4 Fun Car and Travel Games

Written by Susan Williams of Education Possible.

Whether it is time for a family road trip or just a full day of running errands around town, spending a lot of time in the car can be challenging for kids (and parents) of all ages. Over the years we have discovered several easy games to help keep everyone entertained while on the road. And the best part of these games – no batteries required!

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Here are 4 fun car and travel games that we hope will make your next trip a little more enjoyable:

The Alphabet Game

This is one of the easiest games ever and every time you play your answers will be unique to your surroundings.

To play: Each player looks for letters of the alphabet on signs, license plates, bumper stickers, etc.

Variations:

Have players find items that start with each letter of the alphabet.
Players may have to find letters in alphabetical order.
Maybe players are limited to just signs or just license plates to find letters.
You can also print this handy Alphabet Game printable to keep track of letters found.

Group Storytelling

You can get some silly stories going when everyone helps to create a story together.

To play: Someone begins by telling the first line of the story. The opening line could be something familiar like, “Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who lived in a castle” or start with something crazy like “The other day two aliens landed at the mall and wanted to go shopping.”

Everyone takes turns adding just one line to the story. You never know what creative twists and turns your stories can take or how long they will be.

Variations:

The person starting the story could establish a theme for the story – action, fantasy, current events, etc.
Try creating a poem by requiring the last word of each sentence to rhyme.

Mad Libs

This classic game is fun and clever because kids don’t realize they are brushing up on their language arts lessons while making up funny stories, describing historical sights, and more.

To play: The easiest way to play is to buy a couple of Mad Libs books and bring along a pencil to fill in the answers with different parts of speech. Some of our favorites are Mad Libs on the Road, Vacation Mad Libs, and Happily Ever After Mad Libs, but there are dozens of Mad Libs books to choose from.

Variations: Sometimes my kids like to create their own Mad Libs. Just write down a basic story and leave out a word or two in each sentence.

Teen Road Trip Scavenger Hunt

Sometimes you need a creative way to get your teens to unplug while they are in the car. That’s why my friend Megan created this fun Road Trip Scavenger Hunt with 50 things to search for that will challenge your middle school students.

To play: Download a free copy of the scavenger hunt for your teens, bring along a pencil, and see who can find the most items during your next car trip.

Variations:

Set a time limit for the hunt.
Make everyone find the items in order.

We hope these fun and easy games will make your next family car trip entertaining and memorable!

What are some of your family’s favorite car and travel games?

This post is linked to the Hip Homeschool Hop.

Susan Williams is a wife, mom of two teen homeschooled boys, and a co-founder of EducationPossible, a website for sharing creative, hands-on learning activities for middle school. As a veteran educator she has taught in corporate, college, and various homeschool settings. Susan enjoys traveling with her family, sharing ideas with other moms, and helping her children explore the world around them (and as Floridians that usually includes spending time at one of their favorite worlds – Walt Disney World).