15 Car Games to Play on Your Next Long Drive
Pack your bags and get your car running; it’s time for a road trip! While logging miles in your ride may not be your preferred part of the journey, you can make the haul much more bearable by playing road trip games. Here’s a list of 15 games to play in the car—and trust us, these in-car games are the ultimate road trip boredom buster.
1. License Plate Lookout
Start this road trip game as soon as you drive for maximum madness. During this travel game, participants race to see who can spot the most license plates from different states. Bonus points if you locate plates from all 50 states!
2. 20 Questions
20 Questions is simple: one person thinks of a person, place, or thing, and everyone else in the car must ask 20 questions to try and guess what’s on their mind. The sooner you figure it out, the better. Determine who can puzzle the group by making the most random (but guessable!) choice with something no one would see coming.
3. Would You Rather?
If you want a road trip activity to spark conversation, go for a round of this beloved question quiz. Give each person a chance to ask an either-or question: would you rather do one crazy, wacky thing or another? The answers may surprise you! Here are scenarios to propose:
- Would you rather be able to speak any language or talk to animals?
- Would you rather be able to eat unlimited pizza or ice cream?
- Would you rather have to sing or dance to every song you heard for a year?
- Would you rather give up air conditioning or the internet?
- Would you rather be ten feet tall or ten inches tall?
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4. Alphabet Soup
Among the best road trip games for kids, Alphabet Soup is a variation of the classic “Eye Spy.” Keep your eyes peeled and look for the 26 letters of the alphabet in order on road signs and billboards. If you want an extra challenge, only count the first letters of things you see. Good luck finding that Z!
5. Name That Tune
For this in-car game, settle the Spotify vs. Apple Music debate and open your app of choice to play just a few seconds of your favorite hits. Then, guess the title of the song from the beginning instrumentals and opening lines. No looking at the dashboard!
6. Two Truths and a Lie
Take this party game on the road with you. Everyone tells three short stories with a twist: one never happened. It's up to the rest of you to know your fellow road-trippers well enough to single out the sham.
7. Animal Hunt
Don’t worry: no animals were harmed in the making of this road trip game. All you have to do is make a list of the ones you see while driving. From pets and farm animals to birds and wildlife, you’ll see a great variety as you fly down the interstate. During this car game for kids, keep an eye out for:
- Cows
- Horses
- Dogs
- Cats
- Crows
- Rabbits
- Squirrels
8. Trivia
One of the best games to play on a road trip, trivia has endless possibilities. Ask as many questions as you’d like about your favorite categories: movies, music, books, history, you name it. There are even apps that craft questions for you, like Sporcle, Trivia Star, and Trivia 360.
9. Punch Buggy
Maybe the most notorious car game, Punch Buggy has its players shout “Punch Buggy!” and lightly tap the person next to them whenever they see a Volkswagen Beetle on the road. Emphasis on the light tap; road trips are often already stressful enough.
10. Bumper Bingo
This fun game to play in the car requires a little pre-road trip work. Craft a bingo board featuring stuff you expect to see along the way. Items to look for in this road trip boredom buster include:
- Flag
- Windmill
- Water tower
- School
- Farm
- Boat
- Cute dog
- 18-wheeler
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11. Counting Up
This counting road trip game is all about speed. As a group, start at one and count up as high as you can, with each participant attempting to fill in the following number randomly. If it takes longer than five seconds to chime in or multiple people say a number simultaneously, start over again.
12. The Name Game
There are so many ways to spin this road trip challenge. Take the names of celebrities, songs, states, or anything else, and name something in the category based on a letter associated with the last thing said. The more complicated the pattern, the more you’ll have to think about what you say next. Don’t break the chain!
13. Word Association
Wondering how to entertain kids on long drives? Play Word Association. In this no-screen road trip game, one person thinks of a word. The next passenger must think of a word related to it. The game keeps going until somebody is stumped. It’s a game you’ve probably played before, but one that’s better on a road trip.
14. While You Were Sleeping…
If a passenger falls asleep for a bit on your road trip, you'll have the perfect opportunity to play this travel game. Everybody else in the car will contribute to a tale that’s true or just believable enough about what happened while someone napped. If the snoozer doesn’t believe the truth or falls for the lie, it’s a point for the pranksters.
15. Story Stacker
A variation of the previous road trip game, Story Stacker doesn’t need anyone to fall asleep. Instead, rotate telling exactly one sentence of the same story. Watch how chaotic stories can spiral with each update. If you’re not cracking up and confused by the end of this DIY car game, try again!
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Beyond the Best Road Trip Games: More Road Trip Tips
Road trip games are the ideal addition to travel plans, but they’re not the only thing you should consider before backing out of your driveway. For help with all your road trip needs, check out our list of “4 of the Best Road Trip Planning Tips.” From picking the right destination to traveling at the right time and getting gas, we have all the advice for an affordable and memorable adventure.