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 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 kids won’t get bored. Be sure to see the FREE family printables available for instant download below.
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.
License Plate Game To Play in the Car
For long trips, the License Plate Game might be the thing. Call out letters from the license plates you see in this version, 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 many 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 begins with an “A” and points to the name. The next person will find a word that starts with an “A.” Do this until everyone who is playing has found a word that begins with an “A”—then proceed to the letter “B” and so on. This game has no winner—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 worth 5 points. I remember my dad helping me find horses as a kid. That’s just one memory I have of him 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 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 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?
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