Because you can only play “I Spy” so many times before you lose your will to drive.
Let’s be real: road trips with kids are a special kind of magic—and by magic, we mean loud, snack-covered chaos that tests the limits of your patience, your minivan’s interior, and your playlist tolerance.
Enter: car games. They are not the ones that make you want to pull over and scream into the glove box, but the fun kind that keeps everyone entertained and relatively sane.
These car games are perfect for families who want to make the miles fly by without resorting to 6 straight hours of tablet time (though hey, we respect the screen-time strategy too).
Table of Contents
🎲 1. Would You Rather? (Road Trip Edition)
This one’s a classic for a reason. It’s easy, needs no supplies, and can get hilariously weird real fast.
Examples:
- Would you rather only eat gas station food for a week or only use porta-potties for a month?
- Would you rather ride in a car full of chickens or goats?
Pro tip: Let each kid take turns being the question master. Just be prepared for some deeply philosophical debates about slime vs. poop.
🔤 2. The Alphabet Game
Scan the world outside your windows to find each letter of the alphabet on signs, license plates, or billboards—starting with A and going all the way to Z.
Twist: Play collaboratively instead of competitively, so it doesn’t turn into a backseat bloodbath.
Why it works: It keeps kids looking out the window, which miraculously reduces motion sickness and complaints of boredom.
🎶 3. Song Battle
Each person takes turns picking a song. Then the rest of the car rates it from 1 to 10. The person with the highest-scoring playlist wins bragging rights (and maybe gets to choose where to eat lunch).
Variations:
- Categories like “best throwback,” “road trip anthem,” or “songs that make you dance in your seat.”
- Let the kids be DJs with a pre-approved Spotify playlist.
Why it works: Instant entertainment and a sneaky way to introduce your kids to your 90s music obsession.
🧠 4. 20 Questions (But Make It Interesting)
One person thinks of something (a person, place, or thing), and the others ask yes/no questions to guess what it is.
Kid-friendly ideas to guess:
- A Pixar character
- A snack from the gas station
- A weird animal
- Someone in your family
Bonus rule: After 10 questions, the guessers can ask one silly question, like “Would it smell funny?” or “Could it fit in _____’s backpack?”
🤔 5. The License Plate Game (With a Twist)
Instead of just checking states off a list (though that’s fun too!), try one of these:
- License Plate Acronyms: Make up what the letters stand for. (e.g., BHR = “Bananas Have Rights!”)
- Point Game: Common states = 1 point. Rare states (Alaska, Hawaii, etc.) = 10 points.
Why it works: It combines spotting skills with creativity, which keeps it fresh longer.
🧃 6. Snack Draft
Okay, this one is equal parts game and snack distribution strategy.
Each player takes turns “drafting” a snack from the road trip stash. Once it’s picked, it’s yours. No trades. No take-backs. This adds intensity to Goldfish.
Why it works: It makes snack time last longer and adds some friendly competition. Plus, it keeps siblings from bickering over the last granola bar… theoretically.
🧙 7. Create-A-Story
Start with a sentence like, “Once upon a time, a family of raccoons went on a road trip…” and let each person add a sentence.
Add structure with themes like:
- “Magical road trip gone wrong”
- “The car that turned into a spaceship”
- “The mysterious rest stop of doom”
Why it works: It gets wild fast. And it’s hilarious. Especially when your 6-year-old insists a dragon named Steve saves the day every time.
🤪 8. Silly Superpowers
Each person makes up a ridiculous superpower for themselves—think “I can turn broccoli into chocolate” or “I can speak fluent llama.”
Then, everyone votes on:
- Most useful
- Most ridiculous
- Most likely to cause chaos
Why it works: Creative energy outlet. Plus, it’s the perfect game for that weird, punchy mood that hits around Hour 5.
Final Thoughts
The secret to road trip peace isn’t total silence—it’s finding games that balance fun, fairness, and just enough silliness to keep the car vibes light.
Play one game, switch it up when things start to unravel, and always—always—keep backup snacks.
Because let’s face it: if all else fails, bribery with gummy worms still counts as a parenting win.
Free Family Road Trip Starter Kit
🎶 Ready to hit the road with magic in the speakers?
Don’t forget to grab our FREE Family Road Trip Starter Kit — packed with printable checklists, kid-approved games, and snack ideas for your next adventure!
🎒 Includes:
Packing checklist
I Spy game
Travel Bingo boards
Snack list
Activity ideas
Save a Pin & Start Planning Your Adventure
Up next in our Family Road Trip 101 series, we’ll share with you some tips on road trip safety.
Stay tuned to the blog for more tried-and-true road trip tips.
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