These 41 road trip games to play in the car will keep you entertained for hours. Work your way through this awesome list of fun car games to play while traveling to your destination. These car games for kids and adults will provide laughter and entertainment for the entire journey!
Planning a road trip can be tiresome. Entertain everyone using this wide selection of games ranging from those themed around music, movies, memory, and of course well-known classics. There are word-based games, printable resources, and links to other helpful articles.
There is something for everyone here as we outline a variety of family car ride games. Let us know which of these are your favorite road trip games to play with kids. Use the table of contents for easy navigation. Some of the games are outlined in more detail in another post and have printable resources to take with you! If you’re on an adventure this site is full of useful resources such as our list of the best things to do on a road trip.
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The Categories Game
Start by choosing a category such as famous people, beverage names, animals, etc. Take turns to name something from that category. If you cannot think of something then you are out. To make it more difficult you can add the requirement for the first letter to be in alphabetical order (the thing must begin with a,b,c, etc).
Two Truths and a Lie
Think of two true statements and one lie. Tell them to the group and everyone has to guess which statement is the lie! Take it in turns and enjoy the fun. This is one of the best car games to play with kids as you can come up with some fun and interesting variations.
I Spy
This classic game involves someone spotting something either inside or outside of the car and saying the phrase “I spy with my little eye something beginning with…” stating the first letter of the answer. Your companions then take turns to guess what you are thinking of! It’s a family-friendly classic and something that’s included in our article on the best road trip activities for kids.
Get some inspiration with the I Spy Travel Card Game on Amazon.
- This seek-and-find card game is perfect for…
- Based on the bestselling I Spy book series
- Combines beautiful photos and familiar objects to…
Name The Animal Game
This super simple game is one of my favorite car games for kids. Begin by naming an animal such as a tiger, raccoon, bear, etc. Then everyone takes turns to name another animal that begins with the last letter of the last animal named. Examples: Gorilla, antelope, elephant, etc.
Twenty Questions
Think of a person, place, or thing. Examples could be “Superman”, “The Eiffel Tower”, or “Apple Pie”. Everyone else on the road trip takes turns asking a question with a yes-or-no answer to try and guess what it is. No one can ask more than 20 questions and the first to guess correctly wins!
Sometimes it’s easier to narrow down the options to make it easier. I find famous people to be a good way to play this game!
Name That Song Game
Take turns singing the lyrics to a song. Everyone else then tries to guess the name or artist of the song! This game works great for people of all ages.
Another option is to play a short clip of a song using the stereo and then everyone must guess the song as fast as possible. If you need some inspiration you could also use one of our playlists from our collection of the best road trip songs!
Movie Plot Description Game
One person thinks of a movie. They then describe the plot of the movie in the worst way possible and the other passengers need to guess what movie they are talking about. This is one of my favorite road trip games.
Guess The Movie Quote
Say a quote from a well-known movie or TV show. The other passengers then need to try and guess what show it’s from. This simple but fun road trip game can keep you entertained for hours!
The Grocery Shopping Game
This simple game involves someone thinking of an item you can buy at the grocery store. Each player then takes turns to ask a question followed by taking one guess at what the item is. For example “Is it a type of sauce?” followed by a guess at the item. The game is over when someone guesses correctly! The player that wins gets to pick the next item.
If you enjoyed this, you may also like our full list of word games to play in the car.
Simple Memory Game
Start with the letter A and name an item beginning with A. The next person must recite the item beginning with A followed by something beginning with B… and so on. Keep going as long as possible until you reach the letter Z or everyone is out due to not remembering correctly!
Example: A is for ants, B is for bread, C is for crabs.. etc. This is one of those simple games to play in the car that can pass some time.
Conversation Starters
There is nothing better to get the conversation started than some Fun Family Road Trip Questions. Get the chatter flowing with the kids with these awesome talking topics. Are you traveling with adults? We also have some great Road Trip Conversation Starters to keep all ages entertained.
Traveling as a couple? We’ve got you covered with this list of Road Trip Questions for Couples
Need some inspiration? You could check out the Talking Points Conversation Cards
- CONVERSATIONS WITH PURPOSE – Are you tired of the…
- BUILD TRUST AND CONFIDENCE – Use these engaging…
- FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY – Each card deck contains 4…
The Group Counting Game
As a group, count to the highest number possible without saying a number at the same time.
- Start with the number 1
- Within 5 seconds, someone must say the number 2, and so on.
- The catch is that if two people say a number at the same time you must start again!
First One To Spot It Wins
This simple game involves thinking of something that everyone is required to try and spot. An example might be a red BMW or a fast-food restaurant. The first one to spot whatever it is wins that round and the game starts again.
Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament
If you have a full car why not have a rock, paper, scissors tournament? Bounce your fist on your hand three times then choose your attack. Make a fist for rock, a flat hand for paper, and extend your index plus middle finger to make the sign for scissors.
Remember…
- Rock beats scissors.
- Paper beats rock
- Scissors beat paper.
Music Artists Game
This game is similar to the categories game but it is music-orientated, with a twist! The first player names a music artist. The next passenger must name another artist whose name begins with the last letter of the previous artist. The game continues until no more artists can be named!
The Alphabet Game
This game involves one team taking the left side of the road and the other team taking the right side. Teams must try to spot road signs which contain a word beginning with each letter of the alphabet in order. So the game begins by spotting a word beginning with A, then B…. and so on. The winner is the first team to get to the letter Z!
This is one of the best games to play in the car on a road trip.
Road Trip Jokes
Keep everyone entertained if playing a game becomes tiresome. Read out some hilarious Road Trip Jokes to pass the time and avoid the endless “Are we there yet?” chatter coming from the back seats! If those aren’t enough, we also have an article full of Travel Jokes to make you explode with laughter!
Monotone Song Lyrics
Say the lyrics of one of your favorite songs but with no tune or melody. The other passengers must try and guess the song from the words alone!
Music Battle
This game requires at least 3 people in the car. The judge picks a music genre. The two competitors must then pick their favorite song from that genre and play it out of the speakers. For each round, the judge will decide the winner based on which song they think is the best!
No More Jockeys
This game is not for the faint-hearted as it can take hours to complete! In your turn, name a person and a category associated with that person. The person and category named are then eliminated from the game. The game continues and it becomes progressively harder to name a person and a category.
Top 5 Game
Think of a topic such as movies, songs, or fast-food restaurants. Take turns to name your top 5 of whatever the category is! This can be a fun way to learn more about each other and get the kids chatting. This is also one of those fun Road Trip Games for Couples to help you get to know each other better.
Song Humming Game
Take turns humming your favorite song. This could be a song for a TV show or one from your favorite artist. Everyone else in the car must try to guess the song as fast as possible! Whoever guesses correctly gets to hum the next tune!
Fortunately/Unfortunately
This continuous story game involves each person adding a phrase one at a time. Each phrase must start with either the word fortunately or unfortunately alternatively. The aim is to make a funny story.
Example: Unfortunately Bob’s car broke down at the side of the road… fortunately his friend Bernard was driving past… etc.
Map Search Game
Take a road map and try to find a remote place located on the map. Pass the map to another passenger and start a 60-second timer. The other passenger has to try and find the place on the map before the time runs out!
Fast-Food Frenzy
Each passenger chooses the name of a restaurant. Earn a point for each time your restaurant is visible either on a road sign or the premises itself. Set a time limit such as 2 hours and add up the points at the end to find the winner!
Name That Movie Game
Think of an actor or actress. Other passengers must think of a movie that they have been in. The next step is to name an actor/actress that was in that movie. Following this, another movie that they have been in is named. The game continues until you cannot think of an answer!
Another option is to think of letters of the alphabet and challenge other passengers to think of as many movies as possible beginning with that letter.
Road Trip Olympics
Come up with some exciting exercise-related challenges to keep the kids entertained during rest stops. This could be sprints, pushups, or anything to encourage some healthy competition and avoid them becoming too restless!
The Story Game
This simple road trip game for kids involves the adults thinking of three nouns such as “elephant”, “Paris”, and “lemon custard”. The kids must then think of a funny story using these three things!
Word Association
This simple and much-loved game has been played for decades! The first person names a word then each passenger takes turns to name an associated word to the previous word stated.
Example: Cheese, cow, farm, farmer.
Going On Holiday Game
The first player states “I’m going on holiday and I’m taking …” followed by an item (toothbrush, suitcase, etc). The next person must state the same phrase, including the previous person’s item, then add another item of their own. The game continues and you are out if you cannot remember all of the previous items listed!
Would You Rather Questions
Play through this extensive list of Would You Rather Questions to get everyone in the car chatting! There is fun for everyone in the family contained within this article from our partner site.
Think Fast Game
In this game, you think of a category such as NBA teams, superheroes, or US states. Then passengers will challenge themself with how many they can name within 30 seconds. Other passengers can then fill in the gaps with any additional entries they can think of when the time is up! Take turns thinking of interesting categories.
Car Ride Trivia
A good selection of car ride trivia will get the whole family chatting. Test your knowledge using some well-thought-out questions. We’ve got a good selection of options in our article listing the Best Road Trip Game Apps for your family adventure.
Family Story Time
This game begins with an adult saying a sentence to begin an imaginary story. You could say something like “There was once a friendly walrus named Fred”. The next person then continues with their own sentence, and the story continues. This is a great way to let the kid’s imaginations run wild and see what they come up with!
Neverending Song Game
In this road trip game, a passenger begins by singing the lyrics to a popular song. When they stop, other passengers must use the last word sung and think of lyrics to another song that continues after that word. The game continues until you are bored!
The Counting Game
Choose objects, animals, or anything to keep count of while on the road. This can help keep the kids entertained by giving them something to focus on finding while looking out of the windows. Keep score and whoever spots the most by the end of the journey wins! You could use a combination of a few things such as yellow cars, red road signs, and fast-food restaurants!
Road Trip Bingo
Road trip bingo involves looking out of the window and ticking off things from the checklist as you see them! You can either make your own sheets or use our Free Printable Road Trip Bingo Sheets for your car journey.
This is one of the activities featured in our comprehensive free printable road trip games article that is perfect for helping you keep the kids entertained in the car!
Don’t have a printer? Grab this Travel Bingo Set from Amazon instead.
- TWO GAME BUNDLE – This Regal Games 2 pack of card…
- VALUE – By purchasing this Regal Games bundle of…
- COLORFUL & QUALITY DESIGN – Each game in this 2…
Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt involves working through a list of things to find, collect, and do while en route to your destination. Print off our Road Trip Scavenger Hunt Sheets, or open them up on your phone and work through them with your family!
Don’t have a printer? Grab this Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game from Amazon instead.
- The Travel Scavenger Hunt for Kids from University…
- Kids love whiling away the miles searching for the…
- Can you find a red car, a license plate with the…
The License Plate Game
Try to spot license plates from all 50 states. A point is awarded for each license plate spotted. You can play competitively or cooperatively as a family. The aim of the game is to spot license plates from as many states as possible. Print off our License Plate Game Checklist prior to departure!
You can get a magnetic version of the game on Amazon to keep things simple if you prefer.
- INCLUDES: Illustrated foam magnet sheet
- STORAGE TIN: Tin case is perfect for travel and…
- MULTIPLAYER: Hours of fun for the whole family
Podcast Fun
A podcast is a great way to pass the time during a long car ride. We’ve made a list of the Best Podcasts for Road Trips which you can browse through.
Awesome Audiobooks
If you are looking to stay entertained during your long car ride, check out our favorite Audiobooks for Road Trips.
Which of these games to play in the car are your favorite while on a family road trip? Let us know in the comments.
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