Road Warrior Games: An Age by Age Mini-guide for Long Car Trips

Road trips can be wearisome. If you have toddlers in the car, you definitely need a strategy to keep them occupied between rest stops. But even adults can benefit from a rousing game on the road when the stops are few and far between. Here is a list of games that will appeal to each age group in your ride.

Entertain the toddler

If you have a toddler in a rear-facing car seat strapped into a Dodge Journey, or similar sized car, you need to pack a mirror. Place the mirror where both you and your child can see it, and enjoy hours (ok, maybe minutes) of fun copying each other’s facial expressions and playing peek-a-boo. Slightly older children will perk right up when they hear “I spy, with my little eye, something that is…red!” Elementary aged kids also love to play the banana game, where they get a point for every yellow car they spot, as well as the picture Bingo game, where they are trying to spot the items pictured on their Bingo card. You can get your kids counting just about anything (Volkswagen Beetles, red cars, yield signs, billboards) and that should keep them busy enough so they forget to ask you, “are we there yet?”

Tweens to Teens

Older kids like to compete for points but if you can play a game that doesn’t involve writing things down, it will be easier on anyone prone to motion sickness. Name That Tune is fun – just press seek on the radio dial and see who can guess the song title first. Test your kids’ geography knowledge with the Alphabet Game, where they have to name a place starting with A, then the next person names a place starting with the last letter of the first place, and so on. Two Truths and a Fib will get the creative juices flowing. He who is up states three facts about himself and everyone has to guess which one is a fib. The more outlandish the better. Prizes for these games can be a special treat at the next rest stop, or voting rights for your next destination, tourist attraction or activity.

Adults like to play, too

Just because you are over 18 doesn’t mean you don’t get bored in a moving vehicle. Try the game Did You Hear to see if your co-travellers can guess when you are making up a news event. Plug in the Karaoke App to test your singing chops. Play the Movie Trivia game, where you name a movie, then an actor in that movie, then another movie they were in, then an actor from that second movie….and so on. No one is really keeping score but maybe the prize could be driving rights or a free drink at your next dinner.

Games make road trips go a little easier and as a side effect, they create bonding moments. Whether you are friends, family or coworkers, you should try it out.