7 Car Games For Kids That Will Make The Time Fly

Taking a road trip with little ones is an exciting endeavor, but itt can be daunting to figure out what to do with all of those hours of driving as your little ones chime in from the back seat, “Are we there yet?” Fortunately, Skillmatics has plenty of road trip-friendly card games for kids and activities to help keep both kids and parents happy en route to your destination.

Want to keep kids entertained and introduce them to new places on your trip? Use our Skillmatics free printable - Road Trip Bingo! Give your child a crayon to circle what they see. Doing so will not only stave off boredom, but will also strengthen your little ones’ observational skills and help them make stronger memories of the trip and everything they saw.

“I Spy” is another easy observation game perfect for looking out the window on a long drive. One person can set the parameters by saying “I spy with my little eye…” and naming what they’re looking for, which could include “something red,” “something that grows from the ground,” or “somewhere you go to eat.” If multiple siblings or cousins are on the family road trip, they can play with each other so the parents can take a break.

Let your kids’ imaginations run wild with this easy storytelling game. Read the first part of a sentence from a family-favorite book and have your child finish the phrase. You can play this two ways: either prompt your little one to recall the rest of the sentence from memory, or let them come up with their own ending. The second option is sure to lead to a car full of giggles!

Keep the energy up in your vehicle by playing this rhythmic round-the-car game. Players can make a beat by snapping, clapping, or tapping their feet. Next, pick a category that your child will know, like “fruits” or “animals,” and take turns going around the car naming all of the ones you can think of until someone runs out of ideas.

For a calmer activity, bring along a collection of 15-20 small objects like a toy car, a ping-pong ball, an animal figurine, a feather, and a marble and a bag you can’t see through. For each round, place a few of the small objects in the bag and invite your little one to close their eyes, reach in, feel the items, and guess what each one is.

Dot It

For especially creative passengers, this no-mess art kit is a must-pack for a road trip. With at least five themes to pick from, your little one can take a break from looking out the window to complete the stickering activities and improve their fine motor skills while peeling the stickers and placing them wherever their imagination takes them!

Guess in 10

This fun twist on “Twenty Questions” comes in a variety of themes including everything from Marvel superheroes to geography to the animal kingdom and will keep everyone on their toes even when you’ve been on the road for hours. Guess in 10 States of America is the perfect candidate for a longer road trip as you pass through multiple states.

License Plate Game 

"License Plate game" is typically a group effort to spot out-of-state plates. You can keep a tally and see who spots the most out of state plates during the trip for family bragging rights!

Alphabet Road Sign Game

Your little ones can practice letter recognition and learn some geography while they’re at it by using road signs to get through the alphabet. Just wait for the later letters - things will get tricky with Q, X, and Z!

Geography Game

This game can go around and around the car for hours! One player names a place - it can be a city, state, or country - and the next player has to name another place that starts with the last letter of the first place: “Hawaii” could lead to “Istanbul” which could lead to “Lagos” and so on.

Don’t forget to pack some family games to play once you arrive! Shop Skillmatics collection here