We’re thinking about taking a little road trip which has me thinking of ways to entertain my 4-year-old son on the road. I could download some shows for him, and I will, but I like going old school with car games. We usually play I Spy, sing Down By the Bay, and play a modified version of the Alphabet Game. By modified, I mean he makes the rules. It usually means it has to be something from a show or game he watches that my wife and I barely know. I googled some ideas for games, and Thought Catalog had quite a few suggestions. Below are several, but there’s a lot more on the website, you can check out the full list by clicking here. Up first, a suggestion from our pal Bruce who called in to suggest a game, and we ended up playing!
Going on a Picnic. This is a story memory game where someone says “I’m going on a picnic and I’m going to bring….” and then lists an item. The next person begins I’m going on a picnic and I’m going to bring….” and must list the first person’s item before adding their own item. The list grows and grows and the first person to not be able to correctly list all the items is the loser (or out, if you have enough people to play in elimination rounds).
Would You Rather. Play an epic game of Would You Rather. Try to stump the other person with the weirdest or most difficult questions you can come up with.
Scavenger Hunt. Before you leave prepare a list of common things you’d see along the road: cows, a mileage sign, a motorcycle, a barn, a police car, an RV, etc. You can personalize it if you know the route well. Each person tries to check off as many of the scavenger hunt items as they spot.
The License Plate Game. Try to find a license plate from every state. Or, try to find a license plate that begins with each letter of the alphabet. Or, see who can spot a license plate from the farthest away place — whoever calls it first gets the credit!
The Compliment Game. Go through the alphabet and use each letter to say a compliment about someone else in the car. For example, “A is for Rachel’s asymmetrical haircut” “B is for how beautiful Laura is”.
The Quiet Game. Everyone sees how long they can be quiet, whoever speaks the first loses. (This is an especially fun game to play with kids when you need a little downtime).
