Suitcase Games
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Everyday Purse Games
Evening Bag Games
Travel games for every bag
Packing a bag? Whether the bag is a suitcase or an evening clutch, I am listing the best travel games. Let’s play games… on the go!
Games teach us so many life lessons. I believe that we need to play tabletop games to learn about resilience, collaboration, patience, etiquette, integrity and more.
Love all games? I also am sharing my favorite vacation spots for game players. Do you have any other games I should know about? Is there a vacation that I need to consider? Send me suggestions! missymahjong@gmail.com
Missy Mahjong’s best travel games for a week away
If I’m planning a week away, I’m packing a game. Sure, rentals and hotel lobbies might have some, but my bet is that there are missing pieces. I’m Missy mahjong- everyone knows I’m traveling prepared.
Full sized mahjong set with regular sized plastic racks
I bring a full-sized mahjong set to the summer cabin and ski rental. For longer stretches, a tiny travel set just won’t do. If I’m planning to spend hours playing with friends, I can’t strain my middle-aged eyes that long.
We travel to Cabo every year after Christmas. Lots of the same families make the trip every year, so I bring a full set and four cards. We play every afternoon at 4pm as the sun sets but before dinner.
Playing cards
Any bag should have a set of playing cards. Adults might want to play euchre, blackjack, hearts or canasta.
Traveling with kids? Crazy 8s, go fish and mindless war is great for hours of entertainment.
Mexican train
This domino game is more convenient to pack than you might think. Mexican train is an easy game for all ages and great for late nights at the table. We love this game for our family of 4.
American mahjong practice app to play on the plane with no WiFi.
Headed out on a long plane ride without WiFi? Download this app to practice mahjong. It suggests hands and tracks all the hands you have won.
Picture Charades
When we traveled with non-reading kids, we played a LOT of picture charades. Prepare to laugh for hours!
Solo games are important
Puzzles for solitaire moments at a rental house are a must. Leave a puzzle out on a table for quiet morning moments.
Missy Mahjong’s best travel games for a day trip
Whether we are headed to the beach or the baseball field, I always have a bag of games.
Travel mahjong set
How do I really feel about travel mahjong sets? Oof. On the one hand, travel sets are cute and easy to pack. On the other hand, I can barely see the tiny tiles!
I have a set from Mahj to Go that is traditional, has cute little wooden racks and came with a mini mat for $120. My mom paid $210 for the set from My Fair Mahjong with an elevated design. If I really think about it, these are expensive for rarely used sets. The pieces are so tiny and I do NOT want to lose a tile!
If I know I’m traveling with advanced players that really know the tiles we all love the game, I’m packing my travel set from Mahj to Go. If I’m playing with new players, I’d opt for the Mini Mahj set if even just a set of standard tiles without the rack or mat.
Rummikub
I love this tile game. Rummy is a classic game and much easier to learn than mahjong. Travel sets exist, but I easily bring my full-sized set anywhere.
My personal set is from The Mahjong Line. The racks and tiles all fit in the included bag. You can use a game mat, but a picnic blanket or beach towel works just fine too.
Rush Hour
This one player puzzle game keeps adults and older kids entertained for hours. It is tough and does have little pieces that absolutely cannot be lost. When my 11-year-old needs something to do in the shade, this is a great game. I also have found adults working on these car themed puzzles. It is frustrating and captivating at the same time!
Uno
What is a more classic game than Uno? This small and inexpensive game is easy to pack in any bag. Most people already know how to play, so it’s easy to hand the deck to kids and tell them to go play. As a family of four, we love to all play together.
Bananagrams
I love a word game! Packaged in the cute little banana bag, this game is easy to throw into any tote. It can be played with 2-8 players, but it also is just a fun solo activity to use the tiles and just build words.
Mad Libs
These classic “stories” are popular again! As a parent, I love when my kids learn something while playing a game. They think they are hilarious to use the words “smelly” and “burping” and “unicorn” to make a story. Really, they are practicing adjectives, adverbs and proper nouns. This is a sneaky way to add a learning game to any bag!
Tapple
We have the original and the travel. Truthfully, I have the full sized Tapple in a ziploc bag and I just take that with me. It’s a fun game to play with a bunch of people sitting around a table. Prepare to laugh!
Missy Mahjong’s best travel games for everyday
Heads Up on my phone
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Although this is a game that requires the cell phone to play, it’s completely offline. I pull this up when I’m waiting at the doctor’s office or airport with the kids.
Needlepoint
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Needlepoint is a creative puzzle. Needlepoint is for brains that like sequences. The stitches are patterns and, like a puzzle, each must fit to complete the picture. Especially when my brain works on compensation in the design, the pattern is more and more like a puzzle.
Q Less
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This solitaire word game is simple and so fun. I bring this little word game tin out while we wait for our dinner at a restaurant. I play this over my morning coffee to get my brain working. Created by a local Nashville man, this game is about to go into major retailers. You heard about it here first!
Old Maid
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Know your audience when bringing this game out! The concept of being the “old maid” is so inappropriate, but a true classic. This is a hilarious card game at a dinner table with kids.
Missy Mahjong’s best travel games for a dinner party
Cult Gaia tic tac toe bag
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I was 43 years old when I learned that tic tac toe is all about the corner strategy. Yes, I was always going for the middle and frustrated when my husband could beat me every time! I love this bag for two reasons: It’s a beautiful statement piece AND it is a game itself. The bag is too small to fit my phone, but I don’t care. Sometimes I’m happier just leaving the phone at home for a night out. This game is a great conversation starter!
Nail puzzle
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Anyone that knows me well has seen this puzzle in my purse or at my house. I have dozens of these puzzles around! I always give this puzzle to the scrolling teenager or the bored man at the wedding. Last spring I was at a charity fundraiser and one of the brilliant guests (yes- like BRILLIANT and super successful) came alone. I gave him this puzzle when we sat down to dinner, and he fiddled with it for the entire night. This little puzzle is an excellent way to meet new friends!
Heads up- adults version
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Again, this is on my phone but the game is completely offline. We went to a birthday party with some school parents and played this for almost an hour. We were laughing and getting to know each other quickly. You could tell who would “click” by the wavelength certain guests were on!
Vacations for game lovers
On certain vacations, games are part of the experience. I know there must be places all over the world that incorporate a signature game. These are my top three that I know well:
Bingo at Sea Island
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Bingo night at Sea Island is the must do. Bingo might even be the reason to take a trip to this resort! Guests dress up in fancy dresses and jackets for an elevated after dinner experience. This is great for all ages, and the MC makes the game so lively.
Blackberry Farm
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This luxury resort is one of the most iconic places in Tennessee. Upon arrival, guests just feel an exhale. There are puzzles and games set out on all the bar tables in the dining building and in the game building itself. These are all an invitation to play. Instead of scrolling through a phone, guests add pieces to the puzzle or play a pick-up game of scrabble. And these games are not just the average big box version. These games are beautiful, like the Clue game with inlaid rooms and a wooden base.
Vail for mahjong
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Anyone staying in the Vail Valley can jump in a mahjong game. Vail Mah Jongg hosts games year-round at venues throughout this ski town. The games are free to attend, but players are encouraged to donate to Vail Health Palliative Care.
This is a bonus 4th game venue: Literally the entire state of Wisconsin is also a game mecca. Whether it’s a cabin in the Northwoods or a summer lake home, games are part of the Wisconsin lifestyle. Leave the TV off and don’t worry about the spotty cell service when you are in America’s Dairyland.
Pull up a chair to any table and let the games begin.