Looking for the best games for children to play in the car on a road trip? Want ways to keep them entertained, quiet or playing nicely? Here are some ideas for the best car games and road trip activities for kids of all ages.
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Car Games for Kids
Hands up if you have ever been stuck on a road trip with children under the age of 15?
I’m so sorry.
(If you haven’t, and that’s why you’re reading this, err…. good luck! ??)
Kids struggle with road trips. Even if, like our daughter, they’ve spent a lot of time travelling, they still struggle with the concept of ‘how far there is to go’, sitting still for long periods and changes in their routine.
Children’s Car Games – What NOT to Do!
I remember one memorable trip with our toddler about 15 years ago. I was woefully unprepared and didn’t have any children’s car games handy.
I improvised and created the infamous road trip game “Can you see the Monkey in the tree…?”
Not familiar with it? Every time we drove past a tree, ANY tree, I had to ask “Can you see the Monkey?”
Our beloved daughter would look at the tree, ponder the question thoughtfully as she stared at it, then declare “YES” really loudly.
I should point out that we were in Northern England. There were no monkeys. But, if I forgot a tree, she started to cry because “I’d missed the monkey in it.”
So, I was stuck.
We played this game, non-stop, for two hours on our car drive. TWO HOURS. Yes, that warrants excessive use of capital letters.
It also warranted a double vodka when we arrived…
I won’t tell you what I was thinking. It certainly didn’t give me any mother-of-the-year points.
So, to help you avoid the same pain and misery, here are some better ideas for road trip toys, games & activities for children. They’re mostly quiet (you’re welcome) and generally EASY and suitable for kids of all ages.
(You can also find ideas for baby toys for road trips.) Good luck with your trip!!
Fun Driving Games for Kids
Many of these car games for children can be played without any extra accessories. However, did you know you can buy ACTUAL i-spy packs or Road Trip bingo wipeable sheets??
If you do a lot of road trips, or are enjoying van life with kids, you’ll be glad you have wipe-able ones!
I- Spy
Depending on the age of your kids, this may not be the best road trip game; once you start you might get the word ‘sky’ 17 times in a row. We play the rule that the object has to be visible at all times (no “there was a sheep back there!”) and also that you cannot repeat a word.
Another option for younger children (where spelling is an issue) is to do i-spy with a colour. “Something coloured… blue” (yep, it’s sky again)
If you prefer, one of these amazing i-Spy books might be just the thing, especially if you’d like a break. You can various ones, covering road trips, animals, vehicles etc, or get one like this which covers everything.
Pink/ Yellow Childrens Car Game (adults can play too!)
This car game is strangely addictive for all the family.
In a nutshell, you’re looking for yellow and pink cars.
You get one point for a yellow car, two points for a pink car (I’ll allow your judgement on what is pink and what is red!) If you see a car of either colour, the first to shout it out wins the points.
Keep track of the score and play until a set point or until a certain score. For us, we play the first to 50 points chooses dinner. Or gets first bathroom break. Or the loser has to do the washing up!
License Plate Game
Depending on which country you’re road tripping in, this can work in several ways. You can print off a map and get the kids to colour it in as they spot licences for each country or state.
This works best somewhere like Europe or the USA, not the UK- we don’t have such a large range of different countries. (In Europe, you’ll be spotting the EU badges)
If you are road tripping in the UK, try and go through the alphabet- find licence plates with an ‘A’ on it, then ‘B’ etc. (Just a note, we don’t use ‘I’ or ‘O’… don’t try to find those!!!
Another option is ‘Mapominoes’. Best played with plenty of space, this is a great way to encourage kids to learn more about the countries you’re visiting.
Car Bingo
Ah, road trip bingo. It was one of my favourite car games when I was a child. I’m pleased to say it’s evolved a bit now.
You can get some brilliant printable free for various car bingo activities. Print them off, give everyone a pen or pencil (ideally on a string around their necks!) and let Road Trip Bingo commence. It’s surprisingly fun! Alternatively, buy a wipeable, reusable pack.
I like the fact that the game is played with road signs and animals- makes it easier to spot things for younger children. If you want to make it harder, only the first to see and shout gets to mark it down.
Best Board Games to Play in the Car
If you’re going to play board games in a car with children, prepare yourself for things to get lost on the floor or tantrums. BUT, board games are a way to pass the time and there are some great ones without many loose pieces!
Some of our favourites include:
Guess Who Travel Car Game
Did you know you can get Disney, My Little Pony and many other editions of this popular childrens car game? It used to keep me and my brother entertained for hours!
Battleship- Easy Travel Game for Kids
Another perfect kids car game with very few moving pieces. Battleship is also a great car board game for adults to play with a single child on their own in the back.
Pop-up Car Board Game for Kids
We used to call this ‘Frustration’ when I was a kid, but now there are many versions available. It’s a great board game for car journeys- the dice is contained so can’t roll under the seat or fall down a gap. And the pieces are pretty large, so not easily dropped.
Quiet Road Trip Activities for Kids, Tweens & Teenagers
Once the initial excitement wears off, it’s a good idea to have some quieter activities for them to get on with by themselves.
READ NOW: More quiet activities for kids – perfect for both at home and while travelling
Magnetic Drawing Board
These are brilliant! Allow your little one to draw again and again- without running out of paper or dropping their pencil. Hours of entertainment!
Spirograph
Tell me I am not the only person who remembers these!?! I can’t believe they’re still going. I used to play with my Spirograph for HOURS when I was younger (like, last week…)
Sticker Books
These were a godsend when Jade was younger. We’d buy her a couple of sticker books and let her stick them in as she liked. Just expect stickers on your car doors- Princess Jasmine is destined to be in your car forever!!
Puzzle Books
My daughter has no patience for puzzles, but I used to do them for HOURS when I was young. (Still would, if I had time!)
I love ones like the Puzzle Quest range, where the puzzles are interconnected to create a story for them to solve.
Perplexus
I’ve only recently discovered Perplexus – but they keep ME entertained for HOURS. It’s a giant maze inside a ball which you have to get a metal ball through. It’s ridiculously addictive… just what you want from a road trip game. They come in different age ranges- there is even a Star Wars and Harry Potter version!!!
Best Children’s Audiobooks for Travel
We’ve tried all sorts of audiobooks and podcasts and there is a HUGE variety out there. My absolute favourites are the Harry Potter ones read by Stephen Fry– if you enjoy Harry Potter this is one for the whole family to listen to.
You can get them (and many other kids audiobooks) FREE as part of Audible– the audiobook subscription service which allows you to rent audiobooks for an unlimited time; each child could pick their own to enjoy.
If you only listen to one book a month, it’s already paid for itself! Try Audible FREE for 30 days. It’s also full of great books for adults so you can get something for everyone.
Best Travel Activities for Kids- Books for Road Trips
If your little ones enjoy reading, books are a great way to keep them entertained. There are LOADS of children’s road trip books on Amazon.
Alternatively, make use of your local library if you’re only away a short time- it’s a great place to get new books each trip.
Colouring Books
If your kids will colour quietly, this is a great idea. There are plenty of free printables you can print off and let them enjoy. They might even enjoy a map of the route so they can see where they’re going. Maybe you could get them to write notes and make a small journal for the trip! But you can also get colouring in packs if you don’t have a printer at home. Just add a car tray to avoid dropped pens!
Childrens Car Games and Road Trip Activities- Make Them a Surprise Toy Bag!
I LOVE this idea. Pick up some cheap toys and put them in small bags (or even wrap them in foil) to be unwrapped at certain stages in the journey (first fuel stop, first 100 miles, first toll etc.) This gives them something to look forward to. You can also include some travel-friendly snacks, and some funny jokes to keep them amused
TOP TIP: Keep one toy back as a surprise in case of dire emergencies!
Best Car Games for Kids Online
Nintendo Switch
I’m a Tetris girl myself (and now I’m humming the music!!) but a handheld game console like a Nintendo Switch is a great children’s quiet car activity. There are a HUGE range of various games, for all ages and level of ability. Some of them are even educational.
Just insist they play either without the sound or with headphones on- or the beeps will drive you crazy!
Disney Now – Best Childrens Car App
Put Disney Now on an iPad, put their headphones on and enjoy a little quiet time. There are hundreds of shows to choose from- just remember you either need Wi-Fi or a way to stream if you haven’t downloaded anything in advance.
Movies
Get a seat organiser for the back of the seat, let each child pick a movie to watch. If you want to save your sanity, get wireless headphones that they can listen to at the same time. Hang an iPad on the back of the chair and turn the backseat into a movie theatre. (Popcorn optional but likely to end up on the floor!)
Road Trip Activities for Kids- Tips to Help Your Road Trip Go Smoothly!
I may have only had one child to deal with, but I remember road trips when I was a kid- and how my favourite activity was torturing my little brother! So, your most important job is to stop squabbling. This only happens by setting firm, clear boundaries, ideally before the road trip starts.
If something goes under the seat, it is lost until the next break. We had to be very careful what we dropped (hence the string around the neck!) In the same vein, make sure their portable travel car seat is secure and approved- they will be doing a LOT of wiggling and squirming!
Try not to put things where kids can see them but can’t get to them– this will only lead to tantrums. Give them a few things to play with and hide everything else. You can change the toys at each rest stop.
A lot of these activities will depend on your little (or big!) ones. From the age of about 12, Jade would sit quietly with her headphones on, listening to music she’d downloaded. The only meltdowns came when she realised she was out of battery and/or wifi.
Plan breaks in advance– ideally somewhere with a park for them to let off some steam. If they know how far they have to go between stops, it can help them mentally prepare. Just add some extra time in case of traffic!!
If you are going hiking or camping with kids, make sure you have enough food, drink and changes of clothes; wet, tired and hungry kids are worse on the way home!!
I hope these tips helps keep your road trip go smoothly! Eventually, everyone gets sick of sitting in one place and kids are no different. The tantrums seem to happen just when you’ve had enough too!! Keep smiling – the adventure will be worth it! 🙂
Last update on 2024-03-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
