Window games
Games where you spot things outside the car. Looking out at the road ahead helps many people who get carsick, so these are a good first choice.
- The license plate gameRules, scoring, the rarest plates and a fact for every state.
- Road trip bingoHow to play, plus free printable cards.
- The alphabet gameA to Z out the window, and where to find Q, X and Z.
Counting cows
Everyone counts the cows on their own side of the car. Pass a cemetery on your side and you lose your whole herd. Pass a white horse and your count doubles. Most cows at the end of the drive wins.
Car colors
Each player picks a color. Count the cars of your color that pass you in the next 10 minutes. Little kids love it, and nobody needs to read.
Talking games (no phone, no paper)
I Spy
One person picks something everyone can see and says "I spy, with my little eye, something that is…" plus a color or the letter it starts with. Everyone guesses. Pick things inside the car, or that will stay in view for a while: a passing barn is gone before anyone guesses.
20 Questions
One person thinks of an animal, a person or a thing. Everyone else asks yes-or-no questions, up to 20, and tries to name it. For little kids, stick to animals and let them answer with a grown-up's help.
Would you rather
Ask a question with two choices, and everyone picks one and says why. There are no wrong answers, and the arguments are the fun part. Here are 60 questions for kids.
Fortunately, unfortunately
Tell a story one sentence at a time, taking turns. Each sentence starts with "fortunately" or "unfortunately," and they have to alternate: "Fortunately, we found a dog. Unfortunately, the dog could drive."
Story chain
Someone starts a story with one sentence, and each person adds the next. Give it a goal ("it has to end at Grandma's house") so it doesn't wander forever.
Name that tune
Hum the first few notes of a song. First person to name it picks the next one.
The quiet game
The first person to talk loses. Grown-ups have relied on this one for generations, and it works best right after a busy stop.
Games on a phone or tablet
RoadTripKit puts the classics on every device in the car, keeps one family scoreboard, and adds games you can only play on a screen:
- Trivia Showdown: everyone answers at once on their own device, at their own level, with a round about each state you drive into.
- How Well Do You Know? One person takes the hot seat and everyone guesses their real answers.
- Mad Libs and Tic-Tac-Toe: silly stories, and a challenge for anyone in the car or the robot.
- Pour Out, Slip Out and Sudoku Ladder: solo puzzles for quiet time, with no signal needed.
Games by age
| Age | Try these |
|---|---|
| About 5 to 7 | Car colors, I Spy with colors, counting cows, road trip bingo (read the squares aloud) |
| About 8 to 10 | The license plate game, the alphabet game, 20 Questions, Would You Rather |
| 11 and up | Fortunately, unfortunately; state trivia; the alphabet game with first letters only; Sudoku |
Questions
What are good car games to play with nothing?
I Spy, 20 Questions, Would You Rather, story chain, "fortunately, unfortunately" and name that tune need nothing but your voices. The license plate game and the alphabet game need only eyes on the road outside.
What games can you play in the car with a 5-year-old?
Car colors, counting cows and I Spy with colors are easy wins, since nobody has to read. Road trip bingo works too if a grown-up reads the squares aloud or the card has pictures.
How do you keep kids busy on a long car ride without screens?
Mix window games (license plates, bingo, the alphabet game) with talking games (20 Questions, Would You Rather), and switch every 20 to 30 minutes. Give each stretch of the drive a goal, like finding 10 states before lunch.