11 Fun Games to Play in the Car

If you drive your kids in the car a lot, you might want to know the best games to play in the car, including paper and pencil games! Whether driving on a road trip, going to a restaurant, or taking kids to a sports practice, here are fun games to play in the car!

Some you can use your eyes, some with your words, and others paper and pencil. All of these fun games to play will keep the people in the car (kids) entertained and thinking!

Note: We don’t allow the game punch buggy — because someone can get hurt.

Games to Play in the Car

Verbal and Visual Games to Play in the Car

LICENSE PLATE GAME
2 or more players
On a car ride, spot license plates from different states. Whoever sees a particular state calls it out and records it on their U.S. map.

TWENTY QUESTIONS / I SPY
2 or more players
One person spots something for the other players to guess. The person says, “I spy with my little eye, something ____ (blue).” Now, the other players must ask yes or no questions to determine what that something is. “Is it round?” 

Alternatively, you can play the traditional 20 questions game by thinking of objects that are vegetables, minerals, or animals. Other players ask yes or no questions.

ALPHABET GAME
2 or more players
Look out the window for road signs. Look for something that starts with each letter of the alphabet, starting with A and find the next letters of the alphabet in the correct alphabetical order using road signs. Say, “I spy ______ (insert the letter)!” Variation: Find the alphabet on license plates only.

WOULD YOU RATHER
2 or more players
Looking for easy games to play in the car, try Would You Rather! One person thinks of two silly or gross questions to ask the other people in the car, starting with the prompt, “Would you rather…” Or use a card game to get started. Or use picture books!

Paper and Pencil Games to Play in the Car

HANGMAN
2 or more players
One player thinks of a word and writes a line for each letter, then draws a gallows. (It’s not a bad idea to give some adult help on this step.) The other players try to guess the letters in the word, one letter at a time. Each incorrect letter means the drawing player draws a body part on the gallows. The object is to guess the word before you get “hung,” – which is when you’ve drawn a full-body picture on the gallows. 

TIC-TAC-TOE
2 players
No explanation is needed, right? But, just in case you forgot how to play, draw a grid of 3×3 = 9 spaces. The first person chooses which shape, x or o, to play and draws that shape. The second player draws their shape. The goal is to draw three in a row to win.

BOXES
2 players
Draw a grid of dots in rows and columns. Each player takes turns drawing a line between any two adjacent dots.  If you make a square with your line, write your initials in that box. Once all the dots are connected, the person with the most boxes wins.  Example here.

MORSE CODE
2 or more players
Print out the code and have your kids make secret messages in Morse Code.

PENCIL RUBBINGS
1 person
Put coins, keys, or a comb under the paper and rub with the side of the pencil. Note: you might need some wet wipes handy afterward.

STORY ADD-ON / EXQUISITE CORPSE
2 or more players
Get a piece of paper. This is a group effort in creating a story! The first person writes down a beginning to a story – it can be one sentence – then folds the paper to cover what they wrote. The second person continues the story without looking and adds detail or action. That person folds the paper over their part. And so forth, until someone ends the story. Open, read, and laugh!

MONSTER DRAWING ADD-ON
Fold a plain piece of paper into four horizontal sections. The first person starts by drawing the monster’s head, and folds over the paper to cover it. The second person draws the neck, shoulders, and arms then folds it over. The third person draws the body and then folds it over. The fourth person finishes with the legs and feet. Open and check out your masterpiece!

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