Before you embark on your next family road trip, be sure to print, save, or email this comprehensive list of road trip games. You might even consider laminating a copy to keep in your car for impromptu travel fun. Having these games at your fingertips can transform potentially tedious car rides into memorable family adventures. By engaging children of all ages with these creative and interactive activities, you’ll not only keep boredom at bay but also foster family bonding, stimulate young minds, and create lasting memories. From classic games like “I Spy” for the little ones to more complex word games for teens, this curated collection ensures that every member of your family stays entertained, reducing stress and complaints while significantly boosting the happiness quotient of your journey. Remember, a happy traveler makes for a smoother, more enjoyable trip for everyone!
Ages 3-5: Toddlers
- I Spy:
A classic game where one player describes an object in the car and the others try to find it.
How to play: One player says “I spy with my little eye, something…” and describes the object. The other players try to guess what it is.
Accessories: None needed. - Color Spotting:
Players spot different colors in the environment.
How to play: Call out a color and have everyone look for things that match that color outside the window.
Accessories: None needed. - Storytelling:
Create a story together, taking turns adding sentences.
How to play: Start with a simple sentence and go around the car, each person adding a sentence to continue the story.
Accessories: None needed. - Sing-Alongs:
Sing favorite songs together.
How to play: Choose a song and everyone sings along. You can also create your own silly songs.
Accessories: None needed. - Puppet Show:
Use your fingers or small toys as puppets to put on a show.
How to play: Create characters and a story, then perform a puppet show for the other passengers.
Accessories: Small toys or stuffed animals can be used as puppets. - Count the Cars
Count how many cars of a certain color pass by.
How to Play: Pick a color, and everyone counts how many cars of that color they see
Accessories: None. - Alphabet Game
Find letters of the alphabet on road signs.
How to Play: Start with “A” and find each letter in order on signs, license plates, or billboards.
Accessories: None. - What’s Missing?
Memory game using items in the car.
How to Play: Show a few small items, then cover them and remove one. The child guesses
which item is missing.
Accessories: Small items like toys or snacks. - Simon Says:
A game that improves listening skills and body awareness.
How to play: One player (usually an adult) gives instructions like “Simon says touch your nose.” Players only follow instructions that start with “Simon says.”
Accessories needed: None - Texture Bag
Sensory guessing game.
How to play: Put various small objects in a bag; the child reaches in and guesses the item.
Accessories: Fabric bag, small toys or objects.
Ages 6-8: Early Elementary
License Plate Game
Spot license plates from different states or countries.
How to Play: Write down the names of states or countries as you see them. The person with the most unique plates wins.
Accessories: Paper and pen.20 Questions
Guess the object, person, or place by asking up to 20 yes/no questions.
How to Play: One person thinks of something, and others ask yes/no questions to guess what it is.
Accessories: None.Car Bingo
Mark off items you see on a bingo card.
How to Play: Use a pre-made bingo card with common road trip sightings (e.g., stop sign, cow). The first to get a row wins.
Accessories: Bingo cards and markers.Story Chain
Create a story one sentence at a time.
How to Play: The first player starts with a sentence, and each player adds a sentence to continue the story.
Accessories: None.Word Association
Say a word related to the previous word.
How to Play: One person says a word, and the next says a word associated with it. Continue until someone hesitates or repeats a word.
Accessories: None.Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
Find a list of items during the drive.
How to Play: Create a list of common roadside items (e.g., red car, gas station). Players check off items as they see them.
Accessories: List of items, pen.Count the Animals
Count how many of a specific animal you see.
How to Play: Choose an animal, and everyone counts how many they spot during the trip.
Accessories: None.Who Am I?
Guess the person based on clues.
How to Play: One person thinks of a famous person or character, and others ask yes/no questions to guess who it is.
Accessories: None.- Name That Tune:
A music recognition game.
How to play: Hum or whistle a part of a song. Others try to guess the song title
Accessories: None, but access to music can enhance the game Spot the Differences
Find differences between similar images.
How to Play: Use a book or printout with spot-the-difference puzzles.
Accessories: Spot-the-difference puzzles.Memory Game
Remember a list of items in order.
How to Play: The first person says, “I’m going on a trip and I’m bringing [item].” Each subsequent player repeats the list and adds one more item.
Accessories: None.
Ages 9-11: Middle Childhood
- Would You Rather?
Choose between two scenarios.
How to Play: One person asks, “Would you rather [option 1] or [option 2]?” and everyone else answers.
Accessories: None. - Alphabet Categories
Name items in a category starting with each letter of the alphabet.
How to Play: Choose a category (e.g., animals). Take turns naming an animal for each letter, starting with “A.”
Accessories: None. - Name That Tune
Guess the song based on a short clip.
How to Play: Play a few seconds of a song, and others guess the title.
Accessories: Music player. - Two Truths and a Lie
Guess which statement is false.
How to Play: Each person says three statements about themselves; two are true, and one is a lie. Others guess the lie.
Accessories: None. - Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament
A classic game with a twist.
How to Play: Play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The winner advances to the next round until a champion is crowned.
Accessories: None. - Hangman
Guess the word by suggesting letters.
How to Play: One person thinks of a word and draws blanks for each letter. Others guess letters to fill in the word.
Accessories: Paper and pen. - Geography Game
Name places that start with the last letter of the previous place.
How to Play: Start with any place name (e.g., “Paris”). The next player must name a place starting with “S.”
Accessories: None. - Travel Tic-Tac-Toe
Play Tic-Tac-Toe with a travel twist.
How to Play: Use a paper or magnetic board to play Tic-Tac-Toe, with a travel-themed twist (e.g., using travel icons as markers).
Accessories: Paper, pen, or a travel Tic-Tac-Toe set. - 20 Objects Memory Game
Remember as many objects as possible.
How to Play: Show 20 objects briefly, then cover them. Players write down as many as they can remember.
Accessories: 20 small objects, paper, and pen. - Road Sign Alphabet
Find road signs starting with each letter of the alphabet.
How to Play: Spot road signs or billboards with words starting with each letter of the alphabet, in order.
Accessories: None. - Storytelling Round
- Collaborative storytelling.
- How to play: Each person adds a sentence to create a story together.
- Accessories: None
- Travel Journal
Document the trip.
How to play: Each child writes or draws about their experiences each day.
Accessories Notebook, pens or colored pencils.
Ages 12 and Up: Pre-Teens and Teens
- The Movie Game
Name actors and movies they’ve been in.
How to Play: Start with a movie. The next person names an actor from that movie, and the next person names another movie that actor was in.
Accessories: None. - Celebrity Name Game
Name celebrities based on the first letter of the last celebrity mentioned.
How to Play: One person says a celebrity’s name, and the next person says another celebrity whose first name starts with the last letter of the previous name.
Accessories: None. - Story Starters
Build a story from a random opening line.
How to Play: One person provides an opening line, and each player adds a sentence to continue the story.
Accessories: None. - Road Trip Trivia
Answer trivia questions about various topics.
How to Play: Prepare trivia questions beforehand, and take turns asking and answering them.
Accessories: Trivia cards or app.
Word Mash-Up - Create new words by blending two random words together.
How to Play: Pick two unrelated words and combine them to make a funny new word. Others guess the original words.
Accessories: None. - The Alphabet Game
Name items in a specific category starting with each letter of the alphabet.
How to Play: Choose a category (e.g., movies, countries). Take turns naming an item for each letter of the alphabet.
Accessories: None. - 20 Questions
Guess the object, person, or place by asking up to 20 yes/no questions.
How to Play: One person thinks of something, and others ask yes/no questions to guess what it is.
Accessories: None. - Debate Club
Argue for or against a random topic.
How to Play: Choose a silly topic (e.g., “Cats are better than dogs”). Split into teams and debate the topic.
Accessories: None.
Song Lyrics Challenge - Guess the song from a few lines of lyrics.
How to Play: One person reads a few lines from a song, and others guess the title and artist.
Accessories: Music player or lyric sheet. - Who Am I?
Guess the famous person based on clues.
How to Play: One person thinks of a famous person, and others ask yes/no questions to guess who it is.
Accessories: None.