15 Road Trip Games That Will Make the Miles Fly By

How to Play: Starting with "A," spot words on signs, billboards, or even cars that begin with each letter of the alphabet, in order. The first person to spot a word for "Z" wins!

Example: "A" for "Arby's," "B" for "Burger King," "C" for "Chevron."

Pro-Tip: Proper nouns count! (e.g., "McDonald's" for M)

How to Play: One person says, "I spy with my little eye something..." and gives a color or other simple clue about an object they see. Others guess until someone gets it right. That person then becomes the "spy."

Example: "I spy with my little eye something blue." (Could be the sky, a car, or a sign)

Pro-Tip: Make sure the object will be visible for a reasonable amount of time

How to Play: One person thinks of a person, place, or thing. Others ask "yes" or "no" questions to try and guess what it is. They have 20 questions to figure it out.

Example: "Is it alive?" "No." "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" "Yes."

Pro-Tip: Start with broad categories (e.g., "Is it alive?")

How to Play: One person starts a story with a sentence. The next person adds another sentence, and so on. See where your collective imaginations take you.

Example: "Once upon a time, a squirrel decided to open a five-star restaurant." "Unfortunately, his first customer was a very hungry bear."

Pro-Tip: Encourage silly and unexpected turns

How to Play: Try to spot license plates from as many different states as you can. Keep a running tally, or simply see who can find the most unique states.

Example: "Got a New York plate! Anyone see a Florida one yet?"

Pro-Tip: Look for out-of-state plates at rest stops or gas stations

How to Play: One person hums a tune (no words!). Others guess the song. The person who guesses correctly gets to hum the next tune.

Example: (Hums the tune to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star") "Is it 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'?"

Pro-Tip: Stick to well-known songs for easier guessing

How to Play: This one is simple: everyone tries to stay silent for as long as possible. The last person to make a sound wins.

Example: (Everyone is quiet for 3 minutes, then someone sneezes.) "Achoo! Oh no, I lost!"

Pro-Tip: This is great for a quick reset when energy levels are running high

How to Play: Each person holds up five fingers. One person says, "Never have I ever..." followed by something they've never done. If someone has done it, they put one finger down. The last person with fingers still up wins.

Example: "Never have I ever eaten sushi." (Anyone who has eaten sushi puts a finger down)

How to Play: Everyone tries to count aloud, in order, from 1 upwards, but only one person can say a number at a time, and there's no designated order. If two people say the same number at the same time, you have to start all over again from 1.

Example: (Silence) "1." (Silence) "2." "3!" "3!" (Both said "3" at once, so you restart)

How to Play: One person says a word. The next person immediately says a word that they associate with the previous word, then continue around the car.

Example: "Car." "Road." "Trip." "Snacks." "Chips."

How to Play: The first person says, "I went to the grocery store and bought an A-something..." (e.g., "apples"). The next person says, "I went to the grocery store and bought an A-something and a B-something..." (e.g., "apples and bananas"). Continue through the alphabet, trying to remember all the previous items.

Example: "I went to the grocery store and bought an avocado." "I went to the grocery store and bought an avocado and some butter."

How to Play: One person starts singing a line from a song. The next person has to sing a line from a different song that starts with the last word of the previous line. Or, simply pick a song and everyone sings along, points for whoever knows the most lyrics.

Example: Player 1: "Sweet Caroline, oh oh oh." Player 2: (quickly finds a song starting with "oh") "Oh, what a night!"

How to Play: One person thinks of a movie and describes its plot in a terrible, but technically accurate, way. Others try to guess the movie

Example: "A young boy finds a magic ring, and he and his friends walk for ages to throw it into a volcano." (Answer: Lord of the Rings)

How to Play: Before you start driving, pick 3-5 common words that are likely to be said during a road trip (e.g., "car," "road," "are we there yet?"). If anyone says one of the forbidden words, they lose a point (or get a silly penalty).

Example: Forbidden words: "car," "rest stop," "hungry." "I think we should stop at the next rest stop." (Oops, lost a point!)

How to Play: One person thinks of a specific person, character, or even a famous animal that everyone in the car would likely know (e.g., a family member, a character from a popular movie, a well-known historical figure). Others ask "yes" or "no" questions to narrow down the possibilities

Example: (Player 1 thinks of "Scooby-Doo") "Are you human?" "No." "Are you from a cartoon?" "Yes." "Are you a dog?" "Yes." "Are you Scooby-Doo?"