If your vacation plans include a long car ride, not only will you need to be prepared with dozens of snack options, but you’ll also need some fun car games to play on your family road trip. Remember how we used to sing “99 bottles” to drive our parents crazy? Fun times. Let’s make sure that never happens again.
In-car entertainment doesn’t have to be limited to movies and iPads. There are lots of car games to play as a family to make the most of your time together. Once the novelty of tech gadgets wears off, here’s a list of car games to play that the whole family will find fun and engaging. And while you may hear a couple of groans from the teenagers, before long they’ll all be playing along.
Fun Games to Play in the Car
1. I Spy
This one’s a classic, although it can get slightly complicated if you don’t guess the object in time and you pass it by! One person starts by saying “I spy with my little eye something that is…” and then finishes their sentence with a description of an object within sight. You could use colors or any other identifying adjective like bumpy, fuzzy, or tall. The other players then have to guess what the object is. This game can be played over and over again, making it perfect for long car rides!
2. The License Plate Game
Another of our favorite car games to play is perfect for long road trips because it can be played for hours on end. All you need is a pen and paper for each player. The goal is to spot license plates from as many states as possible. Each time you see a new license plate, jot it down and check it off your list. The first person to spot a license plate from all 50 states wins!
If you’re looking for a game that requires a little more thought, try the next one on our list.
3. 20 Questions
One person thinks of an animal, object, or person and the other players take turns asking up to 20 yes or no questions to try to figure out what it is. This game is best for older kids who can understand more complex concepts. If you have younger kids, you can make the game simpler by allowing more than 20 questions or giving them hints along the way.
4. Hangman
This classic game can be played with any number of people. One player thinks of a word or phrase and the other players take turns guessing letters. If the letter is in the word, the first player writes it in its correct position. If the letter is not in the word, the first player draws a body part of a stick figure man. The goal is to guess the word before the man is “hanged.”
5. Name That Tune
Traditionally, one player hums or sings a few bars of a popular song and the other players take turns guessing the name of the tune. In our family, we like to use Apple Music to play a few bars of a song to see who knows the song first. If no one can guess the song, you can move on to the next one. This game is perfect for music lovers of all ages!
6. Car Bingo
This game is perfect for kids of all ages and can be played with as many people as you have in the car. All you need is a pen and paper for each player. Before your trip, print out or order bingo boards or make your own with different items you might see on the road like animals, landmarks, vehicles, etc. As you’re driving, check off the items on your board. The first person to get five in a row (up, down, diagonally) wins!
Another way to play this game is to yell out something for the kids to look for such as a road sign, mountain, pine tree, a red truck, etc. Whoever finds it, yells “Bingo” and then they tell everyone what to look for next.
7. The Alphabet Game
This game can be played with as many people as you have in the car. One person starts by saying a word and the next person has to say a word that begins with the last letter of the first word. For example, if the first person says “dog,” the next person might say “gerbil.” This continues until someone either can’t think of a word or they repeat a word that’s already been said.
We hope you enjoy these games on your next road trip! What are some of your favorite games to play in the car?
