21 Cool Road Trip Games to Try on Your Next Family Adventure
Because no, you're not there yet!
The hardest part of a road trip with your family isn't navigating to your destination or dealing with erratic drivers — it's keeping your passengers entertained. Sure, you can resort to tablets and handheld video games, but the whole point of the road trip is that the endless hours on the road are supposed to inspire some family bonding time (no matter how corny). You have the power, both as driver and as keeper of the snacks, to get them off their screens and to play some old-school road trip games with them. I Spy? Yes. Hangman? Of course. The license plate game? Wouldn’t have it any other way.
We found some easy, DIY road trip games, just like the kind you used to play when you were packed in the car (and some interesting new games to try, too). All you need is some paper, some markers, maybe a few magnets, a little forethought (many of these have to be printed ahead of time), and miles of open road in front of you. Bust out these games on your next excursion and you'll have a car full of happy campers (yourself included) — and if a cabin or tent is your destination, explore our guide to the best camping activities too.
License Plate Map
This will keep their eyes on the road: Each time a kid spots a license plate from a different state, they get to color it in on the map. It's a fun game and a mini-geography lesson.
The Updated Slug Bug Game
The VW Beetle is no more, but "Punch Buggy" or "Slug Bug" lives on. Instead of having your kids give their siblings a whack in the arm every time you see a VW, give them this coloring sheet and have them tally up the number they see on paper.
LEGO Tic-Tac-Toe
Now you can play endless tic-tac-toe games without using up endless notebook paper. Plus, kids get a kick out of assembling the board.
Dole Out Car Bucks
As you tally up the victories for I Spy and 20 Questions, give out some "car bucks" to the winners. (You can also dole some out for good behavior — we're not above bribery.) Then, at the end of the trip, have your kids redeem their money for stickers and other prizes.
Car Bingo
These printable games are all based on what your kids see on the road. They can't mark off a square until they spy a stop sign, blue car, or other object on the list. If you're feeling fancy, you can laminate the sheets and use a dry erase marker for a washable and reusable game board.
The Alphabet Race
Mom or Dad starts the game by pulling a letter alphabet token out of a container. Whoever spots that letter out the window first (on a billboard or license plate, for example) gets to keep the token. Whoever has the most tokens in the end wins!
Popsicle Stick Playing Cards
Who says cards aren't easy to play in the car? This popsicle stick set is easy to hold and a lifesaver when the kids are craving a game of Go Fish.
Word Explorer
Before hitting the road, print out a binder full of these puzzles, which can be tailored to your kids based on their reading skills.
Conversation Starters
If your kids are too old to be entertained by toys and games, use this list of interesting questions to get a discussion going.
'Star Wars' Mad Libs
Prepare for hours of laughter when rebels, Jedi, and princesses get mixed up in silly adventures you help create with these fill-in-the-blank mad libs.
Would You Rather
This Disney edition asks kids questions about Cinderella's glass slippers, the seven dwarfs, and more. Which would you choose: Elsa's blonde braid or Merida's red curls?
Activity Tray
This blogger spray-painted a cookie sheet with chalkboard paint to create a magnetic activity tray kids can draw and play on.
Travel Puzzle
The best kind of games are the ones that teach your kids while entertaining them, like this "puzzle" that'll help your children learn how to spell.
Hangman
An oldie but goodie, this game will keep your kids guessing in the backseat as you navigate the roads.
Disney Guess Who
Challenge your kids to figure out which Disney character you're talking about with this DIY magnetic version of Guess Who. Since you're making the game pieces yourself by printing them on magnetic paper, if your kids aren't Disney fans (what?!) you can use whatever theme you like, from Star Wars to Sesame Street.
Drawing Game
Encourage your kids to be creative with these drawing prompts, which challenge them to think about what might be inside the trucks they're driving past or what's coming down the road.
Adventure Cootie Catcher
When you get to the inside of this cootie catcher, you don't get a fortune. Instead, you get a challenge, like picking a category and naming as many things as you can that fit the category in one minute.
Road Sign Bingo
For another twist on car bingo, instead of spotting license plates, try to find all of the different street signs.
Roll the Dice
The sides are filled with drawing prompts, like shapes, images, and colors, that get mixed up in silly combos when they roll. The kit also comes with "action" dice to make kids shake their legs and arms during a pit stop.
Lap Play
This kids' travel tray comes with a playmat for all of their action figures, plus tons of pockets for markers and crayons (or snacks).
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.
Lauren is a senior editor at Hearst. She was previously the senior editor at WomansDay.com and the home editor at GoodHousekeeping.com and HouseBeautiful.com. Her book club, ramen, and jean jackets are a few of her favorite things.
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