It's no surprise that most families would want to do anything other than sit in a moving car for hours and hours. Most passengers give up at this stage, because they already expect no fun. We're here to help you prove them wrong. Road trips, especially during a move, should and can be fun for kids! If your riders haven't prepared a way to entertain themselves, why not play some fun games when driving a long distance?
Most of the games on this list are modifiable; you can change the game depending on how old the passengers are or what they are interested in, which allows for infinite possibilities. Without further ado, here are 10 great road trip games that all members of the family will love.
1. "Would You Rather…"
This is a great question game that both adults and kids can enjoy.
Give all players two unfavorable scenarios, like getting attacked by a tiger-sized spider or getting attacked by 50 spider-sized tigers. The players playing this car game have to choose either scenario and explain their decision. It works best if both options are equally hard to choose.
All players take turns creating scenarios for each other.
2. Conversation starters
In this road trip game, a person makes up a list of friendly and entertaining hypothetical questions and asks one. All players in the car answer the question truthfully and thoughtfully.
Examples of conversation starters include:
- What's your dream home look like?
- What's your dream job?
- Who is your favorite YouTuber?
3. "Hangman"
This car game is a classic! There are two sides, the director and the players.
- The director comes up with a word.
- He or she draws a noose on a piece of paper as well as lines that show the players how many letters are in the word.
- Players guess individual letters.
- If the player gets a letter correct, the director draws the letter in its position(s) on the line. If they get it wrong, the director draws a body part beneath the noose, starting with the head.
The game ends when any player guesses the full word correctly or the director draws all body parts. If a full person appears under the noose, the director wins.
4. Any card game
Using a card game while driving cross country may require some planning ahead, but it can be way more fun than your average speaking game. You can use a simple deck of cards to play time-tested classics, like "War" and "Go Fish."
You can get special card games, too. These might be easier to play if they require less space. Examples include:
- "Exploding Kittens"
- "Cards Against Humanity" (for adults only!)
- "Apples to Apples"
- "What Do You Meme?"
5. "License Plate Game"
This is a great road trip game for kids who are always looking through the window. Players find license plates from other states within an allotted time. The goal is to see a license plate from every state in the US, and you'll get one point for each new state you see on the road. Decide if you want to play the game for a hour or for the entire trip.
This game will help children enhance their ability to be keen and focus on small things.
6. "Try Not to Spell the Word"
"Try Not to Spell the Word" is a tactical, one-on-one battle of the minds that rewards those with a good vocabulary and the ability to plan. A player starts by saying a letter, and then the second player has to say another letter that is part of a word.
Both players try to back each other into a corner that forces the opponent to say a letter that causes them to spell out a word. For example:
- Player 1 says the letter Z, and Player 2 says the letter A (ZA)
- Player 1 says P with the intent to make Player 2 eventually say "zapper," but then Player 1 accidently spells the word "zap"
- Player 2 wins, because Player 1 spelled out a word
7. Pop culture quizzes
This car game is great for families who all love a particular show, movie or franchise.
Each player takes a turn asking a question about the agreed upon topic, and all players answer it. See who really knows more about their favorite character or world!
8. "Never Have I Ever..."
This icebreaker game is a simple and exciting way to get to learn surprising things about everyone in the car.
- Every player in the car puts five fingers in the air
- Each person takes a turn saying something that they haven't done before
- If a player has done it, he or she puts a finger down
If you have no fingers left up, you lose. The last person standing wins!
9. Scavenger hunt
This road trip game requires competitive focus and attention!
- Before your long distance drive, sit down together as a family and make a list of things to find on the way (anything from an abandoned farmhouse to a blue motorcycle or signs you are likely to see on the highway)
- Only the first person to see the item will get points awarded -- one point for each item
- Once every item on the list is spotted, the player with the most points wins
10. "The Alphabet Game"
"The Alphabet Game" is the best car game for younger children; it helps them develop their language skills and memory.
- All players find a visible object in the car or on the road that starts with the letter they were assigned
- The first player starts with the letter A and alternate back-and-forth through the alphabet
- If a player can't name an object that starts with their letter, they are out
- The last player standing wins
Aside from keeping your mind busy with family games, journaling is another great way to pass time when driving long distance. Depending on the device and available service, playing app games, downloading a movie or listening to music are also fun options when moving cross country. What are some road trip games or other ways you've used to entertain yourself during a long trip?