7 Fun Road Trip Games to Play (Free Download)
If you’re planning a family road trip this summer and are starting to get worried about the long-distance journey being too much for the kids, we’ve got you covered. There are a ton of fun games to play on a road trip that are entertaining for everyone and can even turn the drive into a fun experience.
Before you head out for your trip, try downloading and printing a travel journal for kids. This is a great way for them to jot down their experiences and favorite parts of the experience. Who knows, the fun had during the road trip might even be its own story to tell!
Here are 7 games to play on a road trip:
- I SPY
- Scavenger Hunt
- License Plate Game
- Words from License Plates
- Add to the Story
- The Name Game
- Shopping List Challenge
1. I SPY
A classic game to play on your next road trip is I SPY. This can be done by taking turns spotting something out for others to find or even having someone choose an item they haven’t yet spotted. This can make it fun for everyone to search to spot the item together.
2. Scavenger Hunt
A twist on I SPY, a scavenger hunt would entail identifying objects that you all know to look for before the game begins. You can create a list of 10 items to search for during the drive. You can either work together or if you want some competition, the first person to spot the item gets a point!
3. License Plate Game
To play this game, it helps to know your geography! As you spot different state plates, challenge yourself by either saying the neighboring states, the capital, or the abbreviation that is used in addresses. It’s even more fun to keep track of this by having a list and trying to spot every state.
4. Words from License Plates
Identify a license plate and try to find words that include the letters on it. You can create words that incorporate the letters within them. Make it more of a challenge by using the letters in the order they are listed on the license plate. Words can also be created by identifying categories first that words must fall into, for example, animals, states, cereals, etc.
5. Add to the Story
The first person will say a sentence, and then everyone will take turns adding a sentence to create a story. One person can even write it down or type it out if they want to reference it and then continue to build from it. The story can be themed, a memory you all share, or even a fun story that is created with a lot of imagination.
6. The Name Game
This can be played with the first and last names of people or even the first and last letters of the name of items. If you use the first and last names of celebrities, you will say the first and last name and the next person will say a name of someone whose first name begins with the first letter of the prior celebrity’s last name. For example, Abe Smith, Sarah Clark. If you use objects, pick a category such as food. Then, you can use the last letter of the item to create a new word. For example, apple, eggs, strawberry, etc.
7. Shopping List Challenge
This one is all about memory and can get tricky the longer the list (and crazier the items)! The first player must list an item that starts with the letter A. The next person must repeat this item and then add their item beginning with the letter B. The previous items must be repeated each time a new item is added. For example:
- Player 1 says: Apple
- Player 2 says: Apple, Banana
- Player 3 says: Apple, Banana, Cheese
These games are great to add to your next long-distance journey and will become staples on all of your road trips. They will be sure to make the ride more enjoyable, entertaining, and help the time go by quicker!