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Long bus rides for school trips or excursions can be exciting at first, but they can gradually become boring.
Because there’s only so much you can do while sitting, it’s worth having some bus activities ready that everyone can enjoy together.
In this article, we’ll share plenty of bus activity ideas that will captivate middle schoolers.
From quizzes, singing, and personality tests to games, we’ve gathered a wide range—from those you can start easily without any props to ones that require a bit of preparation.
Before you know it, the travel time might become your favorite memory! Find activities you like and have a great time on the bus!
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[For Middle Schoolers] Exciting Bus Recreation Games: Ideas (1–10)
Majority vote game
If you want to have a lively time with everyone, try a majority-vote game.
The rules are quite simple: if you end up in the minority, you lose.
Take turns presenting topics for a vote and hold a majority vote each time.
Classic prompts like “Which do you prefer, dogs or cats?” work well, and it’s also fun to choose topics likely to split opinions.
Another appeal of this game is the psychological warfare of misleading others about which side you’ll choose.
For example, you can openly declare your choice to sway those around you.
Try devising strategies to land in the majority.
Yamanote Line game
A great game that everyone knows and can start right away is the Yamanote Line Game.
First, choose a topic, then go around in order answering to a rhythm of two claps.
As the name suggests, the most common version is to name Yamanote Line stations in sequence, but it’s also popular to pick any topic you like.
For example, “favorite animals” or “names of European countries.” Choosing a topic that everyone can answer tends to make it more exciting.
You can also add constraints like “no words that end with ‘n’” or “maximum of three characters” to increase the difficulty.
Give it a try.
One-in-a-hundred survey
Do you know the “1 out of 100 Survey,” a popular segment from the variety show Waratte Iitomo? It’s a game where you ask a question that seems likely to apply to only 1 out of 100 people, and you clear the challenge if exactly one person actually fits.
That said, gathering 100 people can be tough.
In that case, you can still enjoy it by reducing the number to, say, 10 people.
It’s also fine to play with a larger group, like 200 people.
Feel free to adapt it flexibly to suit your situation.
Don’t Overlap Game
I also recommend the “Don’t Overlap!” game, which requires teamwork.
In this game, multiple people answer a single prompt, and if any answers overlap, you fail.
For example, if the prompt is “Characters from the Sazae-san family,” you’d fail if multiple people answer “Katsuo.” On the other hand, if everyone gives different names like “Katsuo,” “Sazae,” and “Wakame,” you succeed.
Just make sure your answers still fit the prompt—keep that in mind as you play.
True or False Quiz
With a true-or-false quiz, anyone can join anytime, anywhere.
First, the quizmaster asks a question, and participants answer with either O (true) or X (false).
For example: “In English, a dog is called a ‘dog.’ True or false?” Since it’s a two-choice format, you can answer even if you don’t know much about the topic.
It could also be fun to make it an elimination game where questions are asked in succession and you’re out if you get one wrong.
Let’s see who can last until the end.
It’s even possible someone could make it to the end purely by luck.
Intro Quiz
An intro quiz—combining the two elements of “music” and “quiz”—is a guaranteed hit for a bus activity! Just when everyone starts getting bored of the long ride, play the latest trending hits, anime songs, or Vocaloid tracks that everyone knows, and it’ll snap those daydreamy, bus-lulled minds right back to attention.
The quickest way is to use intro-quiz videos from YouTube, but since many schools don’t allow smartphone use during trips or classes, it’s best to prepare the tracks in advance on a CD or USB.
Crank up some upbeat tunes, raise the energy, and make the journey just as fun as the destination.
Personality test
A psychological test involves answering questions, and the choices you make reveal your true feelings.
How about incorporating this into a bus activity? Prepare a few questions and have everyone choose their answers at the same time.
Afterwards, announce, “Those who chose this answer are…” and reveal what true feelings that choice is said to indicate! People might be surprised by unexpected sides of themselves being identified, which will make things even more exciting.
Just be sure to choose psychological tests that won’t make anyone feel uncomfortable!
