Fun road games

21 Best Road Trip Games to Play in the Car for Kids in 2021

Wondering how you’re going to keep the kids entertained on the next family road trip?  Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!  We’ve put together a list of the best road trip games for kids that will make the next car adventure seem like a breeze.

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So, if you’re having a hard time thinking up ways to pass the time, keep reading. We’ve done the research and compiled a list of fun road trip games to play with the kids.

You can also check out our guide to planning the ultimate road trip for more fun things to do in the car. See our suggestions below!

1. Name the Artist

The first person to name the artist or group when a song comes on the radio gets a point. Keep playing until you reach your destination and whoever has the most points at arrival, wins. Need a great playlist? Check out our dance party tracks on Spotify here.

2. The License Plate Game

The goal is to spot as many license plates from different states as you can. Whoever sees a plate first and calls it gets to color it in on their map. The person with the most states colored in at the end, wins.

3. The Grocery Game

Choose your first player and ask them to think of an item you can purchase at the grocery store. Everyone else in the car takes turns guessing what it might be by asking a question. Is it something you would find in the frozen food aisle, perhaps? No? Guess again!

4. What Color is It?

Have the adults in the family list a bunch of things that are the same color. For example, they may say “fire engines, apples, stop signs…” They should keep going until the kids yell out, “Red!” Remember, road trips are long. The more items you list, the better!

5. Alphabet Game

Keep an eye out for road signs! The objective here is to find a word on each sign you pass that begins with each letter of the alphabet, starting from the beginning (“A” for  Arby’s, and so on). Call them out as you drive by. First one who gets to Z, wins!

6.

Print out our Scavenger Hunt game card, one per player. First one to complete their card wins.

7. Punch Buggy

An ol’ fashion road trip favorite! See who can spot the most punch buggies, also known as the Volkswagen Beetle, on the road! When you see one, shout it out and include the color of the car (Yellow punch buggy!). Those kinds of sightings are worth one point.

Classic bugs are worth 2, and vans worth 5. Rare models, such as “Herby the Love Bug” are worth a whopping ten! Whoever has the most points by the time you reach your destination wins. Remember, the game doesn’t end until the car is parked!

8. I Spy

Because this one is already so well known, it won’t take a lot of instruction to learn how to play. The first person selects something either on the road or in the car without revealing what it is to the rest of the players in the car. Then they must repeat the phrase, “I spy with my little eye something that begins with the letter …” as it relates to the answer.

The other passengers then try to guess what it might be. While it’s not the most complex car game out there, it is a great way to help young kids develop their spelling and grammar skills, particularly those who are still getting familiar with the alphabet.

9. 20 Questions

We’ll admit that when driving through long stretches of rural area, “I Spy” might not be the best choice to entertain the kids with. 20 Questions, on the other hand, offers endless opportunities for road trip entertainment and is a great choice for games for long car rides.

Pick out a person, place or thing. Everyone in the car can take turns asking yes-or-no questions about what it is, or who it is, you may be thinking of. No two people should ask the same question, and no one can answer more than 20 questions.

Whoever guesses the mystery object first goes next!

10. Triple Threat

Next on the list of road trip games to play on car rides is the Triple Threat. Here, the adults must choose three nouns, like “plate,” “monkey” and “snow,” for example. The kids have to create a story that includes all three things. Be warned: things will get very silly, very fast.

11. Category ABCs

As far as games for a car ride go, this one is pretty straightforward.  Have the first player choose a category and name something that begins with the letter A.

The next person does the same, only their answer should begin with the letter B. The next person is in charge of letter C, and so on. Some examples for the “food” category include Apples, Broccoli, Cookies…

12. Car Color Search

A perfect game for younger kids. Print out one game card per child and let them circle the car colors as they spot them.

13. Would You Rather

Here’s another kid-friendly exercise: Choose one person to think of a question. For instance, Would you rather be the funniest person alive, or the smartest person alive?

You can direct these questions to everyone in the car or take turns providing answers. Of course, when it comes to playing these types of games in a car, it’s important to make sure you’re well prepared.

You can always print out some questions ahead of time to make sure you don’t run out of ideas when on the road.

14. In My Suitcase

Why not sprinkle a fun memory game into your road trip experience? The first person starts by saying, “I’m going on vacation and I packed…” Finish the sentence with any item that begins with the letter A.

The next player must repeat the sentence said by the first player and add an item to the list beginning with the letter B. Keep going and see how many letters you can get through before someone forgets!

15. Name the Most…

Decide on a category and go around the car to see how many related items you can name. For example, you can start with Disney princesses or characters from a specific movie.

You can up the competition a bit by having the passengers bet on who can name the most within the shortest amount of time. If challenged, each opponent must provide an answer within 5-10 seconds. Whoever gets stumped first, loses.

16. Sing Along Challenge

Looking for games that carry a little rhythm? Look no further. To play, one person starts singing a line from a popular song. Passengers must pay attention to the last word sung.

The next person to sing a line must make sure it begins with the same word. See how long it takes until someone gets stuck!

17. The Movie Game

Here’s another fun game to play during a long car ride. Have someone in the family suggest a letter. For instance, if they chose to begin with T, then everyone else in the car must think of movies that begin with T, as in Toy Story and so on.

Once you get through that category, you can begin moving through the alphabet.

18. Hypotheticals

In need of a few more fun car games to get you through the drive? Get everyone in the car to respond to a series of hypothetical questions, like, “What would you do if you won the lottery?”.  Or, “If you could transform into any kind of animal, what would it be?”.

Brownie points for whoever provides the most creative answers!

19. Count the Animals

For this game, you must name a series of objects or animals to look out for when on the road. You can choose any number of things, from cows to road signs to yellow cars and more.

Keep a tally of every object on the list that you spot. Whoever has the most points by the end of the road trip wins!

20. Top 10 Game

This one can be applied to almost any subject. Into cars? Have the family come up with the top 10 favorite models. Maybe you’re a musical fanatic. Ask everyone in the car to volunteer their favorites until you get to 10.

Any Robert Pattinson fans in the family? Come up with his top 10 roles!

21. Backseat Bingo

Looking for more fun games to play in the car? Check out this next activity. Before you hit the road, print out these bingo cards. They have different sheets available for different areas, so print according to where you’re traveling.

Each player should take a good look at their cards and keep their eyes on the road to spot items along the way. The first player to cross out a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line of their bingo sheet, wins!

We hope you enjoyed our list of road trip games to play in the car! Don’t forget to take photos along the way and share on social media. Tag us in the fun! Check back in with us soon for more things to do with the family.

Each week, we’re bringing you some original ideas on how to have family fun at home, at the lodge and when you travel.

41 Fun Road Trip Games To Play In The Car (Endless Laughs)

These 41 road trip games to play in the car will keep you entertained for hours. Work your way through this awesome list of fun car games to play while traveling to your destination. These car games for kids and adults will provide laughter and entertainment for the entire journey!

There is a wide selection of games ranging from those themed around music, movies, memory, and of course well-known classics. There are word-based games, printable resources, and links to other helpful articles.

There is something for everyone here as we outline a variety of family car ride games. Let us know which of these are your favorite road trip games to play with kids. There is a table of contents for you to easily navigate between the games. Some of the games are outlined in more detail in another post and have printable resources to take with you!

Contents

The Categories Game

Start by choosing a category such as famous people, beverage names, animals, etc. Take it in turns to name something from that category. If you cannot think of something then you are out. To make it more difficult you can add the requirement for the first letter to be in alphabetical order (the thing must begin with a,b,c, etc).

Two Truths and a Lie

Think of two true statements and one lie. Tell them to the group and everyone has to guess which statement is the lie! Take it in turns and enjoy the fun. This is one of the best car games to play with kids as you can come up with some fun and interesting variations.

I Spy

This classic game involves someone spotting something either inside or outside of the car and saying the phrase “I spy with my little eye something beginning with…” stating the first letter of the answer. Your companions then take turns to guess what you are thinking of!

Name The Animal Game

This super simple game is one of my favorite car games for kids. Begin by naming an animal such as a tiger, raccoon, bear, etc. Then everyone takes it in turns to name another animal that begins with the last letter of the last animal named. Example: Gorilla, antelope, elephant, etc.

Twenty Questions

Think of a person, place, or thing. Examples could be “Superman”, “The Eiffel Tower”, or “Apple Pie”. Everyone else on the road trip takes it in turns to ask a question with a yes-or-no answer to try and guess what it is. No one can ask more than 20 questions and the first to guess correctly wins!

Sometimes it’s easier to narrow down the options to make it easier. I find famous people to be a good way to play this game!

Name That Song Game

Take it in turns to sing the lyrics to a song. Everyone else then tries to guess the name or artist of the song! This game works great for people of all ages.

Another option is to play a short clip of a song using the stereo and then everyone must guess the song as fast as possible.

Movie Plot Description Game

One person thinks of a movie. They then describe the plot to the movie in the worst way possible and the other passengers need to guess what movie they are talking about. This is one of my favorite road trip games.

Guess The Movie Quote

Say a quote from a well-known movie or TV show. The other passengers then need to try and guess what show it’s from. This simple but fun road trip game can keep you entertained for hours!

The Grocery Shopping Game

This simple game involves someone thinking of an item you can buy at the grocery store. Each player then takes turns to ask a question followed by taking one guess at what the item is. For example “Is it a type of sauce?” followed by a guess at the item. The game is over when someone guesses correctly! The player that wins gets to pick the next item.

If you enjoyed this, you may also like our full list of word games to play in the car.

Simple Memory Game

Start with the letter A and name an item beginning with A. The next person must recite the item beginning with A followed by something beginning with B… and so on. Keep going as long as possible until you reach the letter Z or everyone is out due to not remembering correctly!

Example: A is for ants, B is for bread, C is for crabs.. etc. This is one of those simple games to play in the car that can pass some time.

Conversation Starters

There is nothing better to get the conversation started than some Fun Family Road Trip Questions. Get the chatter flowing with the kids with these awesome talking topics. Are you traveling with adults? We also have some great Road Trip Conversation Starters to keep all ages entertained.

Traveling as a couple? We’ve got you covered with this list of Road Trip Questions for Couples

The Group Counting Game

As a group, count to the highest number possible without saying a number at the same time.

1. Start with the number 1
2. Within 5 seconds, someone must say the number 2, and so on.
3. The catch is that if two people say a number at the same time you must start again!

First One To Spot It Wins

This simple game involves thinking of something that everyone is required to try and spot. An example might be a red BMW or a fast-food restaurant. The first one to spot whatever it is wins that round and the game starts again.

Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament

If you have a full car why not have a rock, paper, scissors tournament! Bounce your fist on your hand three times then choose your attack. Make a fist for rock, flat hand for paper, and extend your index plus middle finger to make the sign for scissors.

Remember…

1. Rock beats scissors.
2. Paper beats rock
3. Scissors beat paper.

Music Artists Game

This game is similar to the categories game but it is music-orientated, with a twist! The first player names a music artist. The next passenger must name another artist whose name begins with the last letter of the previous artist. The game continues until no more artists can be named!

The Alphabet Game

This game involves one team taking the left side of the road and the other team taking the right side. Teams must try to spot road signs which contain a word beginning with each letter of the alphabet in order. So the game begins by spotting a word beginning with A, then B…. and so on. The winner is the first team to get to the letter Z!

This is one of the best games to play in the car on a road trip.

Road Trip Jokes

Keep everyone entertained if playing a game becomes tiresome. Readout some hilarious Road Trip Jokes to pass the time and avoid the endless “are we there yet” chatter coming from the back seats!

Monotone Song Lyrics

Say the lyrics of one of your favorite songs but with no tune or melody. The other passengers must try and guess the song from the words alone!

Music Battle

This game requires at least 3 people in the car. The judge picks a music genre. The two competitors must then pick their favorite song from that genre and play it out of the speakers. For each round, the judge will decide the winner based on which song they think is the best!

No More Jockeys

This game is not for the faint-hearted as it can take hours to complete! In your turn, name a person and a category associated with that person. The person and category named are then eliminated from the game. The game continues and it becomes progressively harder to name a person and a category.

Top 5 Game

Think of a topic such as movies, songs, or fast-food restaurants. Take it in turns to name your top 5 of whatever the category is! This can be a fun way to learn more about each other and get the kids chatting. This is also one of those fun Road Trip Games for Couples to help you get to know each other better.

Song Humming Game

Take it in turns to hum your favorite song. This could be a song for a TV show or one from your favorite artist. Everyone else in the car must try to guess the song as fast as possible! Whoever guesses correctly gets to hum the next tune!

Fortunately/Unfortunately

This continuous story game involves each person adding a phrase one at a time. Each phrase must start with either the word fortunately or unfortunately alternatively. The aim is to make a funny story.

Example: Unfortunately Bob’s car broke down at the side of the road… fortunately his friend Bernard was driving past… etc.

Map Search Game

Take a road map and try to find a remote place located on the map. Pass the map to another passenger and start a 60-second timer. The other passenger has to try and find the place on the map before the time runs out!

Fast-Food Frenzy

Each passenger chooses the name of a restaurant. Earn a point for each time your restaurant is visible either on a road sign, or the premises itself. Set a time limit such as 2 hours and add up the points at the end to find the winner!

Name That Movie Game

Think of an actor or actress. Other passengers must think of a movie that they have been in. The next step is to name an actor/actress that was in that movie. Following this, another movie that they have been in is named. The game continues until you cannot think of an answer!

Another option is to think of letters of the alphabet and challenge other passengers to think of as many movies as possible beginning with that letter.

Road Trip Olympics

Come up with some exciting exercise-related challenges to keep the kids entertained during rest stops. This could be sprints, pushups, or anything to encourage some healthy competition and avoid them becoming too restless!

The Story Game

This simple road trip game for kids involves the adults thinking of three nouns such as “elephant”, “Paris”, and “lemon custard”. The kids must then think of a funny story using these three things!

Word Association

This simple and much-loved game has been played for decades! The first person names a word then each passenger takes it in turns to name an associated word to the previous word stated.

Example: Cheese, cow, farm, farmer.

Going On Holiday Game

The first player states “I’m going on holiday and I’m taking …” followed by an item (toothbrush, suitcase, etc). The next person must state the same phrase, including the previous person’s item, then add another item of their own. The game continues and you are out if you cannot remember all of the previous items listed!

Would You Rather Questions

Play through this extensive list of Would You Rather Questions to get everyone in the car chatting! There is fun for all the family contained within this article from our partner site.

Think Fast Game

In this game, you think of a category such as NBA teams, superheroes, or US states. Then passengers will challenge themself with how many they can name within 30 seconds. Other passengers can then fill in the gaps with any additional entries they can think of when the time is up! Take it in turns to think of interesting categories.

Car Ride Trivia

A good selection of car ride trivia will get the whole family chatting. Test your knowledge using some well-thought-out questions. We’ve got a good selection of options in our article listing the Best Road Trip Game Apps for your family adventure.

Family Story Time

This game begins with an adult saying a sentence to begin an imaginary story. You could say something like “There was once a friendly walrus named Fred”. The next person then continues with their own sentence, and the story continues. This is a great way to let the kid’s imaginations run wild and see what they come up with!

Neverending Song Game

In this road trip game, a passenger begins by singing the lyrics to a popular song. When they stop, other passengers must use the last word sung and think of lyrics to another song that continues after that word. The game continues until you are bored!

The Counting Game

Choose objects, animals, or anything to keep count of while on the road. This can help keep the kids entertained by giving them something to focus on finding while looking out of the windows. Keep score and whoever spots the most by the end of the journey wins! You could use a combination of a few things such as yellow cars, red road signs, and fast-food restaurants!

Road Trip Bingo

Road trip bingo involves looking out of the window and ticking off things from the checklist as you see them! You can either make your own sheets or use our Free Printable Road Trip Bingo Sheets for your car journey.

Road Trip Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt involves working through a list of things to find, collect, and do while en route to your destination. Print off our Road Trip Scavenger Hunt Sheets, or open them up on your phone and work through them with your family!

The License Plate Game

Try to spot license plates from all 50 states. A point is awarded for each license plate spotted. You can play competitively or cooperatively as a family. The aim of the game is to spot license plates from as many states as possible. Print off our License Plate Game Checklist prior to departure!

Podcast Fun

A podcast is a great way to pass the time during a long car ride. We’ve made a list of the Best Podcasts for Road Trips which you can browse through.

Awesome Audiobooks

If you are looking to stay entertained during your long car ride, check out our favorite Audiobooks for Road Trips.

Which of these games to play in the car are your favorite while on a family road trip? Let us know in the comments.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you make a qualifying purchase, but this is at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Road Trip Expert.

Iain

Iain founded The Road Trip Expert in 2019 and continues to manage the website to this day. The inspiration to start the blog came during an extensive road trip around Europe with two friends that spanned several months and involved over 25,000km of driving. He started backpacking in 2014 and has had the pleasure of exploring over 60 countries. Read more on the About page.

I put in my backpack, Forbidden words, The best day of life, Numbers with meaning and other non-banal entertainment.

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3 mistakes when transporting children - we all make them (at first)

Anyone who loves to travel with the whole family knows that five minutes after the start, the children begin to languish. Of course, for a while they can be distracted by a phone or tablet, put on a selection of songs, turn on Children's Radio or an audiobook. You can stock up on children's crossword puzzles in advance and guess them together. But after some time, this will get boring, the children will want more active entertainment, and then you will need to turn on your imagination. nine0003

Fun games on the go are uplifting, and it's great if the whole family is involved.

I see what you don't see

The rules are simple. The host marks (for himself) an object in the field of view of travelers, and the task of the players is to guess it by asking a minimum of questions. Moreover, only “yes” or “no” answers are allowed. Warning: the game is addictive.

Guess people or animals

Begins: "I think you know him." And then, for example: "This animal can fly." And with the help of leading questions, you need to guess what kind of animal it is. Alternatively, you can guess someone from your family or friends. For example, this person wears glasses. The question is when do you read? Yes. The next question is is it old? No. Does he have children? Yes. That is, in this case, the answers can also be only “yes” or “no”. nine0003

Guess the song

The players alternately hum or whistle the song. Others guess its name or artist. Whoever recognizes the song first wins. Children's songs, famous pop singles, whatever musical memory has to offer will do. At the end, the guessed song can be sung together - this will cheer everyone up.

Hit Parade

Together you are looking for a song that everyone knows. For example, "Let the pedestrians run clumsily through the puddles." The parent assigns in what mood you should perform it. For example, sad or cheerful, in the style of a march or hip-hop. Who won? Yes, who will come out funnier, although here is the case when the process is more important than victory. nine0003

I'm putting in my backpack...

The first player starts with "I'm putting in my backpack..." and comes up with something, like a hairbrush. The next player repeats the item of the first player and adds his own - a comb and a bottle of water. The one who forgets at least one of the previous items will lose. True, it is advisable for the host to keep a list so as not to make a mistake.

Forbidden words

"Don't take white and black, don't say 'yes' and 'no'." There is a leader and there is a player. The task of the presenter is to force the player to say forbidden words, and it is important for the player not to let it slip for as long as possible. Questions should be asked tricky, for example, it can be difficult to evasively answer the question: “What color is sugar?” or “Tell me, do you really like ice cream?” Alas, sooner or later the player lets slip, the main thing is to deftly lull his vigilance! If a word is accidentally said, the players switch roles. For reference, the first question can be answered: "The same as printer paper." nine0003

In the classic version of the game, it always started with the question: "Will you go to the ball?", but today's children may not know about balls, so you can ask any questions.

The best day of their lives

The children are asked one by one to describe how they see the best day of their lives. A serving of chocolate ice cream for breakfast instead of porridge, and then jumping on the bed to exhaustion. Then dress up and go to an amusement park, ride a ferris wheel there, go to an upside down house, eat your fill of french fries, ride a pony, and end the day in a cafe where you can get three cream cakes and a big vanilla cocktail. Or is your child's ideal day completely different? The long journey is a great opportunity to learn about it. You may be very surprised by its history, and some dreams can be realized already on vacation - at least about ice cream. nine0003

Your color

Here each player names their favorite color and then looks for it in things around. The first one to find ten objects of this color is the winner.

"Scary" stories

In the "black-black room sat a black-black man" - do you remember? Let's create stories together. The host tells the end of the story, others guess how it happened. Example: there are red shoes in the meadow, they are stained with mud, but their hostess is not around. What happened to her? This is more suitable for children 5-7 years old and older, the kids will not understand and may be scared. nine0003

Vehicle signs

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10 ways to entertain your child (and yourself) on the road

And this is a game for schoolchildren: all participants receive a piece of paper and a pencil. Now they have about 10 minutes to look at the license plates of cars passing along the road. Everyone writes down five numbers of their choice without telling the other players. Then one of the adults tells the children the numbers of the cars that he sees himself. If the child already has such letters and numbers, he crosses them out of his piece of paper. Whoever crosses everything out first wins! nine0003

Or another option: you keep looking at license plates of passing cars and trying to make sentences out of them. It often turns out funny, even the baby "gets infected" and laughs along with the older children. For example: N *** TV - "You must be lying!" or M *** SK - “Misha is a super pump!” The winner is the one who quickly comes up with a coherent and funny phrase.

Who will be the first to see

And this is fun for very, very little ones. It is unpretentious - "whoever sees it first" on the road or along it. For example, a red car or a dog, a grandmother with a wand or a mother with a stroller. And believe me, this is also very exciting, especially if you say the terms funny and show them with facial expressions and gestures. nine0003

In general, it is important to choose the game that suits the age and character of your child. Good mood and fun tireless journey!

If you enjoy other games on the road, tell us about them in the comments. Let's make the second part of the publication! Bumbaram Road Games - fun and entertaining leisure time while traveling This is the time of trips to visit grandparents who missed their grandchildren so much. nine0003

When traveling, especially if you have to spend a lot of time on the road, even adults get bored, not to mention small children. But it’s easier for an adult to figure out how to pass a few hours on the road. For a child, it is necessary to think over entertainment before the trip. Therefore, in the article we will tell you how to keep your baby busy on the road so that the time passes not only unnoticed, but also with the maximum benefit for the comprehensive development of the child.