Summer road trips with teens, tweens & kids can be a lot of fun as long as you have some games & activities planned! Here are 36 great ideas to keep everyone entertained on the long drive.
No matter how old your kids are a road trip can be a fun and bonding experience for every family member! If you plan ahead and are prepared for some inevitable boredom along the way. Planning a road trip ahead of time is crucial! Teens, Tweens and kids can all enjoy these road trip activities and games below.
Without games and activities, a long road trip can be extremely boring. This is especially true for kids, who may not be able to read or watch movies for hours on end.
Making sure to bring along a variety of travel games and amazing road trip activities to keep the whole family occupied and happy will save you from any headaches on a long trip!
Whether your road trip is hours long or kinda short these games and activities will work for you. Each game can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour long. Using a point system or setting a number of rounds to be played will help lengthen the time.
To help make the most of your next family vacation, I have put together a list of fun road trip games and activities that will keep everyone entertained.
Planning a road trip just got easier!
Best Games for Younger Children
I Spy:
This classic game is perfect for little ones on a long family road trip. One person starts by saying “I spy with my little eye something that is (color, shape, etc.)” and then everyone takes turns trying to guess what it is.
The License Plate Game:
See how many different license plates from different states you can spot on your road trip. You can also make it a competition to see who can spot the most.
The ABC Game:
Start with A and take turns naming things in alphabetical order. This is a great way to help little ones learn their ABCs and see fun things while on the road.
Once Upon a Time:
One person starts by saying “Once upon a time there was a…” and then the next person has to continue the story. This is a great way to spark your child’s imagination and get them telling stories on the long drive. This will make your family road trip a lot more interesting!
Name that Tune:
Young kids have a great time playing this game! One person hums a tune and the others have to guess what song it is. If you children are much younger you could even hum nursery rhymes they might be familiar with. Plus, you now have music on your road trip!
I’m going on a picnic:
This game is great for kids of all ages. One person starts by saying “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing…” and then the next person has to name something that begins with the last letter of the previous item. For example, if someone says “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing an apple,” the next person could say “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing an egg.”
The Rhyming Game:
This game is perfect for kids who are just learning to read or are starting to learn about rhyming words. One person starts by saying a word and the next person has to say a word that rhymes with it.
The Animal Game:
This game is perfect for kids who love animals. One person starts by saying the name of an animal and the next person has to name an animal that begins with the last letter of the previous animal. For example, if someone says “lion,” the next person could say “narwhal.”
The Counting Game:
This game is great for kids who are just learning to count. One person starts by saying a number and the next person has to say the next number in sequence. This is a perfect way to get your kids learning on a road trip without them even knowing it!
Classic Telephone Game:
The first player starts by whispering a phrase or sentence into the next player’s ear. The next person then whispers what they heard to the next person and so on. The last person then says out loud what they heard, which is usually very different from the original phrase or sentence. This game always guarantees a great time!
Find that Place:
This road trip game is lots of fun! One person starts by saying “I’m looking for a place that is…” and then the next person has to name a place that meets the criteria. For example, if someone says “I’m looking for a place that is cold,” the next person could say “Antarctica.”
Fast Food Find:
Each person names a fast food restaurant chain before you begin. Once you say start you will look or the fast food place you chose and each person gets 1 point for every time they see it on the drive. Winner is the one that has the most points at the end of road trip. This is great for a long car trip.
Best Car Games for Older Children/Teens Road Trip Tips
20 Questions:
One person thinks of an object, person, place, or thing and the others take turns asking up to 20 questions to try and figure out what it is.
Two Truths and a Lie:
Each person takes a turn telling three stories about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. The others then have to guess which story is the lie.
The License Plate Game:
See how many different license plates from different states you can spot on your road trip.
The Scavenger Hunt Game:
One person makes a list of things to look for along the way and everyone tries to spot them. The first person to find all the items on the list wins. Here are some pre made scavenger hunts for the road too!
The Countdown Game:
Choose a category (ie. animals, countries, brands, etc.) and then take turns naming something from that category in alphabetical order. For example, if the category is animals, the first person could say “ant,” the next person could say “bird,” and so on. The first person to get to the end of the alphabet wins.
The Orderly Alphabet Game:
Take turns naming something from a chosen category in alphabetical order. For example, if the category is animals, the first person could say “ant,” the next person could say “bird,” and so on. The first person to get to the end of the alphabet wins.
The Would You Rather Game:
This is a fun way to get everyone to bond by getting to know each other more on your road trip. choose two random things and then ask people which one they would rather do. For example, would you rather eat a bug or drink a glass of milk?
The Never Have I Ever Game:
Everyone starts with some set amount of money. Oftentimes using pennies is enough to make the game fun. Next, take turns making statements about things you have never done. For example, “never have I ever been to Europe.” If someone has done the thing you say, they have to give you one penny. once you lose your money you are out. Winner takes all the money
The Car Bingo Game:
Each person has a bingo card with different objects, people, or things that can be seen on a road trip. For example, a license plate from Texas, a truck, a cow, etc. The first person to get bingo wins.
The Word Association Game:
One person says a word and the next person has to say a word in response that is associated with the first word. For example, if the first word is “summer,” the next person could say “vacation.” Keep going until someone can not think of a word. Set a time limit for answering like 10 seconds.
Punch Bug (or Slap Bug):
Every time you see a VW Beetle, you punch the person next to you. Loser is the person who gets punched the most. Before playing this you need to be certain your teens are old enough to punch lightly as to not start a fight or any whining and complaining.
I Went to the Store:
One person starts by saying “I went to the store and bought a (item).” The next person then has to say “I went to the store and bought a (item)” and so on, adding on to the list of items. The first person to mess up or take too long loses.
Fun Things & Activities Your Kids Will Enjoy on a Road Trip
Telling jokes
Joke books are a great way to keep everyone entertained on a road trip. They are filled with hilarious jokes that are sure to get a laugh from the entire family, and they can be easily carried around so you can pull them out whenever you need a laugh.
Plus, they’re perfect for when you’re stuck in traffic and need a distraction.
Listening to audio books, podcasts or music
There are a ton of great audio books for kids available, and it can be tough to know which ones to choose. This is great for the long car trip where you are spending hours in the car waiting to get to point b.
Here are some of my favorite audio books for kids when on a road trip:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Podcasts for Teens on Road Trip
Podcasts are also great for those long car rides.
But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids
Wow in the World
NPR: Tiny Desk Concerts
The Mortified Podcast
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
Thats the way I heard it with Mike Rowe
Who Would Win
Stuff You Missed in History Class
Stuff You Should Know
Whats Good Games
Watching movies or shows on the car trip
When it comes to good movies for kids, there are a ton of great options to choose from. Especially if you have a backseat entertainment system.
Here are some of my favorites:
The Lion King
The Incredibles
Up
WALL-E
Inside Out
Kung Fu Panda
The Lego Movie
The Secret Life of Pets
Finding Nemo
Toy Story
Moana
How to Train Your Dragon
Zootopia
The Croods
Shrek
Despicable Me
Minions
Ice Age
Keep Your Teens Busy With These Fun Activities
Some of the best fun activities for teens include watching movies. They might enjoy watching some good entertainment while on the open road.
Some of our favorites are:
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Legend of Korra
Steven Universe
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars Rebels
Phineas and Ferb
Gravity Falls
Adventure Time
Regular Show
Total Drama Island
Drawing or Coloring
One way to keep kids entertained is to have them do some drawing and coloring. This can help them learn how to focus and stay on task, and it also helps with their creativity and imagination. For younger children this will help develop their fine motor skills by using colored pencils. Also, their are some GREAT adult coloring books that are available!
Playing Card Games or Handheld Games
There are a ton of great card games for kids that can keep them entertained for hours on end.
Some of our favorites are:
Go Fish
Crazy Eights
Uno
War
Old Maid
Chess
Card Games Road Trip Tip to Keeping Teens and Tweens Entertained
They can be played with just a few cards, so they’re perfect for when you’re stuck in traffic and need a distraction. Plus, they’re perfect for when you’re stuck in a hotel room and want something to do.
Some of our favorite card games for teens are:
– Apples to Apples
– Phase 10
– Set
– 6 Nimmt!
– Blokus
– Boss Monster
– Carcassonne
– Dominion
– Munchkin
Handheld Games for Road Tripping
Some of our favorite handheld games for teens and Tweens are:
– Pokemon Go
– Super Mario Run
– Monument Valley
– Lara Croft GO
– Hitman GO
– The Room
– LIMBO
– Minecraft: Pocket Edition
– Terraria
Teens and Tweens keeping a journal of their road trip
Keeping a journal of all the memories and experiences from your trip can be a great way to keep kids entertained. It’s also a great way to document all the interesting stops you saw along the way. This can be a great thing to look back on later to remember your travel experience.
A journal entry could look like this,
“My road trip is going great! I’ve been playing a ton of card games with my brothers and sisters, and we’ve been listening to a lot of music and audiobooks. We’ve also seen some amazing sights along the way. Yesterday, we saw this huge waterfall, and today we’re in the middle of this huge desert.”
Teens and Tweens taking photos or making videos of their road trip
Since a road trip is all about seeing new sights and experiencing new things, older kids can capture all of that in a video. They could film themselves driving down the highway, or they could film themselves exploring a new city.
They could also film themselves playing games or just hanging out with friends and family. No matter what they choose to film, it’ll be a great way to document their trip.
Teens and Tweens listening to music on the road trip
Listening to their own music is a great way to keep kids entertained on a road trip. It’s also a great way to pass the time, and it can help kids relax and fall asleep.
So, whether you are on a road trip to the beach or on a long journey across the country, make sure to pack some of these fun games and activities. This is sure to make for a successful road trip! With a little advance planning these road trip essentials and road trip tips will keep your family entertained for hours on end and create memories that will last a lifetime.
And who knows? You may even find yourself enjoying one of these games as much as your kids do!
P.S Don’t forget road trip snacks for your family travel!
Please leave me a comment and tell me about any family road trips you have planned?