Hey everyone,
Keeping the kids off their phones for even a short time nowadays is near impossible without hearing a chorus of “I’m bored”.
So we invented something on the spot that actually worked: Spy Hunt Story
The concept is super simple:
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Someone starts a story: “Once there was a brave raccoon who needed to find…”
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They call out something to spot outside the vehicle’s windows (a color, number, or type of thing)
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First person to see it shouts it out and gets to add the next sentence
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That person picks the next thing to find
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Keep going until the story ends or you arrive at your destination.
Why it actually worked:
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Young players can play by pointing to things
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Older kids come up with ridiculous plot twists to the story (usually pretty funny)
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No supplies to pack or lose
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Easy to stop and start when needed
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The stories got hilariously weird
We’ve played this during many of our RV adventures with our kids, and now that they are grown, some of the craziest stories still get brought up at holiday gatherings. The Legend of Captain Whiskers and the Flying Taco Truck is one, and the pizza-stealing dinosaur driving a magic school bus, with everyone living in a water tower, was another.
I wrote up the full rules with age tweaks, story starters, and variations. There’s also a printable PDF scorecard if you want to make it competitive.
Link to the rules –> SPY HUNT STORY
Figured I’d share in case anyone else needs something new in their road-trip arsenal. Let me know if you try it, I’m curious how other families’ stories turn out!
Has anyone else invented games on the fly that became family favorites?