Quick rules
- Start at A. Look for a word outside the car with an A in it.
- When you find it, say the word out loud ("A, in Arby's!") and move on to B.
- Go in order: you can't use a Z you see until you've found A through Y.
- The first player to reach Z wins.
Two ways to play
Everyone for themselves
Each player works through their own alphabet. Once someone calls a sign, nobody else can use that same sign. It's fast and competitive, and the kids by the windows have an edge.
The whole car together
Everyone hunts for the same letter, and whoever spots it first gets the credit. It's friendlier for mixed ages, since a 5-year-old can still find the A in a big sign. This is how ABC Hunt works in RoadTripKit: the car finds A to Z together, and each letter is worth 5 points to whoever found it.
House rules
- License plates: most families leave them out, or Q and X get too easy.
- Anywhere in the word, or first letter only? Anywhere is easier. First letter only is a real challenge for older kids.
- Moving things: words on trucks and buses count, if you call them before they're gone.
- Inside the car: doesn't count. No reading the snack bag.
Where to find the hard letters
| Letter | Where to look |
|---|---|
| J | Junction signs, Jeeps, "Jct" on route signs |
| K | Parking signs, truck stops, anything that says "Kwik" |
| Q | Dairy Queen, Quality Inn, "Quick" signs, quarries, "Equipment" on farm stores |
| V | Visitor center signs, "Avenue," "Vehicles," RV parks |
| X | Exit signs (on almost every highway), "Express," Exxon, "Next services" |
| Y | "Yield," "Way," and "Yard" on lumber and storage signs |
| Z | "Work zone" and "School zone," pizza places, plazas, "Hazard," zoo signs |
On a highway, X is the easiest of the hard letters, thanks to all the exit signs. Q and Z are the ones that stall a game, so start watching for them early.
Variations
- Backwards: go from Z to A. Starting with Z changes everything.
- Plate alphabet: use only the letters on license plates.
- Categories, out loud: no window needed. Take turns naming an animal (or food, or place) for each letter: aardvark, bear, cat…
- Picnic memory game: "I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing apples." The next person repeats the list and adds a B, and so on to Z.
Questions
How do you play the alphabet game in the car?
Look for the letters A to Z, in order, on signs, billboards and trucks outside the car. Say the word you found each letter in. The first person to reach Z wins, or play as a team.
How do you find Q, X and Z in the alphabet game?
X is on every exit sign. For Q, look for Dairy Queen, Quality Inn or the word "Quick." For Z, watch for "Work zone" and "School zone" signs, pizza places and plazas.
Do license plates count in the alphabet game?
Most families say no, because plates make the hard letters too easy. Agree before you start. If you want a plate version, play the plate alphabet: only letters on license plates count.