Nothing is worse than traveling hundreds of miles with screaming kids in the backseat. I keep thinking about the National Lampoon's family vacation and cringe with the thought that our roadtrips could turn out like that :)
Fortunately, with careful planning and research, our roadtrips have been filled with fun and excitement (and maybe a few tears) but the good news is that we reached our destination all in one piece and our ear drums still intact. Below is a list of our all time favorite road trip games.
1. I spy with my little eye
This one is an old classic and one of my all time favorites. My mom would play this with my sister and I to keep boredom at bay. The object of the game is to spy something inside the car and say the color of that object. For example..."I spy with my little eye something blue" It is up to the rest of the family to guess what that object is.
2. Who am I?/What am I?
Another great classic that will keep the kiddos going for awhile. This game can be played either way, who or what am I? With this game, the object is to ask the player 20 questions about the person, place, or thing. They have to be asked with a "yes" or "no" question. For example, "Is this a person?"
The person who guesses correctly gets to pick the who or what am I next. To make it easier on young kids, stick to a catagory such as animals, places they know, favorite foods etc. To make it more challenging for older kids, use geography, historical people etc.
3. Grocery Store
This game is great for young children. The object is to pick items that you can buy from the grocery store starting with the letter A like "apples" and then moving down the alphabet. For example, "I went to the grocery store and I bought apples" Then the next person repeats what the first person said but adds something that begins with B like "I went to the grocery store and I bought apples and bananas." If someone forgets the list, they are out. To make it easier for little ones, drop hints and give them another chance to get it right.
4. License plate game
This one is an all time popular game. Back in the day, we would grab our handy dandy notebook and write down the name of each state we spotted. The goal was to get all 50 states. With the changing
times, you can now print your own license plate game for free, where the kids can cross off the license plate they see.
5. Travel scavenger hunt
This one is fun for all ages. All kids enjoy a scavenger hunt. Print off this free scavenger hunt list and let them mark off the items they see.
6. Give them a disposable camera
This isn't technically a game but it's fun for kids. Each time you stop to stretch your legs let the kids take some pictures of the surroundings. When you get back home, get them developed and let the kids create their own travel scrapbook album.
7. Road trip bingo
This game is similar to regular bingo except this version contains specific objects such as a stop sign, dog, bike etc. The object is to get all items in a row and call out "BINGO!" before someone else. You can use cheerios or pennies to mark your object. Print off your free bingo cards here
8. Silent game
This was one of my mom's favorite games. We never did understand why she liked it so much until we got older and figured it out. When things become a little too hectic or out of control, pull out the silent card. The rule is to come up with one "word" that will be understood by the kids such as "loud" or "silent". They must stop talking and be silent for as long as possible. If they make a sound, they are out of the game. Whoever stays quiet the longest gets a prize.
With these fun games and enough patience, your road trip could be a great success with happy faces and less frustration and tears! What is your favorite road trip game?
Have a great road trip from Team Cox at Cable Dahmer Chevrolet!
