24 Road Trip Games for Kids, Teens and Adults

The best road trip games need no supplies and let the driver play without looking away from the road: the license plate game, 20 questions, would you rather and the alphabet game. Talking games work better than screen games because the whole car joins in. Below are 24 car games sorted by age, with a note on which ones a passenger can run from one phone. The driver should only ever listen and answer; never hand the driver the phone.

Safety first

• Only passengers read or tap the phone.
• Pick games the driver can join just by talking.
• Pause any game in heavy traffic, bad weather or on unfamiliar roads.
• Keep loud, competitive games for long, quiet stretches of highway.

Classic car games with no supplies

1. License plate game (any age). Spot plates from as many different states or regions as possible. Keep a running list on a passenger's phone or paper.
2. I spy (ages 4+). "I spy with my little eye something that is green." Things must be inside the car or stay visible for a while.
3. 20 questions (ages 6+). One person thinks of a person, place or thing. Everyone gets 20 yes-or-no questions.
4. Alphabet game (ages 6+). Find each letter of the alphabet, in order, on road signs and billboards.
5. Cow counting (ages 4+). Count cows on your side of the car. Pass a graveyard and you lose your count.
6. Road trip bingo (ages 4+). Make cards before you leave: a red car, a bridge, a truck, a horse, a gas station.
7. Would you rather (ages 6+). See below; it is the easiest game for a mixed car.
8. Story chain (ages 5+). Each person adds one sentence to a story. The driver can play.

Talking games a passenger can run on one phone

A passenger opens one of these games, reads the card out loud and taps the answer the car agrees on. Turn on the "Everyone" categories if young kids are in the back.

9. Would you rather. "Would you rather drive across the country or fly around the world?" Everyone, driver included, picks a side.
10. This or that. Quick pairs like "mountains or beach?". Good for short stretches.
11. Most likely to. "Who's most likely to need a bathroom break first?" Point on three (passengers only point).
12. Never have I ever. Hold up fingers instead of putting them down, and only passengers count.
13. Icebreaker questions. Great for a car share with people who just met.
14. Two truths and a lie. Use the travel topic: "a trip you took".
15. Five-Second Challenge. "Name 3 things you see on a highway" in five seconds.
16. Categories game. Shout answers instead of writing them: a letter, then a food, a city and an animal.

Games for teens and adults

17. Name that tune. Play two seconds of a song from the playlist. First to name it picks the next song.
18. Movie chain. Name a film, then the next person names an actor in it, then a film with that actor, and so on.
19. Fortunately, unfortunately. Alternate sentences: "Fortunately, we found a gas station. Unfortunately, it only sold pickles."
20. Desert island picks. Each person picks three songs, three foods and one book for a desert island, then defends them.
21. Celebrity guess (also called "who am I"). One person thinks of a famous figure; others ask yes-or-no questions.

Games for little kids

22. Colour hunt. Call a colour; the first child to spot three things of that colour wins.
23. Animal sounds. One child makes a sound, the others guess the animal.
24. Quiet game. Whoever stays quiet longest wins. Parents' favourite.

Tips for long drives

Mix games and breaks. Play for twenty minutes, then put on music or a podcast. Long games get boring in a car.

Plan around stops. Start a fresh game after each rest stop so there is something to look forward to.

Give kids a job. Let one child be the "game host" who reads the cards. It makes them feel in charge and keeps them looking forward instead of at a screen.

Download before you go. Open the game pages while you still have signal. Once loaded, our games keep working even when coverage drops.

Games by trip length

Under an hour. One or two quick games are enough: this or that, I spy, or a round of would you rather. Most short trips are better with music and a chat.

Two to four hours. Plan three blocks: a talking game, a spotting game such as the alphabet game or road trip bingo, and a calm game for the last stretch. Take a break from games every half hour.

All-day drives. Start a long-running game in the morning, such as the license plate game, and check the list at every stop. Save the most energetic games, like name that tune, for the sleepy middle of the afternoon.

What to pack for car games

• A notebook and pencil for keeping score and the license plate list.
• Printed bingo cards made before the trip.
• One fully charged phone for the passenger who runs the talking games, with the game pages opened before you leave.
• A small bag of treats for prizes at rest stops.

Games for car sickness-prone kids

Reading on a moving phone can make some children feel sick. For them, choose games that keep eyes on the road ahead: I spy, the alphabet game, the colour hunt and 20 questions. Let an adult in the front read any cards out loud, so nobody in the back has to look down.

Common questions

What are the best car games for kids? I spy, the colour hunt, road trip bingo and would you rather for kids. They need no reading and keep eyes on the road ahead.

Can the driver play car games? Yes, but only talking games. The driver listens and answers; a passenger reads, taps and keeps score.

What games work without internet? All the classics in this guide, plus our phone games once their pages are opened before you lose signal.

Key takeaways

• The driver only talks; passengers handle any phone.
• No-supply classics like the license plate game and 20 questions still work best.
• Would you rather and this or that suit mixed ages in one car.
• Short rounds with breaks beat one long game.

Heading somewhere for the holidays? Pack a few games from our Thanksgiving games and Christmas party games guides, or see every party game.