We’ve all been there. It’s spring break or summer vacation and you are in the car on a family road trip. If you have to hear “are we there yet?!” one more time, you might scream. You know you need to keep the kids occupied, but you don’t want them to just zone out on electronics. That defeats the whole purpose of a family vacation. Here are some great ideas for fun games to play in the car.
Keep it simple, Susan
The key to successful car games is they have to be playable while on the move. If you have young siblings in your vehicle you might also want to choose a game that keeps each of them focused on their own area. Divide and conquer. Even a Dodge Journey can be a very confined space when your kids are fighting. Games that involve looking out the window can help to keep the peace while giving Mom and Dad some quiet time. Road Trip Bingo is an easy one to set up. You provide “Bingo” cards with words or pictures of different items on each square. Each kid gets a bingo dabber and when they see an item on their card, they dab the square. Same as in real Bingo, the person with the first straight line covered wins. Bingo!
Make it a family matter
This is supposed to be quality time. Yes, your teenaged son or daughter may be spending an inordinate amount of time on their phone, texting their friends. But without WiFi, even they will likely tire of that activity after a while. After you get them to put their phones and iPods away, suggest a rousing game of 20 Questions. It’s easy. When it’s your turn, you think of a person, place or thing. Each player has to ask you one question and then they can take a guess at your word. First person to guess correctly wins a special dessert at your next rest stop.
You just might learn something
Your passengers can play a geography game where one person names a place and the next person has to name a place beginning with the last letter of the first placed named. This can also be done with names of animals. There is no winner or loser here. Everyone gets an ice cream. Another game that can be educational and fun is The Alphabet Game. Each child looks out his or her window and marks on a piece of paper when they see each letter of the alphabet on a sign. The first person to see all letters of the alphabet wins. You can also compete to see who can spot the license plate that has come the farthest distance.
If you take the time to organize a few simple games before you hit the road, at the very least you will make the trip a bit easier. And if you’re lucky, you will hit on something that draws the family closer together, and make some memories. While you are at it, don’t forget the basic car safety rules as a driver.
