Simple, Fun Car Games for Your Family

We traveled a couple of hours to visit family when our children were young. All the technology available today was far into the future. But I know, even now, movies, music and texting can get boring. Open up a couple of snacks and laugh together. Remember some players probably won't quite abide by the rules. That often can make for a good argument - or a great laugh.

Going to Grandma's House
The first person says, "I'm going to Grandma's House and I'm going to take an [A word ] like apple." The second person says I'm going to Grandma's House and I'm going to take an apple and a banana. You go like this through the entire alphabet. It gets more difficult about half-way through.

I See Something
To keep very young children entertained you can play this as simply as ... it's inside the car and it's red. Whoever guesses gets to be the next person to be "it."

If you're playing with older children, you can identify the object by color and beginning letter of the alphabet. You can say whether it's inside or outside. [This doesn't mean that someone can use a small bird on the wire 50 miles back,]. Ideas would be if you're traveling a long distance seeing almost the same view, either in the city or countryside, it could be a certain tall building or a John Deere tractor.

Numbers
Find something that there is just one. For example, number one is that one cow over in the pasture. Number two could be two red trucks traveling together.

Truth or Not
Family members tell stories and the others have to agree whether they believe they're the truth or not. You may want to fudge a little when a 3 year old is telling you a story about a big black bear chasing him through the woods. But the kids will love it when Mom and Dad tell stories about when they were younger.

Opposites
The first person says a word and it ends in w - for example yellow. The next person has to say a word that begins with w - for example whoopee. The next person has to say a word that begins with e.

We enjoyed these types of games more than card games. A sudden stop or quick turn can mess up your whole game and everyone gets upset. However, if you have e a solid base and children that don't fight when they play games, any card game could be played.

Sometimes it's fun to make up your own games. Try to make the time spent together fun, rather than a fighting match.