12 Road Trip Games to Keep Everyone Entertained
Make long drives more fun with these screen-free road trip games, from the License Plate Game to the Alphabet Game, perfect for kids, teens and adults.
In this guide
Long car rides do not have to mean endless "Are we there yet?" questions. With a few classic road trip games, the miles fly by and everyone, including the driver, can join in. Most of these games need nothing but your voices and the view out the window.
Safety note: The driver should only play games that keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. Spoken word games work best for drivers.
Looking-out-the-window games
1. The License Plate Game
Try to spot license plates from as many U.S. states as possible during your trip. Keep a list or print a map to color in. Spotting Alaska or Hawaii is a big win.
2. The Alphabet Game
Find each letter of the alphabet in order on signs, billboards and license plates. Q, X and Z are the toughest. Play as a team or race individually.
3. I Spy
One player says, "I spy with my little eye something that is..." and gives a color or clue. Others guess what it is. Best with young kids and for things that will stay in view for a while.
4. Road Trip Bingo
Make bingo cards with things you might see: a red truck, a cow, a gas station, a bridge, a water tower. Mark them off as you spot them. You can print cards ahead of time or draw them on paper.
5. Count the Cows
Each side of the car counts the cows on their side. If you pass a cemetery on your side, you lose all your cows. It is silly, and kids love it.
Word and story games
6. Twenty Questions
One person thinks of something, and others ask yes-or-no questions to guess it. It is perfect for drivers to join.
7. The Story Chain
One person starts a story with a single sentence. Each person adds a sentence in turn. The stories quickly become wonderfully strange.
8. Fortunately, Unfortunately
A variation of the story chain. Players alternate starting sentences with "Fortunately" and "Unfortunately." For example: "Fortunately, we found a treasure map. Unfortunately, a seagull stole it."
9. Would You Rather
Pose two choices and have everyone pick and explain. "Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn?" It leads to great conversations and lots of laughter.
10. Categories
Pick a category, like "fruits" or "animals," and take turns naming items in that category. If someone repeats an item or cannot think of one, they are out for the round.
11. The Name Game
Someone names a famous person. The next person must name someone whose first name starts with the first letter of the previous person's last name. For example, "Taylor Swift" leads to "Steve Martin," then "Michelle Obama."
Listening games
12. Name That Tune
Play the first few seconds of songs from a playlist and see who can name the song and artist first. Make a family playlist with something for everyone.
Choosing games by age
| Age group | Try |
|---|---|
| Little kids (3–6) | I Spy, Count the Cows, Road Trip Bingo |
| Older kids (7–12) | Alphabet Game, License Plate Game, Would You Rather |
| Teens | The Name Game, Categories, Name That Tune |
| Adults | Twenty Questions, Fortunately/Unfortunately, Story Chain |
Other ways to make road trips more fun
- Plan stops every two hours or so to stretch and use the restroom.
- Let each person pick part of the music playlist.
- Pack snacks that are easy to eat and not too messy.
- Bring audiobooks or family-friendly podcasts for quieter stretches.
- Keep a travel journal where kids can write or draw their favorite moments.
The bottom line
Road trip games turn a long drive into shared fun. Pack a few printed games, keep a list of spoken games ready and let everyone take turns picking. You may find that some of your favorite vacation memories happen before you even arrive.
