“Game show host” might not officially hold a spot on my resume, but it could. Every road trip we take, my family (and my sanity!) depend on me to devise ways to distract us all from the miles ahead. I didn’t apply for the job, but the screams from our toddler during the early years of family travel volunteered me for the role. Little Emmy did not like her car seat, so this desperate mom made up Puppetpoolza Party on the spot.
Thankfully, we’ve all gotten better at this family travel thing. And our now-teenagers look forward to the games (mostly), even on 14-hour road trips. When you’re on the road again, plan on playing these 15 car games for kids to keep everyone entertained.
5 Car Games for Kids Under 5
1. Puppetpoolza Party – Anything can be turned into a puppet. Using what you have on hand (See what I did there?), hold a silly conversation with your child. The first time I played this game, I used my child’s Lambie. Lambie talked with a heavy Southern accent and called everyone Pancake and Waffle. She asked my daughter all sorts of silly questions, messed up the song lyrics, and tried her hand at yodeling. That puppet calmed our toddler and made the trip fun for us all.
2. I Spy – Yep. It’s a classic game for a reason. And while it’s not a new game for you, it is for your child.
3. Hello, Yellow – See how many yellow trucks your child can spot. Give out a small prize when he finds 10. And, yes, snacks count as prizes! Then, move on to another color and another prize, like coloring pages, stickers, or a familiar stuffed animal who “snuck into the car.”
4. Cars of Many Colors – See how many different colored cars you can spot together. Red, white, black, blue, yes! Purple? Maybe. Hot pink? Almost as rare as a Hawaiian license plate.
5. And the Letter Is? – List three words starting with the same letter. Really enunciate the words. Ask your child to guess the letter. For example, you say: Book, Bear, Banana.
5 Games for Elementary
6. Name That Tune – Create a playlist. Include songs your kids love and your go-to songs. Shuffle the playlist and take turns naming the song. Increase the difficulty by requiring title and artist.
7. The Trifecta of Road Trip Games Printables – License plate game printable, check. Road Trip Bingo, check check. I Spy Alphabet Version, triple check!
8. Spot It – Pick five random things, such as a horse, a school bus, a church with a steeple, a construction sign, and a child asleep in a car. When someone in your car spots an item, she says, “Spot it!” and then picks a new thing for the list.
9. Minute to Win It (Car Version) – How many football teams, colors, Disney movies, instruments, pizza toppings can your child name in a minute? Add to the fun by asking your child to say how many he can name before attempting it.
10. Fortunately, Unfortunately – Make up a story together. Each person takes turns adding one sentence to the story. The first sentence starts with “Fortunately.” The next sentence begins with “Unfortunately.” Then back to “Fortunately.” For example: “Fortunately, we left the house early enough to miss most of the traffic. Unfortunately, we left the bathtub water running. Fortunately, our neighbor has a key to the house. Unfortunately, his dog ate it. Fortunately, you hid a spare key.” Unfortunately, this is one of those car games for kids you need to play yourself to find out what happens next.
5 Car Games for Tweens and Teens
11. Cows on My Side – This game works best with four people in the car. Split the car into two teams, the left side team and the right side team. Teams get a point if they see cows on their side of the road. Teams receive two points if they spot a cow doing something other than grazing. And a team earns three points for seeing an unusual farm animal on their side (llamas, yaks, etc). But, if a team spots a cemetery on their opponent’s side and says, “graveyard,” the opposing team loses all their points. The side with the most points at the end of the trip wins the game.
12. Hey, Mr. DJ – This one isn’t really a car game, but letting your tween or teen take over the music is an easy way to get to know your child a little better. Ask her about her favorite song of the moment. Why does she like that artist? How does she find new music?
13. Mental Dominoes – Start the game by saying a word. The next person picks a word somehow connected to the first one. Whoever goes next picks a word related to the previous word. For example, you say DOG. The next person says BONE. Then someone says DINOSAUR.
14. Team Trivia – Load up your phone with popular trivia apps like this one and this one, and let the fun and games begin. Split into teams or not. The only real rule is no Googling! And, hey, let the winner pick where you stop for lunch.
15. Movie Mania – Start by naming an actor. The next person needs to name a movie the actor starred in. The next person names another actor in that movie. Then, the next person recalls a different movie starring the new actor. If someone gets stumped, she’s out. Play continues until only the winner is left.
What are your favorite car games for kids?
