53 fun car games for kids
You know how it goes: ̶0;Are we there yet? ̷0; How about now now? ̷0; Are you sure we̵7;re not there yet?̶1; Whether you̵7;re heading out on a road trip or running a bunch of errands around town, car rides with kids in tow can be a lesson in patience. So how do you keep kids occupied when you̵7;re traveling from place to place?
Laurel Regnier, creator of MomsMinivan.com, recommends planning ahead and having a list of car games and activities ready to go before you head out. With that in mind, we̵7;ve put together a list of 53 games to play in the car with kids. The best part? Many of these games are free, and there are several kids can play on their own.
Safety note: Just make sure these don̵7;t distract you if you̵7;re the one driving.
1. Play I Spy (̶0;with my little eye…̶1;).
2. Give kids the map (or smartphone) and let them navigate the journey.
3. Bring a piece of yarn and learn string finger games likes Cat̵7;s Cradle or Jacob̵7;s Ladder.
4. Listen to an audiobook — check out kids̵7; audiobooks from Tales2Go.
5. Have a sing-a-long.
6. Bring cards and play Go Fish.
7. Have a spelling bee.
8. Play What If?: What if this car turned into a spaceship? Where would we go?
9. Make friendship bracelets.
10. Play the License Plate Game during longer car rides — see if you can spot all 50 states.
Where to buy: U.S.A. License Plate Game Travel Game ($20, Melissa & Doug)
11. Share stories about the day the kids were born or adopted.
12. Create a road trip scavenger hunt — track down the clues as you go.
13. Play Crazy 8̵7;s.
14. Have a mini-Olympics at rest stops — running, jumping jacks, arm circles — and get the energy out.
15. Count crows or cows, depending on where you̵7;re driving.
16. See how many red cars you can spot in an hour.
17. Bring a joke book and make each other laugh.
18. Or invent your own jokes.
19. Try a memory game: A is for Apple, B is for Boat — see how far you can go with each person remembering the letters and words that people said before and then coming up with the next one.
20. Bring magnetic board games.
Where to buy: Floss & Rock Rainbow Fairy Magnetic Fun and Games ($17, Maisonette)
21. Play the Animal Game: ̶0;I̵7;m gray, I have big ears and a long nose … What am I?̶1;
22. Learn about your destination — share fun facts and discuss things to do when you arrive.
23. Make up your own rhyming or rap songs.
24. Have a sock puppet show.
25. Have a math challenge.
26. Keep a travel jar with mementos from your ride.
27. Elect a toll master — keep track of the tickets, look out for the right exits and get the change ready for toll booths.
28. Share family history by telling stories about relatives.
29. Play travel Bingo.
30. Bring a kit so kids can learn to knit.
Where to buy: Quick to Knit Scarf Kit ($22, Imagine Childhood)
31. Give your kids cookie sheets to use as a travel desks.
32. And, bring magnetic alphabet letters or magnetic poetry so they can practice making words or poems on their cookie sheet desks.
33. Hum nursery rhymes and play Name That Tune.
34. Print Connect the Dots worksheets ahead of time and fill them in along the way.
35. Learn the welcome slogans for each state you cross (e.g. ̶0;Florida: The Sunshine State, Delaware: The First State, New York: The Empire State̶1;).
36. Make a scrapbook with photos and memorabilia from your trip.
37. Have a mini dance party — only arm movements allowed.
38. Bring leftover aluminum foil and make artwork.
39. Try the Animal Name Game: The first person says the name of an animal (like dog), then the next person says the name of another animal using the last letter of the previous animal̵7;s name (like giraffe).
40. Keep a travel journal.
Where to buy: Children̵7;s Travel Journal ($16, Little Writing Company/Etsy)
41. Count school buses on the road
42. Play Guess Who Am I (friends, family members, celebrities, characters, etc.): ̶0;I̵7;m a bear, I love honey and my best friend is Piglet̶1;
43. Make a family playlist and sing along to every song.
44. Make a destination binder with highlights and activities for your trip.
45. Play 20 Questions.
46. Bring pipe cleaners and make colorful shapes.
47. Learn the state capitals.
48. Bring crayons and coloring pencils.
49. Play Telephone.
50. Fill a tote with small ̶0;surprise̶1; small games, books and snacks. Every well-behaved 60 or 100 miles, let kids reach in for their next surprise.
Where to buy: Road Trip XL tote bag ($20, Tote Bag Company/Etsy)
51. Ask fun questions like ̶0;If I were a king/queen …̶1; or ̶0;If I could live anywhere in the world …̶1; and see who can come up with the most creative answers.
52. Sing your favorite songs in rounds.
53. Celebrate every 100 miles with a ̶0;Hooray̶1; and a high five.
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