A family play story · Wonder Trails
One river, a sleepy troll and two brothers on the same team
We printed the free Wonder Trails game for Kayden, 9, and Kian, 7. An hour later, they had cut out a little world of picture cards, crossed a river, outwitted a sleepy troll and started planning ahead for whatever came next.
First came the scissors; then the story
Getting ready was part of the fun. The boys helped cut out the cards and lay the trail across the table. There were pictures to sort, obstacles to discover and plenty of room to make up their own ideas. Before long, the game had turned into a proper team adventure.
Wonder Trails gives players a route to the treasure, with obstacles to solve along the way and 30 action cards to help imagine a way through. We spent about an hour playing, taking turns to choose what happened next and talking through four or five obstacles on our trail. Crossing the river called for a plan; then there was a deep pit and a very sleepy troll to get past. Wings, a robot, tools, disguises and other unlikely ideas all came into the conversation.
They started thinking several steps ahead
The part I loved most was seeing them build on each other’s ideas. At the river, they compared ways across and matched their ideas to the tools and actions available. As the trail continued, Kayden began saving certain items for obstacles still to come. Kian kept bringing fresh possibilities to the table, and together they worked out a route towards the treasure.
It was lovely to watch their different ideas meet. They took turns, listened to each other and solved the challenges as a team, with imagination and problem-solving woven into the story.
The next day, the adventure continued
A day later, Kian had opened the envelope, set out the pieces and started playing Wonder Trails all by himself. He narrated the trail out loud as he imagined what his adventurer would do next. Then he said, “I love this game.”
That little return visit told me a lot. The trail was still there in his imagination, ready for another journey.
Ready to make a trail at your table?
Wonder Trails is a free printable cooperative adventure. Choose the full-colour edition or the ink-friendly version, print the pages and cut out the pieces. The game guide includes setup and print-scale details.
See the Wonder Trails printable details or read how the game works.