Road Trip Games for Kids + Activities to Keep the Whole Family Entertained

With summer there is usually lots of time spent in the car, and if you have little ones, you’ll want to keep them entertained. If you’re likely gearing up for plenty of travel—visiting family, summer camps, and vacations with the kids, check out these Ultimate Road Trip Games for Kids, featuring activities, printable fun, DIY, & more.

Engaging in road trip games for kids can greatly enhance the travel experience.

Introducing: The Best Road Trip Games for Kids!

While my kids would happily watch movies non-stop during our road trips, I prefer to use this time for learning, bonding, and creating lasting memories. With the engaging road trip games for kids and activities below, a little preparation goes a long way in keeping kids entertained for hours, all while having fun and learning along the journey.

These road trip games for kids promote bonding and keep learning fun during your travels.

1. Road Sign Scavenger Hunt

Thanks, TripSavvy!

This was my favorite road trip scavenger hunt printable that I found, but there are hundreds more if this isn’t what you are looking for. This classic of the road trip games for kids will keep the whole family paying attention, talking, and will for sure strike good friendly competition up in the car! These road trip games for kids are a must-try!

Plus, this is one that all ages can do. You do not have to be able to read to be able to do this! Just match!

2. “Find That Thing” Scavenger Hunt

“Find That Thing” is another exciting addition to road trip games for kids.

Thanks, Carla!

Here is another road trip scavenger hunt game that I found, but this one is only for readers. It is a little more advanced, but the objects are a little harder to find! I would suggest this one for your 4th – middle school-aged kids! They will love this.

3. Make Face Magnets

This is one of the best road trip games for toddlers! They will LOVE this game!

Making face magnets is one of the fun road trip games for kids that can keep them busy for hours!

Just find pictures of faces online or even use pictures of your own family member’s facial features and allow your child to build whatever face they want! All you need to do is put a little magnet on the back of each paper and you are good to go!

Thanks, TheIowaFarmersWife.com!

4. Cookie Sheet Chalkboard

This one is so fun! All you need to do is go out and buy some chalkboard paint, paint your cookie sheet, and hand your child some chalk! They will be entertained for hours on end just drawing away.

Cookie Sheet Chalkboard is another creative way to add to your list of road trip games for kids.

This is a super inexpensive way to entertain your kids and you won’t be wasting paper on coloring books! You can just erase and draw over and over again!

Thanks, The Spiffy Cookie

5. Alphabet Pictionary

This one is awesome for any little kid just learning their ABCs but can honestly be used with kids of all ages. All you have to do is print out these printables, put them in a binder, and hand them out to each kid! Let them bring along crayons, pencils or markers and draw away!

Alphabet Pictionary is one of the classic road trip games for kids that everyone enjoys.

Hours will have passed by the time they draw something for each letter. Once everyone finishes, Mom or Dad could judge the drawing and give out a winner for each letter!

Thanks, Lalymom!

6. Travel Memory Game

All you need to make this awesome road trip game is some felt, scissors, glue, and cardboard! After a little prep, your child will be able to play either with siblings or by themselves, all day long.

Travel Memory Game is another great choice among road trip games for kids.

This is SUPER easy to make and will last a long time. Not to mention how cheap these supplies will be! Your kids will adore this handmade memory game set.

Thanks, Kids Activities Blog!

7. Truck Spotting/Car Spotting

This is a huge hit in my house for little boys! All you need to do is print this out, hand them a pencil, and see who can spot the most trucks first. Your boys will love this!

Truck Spotting is one of the most engaging road trip games for kids you can play!

Some of these trucks are a little dated and you won’t see too often (like the TV van with the satellite on top) so I would suggest just having a timer and seeing who can get the most in the specific amount of time!

Thanks National Post! 

8. iSpy

iSpy is one of my favorite go-to car games but sometimes it is hard to think of things to SPY! I found 2 lists that were perfect for car rides! They are suited well so that you will be able to find everything right from the window of the car.

iSpy is a classic game that fits perfectly into the category of road trip games for kids.

This will take up a good 30-60 minutes and can be played over and over again!

Thanks, A Pretty Life in the Suburbs & Live Laugh Rowe!

9. License Plate Game

License Plate Game is timeless and a fantastic addition to road trip games for kids.

All growing up I played this will my siblings and my kids still play it today!! This awesome printable will help your kids keep track of all the license plates they’ve seen throughout the trip.

I would suggest this one for the longer road trips that go across multiple states. If you’re stuck in one state the entire time, you might not see too much diversity!

Thanks, TheSuburbanMom!

10. ABC Spelling Game

ABC Spelling Game can also be included in your list of road trip games for kids!

I love this idea! It’s a road trip game that’s fun and educational. And we all know how it goes when a little one is learning to read and write. They are all so eager to learn and this is such a fun way to help them improve their spelling.

All you need is a metal lunch box, magnetic tape, and alphabet letters! Give your child the lunch box and tell them which words to spell!

You could be sitting in the front seat saying, “dog” “meow” “purple” “truck” and they could be in the backseat spelling away! Or, you could give their sibling little flashcards with words to help quiz them along the way!

Thanks, As the Bunny Hops!

11. Roadtrip Bingo

Roadtrip Bingo is another fantastic game to play on your journey, adding to the road trip games for kids.

Bingo is an awesome option when you have a car full of kids! What I love to do is simply give them a book or a notepad, let them set their board up, and simply use fruit snacks or goldfish as markers!

The first one to get a bingo gets to call out the objects the next time. My kids could go on and on for hours with this! I’m sure yours will too!

Thanks, Everyday Reading!

12. Travel Journal

A Travel Journal can provide a creative outlet and is one of the best road trip games for kids.

A travel journal is a great way for your kids to pass the time, practice their writing, and write down all the fun memories they make while on family vacations. You can find many different options of printables for a travel journal but I like the one above because it is good for all ages.

Maybe attach a blank piece of paper to the other side and have them draw their favorite part of the day and write a paragraph about what they loved the most about today! Your kids will love to look back on this once the trip is over.

Thanks, Voluntown Housewife!

13. Word Search

Word Searches are fantastic ways to pass the time while in the car. What I love to do is put them in sheet protectors, hand them a dry erase pen, and let all your kids have a try!

Word Searches are among the most popular road trip games for kids that keep them engaged.

This way you will only have to print out one puzzle and they will all get to use it. All they need to do is wipe off their writings once they are done!

Thanks, iHeartNapTime!

14. Would You Rather?

Would You Rather? is an entertaining addition to the collection of road trip games for kids.

This game looks amazing! I haven’t tried this one yet, but I am going to totally make this for our next road trip. All you have to do is print out the questions and make the book! You will then have dozens of questions for your kids.

This will entertain them for such a long time and they will love it! And if you’re planning a Disney vacation, this is even more perfect.

Thanks, GetAwayToday!

15. Racetrack Binder

Racetrack Binder is a great way to organize various road trip games for kids!

I love this idea. You could fill up a little 3 ring binder with word searches, puzzles, games, and maybe even their journal and then add this little race track to the end. You’d then have an entire binder full of road trip games.

With this one, your little kids will love pretending to drive their race car all around as you are on your road trip. Just head here and print out the printable! All you have to do is put it in the sheet protectors and you are good to go!

Thanks, Design Dizzle!

16. Ticket Time

Ticket Time is a clever way to keep the kids occupied while engaging in road trip games for kids.

If you have kids that love to ask, “Are we there yet?” This is the game for you!! All you need to do is determine how long your trip will be. If it will be 6 hours, give each kid a baggie with 12 tickets in it (one ticket for every 30 minutes).

After 30 minutes go by, they can hand you a ticket. If they ask, “are we there yet?” they don’t get to turn in a ticket. Once the trip has ended all the kids who have given back all the tickets can get a treat!

I love this simple idea! It helps the kids know how much longer they have left without even having to ask!

Thanks, Crafting Chicks!

Brain Quest can be a fun and educational addition to your road trip games for kids collection.

17. Brain Quest

My kids love these games! Their cards are awesome and will get your kids thinking. There are different decks for different ages and they will keep your kids entertained forever.

The deck is full of questions that your child will quickly need to answer. This can be played with siblings or with you leading it! Whatever works! If you’ve never tried this game, you need to! It’s the greatest.

Check it out here!

18. Geography Quiz

Geography Quiz is another brilliant way to incorporate learning into your road trip games for kids.

Ahead of time, print off some different maps showing the continents, countries, states, cities or whatever you would like your kids to know and put your kids to the test. Set a time and see who can get the most answers right! This is one of the most fun road trip games for kids of all ages + adults, too!

Make it a competition and your kids will love it even more. I even have a little prize sometimes for the winner.

19. Dry Erase Activity Book

This is one that can be 100% customizable. All you need to do is gather a bunch of printables that your child can use over and over again. I found word searches, essay prompts, coloring pages, and crosswords.

The Dry Erase Activity Book is a practical addition to road trip games for kids that allows for creativity.

All you need to do after is laminate them! You can either go to a store to get this done or do it yourself! Afterward, punch holes in the paper and let your kids draw away. This book will last forever because all you’ll have to do is erase the markings and start over after every road trip.

Thanks Simply Kierste!

20. Hangman

This is the perfect game for road trips. It is a wooden slab that has letters that you can flip over and a dry erase marker. All you need to do is throw this in the car and it is there ready for them to play. My kids love this and it keeps them occupied for hours and hours. 

Check it out here!

Hangman is a game that has entertained many on long drives, fitting perfectly as road trip games for kids.

21. Road Trip Grab Book

I decided to put this as the last homemade game because it is the perfect way to combine all of the other road trip activities and games I have mentioned above. All you need is a 3 ring binder and some pencil cases.

Once you have those, all you need to do is fill each pencil case with different activities. You can put coloring pages, legos, treats, cards, etc. Honestly, anything you want! All you have to do is fill it up and hand it to each child.

You can customize each binder and fill it with things specific to them OR give everyone the same thing. I like to put all the same things in each binder just to avoid the fighting!

Road Trip Grab Book is a collection of fun road trip games for kids that will keep them engaged!

Thanks, MamaPapaBubba!

22. Premium Scratch and Sketch Art Notes 2 Pack

This is the perfect item for any of your children that love to doodle. This pad will eliminate crayons, markers, and pens because all the colors are already there under the paper! Once they draw, the colors will appear. Your kids will love these.

23. Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game

Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game is a great way to add variety to the road trip games for kids.

This game is perfect to play in the car. All you need to do is put it in the pocket of your car and let it sit there. Whenever your kids are bored, they can pull it out and use it! They will love having it around to keep them entertained on long rides.

24. Games on the Go

If you’re looking for a bunch of simple road trip games in a compact format, this Games On the Go product is perfect. It has 50 games and can fit right in your pocket!

Games on the Go is a compact way to carry road trip games for kids while traveling.

25. The Ultimate Road Trip Game Bundle

This 4-in-1 Car Game for kids and adults is filled with must-have travel activities and road trip activities. Combines four exciting travel card games to keep everyone entertained throughout the trip: Word Game, Scavenger Hunt, Personal Trivia, and Word Charades for endless variety and fun challenges.

Final Thoughts

Remember that engaging your kids with road trip games for kids can transform any journey!

I hope that you found road trip games for kids and other fun activities that struck your attention on this list! Give a few of them a try on your next road trip and let me know how it goes.

I know that sometimes as moms we just DREAD long trips in the car, but with the right preparation, you can have the best road trip ever!

What road trip activities do your kids love doing in the car? Comment below! I can’t wait to find out.

Essential Road Trip Item:

This would be awesome on the back seat of your car to keep snacks and supplies off the ground! There is nothing I love more than squished fruit snacks or crackers ALL OVER THE CAR 😉 and this will prevent that from happening!

Plus it will keep your kids energized while they play all the road trip games for kids above. Check it out on Amazon here.

Don’t forget to pack snacks to keep your kids energized while playing all the road trip games for kids!