Sitting in a car for hours is no fun for anyone, regardless of age. You can only read, gaze out windows, and sing along with the radio for so long before everyone starts getting a little antsy. Whether you have toddlers or teenagers, or a few in-between, everyone can be kept occupied with games. Not only will this take the focus away from how numb your legs are from sitting for so long, it will make fun family memories, as well.
I Spy
Who doesn’t love I Spy? With this classic game, the designated person says “I spy with my little eye, something that is…” and then provides a clue. It can be a color, shape, texture, or any other descriptive clue. After a bit, they may need to provide another clue. Whoever guesses right gets to be the spy next. You cannot spy cars driving by or the lake you just passed either. The object has to be in view for the duration of the game.
Picnic Memory Game
Everyone can use a little help sharpening their memory! One person starts by saying “I went to a picnic, and I brought apples (or anything else that starts with the first letter of the alphabet.)” The second person will repeat the phrase, and add a word that starts with a “B.” You will go through the alphabet and see how far you can get until someone messes the sequence up. You do not have to be restricted to food either. Paper plates, a thermos, etc., can be included, too.
Magnetic Board Games
Tic Tac Toe, Checkers, Hangman, and many other classic games are available in magnetic versions. These are ideal for kids in the backseat to play with.
Spelling Bee
This game is best played if you remember to bring along a little pocket dictionary. Of course, as long as you are not driving you can always look up words and verify spelling on your phone. You may even want to use the vocabulary words your kids are working on in school, so they are ready for their first day of class in their new school.
Find 100
You can keep kids entertained for a while with this game, but they will probably either forget what they are looking for or fall asleep before you get to 100. Pick one thing to look for on the road, and someone will keep track of how many are found with paper and a pencil. You can look for blue cars, American flags, a specific type of car, bike racks, or anything else. If you want to make it extra challenging, look for multiple objects.
20 Questions
In this game, one person thinks of an object but does not tell anyone else. It can be anything from a cow to a boot. Players take turns asking “yes” or “no” questions. The goal is to try to figure out what object they are thinking of within 20 questions. Whoever guesses right gets to be the next person to think of an object.
