So we live in the middle of the mid-west. This means that we take a lot of road trips. We are not close to any major airports so even getting to the airport is a road trip in itself. Even if you live somewhere else, there is always a chance for a good road trip. And when you go on a road trip, you are not usually by yourself. Usually your kids are with you, which is why you need good road trip activities for your kids!
Even this summer we are going to a state over to go to some places with lots of history. It will be about a five hour trip so we will have lots of time for all kinds of road trip activities. Keep reading, and I list our favorite games to play in the car. My kids are a little older now, so the games have gotten a little more advanced, but most can be played with little kids also.
Twenty Questions
Everyone knows this game, but have you ever thought of playing it in the car? Basically, one person thinks of something and then the other people get twenty questions to figure out what the person is thinking of. It is a game that basically anyone can play. Of any age.
It is very difficult to figure out what someone is thinking of without a category, so make sure you have a narrowed down category. Our favorite categories are famous people, super heroes, athletes, toys, things in our house, movies, and villains. Our categories might be a little different because we have two older boys. But it can be any category you want, as long as it is a category you are all familiar with. My older son loves to try and sneak in Fortnite skins (characters) as a category, but the rest of the family has no idea what he is talking about. Read my post on Fortnite here.
We end up asking lots of great questions, both normal ones and silly ones. Of course you always have to ask if they are alive or dead. And usually if they are a male or female. We also get into funny ones like is this person human (some superheros are not!) or if a toy likes to be played with.
Travel Games
When I was a kid we always took travel games with us. Games that you could only play when you were going somewhere. My husband also played these games when he was young. They were such fun road trip activities for us as kids! Of course we do the same thing with our boys. We just leave these travel games in our van, so that they are ready for playing at any time we go on a road trip.
One of our most favorite travel games is the Travel or Auto Bingo. Go here to see what I am talking about. It is like regular bingo but you have to find different things as you go down the road.
Name Ten Things
I am pretty sure this is a game that my husband made up. And it is just so much fun. So someone in the car picks a category, and then the rest of the people have to name ten things in that category. So our favorite categories to do are pretty similar to the twenty questions game. Super heroes, movie category, famous singers. My husband will also sneak in educational ones like name ten state capitals and name 10 countries in Europe.
This game can be made very easy or very difficult depending on what age your kids are. So it is definitely a little activity that can grow with your kiddo and requires no props. Just your knowledge.
Alphabet Game
This game is super fun, and can definitely keep your kiddos from getting bored because everyone is looking out the window. Basically, you look for letters of the alphabet outside the window. And you need to stay in order of the alphabet. Usually we all take a turn in a round robin way. So my younger son looks for the letter A out the window on signs and other cars’ license plates. Then when he finds the letter A, my older son starts looking for the letter B, then it is my husband’s turn to find C and so on until you get through the whole alphabet.
Obviously there are some letters that are more difficult to find than others. So it is hard to say how long the game will last. We usually help each other out also, especially on the harder letters. When my youngest son was littler, he would throw a fit if he, specifically, did not see the letter. So keep that in mind with the little ones, and make sure they see the letter.
Another way we play the alphabet game is to look for objects that start with each letter. Playing the same way with each person getting a letter and going in alphabetical order. I do not like this as well because it is hard to think what letter different objects start with while driving down the road.
What Color is the Tenth Car?
Now, I know for sure this is a game my husband made up, but when it comes to road trip activities for kids this is one of the best. Basically, everyone picks a car color. And then you count the cars coming from the other way. The tenth car is the one you are waiting for. Then you see what color that tenth car is, and if anyone picked that color of car then they win that round and get a point.
Then you start the next round a start all over again. But you have to decide if you are going to stay with the same color of car, or if you are going to change your color. I usually stick with grey and my older son likes to always pick blue. My husband and younger son like to change it up with what color they pick.
These are five fun road trip activities for kids, that use no electronics or expensive games. Not that I am against these things on road trips, but sometimes the kiddos even get bored with the electronics and need something else to keep them entertained.
Vanessa is a Doctor of Pharmacy who champions natural health. She lives with her husband of 18 years as well as her 12 & 15 year old sons. She aspires to encourage moms on their journey to family wellness through holistic health and essential oils.
Leave a Reply