10 Road Trip Games for the Kids

Road trip season is here! One of the biggest challenged facing us families hitting the road is keeping the kiddos entertained. Here are some games that I put together from my childhood road trips and the road trips that we take with our daughter. Some require a little preparation, some don't. Have a great trip!

• Did Anybody See? Give each kid a map. Provide them with stickers and give them a task---put a sticker everywhere you see a barn or every time you see a school. In the evening, compare maps.
• City Word Game: Start with the city you are nearest. Participants are challenged to come up with a name of a city that starts with the last letter of the original city. Then, come up with a city starting with the new city's last letter. See how far you can go!
• What's In the Bag? Prepare several paper bags full of items ahead of time. To save space, you can use items that you will need later in your trip. Or, just prepare one huge bag. Make sure it is well sealed. Number each bag and keep a key. Have the kids use only their hands to identify the objects. There are many ways you can go with this.
• Mad Libs: Make up a few silly stories for the kids to complete on their trip. Make them vacation-related stories for a little extra fun. Identify the type of word that should fit in the blanks, i.e. "noun."
• 20 Questions: One person secretly thinks of something travel-related and everyone tries to guess what it is in only 20 questions. You can either make it 20 questions in total or 20 per participant.
• License Plate Game: The License Plate Game is a traditional road game. You can print out a list of states and provinces and have the kids mark off what they see. Or, have them focus on colors of the license plates, designs (plates with birds, etc.) and other specifications.
• Vacation Bingo: Make up Bingo cards of things you expect to see on your road trip while driving. Give the kids stickers, markers, colored pencils to mark off their discoveries.
• I Spy: I Spy is another perennial favorite! Each person takes a turn spying something on the road. Then, they lead off with one characteristic: "I spy something green." Other participants try to guess from there. 
• Spelling Bee: Come up with a list of travel-related words, words that relate to your vacation spot or unique, challenging words for a bee. Or, have each kid come up with their own list to quiz the family.
• How many miles until. Pick a special location or attraction on the map and see if the kids can guess how many miles until that location. Alternatively, pick a couple of places and ask: "Will we see this or this first?"