I Spy with My Little Eye...Something Long, Cramped, and Boring: How to add a little fun to your roadtrip!
Tired of watching that little, yellow bug passing four different semis? Road trips as an adult can be monotonous, but when children eight and under keep asking, “Are we there yet?”—now that’s just torture!
What can we do to beat the road trip blues?
Road trip games!
The ABC Game
Easy Mode: Each player takes turns coming up with words that begin with the letters A–Z.
Medium Mode: Each player takes turns looking for signs starting with each letter of the alphabet until reaching Z.
Hard Mode: Player one starts by saying, “We’re going on a trip to (insert destination), and I’m bringing (something that starts with the letter a).” Player two will then repeat what player one said and then add something that starts with the letter b. The players continue taking turns, adding a new word for each letter to the end of the sentence. In the end, the last player must remember all of the words that were said and add a word beginning with z. The players that forget what letter they are on or forget one of the words listed are out!
The License Plate Game
Observational Mode: Players work together to find as many license plates from as many different states as they can.
Competitive Mode: Each player attempts to find more license plates from different states than the other. The one who finds the most by the end of the trip wins!
I Spy
Possibly one of the oldest games in the book, I Spy is perfect for the whole car. One player begins with “I spy with my little eye,” and then describes what they see. The other players must then guess what this object is. Whoever guesses correctly gets the next turn!
Best Road Trip Game Apps
• Trivia Crack: Answer fun trivia questions, but don’t play while driving alone. Be road safe!
• Drive.fm: These trivia games are totally voice activated so you can play alone in the car without having to use your hands.
• Roadtrip-Bingo: You can choose from a variety of different bingo boards. Whatever you see outside, add to the board. Whoever gets bingo wins!
Play these games until everyone gets tired or you finally reach your destination. And you parents can thank me later!
—Sarah Elliott