Favorite travel games

Are we there yet? On your way to your destination, help your family pass the time with these favorite travel games.

The license plate game

Turn off the backseat DVD player — your kids can keep their eyes on the road for this game. The goal is to spot as many different license plates as possible. Keep a written list or, better yet, bring a blank map so the kids can fill in the names of the various states they’ve spotted. It’s a great way to occupy the time… and a super way to learn some geography, too!

License plate phrases

Play this one at the same time as the license plate game above. Challenge the kids to create phrases from the letters they see on license plates. For example, HTZ-621 might be “Hug That Zebra,” or “Hit The Zoo.” The more creative the phrase, the better. Your family will giggle all the way there!

Two-minute 10s

Players take turns challenging the rest of the group to name 10 things in any category: Movies, types of dogs, music groups, colors and so on. The goal is to get to 10 within a two-minute time limit. Ready. Set. Go!

The alphabet sign game

This is one for the family to work on as a group. Passengers check out road signs, billboards, bumper stickers and businesses for words beginning with each letter of the alphabet, beginning with A and ending with Z (and possibly skipping over the challenging Q and X). For example, Altoona (A), Bus Stop (B), Caution (C) and so on. It’s great for family members of all ages, and it’s more challenging than you think!

I have never…

Passengers taking turns listing things they’ve never done but everyone else in the car has done, such as “I have never been on a date,” or “I have never eaten shrimp.” A player earns one point if he or she successfully says something that everyone else in the car has done. The first player to reach five points is the winner!

Scavenger Hunt

Before embarking on your road trip, each family member can create a list of 10 things. The goal is to find as many things on the list as possible. Keep it simple for the younger set (stop sign, red car, pine tree) and make it more difficult for older kids (hospital, Volkswagen Beetle, cell phone tower). Work together on one list at a time or give each passenger a list and have a race.

More tips for happy travel

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