Traveling can be hectic! Even just driving your kids across town to the supermarket can feel like a major undertaking. So, if you’re going to be in a vehicle for any length of time, car games for kids are a great way to keep everyone entertained!
The activities in this article not only help pass the time, but also provide an opportunity to reinforce critical thinking and core skills, such as reading, math, sequencing, and shape recognition.
Building these skills is an essential part of developing a foundation for success in school and life. Kids that develop this foundation make better decisions and do better at school (and eventually at work).
So let’s get started! We’ve compiled a list of fun, educational, and entertaining road trip games that the whole family can enjoy.
Key Takeaways
- Car games for kids can reinforce important early learning in areas like critical thinking and reading, math, sequencing, and shape recognition.
- Classic road trip games like I-Spy, the License Plate Game, and 20 Questions can all be adapted to support early learning.
- Asking questions that make kids think, tying games to the alphabet or math, and picking games that are enjoyable for both kids and parents makes learning on the road easier.
- A learning membership that grows with your child can also provide great resources for playing games in the car.
Table of Contents
Key Elements of Car Games
Fun road trip games come in all shapes and sizes. But as you’ll see from our list below, a few key elements appear across the best games.
A Mixture of Learning and Entertainment
If you’ll be on the road for extended periods of time, it’s great to know that a game your child or children are playing is both fun and educational.
Few Supplies Needed
Since you’ll be in a moving vehicle, it’s essential that the games you play don’t take much space or need a big box of supplies.
This also means that you won’t have to worry about cleaning up afterward (and we love that!).
Quiet Time
Quiet time can be very beneficial for kids and adults both, especially if you’re on a long road trip. So while we’ve included some active family car games, we’ve also added a few that will facilitate moments of much-needed peace and quiet.
21 Fun Car Games Kids Love
One last note before we get to the games at the heart of this blog post.
Trips come in all shapes and sizes. You could be traveling to another state by car, plane, or train. You could also just be heading to the supermarket for groceries. It’s OK to modify the games below to suit your setting and needs.
Let’s get to it! Here are nine fun, educational games to try on your next road trip.
1) Alphabet I-Spy
II-Spy is an old classic that most of us played as kids.
If it’s been a while and you need a quick reminder of the rules, here is the rundown:
- The player who is “it” has to spy something that other players can also see but won’t be able to easily guess
- This player will then start the game by saying “I spy with my little eye something that’s…” (This is when they give a clue about what they are spying.)
- The clue can be a color, direction, letter, etc.
- Using this clue, the other players will then take turns trying to guess the item
Alphabet I-Spy modifies this rule set to help kids learn basic reading skills. Give children a card with the letters of the alphabet and have them check the letters off as they spy items that start with them.
You can help younger kids out by providing detailed hints and clues (“You need something that starts with a ‘C’? Look in the sky for something white. Its name starts with a ‘ck’ sound.”)
To add another fun element for older players, see how many letters they can get checked off in a set amount of time.
2) Story Starter
We mentioned above how important it is for car games to require minimal supplies. We love Story Starter because no supplies are needed here at all!
To begin, the first person will say the first sentence of a story but not finish the sentence. The following person then completes the sentence and starts another one but leaves it incomplete for the next person.
This pattern repeats until the story reaches a conclusion. You may want to set a time limit (10 to 15 minutes) to help everyone know how long the story should take.
This is a fun road trip game that the whole family can play, even the driver! Don’t be afraid to add some silly elements to the story to help everyone enjoy themselves.
Along the way you’ll help the kids develop their auditory memory and sense of story grammar, two language skills that improve literacy.
3) License Plate Game
In this game, players must spot as many license plates from different states as possible.
You can start it as soon as you pull out of your driveway. Every time the kids see a new state on a license plate, they will need to mark it down on paper.
This game can continue for however long you want it to (e.g., until your first stop for gas). When you’re ready to end the game, simply count how many states each player has spotted, and whoever has the highest wins.
This game is best for early readers who can start to learn the names of the states as they read them off plates. But if you print off images of state license plates before the trip, younger kids can match by colors and patterns as well.
The game works well on long road trips, but you’ll also see a surprising number of license plates in airport parking lots, especially if you rent a car!
4) Animal Alphabet Game
The animal alphabet game is another great activity for the whole family.
To get started, one person names an animal of their choosing. The next player then has to name an animal that begins with the last letter of the animal named before, and so on.
For example: dog, goat, tiger, rabbit, etc.
This is an excellent activity when you need to quiet the kids down, as each player will need to pay attention to what the previous player said. It also allows kids to work on their phonological awareness and letter-sound recognition.
This road trip game may be a bit challenging for younger kids, like toddlers. That’s OK! You can help them out by offering clues.
5) The Name Game
To start this game, choose one person’s name and then pick a category (e.g., food, animals, sports). Then take turns coming up with words for each category, letter-by-letter, in the name.
For example, if the name you pick is “Pam” and you decide that your category is “food,” you might come up with pie, pasta, pizza, pickles, pears, peaches, potatoes, etc. See how many you can get for each letter.
This is a fun opportunity for children to practice the alphabet and expand their vocabulary.
6) Grandmother’s Trunk
Grandmother’s trunk is a popular game for road trips. You may have played it as a child yourself!
Here are the rules for the game:
- The first player will say, “I went to grandmother’s trunk, and I found… (some item that would fit in a trunk, e.g., a hat)”
- The next player will then need to say, “I went to grandmother’s trunk, and I found … (the first item, then a new one, e.g., a hat and gloves)
- Players continue, taking turns. On each turn, they repeat what was said before and then add a new word
To dig a little deeper into reinforcing the alphabet for this game, you can have grandmother only pack items in alphabetical order (e.g., applesauce, book, coat, etc.). But even if you don’t do the alphabet version, this game will help strengthen kids’ ability to remember important information.mation.
7) 20 Questions
We love this one because no supplies are necessary so you can break it out whenever you need it, even if you can’t find the road trip bag! Here’s how to play 20 questions:
To play, one player secretly chooses a person, place, or thing. The other players then take turns asking yes-or-no questions to try to figure out what that person is thinking about. As soon as a player thinks they know the answer, they can use their turn to guess.
This game helps kids develop critical thinking, as over time kids learn which kinds of information are important to narrow down the possibilities for what the secret person, place, or thing might be.
Whoever guesses the secret first becomes the secret chooser for the next round. If no one guesses, have whoever came closest choose instead.
8) I’m Thinking of a Song
If you’re going on a road trip, there’s a good chance you’ve also prepared a few songs to play along the way. So why not have some fun with the tunes while you’re at it?
When you’re ready to play a song, give the kids a clue like, “I’m thinking of a song that starts with ‘B’.” If the kids struggle, you can add more hints like, “It’s about an underwater animal.” Let whoever guesses it first (“Baby Shark!”) pick the next song and start the clues.
This is another way to reinforce phonological awareness and let kids practice sorting things into categories (e.g., songs about animals, songs about people, songs about places).
For younger kids, you can have them pick any song that starts with a particular letter or fits a given category, which makes the game easier.
9) Crazy Costumes
All you need for Crazy Costumes is an iOS or Android device with the HOMER app (one of Begin’s easy-to-use, award-winning early learning products). Before leaving your home, you can follow this link to learn about playing Crazy Costumes on different devices.
In the car, children then play by dressing up some of their favorite HOMER characters. Once the kids have finished their costumes, ask them to describe the costumes to you and see if you can guess what they are!
This helps develop critical thinking, as kids will need to figure out which information you need to guess correctly. It’s very much like 20 Questions in reverse!
This is a great activity to keep kids entertained and give you some much-needed peace and quiet for a moment. And once the kids are on HOMER, you can transition them to any of its 1,000+ learning activities. It’s screen time done right!
10) Car Color Search
Turn your next drive into a car color search! Challenge your passengers to find a car or truck painted a specific color.
Start by picking a common color, such as red or white, to get the momentum going. Then, once they’re on a roll, dial up the difficulty. Challenge them to spot “funny” colors, like lime green, neon orange, or even sparkly purple.
For an added bit of fun, let one of your passengers choose the color!
It’s a fantastic way to sharpen their observation skills while making those long stretches of highway fly by in a flash.
11) Road Sign Bingo
Road signs can be more than just directions. They can be game pieces, too! Road Sign Bingo challenges passengers to spot and point out specific road signs. For younger kids, keep it simple by hunting for a red stop sign or a yellow diamond.
To level up the fun for older children, challenge them to find specific symbols like “no U-turn” or “pedestrian crossing.” You can even print out bingo sheets and store them in your glove box or behind your seat for an impromptu game or two.
The first person to mark off five signs in a row wins bragging rights for the rest of the trip!
12) Word Search
Bring the classic word search puzzle to life by looking out the window. Give your kids a specific word to hunt for on billboards, shop signs, or bumper stickers.
To keep things competitive, see who can say the word and point out where it is first. For an extra laugh, choose quirky or funny words that might be rare.
This simple game builds reading speed and keeps their eyes peeled, turning every passing sign into a potential point for the win.
13) Spot the Number
Make the drive a blast with a fast-paced number hunt. Pick a digit, like the number eight, and have everyone scan license plates and signs. Every time someone spots that number, they tell where they see it to claim a point.
Set a timer for 10 minutes to keep the energy high. The player with the most points when the clock hits zero wins a small prize.
14) Twiggle
Get those gears turning with Twiggle, a silly counting game that builds focus. Challenge each passenger to count by ones, but there’s a catch: every time they come to a number with a “three” in it, they must say “Twiggle!” instead.
For example, one child starts out by counting, “One, two, Twiggle, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, Twiggle, fourteen,” etc., until they make a mistake. Then the next child goes as far as they can in the time allotted.
For older kids, try “Twiggling” on multiples of three or five to sneak in some mental math. If someone misses a Twiggle, they have to start over from the beginning on their next turn.
It’s a rhythmic, hilarious way to keep the whole car engaged and thinking. Plus, if you don’t like the word “Twiggle,” you can choose any funny nonsense word you like!
15) Story Collaboration
Ready to spark some serious imagination and take the “Story Starter” idea to the next level? Try the Story Collaboration car game for kids.
Here’s how it works. One person starts an epic/funny/mysterious story and talks for 30 seconds until the timekeeper says “Switch!” The next person must pick up the plot exactly where it left off. The fun thing is, they can take it in any direction they like when it’s their turn.
This fast-paced game teaches kids how to listen closely and think on their feet, resulting in wild, unpredictable stories that will have everyone in the car laughing.
16) Logo Race
Logos are everywhere, and now they’re part of the race. Choose a famous brand logo and challenge your child to find 10 of them.
If you have multiple players, assign each person a different logo to track. Remember, it’s not just about big signs. Logos on passing trucks and delivery vans count, too!
This game is a great way to help your child recognize symbols and stay focused on a goal.
17) Sound Machine
This game is perfect for little passengers who love to make some noise! One person makes a sound, like a “vroom,” “choo-choo,” or a “moo,” and the other passengers guess what it is.
To give older kids a challenge, ask them to identify the letter that the sound starts with. It’s a simple, interactive way to practice phonics and listening skills while letting everyone’s inner sound-effect-maker shine during a car ride.
18) Going on a Picnic
Going on a Picnic is a memory builder that everyone can enjoy. The first player says, “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m bringing an Apple.” The next person repeats, “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m bringing an Apple,” and adds a “B” item, like “Bread.”
The next person repeats, “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m bringing an Apple, Bread,” and adds a “C” item, like “Cat” or “Cheese”.
For younger learners, forget the alphabet and let them pick any favorite food to practice listening and taking turns. For older kids, challenge them to include that food in the list even if it’s not the right letter (e.g., “…Apple, Bread, Cheese, Pizza, Eclairs, Fudge…”).
19) Telephone
The Telephone car game for kids is the ultimate test of listening. One person whispers a silly sentence to their neighbor, who passes it on to the next person in the car.
By the time the message travels around the car, the original phrase usually turns into something totally dramatically different (usually hilarious and nonsensical).
This game is a great reminder for kids that details matter, and it’s a guaranteed way to fill the car with laughter as the final sentence is revealed.
20) Rainbow Race
In this high-energy car game, everyone searches for items based on the order of the colors in the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet).
Toddlers can practice simple color matching, while older kids learn about sequencing and working toward a long-term goal. It’s a collaborative mission that turns the passing scenery into a rainbow of fun, proving that teamwork makes the dream work, even on the interstate!
21) On-the-Road Scavenger Hunt
Create your own three-by-three game board of common items (like a gas pump, a tree, a fire hydrant, a stop sign, a bike, etc.), or print off this free version from Begin, and challenge your child to mark them all off the board as they see them.
Store extra sheets with different items in your car for quick trips to the mall and back.
Make Family Road Trips Quality Time
Lining up games to play in the car isn’t always the most exciting part of preparing for a vacation, especially for parents!
But with a little planning, you can make your hours in the car fun and reinforce the early learning essentials your kids are exploring through other enrichment activities.
If you’re looking for extra help, check out our play-based programs, including award-winning apps, printables, and hands-on activities that can brighten up any ride.
No matter what the game is, there’s almost always a way to tie it back to learning. Ask questions that make your kids think, focus on core skills like literacy and math, and pick games that will be fun for the adults on the trip too. You’ve got this!
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my kids are different ages?
To keep the peace, let your older child take the lead as the “thinker” while your younger one plays the “guesser.” You can act as a supportive bridge by tossing out helpful hints, ensuring everyone stays engaged without any mid-trip frustration.
How do I prevent motion sickness during games?
Focusing on the world outside the window is much easier on the stomach than staring at a tablet or a book.
If your little traveler starts feeling woozy, simply switch to “audio-only” games like “I’m Thinking of a Song” or “The Name Game” to keep the fun moving without the dizzy spells.
What are the best supplies for car games?
Keep your mobile playroom organized by using clipboards, lap trays, and zippered pouches to prevent runaway crayons or lost game sheets.
A sturdy backseat organizer and a few favorite fidget toys can turn a cramped car into a tidy, highly functional fun zone.
Are digital games OK for long hauls?
Absolutely! High-quality apps like HOMER turn screen time into an interactive learning adventure. But don’t prioritize apps over personal interaction.
Balance digital play with family games to keep everyone connected!
