Practicality has always been a staple in any form of planning. You have too much going on to be dealing with unnecessary details and objects. That’s why many planners utilize carpooling when getting their guests to and from retreats. There’s no reason for everyone to drive separate, especially when there will be no need for vehicles once at the venue. But what are you to do for those few hours rolling down the road? We’ve got a few ideas.

• Encourage everyone to bring their bible and share passages about travel or that have to do with the theme of the event.
• Show the promo video for the event (if you have technology capabilities).
• Have everyone share camp stories or what they are looking forward to most this year.
• Before leaving, pair everyone with someone they don’t know and have them answer questions about their partner after the ride. There is plenty of time and opportunity to get to know others, plus it will save you time from having to do so during the event.
• Share announcements, procedures and any other information guests may need to know while there. This includes divvying up teams or pairing with counselors.

For those of you who would rather play games, there is

• Travel Bingo. Unlike regular bingo, that just has numbers, travel bingo cards include objects that you may see while traveling. The leader can make these beforehand or leave them blank and have students fill out their own card before leaving. Mark off objects as they are seen and the first one to get a line of marked off objects wins.
• What’s missing? This bible game is great to practice memorization of Bible verses. The leader reads out a verse, leaving one word out. Players have to guess what the missing word is.
• Pass the Shoe Back. Each side of the bus will be a team. Give a shoe to the person in the front seat. The teams will race to get their shoe to the back of the bus first by PASSING ONLY (no throwing). If the shoe is thrown or dropped, it goes back to the front of the bus and starts over.
• I Spy. This classic travel game is great for keeping students from boredom because they must always be on the lookout. Once the first person to guess what the person that says “I spy” was looking at, it is that new person’s turn.

When it comes to heading home, you will more than likely have a much less energetic group. For those still wanting to chat, have them share what their favorite activity was or what they liked best about the event.

Travel can be boring, but there’s no reason you can’t use the time for a little engagement on the part of guests. It doesn’t have to be loud or active. There will only be so much time for the event. You might as well take advantage of the group sitting still for a few hours.