About The Game

Finding games to keep your preschooler busy while travelling can get expensive. Even though there are plenty of situations where an expensive store bought travel game will come in handy, there are games that your preschooler can play that won't cost you a penny! The Animal Sounds Travel game is a fun game that uses the scenery of a road trip to keep your preschooler occupied. The thrill of the game is the hunt for as many different animals as your preschooler can find! The fun is in trying to make the different sounds...unusual sounds. You will be delighted by the sounds your preschooler will come up with for animals such as squirrels, birds, and rabbits!

What You Will Need

Plenty of scenery

Knowledge of the different sounds that animals make

How To Play

On most every road trip there is an abundance of different animals to be seen. From farm animals to park animals your preschooler is sure to find a large variety. While riding along on your road trip, ask your preschooler to point out as many animals as he/she sees. When your preschooler locates a particular animal have him/her to imitate the sound that the animal makes instead of calling out the name of the animal. For example, your preschooler sees a hawk hovering in the sky, instead of shouting out "there's a hawk", he/she must make a skawking sound. This may sound like an easy task but it can get difficult, even for an adult. Have you ever made a sound like a skunk or a beaver?

Make It More Challenging

For older preschoolers you can make this game a little more challenging by setting a specific number of different animals to find. For instance, the first person to find ten different animals and imitate each of their sounds correctly wins. This way your preschooler will look for a variety of animals instead of the most fascinating road trip animals (cows and horses).

Another variation is to pick out a specific animals to find such as brown animals, spotted animals, or animals with two legs. This adds interest, as well as enhances the hunting aspect of the game.

Your preschooler will have hours of fun searching for specific animals without even noticing the lenghty ride!

I'm Claudea Blythe, the Preschool Games writer for PreschoolRock.com. As a mother of two I'm always on the lookout for creative and exciting games to play with my children. Preschool games are wonderful educational and self-esteem building tools. If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas regarding games that you play with your preschooler, please feel free to contact me.

Helpful Tips for Parents

• Allow children to sometimes change the rules mid-game. This creative play — altering an existing game's parameters — is creative thinking and shows deep game understanding.

• Games are culture — traditional games pass down language, values, and community practices. Seek out games from your family's cultural background and those of your community.

• Games teach sportsmanship more efficiently than any direct instruction. A child who plays regularly learns to win graciously, lose without meltdown, and keep trying when behind.

• Modify rules when needed for younger children. The goal is engagement and positive experience, not correct rule-following. Rules are the container, not the point.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are video games appropriate for preschoolers?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting all screens (including video games) to 1 hour per day for children ages 2–5. Simple, educational touchscreen games have minimal harm when time-limited; fast-paced, commercial, or violent video games are not appropriate for preschoolers at any screen time level. The best educational value comes from games that are interactive and challenge thinking — simple puzzles, matching, and story-based apps. Video games should not replace physical games or creative play for any preschooler.

What makes a game developmentally appropriate for preschoolers?

A developmentally appropriate preschool game has: simple rules (explainable in 2–3 sentences), a play time under 20 minutes, sufficient chance that skill level doesn't dominate outcomes, a cooperative or non-eliminating structure (or short elimination periods), and immediate, visible feedback on outcomes. Games that require reading, complex strategy, sustained attention beyond 20 minutes, or perfect rule-following are typically not yet appropriate for ages 3–5.

Related reading: See also our classic games guide and our pretend play guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🏆 Sportsmanship — Experiencing winning and losing in a supportive environment — and practicing how to handle both graciously — builds the emotional resilience and social grace that competitive situations throughout life require.
• 💬 Communication Skills — Negotiating rules, explaining moves, and discussing the game develops vocabulary, sentence construction, and the conversational back-and-forth that underlies all effective social communication.
• 🧩 Memory & Concentration — Memory and matching games directly exercise working memory — the ability to hold information in mind while using it — which is one of the strongest predictors of reading and mathematical success.
• ⚡ Quick Thinking & Processing — Fast-paced games that require quick visual scanning or rapid decision-making develop processing speed and visual discrimination — skills that support reading fluency and mathematical fact retrieval.

There are lots of animals to be seen while cruising along on a road trip. Preschoolers enjoy finding and pointing them out to their parents. Turn your preschoolers love for animals into a fun game that the entire family will enjoy!