Summer Road Trip Games for Kids

Traveling can be hectic! So, if you’re going to be in a vehicle for any length of time, car games for kids are a great way to keep everyone entertained! These activities provide an opportunity to reinforce critical thinking and core skills, such as reading, math, sequencing, and shape recognition. Building these skills is an essential part of developing a foundation for success in school and life. Kids that develop this foundation make better decisions and do better at school.

Here are five fun, educational, and entertaining road trip games that the whole family can enjoy.

• Story Starter

With Story Starter, no supplies are needed!

To begin, the first person will say the first sentence of a story but not finish the sentence. The following person then completes the sentence and starts another one but leaves it incomplete for the next person.

This pattern repeats until the story reaches a conclusion. You may want to set a time limit (10 to 15 minutes) to help everyone know how long the story should take.

This is a fun road trip game that the whole family can play, even the driver! Don’t be afraid to add some silly elements to the story to help everyone enjoy themselves.

Along the way you’ll help the kids develop their auditory memory and sense of story grammar, two language skills that improve literacy.

• License Plate Game

In this game, players must spot as many license plates from different states as possible.

You can start it as soon as you pull out of your driveway. Every time the kids see a new state on a license plate, they will need to mark it down on paper.

This game can continue for however long you want it to. When you’re ready to end the game, simply count how many states each player has spotted, and whoever has the highest wins.

This game is best for early readers who can start to learn the names of the states as they read them off plates. But if you print off images of state license plates before the trip, younger kids can match by colors and patterns as well.

• Animal Alphabet Game

The animal alphabet game is another great activity for the whole family.

To get started, one person names an animal of their choosing. The next player then must name an animal that begins with the last letter of the animal named before, and so on.

For example: dog, goat, tiger, rabbit, etc.

This is an excellent activity when you need to quiet the kids down, as each player will need to pay attention to what the previous player said. It also allows kids to work on their phonological awareness and letter-sound recognition.

• The Name Game

To start this game, choose one person’s name and then pick a category (e.g., food, animals, sports). Then take turns coming up with words for each category, letter-by-letter, in the name.

For example, if the name you pick is “Pam” and you decide that your category is “food,” you might come up with pie, pasta, pizza, pickles, pears, peaches, potatoes, etc. See how many you can get for each letter.

This is a fun opportunity for children to practice the alphabet and expand their vocabulary.

• Story Collaboration

Ready to spark some serious imagination and take the “Story Starter” idea to the next level? Try the Story Collaboration car game for kids.

Here’s how it works. One person starts an epic/funny/mysterious story and talks for 30 seconds until the timekeeper says “Switch!” The next person must pick up the plot exactly where it left off. The fun thing is, they can take it in any direction they like when it’s their turn.

This fast-paced game teaches kids how to listen closely and think on their feet, resulting in wild, unpredictable stories that will have everyone in the car laughing.