A long time ago, before iPads, kindles, and other portable technology (read: my childhood), kids were forced to entertain themselves by playing games in the car.
Well, even with all of the available technology, car games are still an excellent way to pass the time on road trips, all while having fun as a family.
As the kids have gotten older, we have discovered many kid-friendly games to play in the car. Now we are sharing some of our favorites with you!
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Games to Play in the Car Using License Plates
1. License Plate Game
One way to pass the time in the car is to play the License Plate Game. All you have to do is keep track of the different state license plates you see while on your road trip. We use an app designed by Batch Labs.
You can download the app for both Apple and Android. It’s a fun way to get the whole family involved. You can also make it a competition to see who gets the most license plates.
2. License Plate Bingo
An alternative to the license plate is License Plate Bingo. Played like a regular Bingo game, if you see the license plate, you mark it off. You can have various ways to win, including the traditional 5 in a row, the 4 corners, or the entire board.
We created a FREE License Plate Bingo download for you to enjoy! You can use the sheets once or laminate them and use a dry-erase marker for multiple uses.
A Fun Music Game to Play in the Car
3. Name That Tune
Name That Tune is favorite in our family. We change up the game to include TV theme songs, Disney movie songs, or popular songs on the radio. You can tailor the game to your family’s interests. You can play the game randomly, for whoever comes up with a song can sing. Or you can take turns by letting whoever guessed the previous song go next.
Alphabet Inspired Road Trip Games
4. Road Sign Alphabet
One of my favorite games to play growing up was the Road Sign Alphabet game. The game is a race to see who kind find words that start with each letter of the alphabet on signs or other vehicles outside of the car.
Start with the letter “A” and work your way through the alphabet. More than one person cannot use the same word, so whoever sees the word first gets to move on to the next letter. However, if the same word appears twice on the same sign, that word can be used by two people.
It’s a fun game that becomes quite challenging towards the end of the alphabet. Maybe you’ll get lucky and drive by a Zaxby’s!
5. Alphabet List
Another fun way to pass the time using the alphabet is the Alphabet List game. Pick a subject, then list items that relate to that subject, but using each letter of the alphabet.
For example, the beach. Player one would say “airplane” (at least in New Jersey, you’d see an airplane advertising something at the beach!). Player two would say “beach ball”, and so on as each player takes a turn at the next letter.
It works with almost any subject, though sometimes it can be hard finding objects or animals that start with an “X”.
6. Cities, States, and Countries
There are two ways you can play Cities, States, and Countries. First, everyone can takes turns listing a city or country that follows the alphabet. For example, Australia, Brazil, Chicago, etc. Make it harder by sticking to a single country for cities, or a single continent for countries.
The second way to play is to start with any city, state, or country, and then the next play has to start their answer with the last letter of the previous city or country mentioned. For example, Chicago, Oklahoma, Arkansas, etc. Again, you can make it harder by limiting the list to just cities or countries, or where they are geographically located.
Road Trip Games That Make You Think
7. Twenty Questions
An oldie but a goodie, Twenty Questions can be altered in various ways to make it easier for the younger kids and harder for the older kids and adults. For the younger kids, you can start with a specific category (farm animals, for example). Remember only to ask “yes” or “no” questions!
8. 5 Second Rule
5 Second Rule is a game they play on Ellen. It is a quick, fun game that anyone can play. The key is to have someone who is not driving set the five-second timer.
To play, come up with a question where the player has to name three things. Some examples are:
- Three things you can do in your kitchen
- Three things you have in a school bag
- Three animals that live on a farm
The player has five seconds to spit out the three answers. If they answer in time, they get a point. You can play until someone reaches X amount of points.
9. 5 Words One Book/Movie
This is a fun way to incorporate all ages into a game. Players say five words that can describe either a movie or book. Everyone else in the car has to guess which movie or book those five words describe. You can take turns around the car, or let the person is guesses correctly give the next clues. Some examples are:
- Tornado, witch, emerald, scarecrow, home
- Wand, school, Hufflepuff, wizard, boy
- Tower, hair, flower, thief, princess
Players can take turns in a specific order, or the person who guesses correctly can offer the next clues. The youngest players in the car may have a hard time giving clues, but they’ll have fun trying to guess!
What Games Do You Play on Road Trips?
Is there a game that you and your family enjoy playing on long car rides? Let us know in the comments! We love learning new ways to pass the time in the car as a family.
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