioning to head-to-head matches partway through, you can also create a sense of narrative that drives the game toward a satisfying conclusion.