How Far-Out Is That?

Equipment needed for this game: road atlas or similar source listing distances between major cities. Magic Slates for each person are helpful (and fun) but not required.

In this game, one player is the navigator and is in charge of the atlas. If no one wants the position, the person in the shotgun seat assumes the job by default (serves “em right!)

The navigator chooses two cities that are listed in the mileage chart. Although these are relatively large and well-known cities, it is surprising how many people don”t know which state a city is in, the whereabouts within a state, or worse yet, where the state is within the country. Since learning should be one of the goals of a good game, the navigator should not reveal the states unless two commonly known cities have the same name.

Each player then estimates the distance between the two cities. To avoid changing an answer after hearing other responses, the players should write down their answers. Magic Slates are an excellent way to do this without killing trees. The player who comes closest to the actual distance without going over wins a point. If two players happen to choose the same winning number, they both get a point.

The player who reaches 21 points first, wins.

Options:

• Give Mexico and Canada a try
• Try cities within your home state
• Remove the restriction of not going over the mileage for pre-teens

License Plate Words

This game works best when traffic is light to moderate. It involves constructing words from the three letters on non-vanity license plates. Up to 3 points are awarded per tag. Points are awarded as follows:

1. A - One point is awarded to the first person to call out any word using all the letters in the same order they appear on the tag.
2. B - One point is awarded to the person who comes up with the shortest word using the letters in order, but not necessarily consecutively.
3. C - One point is awarded to the person who comes up with the shortest word using the letters in order and consecutively.

Example 1: DPO589

Four responses are given:

1. downpour: 1 point (A)
2. deploy
3. tadpole: 1 point (C)
4. depot: 1 point (B)

Example 2: 7MAF842

Two responses are given:

1. manifold: 1 point (A)
2. mafia: 2 points (B&C)

Additional rules:

1. There is no limit to the number of times each person can answer
2. One word can win multiple points
3. Whether or not to allow 3-letter words from a plate that already contains a word (i.e. 57MAP12) is optional, but should be decided before the game starts.

The first person to reach 21 points wins

Optional:

1. Use a point scale with children: age 8 and under - three points; 9-12 yrs. - two points.
2. Let younger players have first dibs to answer
3. Let younger players make up words that use all 3 letters, but in any order.
4. Let younger players receive points for the plates which already have words, but only if they recognize them
5. Let the youngest children make words that start with the tag letters, one point for each, up to three points

Develop-Mental States

Players create acrostic phrases (or other mnemonic devices) to remember the spelling of state names on U-Haul trucks they encounter while traveling. This can be an individual effort with players voting on the best one, as a cooperative effort or bit by bit with each player adding to the phrase in turn. Just be certain you have the correct spelling so your children will ace their geography quizzes!

Example: Mississippi

M en

I n

S pace

S uits

I mprovise

S cary

S tories

I nvariably

P roducing

P eriodic

I nsomnia

When a U-Haul is encountered for which an acrostic has already been developed, players recite the phrase one word per person starting with the driver and moving clockwise through the car. The first person that fails to remember a word correctly gains a point. At the end of the day, the player with the fewest points wins.

Optional:

• Disallow words that are three or less letters long
• Instead of acrostics, try grouping a state’s letters as smaller words

Example: MISS

IS

SIP

PI

• Use your imagination to develop other mnemonic devices

Example: Mi

crooked letter

crooked letter

i

crooked letter

crooked letter

i

humpback

humpback

i

Oprah Xram

Players pronounce proper nouns (the ones we capitalize) backwards. For example, Harpo Marx becomes Oprah Xram, the title of this game. So, on a beautiful Yam morning, the Senoj family from Nekoboh might eat at POHI in Ffatsgalf, Anozira before going to visit the Dnarg Noynac. Fortunately, Mom and Dad read the same either way so the usual whining and pleading for a parent’s attention won’t be compromised in the heat of battle!

Anyone forgetting to reverse a proper noun or doing so incorrectly receives a point. Simple differences of opinion as to pronunciation of strange letter combinations such as Thgiwd don’t count as wrong and should be enjoyed for their creativity. At the end of the day, the player with the fewest points wins.

Compound Chains

In this game, one person begins a word chain by saying any compound word that comes to mind; though it is advisable to have a followup word in mind (this will be explained later.) Moving clockwise through the car, the next player takes the second half of the previous compound word and uses it as the first half of a new compound word. As play continues, a compound chain is created.

For Example:

BLUEBIRD

BIRDBATH

BATHSOAP

SOAPOPERA

Each player is allowed one minute per turn. A point is awarded for each word formed after the first one. If a player is unable to think of an appropriate word within the time limit, he drops out of that round and play continues with the next person. If no player is able to come up with an appropriate word, the round is over. In such a case, the final word does not earn a point unless the player who gave it as an answer is able to produce a followup word. Both words would then score a point each, and a new round would begin.

Likewise, the first word is only awarded a point if no player is able to form a new compound word except the person who initiated the round. He then would get two points, one for each of the two words. A player can not continue to rack up points by himself, so a new round would begin with the next player.

Words can only be used once per round, otherwise a never-ending loop could be formed and that would be b-o-r-r-r-i-n-g.

Example:

LIGHTHOUSE

HOUSECOAT

COATTAIL

TAILLIGHT

LIGHTHOUSE

In the example above, TAILLIGHT is acceptable, but not the second LIGHTHOUSE. Instead, a word such as LIGHTYEAR could be used. Similarly, once a compound word has been used in any round, that word is stricken from play. Again, the word halves themselves would still be acceptable as long as they are fitted with a different partner word.

If one player is the only person to have reached 21 points at the end of a round, he is the winner. However, if a player reaches 21 while a round is still in progress, the round must be finished and the player with the most points at the end of play wins regardless of which player reached 21 points first. However, if the round ends in a tie score, the first person to have reached 21 wins.

Disputes as to what constitutes a compound word are likely to occur. Contrary to popular belief, compounds do not have to be a single word. There are three main types of compound words. A solid compound is a single word. A hyphenated compound is just that, one with a hyphen separating the two elements. In an open compound, the words are written separately, but are still considered to be compound. That said, it is easy to mistake some words that have prefixes or suffixes with compounds. For example, FRIENDSHIP is not a compound word. SHIP in this case is a suffix. AIRSHIP, however, does qualify as a compound word.

You may choose to have one person act as judge or have the players vote on the acceptability of a word. If a word is rejected, the player should be given another minute in which to produce a different one.

Bumper Sticker Transmogrification

Bumper sticker transmogrification is more an activity than a game, but if competition is more to your liking, you can vote on the best one.

Here’s how it works. Players mentally dissect license plates and recombine them in new and interesting ways.

Example:

What Would Scooby Doo?

Don’t Make Me Get Out My Flying Monkeys!

What If the Hokey Pokey Really Is What It’s All About?

might transmogrify into :

Don’t Make Scooby DooAll About!

General

• You may wish to devise your own modifications to fit the ages and abilities of younger players
• Let children team up with adults
• Consider making the games cooperative rather than competitive
• Have fun!