Dana Gutkowski
Latest posts by Dana Gutkowski (see all)
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A great way to pass the time in the car!
Try out these 7 fun road trip games with the family and ease the pain of traveling with kids!
Traveling with kids can sometimes be pretty stressful. Even with the new technology at our fingertips like the iPads, iPod Touches, and Built-in DVD Players, kids can STILL get bored and restless, especially during long car trips.
When I was growing up we were lucky enough to have the latest technology too (I’m not THAT old). We had our Game Boys, Discmans, Walkmans, Sega Game Gear, and even low-tech items like books and coloring books. Even with all of that, I can distinctly remember becoming bored to tears after a certain point.
I feel for kids when they have to be locked in the car for hours. They have short attention spans and no clear concept of time because they’re just too young. Now that I’m an Aunt and have taken several car trips with my niblings, I can also say feel bad for the adults trapped inside the car too. At this point, I think I feel worse for the adults. It can be exhausting.
If you want to limit your children’s screen time, the iPad dies unexpected, and your kids refuse to watch Frozen for the million time in the car, I suggest turning to timeless car games. Ease the stress and pain of driving with cranky children, spark their imaginations, stimulate their memories, and hopefully make it to your destination in one piece.
1.) I’m Going On A Picnic
This is an ABC game that can be played with children ages 6+.
The game begins by one person saying, I’m going on a picnic and I’m gonna bring something starting with the letter A. Probably the most common example would be I’m going on a picnic and I’m gonna bring an apple.
The next person goes and they must bring something starting the letter B, but must also include whatever was picked for A.
For example, I’m going on a picnic and I’m gonna bring apples and bananas. This continues for C, D, E, etc.
For older children who view this at too babyish and need more of a challenge, I’d suggest categories for this game. The same rules apply, but say we’re only allowed to bring animals from the zoo or items from your bedroom (no need to follow the alphabet rule in you’re picking categories).
2.) I’m Going On A Picnic Version 2
This version is a little different and much easier for younger children to play for longer.
The person who starts this game says “I’m going on a picnic and I’m gonna bring…” – and they state something with the same first letter of their first name.
What’s fun about this game is you don’t let the kids know that those are the rules. I’d begin by saying, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m gonna bring doughnuts. Who else wants to come on my picnic?”
If my nephew Jayden says, I’m going on a picnic and I’m gonna bring Fruit Roll-ups, I’d respond by saying, “Nope you can’t come on my picnic.”
Then I’d say another thing that I’m going to bring on my picnic starting with D such as ding dongs.
Our Mom used to start this game off the minute she heard someone yell…”Stop hitting me!” Don’t worry, no one cries, it just takes them a minute to figure out what it’ll take for them to be able to go on the picnic.
3.) Movie Title ABC’s
This is a game that my niblings are too young to play, but it’s great to challenge older children and adults. It’s similar to the board game, Scategories, but we only play with movie titles.
The person that starts the game, must name a movie beginning with the letter A. The next person that goes must state a movie beginning with B, and so on.
It’s a fun game to play until you’re on your 4th round and you can no longer pick the Karate Kid 1, 2, or 3 for K movie.
4.) 20 Questions
One person chooses a person, place, or thing and keeps it a secret. The other players can ask up to 20 questions to try to guess what the mystery word is.
The player who successfully guesses the mystery word begins the next round.
When playing with a group of mixed ages, my sister and I usually lie at least once and say “You got it” to the youngest player so they get a chance to win a round.
5.) Would You Rather
The rules of this game are all within the title. You guys the kids two options to pick from and they have to choose one. For example, would you rather eat a plate of broccoli every morning for breakfast or have the hiccups for the rest of your life? Pick one.
Click here for 20 FREE would you rather questions for kids!
This can be as silly and extreme as you’d like. The point is to pick the lesser of two evils and that all depends on the personal preferences of players.
6.) Fictional Family
As you’re driving along in the car, spot another car and look at the people inside. Quickly come up with a scenario of their lives.
Where are they headed? What do they do for a living? How many pets to do they have? What’s their favorite food? What’s their favorite color? How many times have they stopped for bathroom breaks, etc.?
I’d suggest the adults start off the game and then encourage the kids to try one after they hear your example. You’d be surprised at what kids can come up with!
7.) Carpool Karaoke
I used to play this game before the television show with James Corden so please don’t be misled by the title. We’ve never picked up celebrities to sing songs with us on long car rides.
This game started in my family because back before there were MP3‘s and we mostly listened to the radio, we’d try to see if we could keep up singing the song anytime the radio reception cut out.
Before you even step into the car, put together a playlist of your kid’s favorite songs. If they love the music, they’ll be more likely to want to sing with you. Wait until you’re at a specific exit number and turn the volume off on the song. Continue singing the song until the next exit and turn the volume back on.
If you know the song well, you should be right on point with the next lyric when the volume is back. I suggest exit to exit, but you can pick a shorter period of time if the exists are long on that particular road.
If you need a fun coloring activity fo the car, make sure to get my free A-Z animal coloring book for kids!
As if the fun itself isn’t a good enough reason to play these great car trip games, here a few more great reasons to play:
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They help build a stronger bond with you and your family
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The trip will go much faster!
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The laughter alone will reduce the stress of the drive
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You’ll stimulate their minds and spark their imaginations
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You’ll create memories for them to someday blog about (if blogging is still a thing).
I hope you’ve enjoyed my list of games. Do you play different games with your family? Have tried any of these games from my list? Let me know in the comments!
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