15 Fun Road Trip Activities for Kids + Organizational Car Gear!
Road trip season is upon us, summer is near and it’s time to start planning! If a road trip is on your agenda this year, being prepared is key – especially when kids are involved (and this means kids of any age). We’ve all experienced how quickly boredom and restlessness can set in during those long stretches in the car. Planning some fun road trip activities for the kids is key to avoiding epic meltdowns that can accompany such moments.
I’ve compiled a list of the 15 top activities for kids to play during a road trip, from free games that are classics, to games and crafts you can find on Amazon, these are sure to keep you entertained. These can supplement device time and keep kids engaged with each other and their surroundings (the license plate game is always fun!)
I’ve also compiled some must-have accessories from Amazon that can be life savers in the car with messy kids, electronics, and lots of things to keep organized.
Road Trip Games & Activities
1. The License Plate Game
This game is super easy to play and the rules are simple! Compile a list of all 50 states and as you drive, keep an eye out for license plates from different states. When you spot one, call it out to the other players.
2. Scavenger Hunt Game
This game you can create on your own or I found a fun one you can buy on Amazon.
To create your own game, before the trip, create a list of items or landmarks that your players need to find during your trip. You can include a variety of things such as road signs, specific vehicles, types of buildings, or natural landmarks. Establish the rules of the scavenger hunt, including how points will be awarded and if there will be any time limits. Give each player or team a copy of the scavenger hunt list before you start driving. As you travel, players will keep an eye out for items on the scavenger hunt list. When they spot an item, they call it out or mark it off their list.
3. Games on the Go
This is a collection of 50 games that are fun for any age. The collection includes guessing games, word games, memory challenges, trivia, searching games, and more to keep your family entertained on your road trip.
4. Car Bingo
This game includes 12 unique dry-erase cards filled with popular restaurant names, car brands, road signs, and other fun objects that the kids can search for from the car window. You can also easily make this game yourself, get creative, and think of landmarks, restaurants, or natural sites you see along the way.
5. SUSSED The Game of Wacky Choices
This is a game where you ask a question, and challenge your family to guess which answer you’ve chosen. There are over 200 thought-provoking questions and a whopping 650 answers.
6. Music Games
- Play Name That Tune
- Make a playlist before your trip and have the kids try to guess a song when you play a snippet
- Pick a Disney movie or any musical and the goal is to sing every song from the movie. Have a sing-along which will pass the time for a while!
- One thing my kids love to do in the car is to pass our phone around that’s streaming the music, and each pick out a song. We have Apple Music so they can pick any song. There are lots of streaming services, Amazon has another unlimited option:
7. I Spy
I Spy is another classic family road trip activity that kids love but can bore adults quickly. Having this card game to help kids along with each challenge can make it a lot more fun.
8. Animal Habitats Sticker Book
A paint-by-number sticker book which is fun for the younger kids. Kids love sticker books and combine that with creating a paint-by-number scene, they can have hours of (or at least longer term) fun.
9. Tween Coloring Books For Girls & Boys
For the older kids, there are great coloring book options too that can keep them off devices for hours and help spark their imaginations.
10. Road Trip Activities and Travel Journal for Kids
This book has puzzles, mazes, mad libs, journal prompts, scavenger hunts, and other activities.
11. How To Draw Everything
This is a great book for kids who love to draw and want to learn how to sketch. These types of books keep my girls (well two out of the four!) entertained for hours.
12. Gross Me Out Mad Libs
Kids love Mad Libs! And these add a twist as Gross Me Out Mad Libs! Amazon has a variety of versions to keep the fun going (or drive you nuts!)
13. Ultimate Puzzle Challenge!
This is a great activity book for kids from the ages 8-12, it contains 256 pages of puzzles, games, brain teasers, hidden pictures, and more.
14. Cat’s Cradle
I remember being obsessed with playing with these as a tween, now I can’t remember at all how to do it, but luckily this comes with instructions and I bet your tween may have fun with it too!
15. Audible
If you have an Audible subscription, downloading kid’s audible books are another great way to pass the time. Find some books your kids might like and let them listen to their favorite ones.
Organizational Accessories for Your Car
Seatback Organizers
Kids Travel Trays
Car Accessory Holders
Car Trash Cans
Ipad/Tablet/Phone Holder
In conclusion, when the kids are entertained and happy on the road, so are we as parents. We like to keep the kids off devices as much as possible though we know that can’t be 100% of the time. My 12-year-old’s famous line when we go camping is always “Is there going to be wifi?” My hope is you can enjoy the open road this summer and the kids can see as much out the window as possible!
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