Whether you’re driving to grandma’s house and back, or embarking on a cross-country adventure, these AMAZING car games for kids will keep them happy and occupied for hours on end.
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As someone who spent hours in the back of the family van and station wagon in the pre-electronic devices era, I’ve played my fair-share of car games.
And I’ve learned at a young age that not all car games are created equal.
Car games for kids need to be engaging, fast-paced, and offer variety for different age groups.
Road trips with kids can be a stressful experience. Nothing is fun about driving with a screaming child, whining about how much longer they’re going to be confined to the back seat between their siblings. Or a sulky teenager that is lamenting the loss of their precious cell phone privileges.
Road trips are the perfect opportunity to create memories with your kids. Talking, laughing, learning together en-route to a fun location.
I’ve compiled a list of my favorite car games for kids, along with brief instructions on how to carry them out.
Of course, each game can be fully customizable to each kid’s ability and preference.
Car Games for Young Kids
I-Spy
This is probably one of the most iconic car games for kids and is played in vehicles all over the world. It’s definitely a fun one to play with kids of any age, but a perfect car game for younger kids.
One person picks an object outside of the car (a blue sign) and says “I spy with my little eye, something blue (or another clue about the object).” The other people in the car then try to guess the item. The person who guesses the item gets to “I Spy” something next.
Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
This car game takes a little bit of prep work to pull off. Going on Google and Pinterest, you can compile a matching game with road signs, animals you might encounter, and specific vehicles such as motorcycles and police cruisers.
Print out the sheet like a bingo game and give your kids a pencil or crayon. Sometimes having a different type of car game will help keep little attention spans longer. And this is something they can do on their own time, often quietly.
Alphabet Game
This is the perfect car game for kids that are working on their letters and reading! Starting with “A,” players search for a word on a sign, sticker, billboard, or building that begins with an “A.”
The goal of the game is to make your way through the alphabet until you get to “Z.”
You can also go in reverse from Z-A to change it up.
There will be some times you might be stuck on a letter, but don’t worry. Sometimes when you least expect it, you might come across a Zachy Farms semi truck or the notorious Zzyzx road in Southern California.
If your road trip will be taking you through long stretches of desert, or extensive nighttime driving, this might not be the best car game to play. Or maybe it is, if you like a challenge!
Car Games for Older Kids
License Plates
If you’re passing a lot of cars on the road, this is a great game to play with multiple variations.
Variation 1: spot the license plates from states other than the ones you’re currently in. Traditionally, my siblings and I would punch each other in the arm as hard as we could, but you can think of another thing to do, like clap.
Variation 2: spot the license plates that have 2 identical letters or numbers next to each other. For example, there’s a license plate that reads “XJEE152.” There are 2 “E”s next to each other, so you would say/yell “E!”
We played this in high school all the time when I would drive my friends around. They thought it was fun to hit me while driving. Ahh…those days when I didn’t really think about the consequences of constantly being punched in the arm while driving…
20 Questions
One person secretly thinks of a noun, such as an animal, place, or vegetable. The other players then take turns asking yes-or-no questions, such as “Can it fly?” or “Does it grow in the ground?” Players have up to 20 questions they can ask before making a guess.
You can theme this car game for kids based on your location, what you’re going to be doing, or something that everyone in the car loves. By doing this, you can include some of the younger kids as well!
Finger Numbers
This was a fun car game that my friends introduced me to a few years ago en route to Wyoming. In order for this game to work, everyone must have their hands visible to the other players.
One person is designated as the “leader.” The leader counts down to 1, at which time everyone playing has to display a number with their hands (like when you’re counting on your fingers).
The goal is to display a number different than everyone else in the group. If you display the same number as someone else playing, you’re both out.
This game gets really silly, really quickly. And the more people that play, the harder the game becomes. This is an ideal game for those drives through the desert or at night, when there’s not a lot going on outside.
“I’m Going on Vacation”
This is a fun memory game that requires a bit of imagination. The game goes a little something like this…
The 1st person: “I’m going on vacation, and I’m bringing my hammock.”
Next person: “I’m going on vacation, and I’m bringing my hammock and my collection of movies.”
Next person: “I’m going on vacation, and I’m bringing my hammock and my collection of movies and my little brother.”
Do you see the pattern? Each person says what the people before them are “bringing” on vacation and then add their own item. The game ends when you can’t remember the list in order.
The list of items you are “bringing” on vacation grows progressively longer and more silly as you struggle to remember everyone’s items and come up with originals to add to the list!
“Sorry I’m Late”
Start off with one person saying, “Sorry I’m late.” That person gives a reason why they were late, but the reason has to be a description of a movie.
Example: “Sorry I’m late. I had to go help my sister figure out why she was hearing a song from a glacier.”
Answer: Frozen II
It’s up to everyone in the car to find out what the movie is.
What other car games for kids have you found to be winners for you? Are you planning a road trip soon?
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