Road trips can be a whole lot of fun for the entire family. From the scenic mountains to the majestic plains, no matter where you are going, there is always something exciting to see when you are on the road. However, when you have kids, sometimes, even 20 minutes into the trip, you will start to hear things like, “Are we there yet?” or “I’m so bored.” With these road trip games, kids can find creative ways to pass the time, there won’t be any more boredom in the car, and you can drive to your destination in peace.
Road trip games for kids
Rule
This is a fun game that the whole family can get in on! To play this game, every person in the vehicle has to make up a nonsensical rule. For example, the rule could be something like “Every time we cross over a railroad, everyone has to bark like a dog,” or, “Each time we go into a tunnel, everybody has to tap the ceiling of the car.” There are many nonsense rules everyone can think of. Every time someone remembers a rule, except for the last person to catch on, gets a point. The person who has the most amount of points when you get to your destination wins.
Picnic
This is a great game that will test everybody’s memory, so it exercises the brain, too. It begins when someone says “I’m going to a picnic and I am bringing, (insert item).” The next person in the car then says the same sentence and repeats what the first person said, and then they add their own ingredient. Then, the next person to go has to repeat those two previous items and then add their item, and this goes on until the person who cannot remember all of the items loses and the whole game can start over again.
Triple threat
This game involves both the adults and the kids. The parents have to come up with three totally random words. It could be sun, llamas, and telephones. The sillier the words, the better. The parents have to tell their kids the three words that they came up with, and after that, the kids have to come up with a silly story involving all three words. Watch how quickly this game goes from zero to laugh-out-loud funny in seconds! After the kids have succeeded in coming up with a great story with those three objects, keep doing rounds of the game until you get to where you are going.
Cow on my side
This game is very simple and can get competitive, too, but in the best fun-loving way. When you pass a group of cows, the first person to shout “Cows on my side!” gets a point. Of course, if someone sees cows on the other side, which is their opponent’s side, they can shout “Cows on your side!” and they will then steal the point from their opponent. Even better, if you pass a cemetery, the first person who yells “Ghost cow!” steals the points from everybody’s side! It’s a silly game that everyone can enjoy.
Miles of smiles
The premise of this game is very simple. When you leave the house and you see a car, you smile your biggest, cheesiest smile. Keep count of how many drivers will smile back at you. The person with the most smiles wins. There is a book of the same name filled with other fun-filled activities to do while you are in the car. Waving is allowed in the game, but no funny faces that would encourage the person in the other car to laugh. This is best played when you are on a highway and there are other cars.
Travel journal
As parents, we already know that our kids are excited about the trip that they are going on. Why not have them record some adventures along the road in a travel journal? They can write down all the things that they see, anything exciting that they notice along the road. It can be a nice distraction sometimes just to write or have an activity to do. Perhaps, you can even let them know that you have designated a time to write and make it quiet time.
There are so many memories that are to be made on your road trip to your destination. In this day and age, we can easily hand the kids a tablet, phone, or any other electronic and leave it at that. However, sometimes it’s healthy and good for them to disengage. A road trip is a great way to bond with each other and build memories together. Once you arrive at where you were going, you’ll definitely treasure what you just experienced.
Editors' Recommendations
- 6 children’s picture books with LGBTQ+ love stories for Valentine’s Day
- Games to play in the snow that are perfect for kids of any age
- Follow these kid sledding safety tips if they plan on going out this winter
- 7 fun fall homeschool activities
- Noncompetitive games every child will love
