RESTLESS ROAD TRIPS: GAMES TO PLAY IN THE CAR

Your road trip destination is getting closer by the minute, but the long journey ahead can leave you feeling a little restless.

Let’s face it – sometimes listening to the same playlist for hours on end, or a podcast that just doesn’t seem to satisfy everybody – can get old fast. If you’re looking for ways to pass the time during your restless road trip, switch up the scenery and introduce some games to play in the car. Whether you're on a family road trip or off on an adventure with friends, car games will entertain the crowd for hours on end.

From making use of your car’s sound system, to just plain and simple chat – get everyone in involved with these fun and simple car games that are sure to make time fly by!

Use your car's sound system

1. Guess the song

Suitable for all ages, this game is a crowd pleaser and takes little to no effort to explain how to play. It’s as straight forward as it sounds – simply guess the song! Connect your smartphone to your car’s sound system and put a playlist on shuffle – without peaking, the first player to guess the title of the song gets a point. You can even give bonus points for the trifecta – song title, artist and album. 

Tip: Don’t forget to consider who’s in the car with you. Do you have kids in the back or are you road tripping with your friends? If you’re playing with the kids, consider what would work for them – maybe a playlist for The Wiggles or songs that you know they love. For an older crowd, try playing in rounds and jump between different genres, artists or eras to switch it up.

2. Finish the lyrics

Test your music knowledge even further and finish the lyrics. Play a song of your choice and press pause for a player to finish the lyrics from where it left off.

Tip: Extra points for performance and delivery – sing your heart out for that extra advantage!

No equipment required

3. I spy

A classic game for the whole family – you can never go wrong with I Spy. Choose something in sight and start the game – “I spy with my little eye something beginning with…” and the first letter of the object you choose. The player who can guess the object wins. 

Tip: To up the difficulty, consider setting a limit on the number of guesses that can be made before the player who started off the game automatically wins.

4. Categories

A game of categories will truly test your knowledge! Start with a category – depending on who you’re road tripping with, choose something that works for everybody. Categories better suited for kids could be about topics like fruits, vegetables or animals. For an older crowd, try choosing something a bit more challenging like capital cities or languages. Everyone takes turns naming something in that category until someone’s mind goes blank. 

Tip: You can choose to end the game once the first player is out or play elimination until the last player is standing.

5. I'm going on a picnic

This game is all about memory. Start with “I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking…” an item that starts with the letter A. The aim of the game is to choose an item that starts with the next letter of the alphabet and repeating all the items said before you. The first player will start with the letter A, the next player will start with the letter B, and so on. 

For example:

First player: I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking apples.

Second player: I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking apples and bananas.

Third player: I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking apples, bananas and capsicums.

Play elimination until the last player is left to be crowned a memory master.

Tip: Challenge other players by choosing a long-winded answer – “I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking an alpaca named Alex”.

6. Would you rather

Would you rather be able to look back in time or look into the future? The best would you rather questions will leave someone stuck between a rock and a hard place. Think of something challenging, funny, gross or just plain simple – this is a great way to get to know the inner workings of someone’s brain. 

And there you have it! Try out these simple games to play in the car that are sure to keep you entertained for hours on end.