A simple getting-to-know-you activity for children involves each person taking turns stating three statements about himself. However, two statements are true and one is a lie. The other people need to guess which statement is the lie by raising one, two or three fingers, representing which sentence was the lie. An example would be, "I was lost at the zoo when I was 4 years old, I enjoy rafting trips and my favorite food is sushi." After everyone guesses, the player reveals which sentence was false.
Another get-to-know-you activity with children is a game where each person states what happened during the day that made her feel mad, sad and happy. This is an ideal activity for the end of the day while traveling. Everyone shares their personal experiences and changes the way the others see their day as well. It can also help if there were any difficult days traveling or something a child wants to get off her chest. For example, your child might say he was mad when they ran out of waffles at breakfast, sad that the batteries died from his music player and happy that he discovered he loves asparagus.
Before the travel begins, ask each child to place five important objects that represent himself into a paper lunch sack. These items could be a single mitten, an old stuffed animal or a craft made at school. When you have downtime during your travels or during a long car or plane ride, bring out the bags. Ask each child to talk about each object and why it is so important to them. For example, the mitten might be important to your child because he remembers wearing them when he was younger and now it doesn't fit. Everyone should learn valuable insight about each child.
Using paper and crayons, ask each child to draw a picture that describes the "most important thing about me." For example, your child could draw his home and favorite climbing tree. This activity would work well in restaurants or while waiting for a flight at the airport. Older children can write a short essay to accompany the drawings or write about what is most important to them alone. Afterward, the children should share their drawings and let everyone understand what they drew or wrote.
