Road trips can be super fun for kids, you just need a little planning and a few fun activities! We travel a lot, so I am always looking for ways to keep kids happy while on the road. Here are a few activities we love, and frequently play on our many family road trips.
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Games the whole family can play
Card Games
- kid history
- Grandpa Beck’s Games – for 15% off use this single-use code: RACHBENNETT
- Uno
- face cards
- clue card game
- spot it
- Nutts about mutts
Name that tune – Listen to a song and then the kids have to guess the name of that song.
- The kids love dancing around even after they guess the name of the song. This helps pass the time quite fast, we can play this game for a couple of hours.
Alphabet Game – This is a classic road trip game; everyone starts at the Letter A and watches road signs, billboards, and buildings to find letters. E from exit sign, etc.
- for younger kids, the letter can be in any part of the word
- for older kids have them find a word that begins with the letter
Movie Game – The 1st person names a movie title, 2nd person says an actor/actress in that movie, 3rd the person says a different movie that the actor/actress plays in. It just keeps going! This is a fun game but can be hard too (great for kids and adults)
School – Bring workbooks and/or printables about the sites you are going to. It may not be fun at first, but you can find education fun things like; road trip bingo games, state word searches, National park coloring pages, etc. We like to do school in the AM and check that off before kids get screen time. If you want to learn more about Homeschool while traveling we have a whole blog on it.
Travel Journal or Sketchbook – Note booking (journal or sketch) about what you have learned or the places you are seeing. This will help the kids remember all the fun places you are seeing, it’ll be something they treasure for years to come.
The WAVE Game – wave at passing cards (if they wave back you get a treat, time on electronics, a souvenir, give the winner a prize.)
20 Questions
Activities for bored kids
Having a few activities to keep kids entertained by themselves is super helpful. We planned for these fun activities, but I did wish I had planned for other bumps along our travel. I like to pick something simple but takes time to keep them busy and entertained longer. The kids like making friendship bracelets on our road trips. Simply pin it to your clothes or a pillow and you can work on it whenever you want! Another fun thing we like to do is share riddles. Our kids love telling their siblings, Jase and I riddles to figure out.
Arts/Crafts & Fun Activities
- friendship bracelets
- coloring books
- origami
- playdough
- Portable Car Play kit
- Sticker Books
- Backseat Games
- Pipe cleaners – there are so many fun things you can make with them
- Fidget Toys
- boondoggle crafts
Riddles
I’ve listed a few that you can try on your family!
- What has hands and a face, but can’t hold anything or smile? Answer: A clock.
- What has to be broken before you can use it? Answer: An egg
- I’m tall when I’m young, and I’m short when I’m old. What am I? Answer: A candle
- I have a tail and a head, but no body. What am I? Answer: A coin.
- It has keys, but no locks. It has space, but no room. You can enter, but can’t go inside. What is it? Answer: A keyboard.
- What can’t talk but will respond when spoken to? Answer: An echo.
- The more of this there is, the less you see. What is it? Answer: Darkness.
- What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries? Answer: A towel
- What can go up a chimney down, but can’t go down a chimney up? Answer: An umbrella. If your umbrella is “down,” it can fit through a chimney, but if it’s “up,” it won’t fit!
- Two fathers and 2 sons spent the day fishing, but only caught 3 fish. This was enough for each of them to have one fish. How is this possible? Answer: There were only 3 people fishing. There was one father, his son, and his son’s son. This means there were 2 fathers and 2 sons, since one of them is a father and a son.
- If you drop me I’m sure to crack, but give me a smile and I’ll always smile back. What am I? Answer: A mirror
- The person who makes it has no need of it; the person who buys it has no use for it. The person who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it? Answer: A coffin
- A man looks at a painting in a museum and says, “Brothers and sisters I have none, but that man’s father is my father’s son.” Who is in the painting? Answer: The man’s son
- Only one color, but not one size, Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies. Present in sun, but not in rain, doing no harm, and feeling no pain. What is it? Answer: A shadow
- I have four legs, but no hair. People ride me for hours, but don’t go anywhere. Without needing to be tugged or turned on, I always manage to be ready for work. What am I? Answer: A desk
Whether it’s a quick day trip or a week-long road trip, you will be grateful that you planned a few activities in advance. I love bringing a few fun treats that can be given out as prizes for the winners!
What games do you like to play on long road trips?
Rach
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