The 4 games run from the License Plate Game to a handheld video game setup, and what decides your pick is whether the car is moving and whether everyone can share one screen’s worth of attention.
The License Plate Game and the Road Trip Bingo Card keep a whole back seat looking out the windows, the handheld video game setup suits one player at a time in a quiet car, and the Printable Travel Board Game works best when the car has stopped.
1. License Plate Game
A printed sheet of state plates on a clipboard makes the license plate game easy to run: spot a plate, cross it off, and the first person to fill the grid wins.
The clipboard matters more than it seems, because it gives a kid in the back seat something firm to write on.
I would hand out one sheet per player rather than share one. Shared sheets turn into arguments about who saw Ohio first.
Plates from your home state go quickly, so the far-off ones are the ones worth cheering for.
2. Road Trip Bingo Card
Road trip bingo works with a card you make yourself, which is why I like it. A spiral notebook, a few markers and a pair of scissors are enough to draw the grid and cut out calling slips.
Fill the squares with road signs and landmarks you will pass on your route, so the card fits your drive instead of a generic one. A highlighter is handy for marking squares, since it doesn’t hide the picture underneath.
Make a fresh card for each player, and let everyone pick their own markers.
3. Handheld Video Game Setup
A handheld Nintendo Switch is the one option here that works well on a fold-down tray table, with a game case, a drink and a snack all within reach.
Keep the cashews and juice on the far side from the console so a spill doesn’t reach it.
This is the most solitary pick on the list. Each player needs a device, and everyone ends up staring at a screen rather than at each other.
I would save it for long stretches when the car has gone quiet, and keep the other 3 games for the rest.
4. Printable Travel Board Game
A printable board game costs only paper and a die, and a winding path with colorful shape tokens is easy to follow even for younger players.
Slip the printed board into a plastic sleeve and it stays flat and wipes clean.
Plastic tokens are easy to lose in a moving car, so pack a few spares. Roll the die on the board itself, and play it on a book or a lap tray rather than the seat.
Of the four, this one suits a stopped car best: a rest area, a picnic table, a motel room.
Tips for Engaging Road Trip Games
Pick games that need no gear at all, because those are the ones that survive a long drive. I Spy, the Alphabet Game and Story Chain all run on eyes and imagination.
Alphabet Game players watch signs, trucks, and billboards outside the windows for a word starting with A, then B, and so on through Z. The first to finish wins, and it works for any reader old enough to spot a sign.
Story Chain is my pick for mixed ages. A simple first line from one player sets up the story, and then each person tacks on the next bit; it tends to get silly and strange within a few turns.
Benefits of Playing Games on Road Trips
A long drive can turn monotonous, and a car full of bored people is usually a cranky one by the time you arrive. Games break up the miles and give everyone something to share besides the radio.
Shared play also gets people talking. Guessing, arguing over a rule and laughing at the same sign all count as conversation, and that matters most with kids in the back.
If you travel by RV instead of a car, board games become a real option.
A car is a poor place for them, but an RV gives you table space and room to spread out, and they keep kids (or you) busy longer.
Preparation for Road Trip Games
Make your bingo cards before you leave, and the first stretch of the drive is already covered. Make a few different versions so no 2 players hold the same card.
Fill squares with sights you will likely pass: a pasture of cows, a license plate from a state on the opposite coast, trucks, gas stations, stop signs, police cars, 55 mph signs, mountains, horses or railroad crossing signs.
Decide the winning rule before you pull out of the driveway.
A full board is the hard mode. Five in a row, a line or an X ends the game faster, which suits shorter drives and younger players.
Store the cards where you can reach them without unpacking the trunk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some fun games to play on a trip?
Backseat time goes fastest with the license plate game, road trip bingo or the Alphabet Game, though Story Chain wins for a group that spans ages 6 to 60.
The first three need only paper, a pen or a clear view out the window. If you have an RV or a stopped car at a rest area, a printable board game also works.
What are the top funniest games?
Story Chain tends to win for laughs.
Story Chain starts with one person offering an opening line, then each player tacks on the next piece, and within a few turns the plot is usually ridiculous. It needs no gear and works for mixed ages.
