Planning a family road trip? Keeping everyone entertained during long drives can be a challenge, but with the right road trip games, the journey can be just as fun as the destination. Here are 10 road trip games that are completely free and will keep the whole family engaged.
10 Road Trip Games
Story Chain
A creative and collaborative game that sparks imagination and laughter. It’s perfect for passing the time and creating memorable stories together.
- Play: Start a collaborative story where each person adds a sentence. Begin with “Once upon a time…” and let each family member take turns adding to the tale. The story can take hilarious and unexpected twists, making it a fun and creative way to pass the time.
- Tips: Encourage everyone to be as imaginative as possible. You can add themes or prompts to guide the story, such as “In a magical forest” or “On a pirate ship.”
Categories
A fast-paced game that challenges everyone’s quick thinking and knowledge. It’s great for keeping minds active and engaged.
- Play: A category is determined (e.g., salad items), and travelers name as many items as possible within a set period of time. This fast-paced game encourages quick thinking and collaboration.
- Tips: Choose categories that are broad enough to allow for many answers but specific enough to be challenging.
Name That Tune
Perfect for music lovers and those who enjoy singing in the car. It can even inspire your next road trip playlist.
- Play: One player hums, sings, or plays a few notes of a song, and the others have to guess the title. It’s a great way to enjoy music and test your musical knowledge.
- Tips: Use a music app to play snippets of songs if humming or singing isn’t preferred. You can also create themed rounds, such as “80s hits” or “Disney songs.”
I’m Going on a Picnic
A memory game that gets progressively harder as the list of items grows. It’s a fun way to test and improve memory skills.
- Play: Start the game with “I am going on a picnic and I’m bringing…” The next player repeats the full list and adds a new item. The play keeps going until a person cannot remember all the previous items.
- Tips: Change up the game with themes like “I’m going on a road trip.”
20 Questions
A classic guessing game that encourages curiosity and deductive reasoning. It’s perfect for sparking interesting conversations.
- Play: One person thinks of a person, place, or thing, and the others take turns asking questions that can only be answered with a yes or no answer. The goal is to figure out the solution within 20 questions.
- Tips: Start with broad questions and narrow down as you go. For example, begin with “Is it a living thing?” and then move to more specific questions.
I Spy
Interactive game that keeps everyone looking out the window for interesting sights. It’s perfect for all ages and encourages observation skills.
- Play: One person picks an object they can see, while others in the car have to guess what it is. Begin with “I spy with my little eye, something that is…” and follow with an initial clue such as the color of the object. Players take turns guessing or asking a question that can only be answered with a yes or no answer.
- Tips: Use descriptive clues to make the game more engaging. You can also set rules, such as only picking objects outside the car or within a certain distance.
Would You Rather
A conversational game that can lead to some spirited debates. It’s great for getting to know each other better and having fun discussions.
- Play: One person asks a “Would you rather” question that offers two options, and the others must choose between the two options no matter how silly or improbable they are. For example: Would you rather take a trip into space or go to the bottom of the ocean?
- Tips: Prepare a list of questions in advance to keep the game flowing. You can also create themed rounds, such as “travel” or “food.”
License Plate Games
The perfect road trip game, as long as you are passing cars. There are several different ways to play, making it versatile and engaging.
- Play (Option 1): The goal is to find as many different state license plates as possible. Each time a new one is found, a player scores a point. The person who has the most points at the end of the trip wins.
- Play (Option 2): For a quicker variation, each player selects a letter or a number. Each time the player finds a license plate with their letter or number, they score 1 point. The first person to 25 points wins.
- Tips: Keep a list of states or letters/numbers to track progress. You can also set a time limit for each round to add excitement.
The Alphabet Game
A collaborative game that can be used by anyone who knows their letters. It’s great for keeping everyone engaged and looking out for signs and license plates.
- Play: The goal is to find all the letters of the alphabet from A to Z in consecutive order. Players search license plates, street signs, billboards, and more. The only rule is that the letter must be outside the car.
- Tips: Make the game more challenging by setting rules, such as only using road signs or only using license plates.
Road Trip Bingo
A classic that keeps passengers’ eyes on the scenery throughout the trip. It’s a fun and interactive way to spot common road trip sights.
- Preparation: Create bingo card printouts with common road trip sights like railroad crossing signs, fire trucks, and red barns. Leave a free space in the middle.
- Play: As players spot items during the drive, mark off the squares. The first person to get five in a row can shout “Bingo!”
- Tips: Customize the bingo cards based on your route and the sights you expect to see. As summer approaches, many dollar sections have inexpensive cards with flaps that also work well.
Let me know if these are the best road trip games for you. What are your favorite road trip games? Share your suggestions in the comments below!
