The Best Games to Play in the Car to Make Your Drive Fun
Families confined together in the car for hours has the potential to be a disaster, but it doesn’t have to be. There are many ways to keep everyone entertained and happy while on a long car journey. From movies and podcasts to games and music, here are our top 10 car activities for long car rides to prevent boredom and bickering.
How do you make a long car journey fun?
Long car rides don’t have to be boring or feel endless—especially with the right games in your travel toolkit. Whether you’re with kids, friends, or adults who still like to have fun, here are ten of the best car games that are easy to learn, require no supplies, and spark tons of laughter and engagement.
1. 20 Questions
How to Play: One player thinks of an object, person, or place. The others take turns asking yes-or-no questions to narrow it down—up to a maximum of 20 questions. If someone guesses it correctly before question 20, they win!
2. The Alphabet Game
How to Play: Players look for words on road signs, license plates, or billboards that start with each letter of the alphabet, in order from A to Z. The first to reach Z wins. You can play competitively or cooperatively.
3. I Spy
How to Play: One player says, “I spy with my little eye, something that is…” and gives a clue, usually a colour. Others guess what it is. This works best for items inside the car or in sight for more than a few seconds.
4. Would You Rather
How to Play: One player poses a dilemma starting with “Would you rather…” (e.g., “Would you rather have to sing everything you say or dance everywhere you go?”). The rest choose and explain why. No winners—just great conversations.
5. License Plate Game
How to Play: Players try to spot license plates from as many different states or countries as possible. You can tally them individually or work as a team. Bonus points for spotting rare or distant plates!
6. Categories
How to Play: Pick a category (e.g., fruits, car brands, animals). Players take turns naming something in that category without repeating previous answers. If someone hesitates too long or repeats, they’re out.
7. Name That Tune
How to Play: Use the radio, playlist, or hum tunes yourself. One person plays or hums part of a song, and the rest try to name it. First one to get it right earns a point. Keep score or just play for fun.
8. The Movie Game
How to Play: Start by naming an actor. The next person must name a movie they were in. The following person names another actor from that movie. Continue the chain. If someone’s stumped, they’re out until the next round.
9. Fortunately/Unfortunately
How to Play: Players take turns creating a story one sentence at a time. Each sentence alternates between starting with “Fortunately…” and “Unfortunately…” For example: “Fortunately, we brought snacks. Unfortunately, a bear ate them.”
10. Count the…
How to Play: Choose an object to count (e.g., red cars, cows, motorcycles). Set a timer or play until a certain number is reached. Whoever spots the most of that item wins. You can change the item every few minutes to keep it fresh.
Other things to do in the car
Car Activity: Watch a Movie
Watching a film is the perfect road trip activity, your family can escape to an exciting fantasy land from the comfort of the car seats. In a world full of 5G, iPads and smartphones, sometimes you can’t beat a good old DVD. In-car DVD players are a fantastic gadget that offer a perfect solution for backseat boredom. Passengers can sit back and enjoy their favourite film while on the move. If all your DVDs have been given the boot, then opt for downloading the latest blockbusters from streaming sites onto tablets and smartphones. Whether you decide to go with DVDs, downloads or both, make sure you stock up – it’s always better to have too many movies than not enough.
Travelling Tip: When going on a long car journey don’t forget to pack headphones, so the films can be enjoyed in peace and quiet.
Stop and admire the view
When going on a long car journey, sometimes just simply stretching your legs and admiring your surroundings is all the entertainment you need. If your journey is majority motorway based, plan in a pitstop in the countryside around halfway. If you are travelling with young children, this will give them chance to burn off some energy and get some fresh air before continuing the long car ride.
Listen to a Podcast
Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular amongst all age groups, so they make the perfect journey entertainment as there is something for everyone. From comedy and sports to news and true crime, podcasts offer guaranteed entertainment. There are even fun and engaging podcasts for children, including science, English and mystery. Podcasts are not only fun but an effective way to stay stimulated on a long trip.
Read Reviews as a Car Activity
If you are on route to a fantastic family holiday, then it’s important to get to know the local area you are visiting. It’s now very easy to gain information about a holiday destination. There are also thousands of online reviews, so make the most of their advice and suggestions, you may find a cool activity or restaurant for your holiday.
Document your Trip
Documenting your journey can be more than just taking a couple of photos here and there. Why not encourage all the family to get involved with making videos, taking photos and making a note of the cities you pass along your journey? Time with family is all about making memories, so use time on a long car ride to document and remember the good times.
Read a book or magazine
If you have a long car journey ahead, then pack a few books and magazines. Activity and colouring magazines are great entertainment for the little ones, so stock up on those. Then why not take the free time you to get stuck into a good book.
Listen to Your Favourite Music
Before departing on your epic trip, download all your favourite music, so if you lose signal along the way, you can still listen. Better still, why not create a couple of playlists.
Learn a New Language
Whether you are travelling the in the UK or abroad, take advantage of the spare time by learning a new language. This activity is perfect for all members of the family, even the driver. There are hundreds of language learning apps such as Duolingo and even the driver can take part in an audio course. For those not driving, watching a film in the foreign language with subtitles can really help with the learning.
Car Picnic
There’s something about long car journeys, that always makes us think – ‘food!’. “Are we there yet?” and “I’m hungry” are the mantra of most long car journeys, especially with little ones. There’s no better boredom killer, that a good old picnic and even better, a car picnic. But on the move, it can get messy, so here are some finger food ideas to keep everyone entertained and moderately clean!
- Grapes, raisins, blueberries
- Dried fruit and nuts
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cheese sandwiches
- Bread sticks
- Sliced pitta bread
- Hard boiled eggs
- Cucumber, pepper and carrot sticks
- Mini sausages and pork pies
- Rice cakes
- Cartons of juice and plenty of bottled water
What to Pack for a Long Car Journey
Its good to make a long car journey as comfortable and stress-free as possible, so don’t forget these items:
- The all-important picnic and snacks
- Headphones for all travellers
- Antibacterial/ baby wipes
- Empty bag for rubbish
- Anti-sickness tablets
- Paper bag for any mishaps
- Blankets and pillows
- Plenty of water
- Digital entertainment: iPads, DVD players, phones, laptops are chargers
- Sunglasses
Remember passengers don’t need to be entertained every minute of the journey. The whole car will benefit from a little quiet time to take in the surroundings and admire the views or even have a little sleep. We hope you enjoy our long car journey activity suggestions and wish you a safe and fun trip!
