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FUN ROAD TRIP GAMES
If you are on a long road trip with kids there are a few things you will need to pack for a family road trip. If you are bored of screen time, then some fun road trip games for kids that parents will want to join in with will be on that list.
These games for the car are perfect for a family road trip, and a lot are absolutely free. Revisit old classics and discover new family favorites games to play in the car with kids, whatever their age. For some specific travel toys ideas for babies and toddlers see this post.
1. The Alphabet Game
This classic travel game doesn’t require any resources or pre planning. Players attempt to find words starting with every letter of the alphabet, going in order from A to Z. for anything they spot outside of the car.
A great travel version of this game, which is more for older kids, is where each player has to finish the sentence using the specific letter. So player one could say,” I’m flying to Australia and the the other players respond with, “what will you do there?’ and player one answers, ” I’m going to look for ant -eaters.
2. Connections
One person begins with a single noun eg horse and the next person has to say the first word they think of which is related to a horse, eg, stable or animal.
Then the next person, continues with another connection, eg, hay or goat and so on. The game finishes when no one can connect a word.
3. Rainbow Spotto
All players work together and start with the colour red to find 5 red things, and then 5 orange things and so on, until they complete the rainbow. When they find the item, eg a red car, they need to say, ‘Spotto, red car!
4. Melissa & Doug Flip to Win Hangman
A take on the retro with no pieces to lose and great for readers aged 6 and up. This travel-friendly wooden word game includes an erasable whiteboard, a self-storing dry-erase marker, and eraser. To see prices or buy now, see here
5. Twenty Questions
Players take a turn to think of an object, person or animal. The other players have 20 questions to work out what or who it is. The answers can only be yes or no. A super easy but one of the best car travel games.
6. Coggy by Fat Brain Toys
Keep kids busy and less likely to ask, “Are we nearly there yet?’ with Coggy by Fat Brain Toy Co. This sensory travel game is designed as a single strand of connected patterned cogs, which players match to a series of corresponding pattern cards.
7. I Spy
You can play the game with the normal, I Spy with my little eye, something beginning with…. or something the colour of… for younger players making it one of the easiest car games for toddlers. Alternatively, try the I Spy Travel Card Game. This road trip game for ages 4 and up. The game contains 48 jumbo cards with simple pictures and corresponding text.
8. Travel Blurt
A great fast paced game where you hear a definition and need to guess the word. ! The first player to “Blurt” correctly moves ahead on the game board. The first player to reach the top of the scoreboard wins! Travel Blurt is for three to four players, ages 10 and up.
9. Add-on Story
One person begins a story, with just a sentence or two, but stops mid sentence.. The next person continues the story in their own words, and repeat with each player for an often hilarious tale.
10. Memory Test
The first person says, ‘A is for ___’ and fills in the space with any noun beginning with ‘A’, the second person continues with B, eg banana but must also recall what was said for A, eg, Armchair, Banana,
11. License Plate Game
If you are based in the USA or on vacation there, this license plate game is great if you are driving cross country on a long car trip with kids simply write down all the stated and try and spot those from all the states. For younger kids, they may like the Flip to Win License Plate Game by Melissa & Doug.
12. Travel Bingo
Easy to play and fun for all ages, makes it one of the best road trip games available. There are plenty of travel bingo card options for all ages, and its easy to just throw in you bag and go.
13. Guess in 10-Cities Around the World
It’s the just like the Game of 20 Questions, but guess in 10 instead. In ‘Guess in 10-Cities Around the World’, players draw clue cards and, through the process of elimination, make guesses to identify a locations. Clues may be about food, landmarks and more which are associated with the world’s most famous cities, from New York to Paris. This game is ideally for players ages 8 and up is one of the best road trip games to pack in your
14. Three Words
Choose 3 words for the player, who then has to make up a story including those three words.
15. Cow on My Side
This simple kids’ road trip game is perfect for little ones to join in when you are driving through the countryside. When you see cows on your side of the road, yell “Cows on my side!” You get a point for each time you spot cows . If you spot cows on the opposite side, you can yell “Cows on your side!” and steal a point from your opponent. Passing a cemetery? The first person to yell “Ghost cow!” steals all the other side’s points.
16. Magnetic Travel Games
Magnetic travel games are often a good call as it’s harder to lose parts.
For ages 4 years to 8 years:
Bingo can range from numbers or pictures to cover meaning they are ideal for a range of ages. This magnetic bingo game is easy and quick for those little times you need to fill perhaps whilst waiting for dinner or for a quick wait at the departure gate as they are easy to pack away too.
An old favourite but without the need to rustle around in the bottom of your back for a scrap of paper and a working pen (why do we needlessly carry around so many that don’t?!). Great spelling practise with the added fun of body parts to add to your magnetic hangman.
Magnetic board games are fun, competitive and easy to follow. The best bit about this being magnetic means no more losing the dice with any overzealous throws with this magnetic snakes and ladders!
For magnetic travel games for toddlers, these suggestions may prove useful too!
What family car games are your favorite? Let me know in the comments (and the rules too!)
Further reading:
