Road Trip Games for the Whole Family

Do you have fond memories of playing games with your family on long road trips? If so, give your children the same experience by playing games on the road.

For the preschool travelers

Singing makes the time fly by

Toddlers and preschoolers often have the toughest time sitting through long car trips. They also may not have the vocabulary to play an game geared toward older children. How do you keep this crowd laughing in the car? Easy, start singing!

Using the song "The wheels on the bus' look out the window and find something to fit into the song. Some examples are;
The tires on the car go round and round
round and round round and round
the tires on the car go round and round
as we pass him by

The people on the bus are waving hi
waving hi waving hi
the people on the bus are waving hi
as we pass them by

The birdie in the tree is going tweet tweet tweet
tweet tweet tweet tweet tweet tweet
the birdie in the tree is going tweet tweet tweet
as we pass him by

The possibilities are endless. Let your children pick out things they see then put them into the song and let them sing along.

The 4-6 year old travelers

No winners or losers, classic fun

Change the destination to fit where you are going If you are traveling to the beach you will start by saying;
"I'm going to the beach and I'm bringing apples"
the next person will say
"I'm going to the beach and I'm bringing a blanket and apples"
the third person will say
"I'm going to the beach and I'm bringing a canoe, a blanket, and apples
continue with each person adding one object for the next letter of the alphabet. while still trying to remember everything else on the list.
See how far you can get through the alphabet. A classic game where the children often do better than adults!

The 7-10 year old travelers

Have a scavenger hunt

Take along one sheet of paper and one pen for each player. Have each player write down 20 objects they think they will see on the road. This number can be adjusted to fit the amount of time you will be on the road. Once everyone has picked all their items it is time to start looking for the items. Every time you spot one of your objects, scratch it off your list. First person to cross off all their items wins!

The 10 and up travelers

Do you know me?

Have each player think of a famous person. The first person says something that the famous person may say. For example, if you were Abraham Lincoln you could say "I am so lucky to be the 16th president of the United States" if no one guesses who it is try another clue such as "I love my tall hat and beard" Give clues until someone guesses who you are. Keep track of who guesses the most people to determine a winner.

Games for teens and adults

Let's make a story

Each player makes up one line to a continous story. The first person could say "Once upon a time a family was taking a road trip" then the next player would add "as the fog fell around the car they were carried into the darkness" try to keep it going. See if it turns out to be a funny story or scary or sad.

Games for all ages

Classic games such as these are perfect for all ages during a road trip;
I spy
The license plate game
20 questions
name that tune

Playing games is a sure fire way to avoid boredom on road trips. It also makes more memories than watching movies.