Lately our kids are picking up on new games quicker than you can shout, “UNO!” Moving beyond the world of Chutes & Ladders and Zingo has been such a milestone. It’s also opened up the possibility of finding games themed around upcoming adventures!

We are preparing to explore Andalusia, Spain in March. Here are a few games that have been featured on our kitchen table the past month.

Azul

In this game, players need to make patterns to lay out a floor for an Iberian palace. After watching a video and having a practice round, the kids picked up on this game quickly.

We made connections to the beautiful tile work and patterns we’ll see in Seville, Granada, and Cordoba. Did you know one difference between Moorish designs and Christian designs is the incorporation of people or animals? This is something the kids will be on the lookout for on our trip!

Ticket-to-Ride Europe

Traveling by train from Madrid to Seville is something we’re all excited to do. (Hopefully in a more direct route than the game sometimes takes us.) As a map-lover, I’ve certainly had to come to terms with the wonky placement of some cities.

Alhambra

This game came up while requesting Azul through our Library Catalog as a “you may also be interested in” listing. It was our first time borrowing games, and we were surprised by all our library offers beyond books: everything from museum passes to artwork to tools!

Each player builds their Alhambra fortress by purchasing different components. Points are earned by having the most of certain kinds of buildings (like towers) and the longest wall.

Gamify Personalized Learning

• Charades– Write/Draw key people, places, or actions related to your upcoming trip. Take turns acting them out without using words!
• Matching Game – Print out pictures of places you plan to visit or things you’ll see. Either match image-to-image or image-to-words. Reuse these to pick what to do each day in this Choice Cards activity!
• Timeline Game– Print out pictures of key events on cardstock. Write the dates on the back. Deal out cards. Each person takes turns placing them in chronological order on a left-to-right timeline in the middle of the playing area.

Other games with location themes:

• France: Mille Bornes, Carcassonne
• Japan: Sushi Go, Takenoko, King of Tokyo
• Italy: Scopa, Bocce Ball
• United States: Ticket-to-Ride USA, Monopoly
• Netherlands: Dutch Blitz (actually PA), Exoplanet
• England: The London Game, Cluedo

What other games would you recommend adding to this list?