As the next National FFA Convention & Expo draws near, FFA members and advisors across the country are once again getting ready to make the trip to Indianapolis. And while some of the recent years have been disrupted due to the pandemic, one long-standing tradition that we love to embrace is the journey itself.
For many chapters, the journey will either be a long car or bus ride. For other chapters, they may even have to take multiple flights to get to Indy to join the sea of blue. During these long trips, it is easy to resort to your cell phone for entertainment. While our smart devices are nice, this is also a great time to bond with your fellow FFA members. We are talking about more than just pointing out cows every time you pass one (although that game is just a given). Check out these road trip games with an agriculture twist.
1. Test your knowledge with the ABCs of FFA.
- Have a sheet of paper and give players three minutes to fill out the ABCs of FFA. Example — A: advisor, B: biology C: Career Development Events etc. etc. Remember, if someone else has your answer, they cancel each other out and doesn’t count for a point. Player with the most unique terms wins!
2. FFA Car Bingo
- This game requires some preparation. Have a member put together a few items that you will see or talk about along the way. For example, cows, your advisor saying their catchphrase, driving across a covered bridge, or grain bins. Make a sheet for each player and put the items in a random order — don’t forget the free space! First player to get a Bingo wins! This game is a good low key game and can be played multiple times.
3. Name that tune
- This game is a self explanatory. Pass the aux cord and have some fun! Really test your skills by having your advisor plug in their phone and see how many songs you can guess.
4. Would you rather — farm edition
- This is a great game to get to know each other better! Would you rather muck the stalls or give a speech in front of everyone you know? Clean out the bottom of the grain bin or forget your FFA jacket for National Convention? The list can go on and on. Take turns asking everyone in the vehicle and each player can come up with their own questions.
5. Heads up
- This can be played on your smartphone with the app or with premade cards. To play, you can either split off into teams or just with play with one big group and rotate players. Every item guessed correctly receives one point, you can also pass on items if you cannot guess it. Set a timer for 60 seconds if you are playing with your own cards and let the fun begin!
6. Superlatives
- This would be a great game to play on the way home to end the National FFA Convention experience. Every member gets a Most likely to… For example, Most likely to be the next FFA President; Most likely to be the most successful; Most likely to find the cure to cancer; etc. It is always fun to highlight the best qualities in each other.
While you are on your long journey, be sure to check out our guide to everything you’ll want to know about the convention and about what makes FFA so great!
Although it is hard to play games on an airplane, there are other opportunities to interact with each other. For example, the time waiting on your flight, layovers, and travel time to and from the airport. One great opportunity when flying is the ability to start a new book. Check out this great list of agricultural-based books to add to your smartphone or kindle.
No matter what you do on the way to Indianapolis, have fun! Use this time to cultivate your current friendships and get ready to create new ones. Once you get to Indy, take time to enjoy as much as you can! There is one for sure thing at National FFA Convention & Expo, it will be over before you know it — enjoy the sea of blue.
