During every road trip, there comes a point where the whole car is bored. You’ve been driving for hours, the next stop isn’t for another fifty miles, and there are only so many cornfields you can take before even Disney World isn’t worth it. When that point comes, rather than throwing yourself headfirst out the window, try playing one of these road trip games.
Musical Keywords
Have players take turns picking a specific “key” word. When it is a player’s turn to pick the “key” word, he or she must have a song with that word in mind; the other players don’t need to guess that same song if they think of a different one first, but this requirement prevents players from using too-obscure words like “troubadour.” The goal is to see how many songs you can think of with that key word. To make the game more competitive, require each player to answer the clue with a different song and eliminate those who can’t think of one.
Roadside Euchre
Although this activity shares half its name with a card game, it has nothing to do with cards. The goal is simple: be the first one to reach 100 points. Earn points by spotting four-legged animals wandering near roads. Most animals are worth one point, but cats are worth 25—and if you’re lucky enough to see a cat sitting in a windowsill, you automatically get 100 points! The first to spot an animal gets the point for that animal, so be careful: you may find yourself fighting over who saw a herd of 50+ cows first.
While road trip games may seem cliché, there are lots of unique games to relieve the tedium of driving. You can try one of these, find some online, or create your own!
—Aubrey Bourret