Taking a long trip on a tour bus can be boring, especially on the sometimes featureless interstate highway system. Playing games with the other passengers can make the time and miles go by faster. This can introduce a feeling of camaraderie and fellowship between the travelers and encourage bonding that leads to friendships when the games are over. On a tour bus, people aboard already have something in common, and playing games usually won't annoy some of the other passengers as it would on public transportation.
Sing-alongs are a time-honored way to pass the time on long trips. Tailor the songs to fit age groups or the time of year. Summer songs and holiday songs are favorites. Pick traditional songs that everyone knows the words to, like "Kumbaya," "Oh Susanna" or "She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain." For kids, try "The Name Game," "Wheels on the Bus," "The Ants Go Marching" or "Old McDonald Had a Farm." For seniors, sing show tunes or old timey songs. For older kids, there's always "100 Bottles of Beer (or Pop) On the Wall." For variety, vary the tempo, introduce two- or even three-part harmonies or make up your own words to popular songs.
This is a simple game that can provide an hour or two of diversion. The first person to spot an old or new Volkswagen Beetle yells out "Slug Bug!" and lightly punches the people next to him on the shoulder. Love taps only--no hard hitting allowed. Because there are not a lot of VW Beetles on the road, you might include other makes and models, such as Chrysler PT Cruisers. If you want to introduce more complexity, enact the "no returns" rule: if the first person to spot a VW Beetle says "Slug Bug! No Returns!" then the person she punches may not punch her back; if he does, the penalty is another light punch.
See who can spot the most out out-of-state license plates. Keep score on most plates from one state, most plates from different states, or plates from farthest away. This can be a team or individual effort. For added excitement, offer prizes for the winners.
This guessing game can be played by all age groups. A designated leader thinks of something--living ("animal" or "vegetable") or inanimate ("mineral"). The first question is some variation of "Is it an animal, vegetable or mineral"? The second question is usually, "Is it bigger than a bread box"? The size of a bread box may have to be explained to younger players. Players can ask up to 20 yes/no questions to guess what the "thing" is, and the leader must answer truthfully, but only by saying "Yes" or "No." Whoever guesses correctly is the new leader and thinks of something for players to guess in the next round.
