7 Fun Games to Play in the Car
Are you preparing for your next family road trip? Road trips are a lot of fun, but the journey is often more boring than the destination. We’ve got you covered with 7 fun road trips to play in the car! Anyone who’s traveled in a group knows about the dreaded “are we there yet” that happens throughout the trip.
If you want to avoid a struggle, why not play a few road trip games to pass the time? They are terrific boredom busters. We’re here with a list of our favorite car games that will entertain kids and adults alike. Read on to learn more.
7 Fun Games to Play in the Car
1. I Spy
I Spy is one of the most classic road trip games around! It’s easy and fun and it works regardless of how many people you have in your car. Even two people can play I Spy.
To play I Spy, the person starting the game says “I spy with my little eye something that _____.” The blank space stands for a color (is red), a letter (starts with the letter B), or any other descriptor that’s vague enough that there might be other options.
If you’re choosing something outside of the car, make sure that it’s going to be within sight for everyone for a decent amount of time so the game is fair. When someone guesses the thing, they win and they get to “spy” the next item.
Examples
Good example: “I spy with my little eye something that is black and white.” The answer is a cow and the car is passing a large field of cows so there’s no doubt that everyone can see them.
Bad example: “I spy with my little eye something that is pink.” The pink object is a car, but it sped by so fast that only the spying person could possibly have seen it. This isn’t fair to the other players.
2. License Plate Games
License plate games are popular games for road trips. You can work as a team or make it competitive. It’s great for long road trips because it will take a long time to fill your list (and most people aren’t able to unless they’re going to a popular tourist destination).
There are a few ways to play.
The first is looking for states. The end goal is to find one state’s license plate for every state in the country (but most people will end up just looking for as many as possible. You’d have to be lucky to get all 50).
The second way to play has a better chance of producing a winner, and this one is better for competitive players. You’re looking for license plates to either fill the alphabet or number slots from 1 to 10. The number one is better for very small children because it shouldn’t take too long if they’re paying attention.
Make sure to use a pencil and paper to write down the numbers, letters, or states as you go along. It can be difficult to keep track.
The third way to play “the license plate game” is the most challenging. It is played by memorizing or writing down the letters of the first license plate you spot and then forming as many words as you can. One license plate per player per round.
Apart from the letters on the license plate, two vowels are picked (unique or two of the same) per round that all players have at their disposal to add to their pool of letters. The player with the most words at the end of a predefined number of rounds wins the game.
Lastly, is License Plate Lingo which is all-together a different game to play in the car, and a classic road trip game that is worth mentioning. To play this game simply make up a phrase using the letters on another car’s license plate. Take turns spotting a license plate and calling the letters out on it. Each person will create a phrase using the letters called out. For example, ADM could be “ants drink milk ” or “apple dill muffin”. As you can see, this game gets pretty silly and can provide hours of entertainment!
3. Twenty Questions
Another one of the best games in the car. You can pair 20 questions with I Spy or play it as a standalone game.
The first person picks an object, show, animal, person, or anything else that strikes their fancy. It’s helpful if they say the category before the other players start to guess the thing that they’re thinking of.
The other players ask yes or no questions until someone figures out what it is. The person who wins gets to start the next game. Twenty Questions is a word game the whole family can enjoy. You are sure to get some good laughs in the backseat while playing this road trip game.
4. Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are a lot of fun during a road trip. It’s like a better version of I Spy, but it requires more preparation. Scavenger hunts allow children to practice problem solving in a tangible way.
Start before you get into the car. Make a list of things that you know you’re going to be able to see on the trip. If you already know the route, it’s a breeze.
Things that are popular to include are:
- Types of cars
- Colors of cars
- Farm animals
- Street signs
- Trees
- Fast Food Places
You can make it as hard or easy as you want depending on the age of the people in the car and how long the trip is going to be. Work as a team or as individuals.
If you want to keep it competitive, turn the scavenger hunt list into a Bingo board where everyone has a different arrangement. This way, there should only be one winner.
5. The Color Game
The color game is similar to the license plate game, but it’s easier to win. We suggest playing it with cars, but you could also play it with anything that you see on your road trip.
Make a list of any color that you could see on the road. If you’re choosing cars, try to be realistic but include a few uncommon colors to see if you spot any fun cars.
The goal of the game is to find one car (or item) that represents each color.
6. Categories
Categories is a great game for when it’s too dark to see things outside of the vehicle. You can’t play I Spy if no one can spy anything!
The first player starts the game by picking a category. Every person in the car has to name someone in the category (including the person who chose it) until someone can’t think of something. When someone pauses or gives up, they’re “out” and the game continues until there’s a winner. Then, simply start over again with the next person. Popular categories include:
- Types of fruit
- Disney princesses
- Movies with a specific actor
- Types of pets
- States
7. The Alphabet Game
The last game on our list is fun, simple, and educational if you’re doing it with small children and can help with word association. Two or more players can play this game. You’re going to try to spot one item that begins with each letter of the alphabet. You can use road signs, billboards, and anything outside the car with words on it.
Keep a list handy. Write the letters A-Z vertically on a piece of paper and fill in items as you find them. Your goal is to get through the entire alphabet.
Hint: hard letters, like Q and X, can be in the middle of words once you have another item with the first letter on the list. For example, an “exit” is appropriate for “x” if you already have another word that begins with an e.
Try These Fun Games to Play in The Car
Why not try a few of these fun games to play in the car when you’re on your next road trip? They’re fun for adults and children alike, and they’re great ways to pass time. Keep everyone entertained and the road trip will go by in a flash.
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Now that you have all of these fun games to play in the car, are you ready for your next road trip adventure?
