The Top Games to Play on Long Road Trips

Author: Joey Rosenberg

Categorized in: Fun, Teens

Games to Play on Long Road Trips
Photo by Mike Willis via Flickr

If you're like many Americans, you're going to be traveling somewhere for winter break, Christmas, Kwanza, or New Year's Eve pretty soon. Some people love long road trips, while others absolutely detest sitting in the car for hours on end. No matter which side of the coin you're on, there are plenty of ways to make long drives and holiday road trips more fun for everyone in the car.

These are some of the top road trip games to help you survive holiday travel this year.

20 Questions

Start your game of 20 questions with the driver proposing the following puzzle: "Animal, vegetable, or job?" Each player in the car takes a turn asking a "yes" or "no" question and then trying to guess what the answer is. "Does it meow?" "Is it green?" and "Does it earn a lot of money?" would be great questions to start with. Go around the circle until 20 questions are asked. If no one guesses what it is after 20 questions, the driver wins and a new round begins.

The License Plate Games

Whether you're zipping down the interstate or stuck in traffic on a city street, you and your passengers can play the license plate game. You can take turns going around the car to call out letters in alphabetical order from A to Z. Players can also compete to see who notices out-of-state license plates first. Another fun license plate game involves pretending the letters on license plates you pass by are actually acronyms and coming up with the funniest version of what the acronym stands for.

I Spy

I Spy is one of the most classic road trip games of all. It helps makes the time go by and makes everyone in the car pay attention to what's along the road, thereby really noticing and appreciating new surroundings. The driver begins with an I Spy statement, such as "I spy something blue" or "I spy something that begins with the letter B." But try to pick a landmark that will be in sight for a few minutes rather than a small highway sign that will whiz by too quickly to be guessed.

I'm Going to a Picnic

I'm Going to a Picnic is a memory game that's fun for all ages on road trips. Let the youngest player go first and make a statement starting with, "I'm going to a picnic today and I'm bringing…" The next player must come up with something starting with the letter "A" to bring to the picnic. Circle around the car and let each player add something that begins with the next letter in the alphabet to the picnic. Each player must begin with the first phrase and repeat everything that's been brought from A to Z.

Each of these road trip games is family-friendly and convenient to play – they don't require that you have a special deck of cards or any game pieces in order to have fun. To spice up an adults-only car trip, consider bringing along a deck for The Worst Case Scenario Card Game, Would You Rather, or Apples to Apples. These adult games are sure to have you and your passengers laughing away as the miles swiftly pass by!