Traveling is great, and I think everyone should do at least some. However, I also still like having some games with me. (Actually, I like having a *lot* of games with me, but that’s another post!) Tiny living is also getting more popular, and having just moved into a school bus, I can totally relate. (20 minutes to clean my house? Sign me up!) But this means your space is limited, including the space you have for storing games. So, what to do?
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Reuse game pieces
One option is to play games that use the same pieces as other games. Many card games are a great example of this. With a single, regulation deck of cards, you can play War, Go Fish, Bullshit (I Doubt It, for those of us with tender sensibilities), Golf (it’s like Rat-A-Tat Cat), Crazy 8’s (similar to Uno), Spoons, and probably hundreds more. There are even books you can buy with all the instructions for a variety of games in one place, including my book, Gameschooling on a Budget. Yes, the book takes up more space, but you could get it digitally, or at the very least, a deck of cards and a book take up a lot less space than several larger games.
There are also many dice games that you can reuse dice for. Yahtzee takes 5 standard d6 of any color, Qwixx takes 6 standard d6 of specific colors, Math Dice takes a handful of dice, and Dungeons and Dragons takes a variety. But with one bag of dice, you could play all these games, and probably several more.
Finally, using the same 8×8 grid board, you can play Chess, Checkers, and Othello; all great 2-player logic games!
Consider packaging when purchasing games
There are many games that come in small boxes, or once unboxed, take up very little space. Odin’s Ravens, Cat Lady, Mancala, Bluffaneer, and Love Letter are some of our favorites.
Print-and-plays are another great option. I have a whole stack of games that are just a single sheet of paper (I laminate them because my family is super tough on things), plus some dice and counters.
I do like having at least a few bigger games, but digital games are also an excellent option. There are digital versions of many big games, including Wingspan, Ticket To Ride, and Carcassone. With just our laptops (which my husband and I need anyway for work), we can play a massive library of digital games.
Unboxing and bagging games is also an option. For more ideas, see my post on game storage.
At the end of the day, whether you’re traveling with a bag of dice and a deck of cards, or living tiny and relying on verbal and mental games, playing games can still be a big part of your life. After all, play is one of the more important parts of any life, child or adult!
Specific Examples
Smaller Boxed Games
Non-Standard Card Games
Hanging Games
Easy to DIY
You can make these games fresh any time you want to play them.