8 travel-related games and crafts
Travelers have yet to play destination roulette so they can go on vacation with confidence as we are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Places are constantly being added to or removed from the list of countries considered safe to visit. Now might be a good time to check out some travel-related games and crafts that you can do from the comfort of your own home and remain a wheelchair traveler for now.
We've brought you just 8 of our favorite games, crafts, and puzzles. Of course, they are not a substitute for real experience, but our adventures must wait for the best moments to come.
1. Azul board gameTaken from the word Azulejo - Spanish and Portuguese glazed ceramic tiles. Tiles can be found outside and inside homes and other places such as restaurants, palaces, churches, etc. patterns.
With this particular version of Azul, 2 to 4 players compete to decorate the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora in Portugal. Each player takes on the role of a tiler by getting individual tiles from the factory in order to score points based on how the tiles are placed to decorate the palace. The game lasts between 30 and 45 minutes and is recommended for children 8 years and older. The game is available at several outlets, including John Lewis, and costs around £ 25 to £ 30.
2. Coloring books for adults The magical cityDesigned by award-winning illustrator Lizzie Mary Cullen, this book is packed with intricate designs inspired by cities such as Paris, London and Luxor. There are 96 excellent quality pages waiting for your artistic skills to relax in the world of coloring.
Priced at around £ 9 to £ 13 depending on where it was purchased, this book is available at various outlets such as Amazon and craft shops. A beautifully illustrated coloring book suitable for people of all ages, but specially designed for adults.
Magical jungleDesigned by acclaimed illustrator Joanne Basford, this stunning book will bring you plants and animals found in exotic rainforests. The 80 pages are filled with intricate pen and ink designs ready to add in tropical colors. Available at many outlets, including WH Smith, prices can range from £ 9 to £ 13.
If you're in the mood to indulge in this hobby, you'll probably want to invest in a luxury pencil set. Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils are probably of the highest quality, starting at around £ 30 for a set of 24. However, a set of 120 pencils in a wooden case could set you back £ 260. Of course, colored pencils are available at much cheaper prices to suit all budgets.
Why color? It is said that this hobby induces the same state as meditation by reducing a restless mind and helping us to de-stress. It was once a hobby that many of us enjoyed as children, but it has grown into an adult trend. With the introduction of premium paper, intricate designs, and a wide variety of themes, you can soar to different worlds. So disconnect from technology and get creative!
3. LEGO ArchitectureWe've all heard of LEGO, and here's the chance to recreate some of the famous architectural buildings found around the world. Various city scenes are also available, displaying some of the buildings and monuments associated with this destination. Below we've shown you an example of both.
Statue of LibertyComposed of 1,685 pieces, take the time to build this monument found on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in the United States. The finished masterpiece is 44cm / 17 inches high and 14cm / 5 inches wide at the base. The set is complete with the 7 Spoke Crown, Statue Tablet and Torch, Shield Lined Base, and more.
Intended to commemorate the friendship between France and the United States, it is today one of the most recognizable monuments in the world. Located in the base of the monument are exhibits of the history of the statue, including the original torch from 1886. Since 1916, visitors have not been able to access the balcony of the torch due to an explosion on the peninsula neighbor of Black Tom during the First World War.
The price for this set direct from LEGO is £ 90. Other buildings and monuments available include the Empire State Building, Trafalgar Square, Burj Khalifa, and the White House.
ParisThis set includes 649 pieces. When complete, measures 21cm / 8 inches high, 29cm / 11 inches long and 11cm / 4 inches wide. Features include the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Champs-Élysées, Tour Montparnasse, and Grand Palais. Each individual building in the ensemble is presented at the scale of the other buildings, giving you an idea, in particular, of the height of the Eiffel Tower and Montparnasse.
The price for this set direct from LEGO is £ 45. Other available cities include New York, London, Tokyo, Dubai, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Shanghai.
4. Destination cross stitch Contemporary cross stitchMake your way through Europe with these colorful and contemporary designs from Stitchrovia featured on Etsy. Here are just 2 creations of Emma Congdon. One features the whitewashed buildings of the small Greek island of Santorini.
The other represents the architecture found in the Italian city of Venice, including the famous gondolas. Both models can be downloaded from her shop on Etsy for just under £ 6.
All you have to do is buy the cross stitch fabric (aida fabric) and the threads. Of course, all required colors will be contained on the PDF document you download along with a color chart. Using 14k Aida (14 holes per inch), finished items will measure just under 33cm / 13inch square (Santorini) and 27cm / 10.5inch x 31cm / 12inch (Venice).
City cross stitch kitThere are so many awesome cross stitch kits featuring travel scenes, but one of our favorites is in the Etsy store - Yarn Stories. Showing a sidewalk cafe scene in the Italian city of Verona, the finished item will measure 30cm / 12inch x 40cm / 16inch. By purchasing the complete kit, you will receive everything you need including color chart, fabric, colored threads (40 colors) and needle.
The price of the kit is around £ 47 and will give you many hours of relaxation while transporting you to Verona.
5. Puzzles The 3D puzzle of the worldMost people love to watch and spin a globe, so here's a chance to test your geography knowledge and create your own. The kit comes with 540 curved jigsaw parts that fit together to form a solid globe.
The completed item will measure 22cm / 9 inches in diameter and can be displayed on the accompanying stand and rotated. The perfect chair puzzle for your family's globetrotter that can be taken apart and used over and over again.
The price is around £ 25 to £ 28 and can be purchased at various outlets including John Lewis and Hamleys.
For the executive desk, we suggest the Magnetic Stainless Steel 3D Globe which measures just under 7.5cm / 3 inches in diameter. It's finished, so you'll have a chance to study it before you take it apart and spend some time putting it back together. The globe comes with its own stand and is priced at around £ 24.
6. Create your own masterpieceI'm sure we all, in our childhood, had paint by numbers. Take it to the next level and relax with a set designed for the adult market. With so many jaw-dropping creations in their 'Places & Towns' category, Masterpiece By Numbers provides everything you need to get started. Everything is delivered in a sturdy cardboard tube through the post. The pack includes a small color photo of the finished painting, a paper guide, acrylic paints, high quality linen canvas, brushes. You will have all the colors you need and no mixing is involved.
We especially liked this kit - Walk To The Sea - depicting a Mediterranean scene of a narrow, stepped street, descending to the palm-fringed waterfront.
The canvas size is 40cm / 16inch x 50cm / 20inch and is currently priced at just £ 23.
7. Who knows where? family board gameThis board game can be fun for the whole family or just for a couple. For 2-4 players or teams, this game features over 1000 questions in categories such as cities, capitals, events, facts and sights. Develop your knowledge of the world by guessing the location asked in each question and placing your own pyramid on the area of the map that you think is the answer. The rules are quite flexible, which can make the game easier for younger players.
Be the first player (or team) to travel the world. You may want to replay by flipping the board over to use the second card.
Priced at around £ 30, this can be purchased at stores such as John Lewis and Waterstones.
8. Build the Taj MahalIf you have a lot of spare time, bring a 3D replica of the Taj Mahal into your home by sticking about 7,500 matches in this building kit. Presented by Matchitecture, this kit includes matches, cutter, pliers, glue, assembly board, clips, pliers and an instruction guide. You will spend hours cutting and assembling matches according to plans.
The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. Built for the Emperor between 1631 and 1648, in memory of his wife, this building is widely regarded as one of the most astonishing ever.
You will need a lot of space as the finished building is approximately 60cm / 24 inches square and 38cm / 15 inches high. This kit is available at a variety of outlets and is priced at around £ 92.
With so many options available, especially in the crafts category, you might find yourself jumping into a new hobby. Which travel game or craft is your favorite?
Gail Hewitt is the owner and director of Corona Holidays. Corona Holidays is the specialist in tailor-made vacations to the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and European city breaks. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to enhance your profile, please contact us.