road trip games – 100 Road Trips

6 Road Trip Tips When Traveling with Children

A road trip is a wonderful opportunity for parents to bond with their children, no matter their age. However, the younger the kids, the more preparation you need to have an enjoyable journey. Here are some road trip tips if you’re traveling with children under the age of 12.

1. Plan some age-appropriate, engaging activities

Younger kids who need car seats can get restless and bored quickly on a road trip. So, keep their toys and games within reach and engage them with conversation. Coloring books are also great for road trips, but keep the crayons and colored pencils in a Tupperware container to keep them neatly. Same with Play-Doh, Legos, and other types of toys with small parts–a plastic container for these items will be a lifesaver on a road trip.

For older kids, pack their favorite comic books, puzzles, dolls, action figures, and other favorites to keep them occupied. Try to break up their screen time with hands-on activities with fun road trip games like I Spy or trivia.

2. Pack enough healthy snacks and drinks

Don’t let your kids get hangry on your road trip. Otherwise, they’ll need more stops and distract you while you drive. Pack snacks like fruits, vegetables, trail mix, and finger foods in portioned containers, plus more than enough water and juice to keep them hydrated. Save the candy for extra-special treats.

3. Choose age-appropriate destinations and attractions

A road trip with kids under 12 will have lots of rest stops, not just for bathroom breaks but to just let them run around and explore. Children have shorter attention spans, so a long stretch of road will quickly get boring. Pace your journey accordingly in terms of distance, driving time, fuel consumption, and attractions. Plan to stop at parks, museums, amusement centers, zoos, aquariums, beaches, lakes, science centers, etc., depending on your kids’ age and interests.

4. Consider your safety from all angles

Child safety on a road trip means more than car seats and seatbelts. It’s about checking the weather conditions before you head out and making sure you and your kids are dressed appropriately. It also means having a fully stocked first aid kit and emergency contacts for clinics and hospitals along the way. Share your travel plans with your loved ones and check in with them regularly while you’re on the road. Drive defensively, even if your road trip vehicle has the latest safety features.

5. Be prepared for motion sickness

Extended road trips can trigger motion sickness in children, making them nauseated, dizzy, tired, or drowsy. It’s usually caused by a sensory mismatch, meaning your body registers motion but your eyes don’t. Winding roads or sudden stops and starts while you drive can feel uncomfortable for your children. You can reduce the chances of motion sickness for your kids by:

Using a booster seat to allow your child to see out the window and look at the horizon. Have some travel pillows on hand to make sitting more comfortable.
Avoiding heavy meals before and during the road trip. Light snacks can minimize the chances of vomiting from motion sickness.
Keeping the windows open to allow fresh air to flow through the vehicle. If not, keep the air conditioning in the vehicle cool and constant.
Avoiding screen time and encouraging your kids to look outside or play some active games.
Taking regular breaks every couple of hours to alleviate any motion sickness symptoms.

6. Celebrate milestones big and small

When you have kids on a road trip, your milestones go beyond reaching your destination. Reward your kids when they spot something interesting on the journey, finish their snacks, or put away their toys neatly. Appreciate them when they win their road trip games or look out for each other as they explore attractions. Recognize them when they take great photos during the trip or have a super fun singalong. This is what makes the road trip fun and keeps you motivated, especially during an extended journey.

Looking for road trip ideas? How about 100 to start you off? 100 Road Trips in the USA: An Alphabetical List of Scenic Drives, National Parks, Historic Monuments, and Incredible Attractions in America.

Out now: Order your copy today.

How to Prepare for a Family Road Trip

We’ve all seen the movies where a family packs up and hits the road, and the ensuing drama is what makes it fun to watch. But the reality is that a family road trip takes a lot more planning if you want it to go smoothly. So, this guide covers the road trip essentials to help you travel with your loved ones, no matter your family’s configuration. These tips will work if it’s just you and your child, you and your parents, partners with toddlers or teenagers, you name it.

1. Choosing your route and destinations

Research everything you can about your journey, from the most efficient route to attractions that engage all ages. It’s best to make this process a family thing, so ask everyone what they’d like to see on the road trip. While you might not make everyone 100% happy at this step, explore alternatives and compromises based on:

The distance you need to drive
The time you can realistically spend on the journey
Opening hours and admission fees for certain destinations
Events you can or can’t afford to miss.

Let everyone contribute to planning your road trip itinerary. It’s more fun that way, and you may discover really great ideas for adventures and experiences than if you planned the trip alone.

2. Budgeting for a family road trip

The secret to a family road trip budget is prioritizing. The non-negotiable expenses on a road trip include food, fuel, and accommodation. Find out how to save money by traveling off-season, finding affordable dining options, and finding family discounts for hotels or campsites.

When it comes to attractions, consider buying group passes for visiting parks, museums, or other destinations. If an attraction is too far from your main route, it will cost more time and fuel. Prioritize the locations that are most convenient and enjoy them fully instead of rushing through destinations.

Souvenirs can take up the least portion of your family road trip budget. You want to buy fewer non-essential items, which can add extra luggage for the journey. Instead, take photos and videos at your destination as timeless keepsakes to share with your friends. These cost nothing but some storage space on your camera or phone. Print out your favorites after the road trip for your work desk or as wall hangings.

Finally, define the terms for your road trip contingency money. This amount should only be used for emergency car repairs, health emergencies, replacing lost or broken items, or finding alternative transportation or accommodation if the weather changes.

3. Preparing your road trip vehicle

Apart from servicing your family vehicle before your trip, there are a few other preparations you may need to make to keep everyone safe and comfortable on your journey:

Leg room: Make sure your car seats are easily adjustable to accommodate a diverse group. It will help you decide who sits where, so that taller or elderly people don’t feel cramped or kids don’t have too much space to play around and distract you while you drive.
Safety features: With your loved ones in the car with you, make sure you have more safety features than you think you’ll need. Check that your seatbelts, airbags, ABS, driver assistance, emergency brakes, etc. are in top shape before you travel.
Accessibility: Something as simple as sunshades can make a huge difference for a family on a road trip, especially for kids and the elderly, who may not enjoy direct sunlight in the car. Ensure your car has wide-enough doors and a low step-in height, too.
Climate control: Heating, cooling, and ventilation are the essential features you need for an enjoyable family road trip. These keep you and your passengers at a comfortable temperature in the vehicle regardless of the weather outside, meaning you can travel any time of the year.
Device charging ports: Expect almost everyone on a family road trip to have a gadget of some kind that will need charging, e.g., smartphones, cameras, tablets, gaming devices, etc. Get a portable USB outlet that fits into your cigarette lighter to charge multiple devices conveniently.

4. Packing for a family road trip

A family road trip packing list needs four main things: an emergency supplies kit, personal items, entertainment, and snacks.

Your emergency supplies should include a full first aid kit, flashlights, jumper cables, a spare tire, and anything that would come in handy in case of a medical or vehicle problem. The idea is to have what you need to get you back on the road and to the closest health facility while you’re on the journey.

Personal supplies include everyone’s clothes and toiletries for the trip. This means having everyone’s belongings packed separately to avoid confusion and inconvenience.

If you’re traveling with young kids or teens, road trip entertainment becomes a priority. Those long stretches of empty road can make them restless and cranky, meaning they’ll distract you while you’re driving. So, make sure everyone has their favorite toys, books, and gadgets for the trip. Consider playing a few road trip games as well to engage their interests.

Also, pack a good variety of road trip snacks to keep your family happy during the trip. Fill a cooler with precut fruits and veggies, fruit juices, plus energy drinks and candy for when you really need a boost. Give everyone a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water for the trip. Pack sandwiches or other bite-sized meals to enjoy at pit stops.

5. Accommodation for a family road trip

There are plenty of family-friendly accommodations for road trip travelers, from hotels to campsites with kitchenettes and playgrounds. Choose places that are close to the attractions you want to visit and have all the amenities you need at your convenience. Read guest reviews about each type of accommodation and book it in advance.

Keep in mind, however, that your family members may each have their own privacy needs. This may prove challenging for your budget if you need to book separate rooms for everyone or rent a spacious RV for the road trip. Figure out how best to share spaces with as little friction as possible.

6. Distributing tasks for a family road trip

Get everyone to participate in the family road trip depending on their age, interests, and abilities. For example, assign tasks like preparing snacks, creating music playlists, using navigation apps, etc., so that whoever is behind the wheel can concentrate on driving. You can also choose a designated photographer to capture the experience as a family.

Let everyone participate in tidying up the vehicle or organizing their belongings as you leave your accommodations. For extra motivation, consider creating a reward system like stars or points for whoever does their tasks the best. Whoever scores highest gets special privileges like choosing the next playlist or activities at the next rest stop.

7. Resolving conflicts during a family road trip

Families are bound to get into some disagreements on a road trip. You could have different preferences for destinations, activities, privacy, entertainment, food, rest stops—the list goes on. But that doesn’t mean that a family road trip is a disaster waiting to happen. Keep these tips in mind as you plan your journey:

Try to find common ground where everyone’s needs are met.
If there’s no common ground, find a middle ground by compromising and making concessions.
Set expectations clearly before you start the journey in terms of how to communicate and behave with respect.
Keep your sense of humor. It will help to diffuse tensions and keep a positive outlook.
Involve everyone in important decisions and take each person’s opinion into account.
Be flexible and open to unexpected situations on your journey.

Out now: Order your copy today.

7 Types of Super Fun Road Trip Games

Entertainment is a must during a road trip. If you’re driving solo, you can listen to your favorite podcasts or audiobooks. But let’s be honest, a road trip with the right company is way more fun. On this list, there are a couple of road trip games you can play on your own, but you’ll need at least one other person to really make the most of them. Here’s how to break up the monotony of driving with road trip games.

1. The Classics: License Plates, 20 Questions, I Spy

How many license plates can you spot on the road? In this game, you keep an eye out for vehicles registered in different states and see if you can find one from every state. It’s a fun mix between your observation skills and geography knowledge.

Switch to the yes-no format of 20 Questions and use anything you see on the road as your object in mind. It could be anything from your steering wheel to a signpost to traffic lights to animals, and then have a great time guessing what the object is. Remember to limit the questions to 20 and give everyone on the trip a chance to participate.

“I spy with my little eye…” This game never gets old, making it perfect for road trips. There are so man clues you could come up with, from letters and numbers to locations and shapes on the road. It’s great for keeping little kids engaged, but you can also play an I-Spy version for adults, too. The fun is in the guessing, but you can make it more challenging by adding a time limit or points for each answer.

2. Memory Games: Alphabet and Patterns

Start with the letter A and find everything that begins with it for the next 10 or 20 miles, like signs, billboards, license plates, etc. You can tweak the alphabet game in numerous ways, like adding exceptions: find the letters on buildings only, or inside your car only, or at a rest stop. Have a reward for whoever spots the entire alphabet to make the game more interesting.

Challenge your memory with a pattern game and see how many objects each person can repeat in sequence. Take turns adding objects to the list until the sequence breaks, e.g., “I’m packing snacks for my road trip,” says one person, and the next adds, “I’m packing snacks and clothes for my road trip,” followed by, “I’m packing snacks, clothes, and a bike for my road trip,” and so on. You can add as many objects to the memory chain as you want. Start over if anyone breaks the sequence.

3. Storytelling Games: Create Your Own Adventure

The simplest way to get a good story going on a road trip is to start with, “Once upon a time…” From there, it’s anybody’s guess. Each person adds a sentence to the story, introducing a new character, scenario, twists and turns, and nobody knows the ending. You can turn this road trip game into a chain story, too, so that the next sentence in the sequence begins with the last word of the previous sentence. Or have each person contribute a single word that builds on the story.

Out of all road trip games, story chains are my absolute favorites. I find a certain freedom in just making up a story as you go along, which gives me an adventure within an adventure, being on the road and in fantasy land at the same time. The game can only get better the more creative you are!

4. Getting to Know Each Other: Hypothetical Questions

“Would you rather have a cat or a dog? Watch a movie or read a book? Stay home with takeout or party all night long?” These are simple questions that keep a conversation going on a road trip and reveal interesting things about all the players. It’s especially fun if your road trip buddy is a totally new person or someone you’ve wanted to know more about, even your partner. As one question leads to the next, you’ll have a wonderful conversation as the miles fly by on your road trip.

5. Brain Teasers: Riddles and Trivia

Consider downloading a riddle app for your road trip if you love a good mental workout. Choose an app with hundreds of riddles and levels, plus a good design to keep you engaged. Since most riddle apps need you to complete the answers on screen, take turns with them. If it’s your turn to drive, let your companion handle the app, and vice versa. Make it competitive and see who scores the most points.

Trivia apps can also make your road trip way more fun and interactive, so consider downloading a Jeopardy-style game before you head out. Have your companion use the app while you drive and take over when they get behind the wheel. Find a trivia app that works offline too, in case you travel out of coverage.

6. Hunt For Treasure: Geocaching and Scavenger Hunts

You can go on real-life treasure hunts on your road trip as a geocacher. All you need is a GPS device, a map, a pen, and a checklist of the caches along your route. You may also need some basic items like a torch, a multitool, or gloves to help you along–some caches are challenging to find. Choose a geocaching app, find coordinates along your route, and go hunting.

You can also create your own scavenger hunt game from your itinerary. List down the coolest or most fascinating things you’d like to see on the journey, like landmarks or animals, and stay on the lookout. The first person to spot them gets points or a reward at the next rest stop.

7. Break a Sweat: Road Trip Olympics

I always recommend stretching your legs during rest stops, whether that’s having a picnic at a scenic lookout or doing stretches whenever you park. Take it a notch higher and play some physically engaging games when you stop. Think of a round of charades to act out some of the landmarks or road signs you’ve seen so far, or “Simon says,” or even limbo using a rope as the bar. When you’re moving your body like that after hours behind the wheel, you’ll feel super refreshed and ready to get back on the road.

Out now: Order your copy today.