Family Games to Play in the Car

Family Games to Play in the Car + Free Family Printables

It doesn’t matter if you’re headed to swim lessons on the other side of town or on a road trip. Kids get bored in the car. Family games to play in the car are an excellent way to pass the time away. Here are some new and old car games that we play in the car so the kid won’t get bored. Be sure to see below the FREE family printables available for instant download.

Related: 15 Ways to Keep Kids Busy on Long Road Trips

Family Games To Play On Road Trips

Most of you played a few of these traditional family car games when you were young. I vividly remember sitting in the backseat behind my dad while he was driving, always helping me find a horse or two or whatever we were looking for. That and the slug bug game. Did you ever play that one? You don’t see many Volkswagons on the road anymore, so we don’t play that one now.

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License Plate Game To Play in the car

For long trips, the License Plate Game might be the thing. In this version, call out letters from the license plates you see, then make as many ridiculous phrases as possible. For example, AST = Aardvarks Singling Tenderly or After-School Trampolining. You get the idea.

Alphabet Game

The Alphabet Game is good along roads with a lot of signs. Find a word with an “A,” call it out, then look for a word with “B” and so on. First, one to the end of the alphabet wins.

The Play-on Game with the Alphabet

With this alphabet game, start by finding a word that starts with an “A” and points to the name, then the next person will find a word that begins with an “A” – do this until everyone who is playing has found a word that starts with an “A” – then proceed to the letter “B” and so on. Not a winner in this game – just a fun game that everyone can play.

I SPY is the perfect family game to play in the car

In I Spy, pick out something you see nearby (that other players can also see), but keep what it is to yourself. Say, “I spy with my little eye …” Then give one description of the object. For instance, with the windshield wipers, you might say, “I spy something long” or “something black.” After each hint, players take a turn guessing what the object is.

Spot The Horses

Brown horses are worth 5 points, Black horses are worth 10 points, and White horses are worth 20 points. Any other color is 5 points. I remember as a kid my dad helping me find horses. That’s just one memory I have of him while on road trips to Colorado.

Family Topics

Engage in fun conversations with your family. Before heading out on road trips, come up with questions to ask your family and write them on pieces of paper. You could stick to a theme or ask random questions.

Truth or Dare

We all know how to play this one. No need to explain. But it will be a fun one!!

After all, driving in a car for long periods of time can be boring for the kiddos, and that’s annoying to us parents, so be sure to take breaks at roadside rest areas (with bathrooms) and take note of these games to play in the car with family.

Which is your favorite? Which car games did you play when you were a kid?