Kids and road trips…do they go together? If the kids are entertained, then, yes, absolutely!
There are plenty of road trips you can go on where you are able to take frequent stops that are suitable for kids (playgrounds, toy stores, ice cream parlors, kid friendly museums…the list goes on).
Apart from frequent and fun stops, you need games for the kids to play in the car. Otherwise, chances are you will hear the dreaded “Are we there yet?” every five minutes.
Thankfully, there are many games you can play in the car. Below we have listed some of the best games children can play in the car.
Some car games require nothing but your own voices, others are physical games you can buy off Amazon. Just remember that the driver should never fiddle with the music, or try to play physical games while driving. The number one cause for accidents is distracted driving, so you really want the driver to keep their focus on the road.
Now, let’s deep dive into some great car games—guaranteed to keep your kids busy.
The Animal Name Game
Go around the car naming different animals. Let’s say the first person says, “zebra.” The next person then has to say an animal starting with an “a.” You can’t repeat previously mentioned animals. If you do, or you can’t name an animal starting with the given letter, you’re out.
You can set a certain amount of time that a person has to come up with an animal, such as twenty-seconds if you want to make the game more difficult.
Word Association
Someone chooses a word, let’s say, “bus.” The next person has to (within ten-seconds) say something they associate with “bus,” like “wheel.” Then the next person has to say something they associate with “wheel,” and so forth. You’re out if you don’t say something within the set time, such as ten-seconds.
It could go like this: Bus, wheel, car, road, road trip, travel, map, lost, found, the lost and found, etc.
What Am I Thinking About?
One person thinks about a person, place, or thing. The rest of the passengers get to ask 10-20 questions about it. After that, you all have to guess what the person is thinking about.
For example, someone is thinking about a place.
“Is it a person?”
“No”
“Is it a place?”
“Yes.”
“Is it a country?”
“No.”
"Is it a city?”
“No.”
“Is it a lake?”
“Yes.”
“Is it in India?”
“Yes.”
And so forth. You decide how many questions you can ask before it’s time to guess what the person is thinking about. Many people choose to keep it to twenty questions.
Name the Song
Someone sings one line from a song, and the other passengers have to guess what song it is.
For example, someone sings: “I don’t want to talk about the things we’ve been through.” The rest of the passengers guess what song it is.
(Correct answer: The Winner Takes It All by Abba)
Memory Game
The first person says: “I’m going on a trip and I’m bringing my passport.” The second person then has to remember what was said and add one item. “I’m going on a trip and I’m bringing my passport and a water bottle.” The third person adds on yet another thing to the list. And so on.
The Map Game
You need a real map for this (yes, those still exist) and one passenger looks at it and announces a name. Another passenger has sixty-seconds to find the place on the map. (Only works if you don’t get car sick looking down.)
The Alphabet Game
One person chooses the left side of the car, the other the right. Each person has to find one thing each for all the letters of the alphabet in alphabetical order. So, first they have to spot something starting with an A, then a B, and so on. Whoever gets to Z first, wins.
Count the [Insert Object]
Whenever someone spots a certain thing that you have decided upon up front, they get a point. You can stick to one thing, such s spotting Volvos, or have a list of things.
You can also award double points for certain things if you want to make it more exciting. For example, whoever spots a sheep gets a point (and only one person can get a point at a time, so whoever spots the object first is awarded the point—if two people shout there’s a sheep, whoever shouted first gets the point). But if they spot a black sheep, they get two points. Or if you spot a Mercedes you get a point, but for a Mercedes SUV you get five points. You can make it as simple or complicated as you like—great when learning to add numbers.
I Spy
One person says: “I spy with my little eye something blue.” And indeed they have spotted something blue. The others have to guess what it is they’ve seen.
Example:
“I spy with my little eye, something starting with a T.”
“Is it the Toyota?”
“No.”
“One of the trees?”
“Yes.”
You can vary what you spy—things starting with a certain letter, things containing a geometric shape (i.e. a house might have a square in it), etc. If you need assistance, you can buy these cards that give you ideas for what you can “spy” along the road.
Audio Books
Audio books have never been more accessible. Join Audible, or get Scribd (the latter being more budget friendly, but as it’s a library it doesn’t have every book on the planet, unlike Audible that has pretty much any book you may be looking for).
Connect your device to the car radio if it’s a book the whole family can enjoy, or use different devices and earphones.
Suggestions for books the whole family may very well enjoy, even if the books were written for a certain age group:
•Astrid Lindgren books for kids age five and up (some of the books are for older kids, so just check, but Pippi Longstocking works for kids age five and up)
•The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling for kids age 11 and up
•The Cat Royal or The Companions Quartet series by Julia Golding for kids age 12-13 and up (Cat Royal will likely appeal to much older children, too)
•Rachel E. Carter’s Black Mage series for older teens (YA fantasy)
Sing-A-Longs
If you’re musically inclined, turn on tunes and have all the passengers singing along.
Guess the Tune
Turn on the first few beats of a song and have everyone guess what song it is.
Note: the driver should not manage this, but rather someone who has their hands free.
Tic Tac Toe
All you need is graph paper/squared paper and a pen. Two players at a time (or two teams of players). One person/team puts crosses, the other circles. You take turns. Whoever gets to three in a row first wins. It’s a great brain teaser.
You can also run championships. Maybe there are four people playing—A play B, C, plays D. Then the winners from the two games play against each other.
Simon
This little gadget will tell you what to do with it—in a specific sequence. You can bop it, twist it and pull it. It’s a real brain teaser to remember the sequence. It’s perfect for a child (or adult) sitting in a car, needing something to fiddle with.
Of course, you can do this without Simon. Just appoint someone in the car to do a clapping sequence—clapping their hands in a specific manner and then have everyone copy. You can incorporate snapping your fingers, too. Or why not arm movements? Just don't involve the driver!
Water Games
These kinds of games have been around since the seventies—it’s the water version of a pinball game where you press a button and have to get balls into spaces. Usually totally impossible, but it’s fun having a go! And will keep kids (and adults) entertained for many an hour.
Waterfuls in the US and Shopaholic in India both offer water pinball machines.
Lap Desk
Whether you buy Crayola’s cute puppy lap desk, or simply use a clip board, a thick piece of cardboard, or a thin piece of plywood and some crayons, you can let your little artist get creative while in the car. They can draw what they see along the way. Be sure they use crayons, and not something that might mess up the car!
Cubes
Rubik’s cubes and variations thereof are excellent ways of whittling away time on the road.
Tangram
While a normal puzzle would be difficult in a car, the Tangram magnetic puzzle works a charm! Create images using various shapes. Also available in India.
Brain Games
You can buy a set of Brain Games—guaranteed to keep kids who like a challenge occupied for quite some time. The same games are available in India.
Card Games
Nope, you can’t play cards in the car (at least it’d be a challenge!), but you can play using cards such as 100 Pics’ Riddles. The cards pose riddles, and allow for clues—ones you can view on the card. Of course, you can also simply find a list of riddles and read out loud!
In India you’ll find books about riddles for young kids and for older kids and their families.
You can also play a Scavenger Hunt Game. The cards will ask you to find certain items along the way.
Mad Libs
Mad Libs—the game where you fill in the blanks—is a worldwide success and they happen to have a book for road trips. You have to fill in the blanks to turn it into a story. You can play yourself or against other passengers.
Comments