We are a family that loves traditional games. You know, the classic ones that don't need Wi-Fi, batteries, or technology. The kind of games that bring families together. This is a collection of our favorite travel games to enjoy on road trips.
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Our Family's Favorite Travel Games to Play on Road Trips:
All of these games are easy to play, portable, mess-free, and fun. And, these are games we've enjoyed with all ages: kids, tweens, teens, adults, and even grandparents.
Pro Tip: Store favorite games in zipper bags or containers to prevent losing pieces. Some of your family's beloved board and card games might be suitable for travel if you simplify the game or ensure the pieces are secure.
This set is a win-win in our family. The games come on a handy ring so you won't lose pieces in the car. It is easy to toss in the glove box, or bag, or clip to your purse or backpack. Games on the Go is a collection of 50 games and activities that can be played anywhere at any time. The collection features silly guessing games, word games, memory challenges, trivia questions, searching games, and more. Each game includes a title and category, making it easy to select which game to try next based on your interests and skills.
These Doodle Boards can be purchased individually or in bundles. At less than $5 each, this is our FAVORITE car toy ever! These boards are loved by all ages in our family. Doodle on the board, then press the button to erase and start again. Each board comes with a stylus and a cord to keep it attached to the board. You can add magnets to the back to use on the fridge or keep it in the car. We use Doodle Boards on road trips for Pictionary, Hangman, word games, general doodling, list-making, and scorekeeping. This mess-free board is perfect to keep in the car.
Telestrations is available in sets for 6, 8, or 12 players. I bought the 12-player set for our family because I often organize or supervise group trips for our youth group, sports teams, or family. We also frequently host parties and gatherings. I appreciate that this easy-to-learn game is adaptable and can be played with 4-12 players repeatedly. To play, each participant starts with an erasable sketchbook, a dry-erase marker, and a word card. A die roll determines each player's secret word. The timer is set, and everyone draws their word. After 60 seconds, each person passes their book to the player on their left. Then, each player quickly guesses what they see, writes the answer in the book and passes it to the next player. The timer is reset, and everyone draws the guess. This process continues until each sketchbook has been passed to every player and returns to its original owner, leading to The Big Reveal. Everyone shares their book, and the humorous miscommunications are unveiled. Much like the game of "telephone," the results are unpredictable, and the laughter is infectious.
Sometimes classic board games work in the car and Scattergories is one of our faves. While I generally prefer more compact travel games, Scattergories is a hit with my tweens and teens and it is easy to keep organized even in the car. Pro-tip: We use our phones as timers because the game timer's buzz is distracting for the driver. If you're unfamiliar, this beloved game is super simple: each player races to think of something that starts with the randomly selected letter for each item on the list of ten categories. Compare lists. Duplicate answers are disqualified. Double initial answers receive bonus points. This easy-to-learn game is perfect for road trips.
Form teams or play individually, and ask as many as 10 questions to identify the Disney character on the Game Card! Is the character an animal? Does the character wear a blue gown? Be the first to collect 7 Game Cards to win! Sets available for Disney, Space, Marvel, and Animal Planet.
We play a lot of trivia games in our house. There are many portable decks of trivia cards that work well in the car, and trivia is a game that can include the driver as well as road trip passengers. This particular set of questions is especially fun. Sample questions: Is starboard on the left or right side of a boat? How do you say “Japan” in Japanese? Is a penguin a bird? How long did Sleeping Beauty actually sleep?
Okay, so this one does require batteries, but it's loads of fun and takes skills and thinking, so we'll let the batteries slide. Players try to get their team to guess a word or phrase by giving clues before time's up. This self-contained game is great for trips!
250 Prompt Cards to Determine Who in the Group Is Most Likely To. A Mostly Clean and Family-Friendly Version of the Original Best-Selling Game "Who's Most Likely To," Featuring Some of the Same Cards. This Game Can Get Intense. Get Ready to Call Out Your Friends and Family. The More Players, the Better (Ideally, 10+ People Would Be Great). Note: This family game set is described as "mostly clean." We have censored our box to include only fully kid-friendly questions.
My girls still play Guess Who? This easy to set up, this travel-size Guess Who? for 2 players is perfect for road trips, plane rides, train rides, camping trips, and vacations. Players take turns trying to guess each other's Mystery Person with yes-or-no questions.
This enjoyable "getting to know you" game involves asking a question and challenging your family and friends to guess the answer you've picked! It includes 110 cards with more than 200 multiple-choice questions.
I love love love getting to know people! My children accuse me of interviewing people in line at the grocery store - they might be right. ;) And, I love the Table Topics brand. We keep their tabletop games around the house for easy conversation starters. Price range $10-30. Travel Table Topics To Go easily fits in a purse or glove box. These conversation-starter questions are a great way to get to know the family better on trips.
These Bingo boards have become a family staple during our car rides. I bought a set when my oldest, who is now in college, was just a toddler. My daughters and their friends still enjoy playing with them. I've also lent them to friends for their family trips. This straightforward I-Spy Bingo board with sliding windows is a great way to encourage spotting things along the way.
My daughters enjoy classic games like checkers, chess, and backgammon. Throughout the years, we've experimented with various inexpensive travel sets. This durable set is of good quality and functions effectively. A helpful tip: store loose pieces in zipper bags or containers for added security.
My kids love Mad Libs. Each book features "fill-in-the-blank" tales about crafting car tunes, discovering historical landmarks, and visiting roadside diners, there's something for all.
Uno is one of the few card games my girls have been able to play in our van on road trips. You'll find versions fitting favorite characters and themes, and games with a twist like All Wild.
We play the card game version of Family Feud often at mealtime or on road trips in our family. We split up into teams, assign one announcer, and play a set number of rounds. The teams are given a prompt and asked to come up with the most common answers to the prompt to win, just like the TV Game Show.
Do you have a favorite road trip game to add to the list? Please share in the comments below.
I love fun road trip games, and these look great! I had no idea Family Feud has a card game. I need that one!
These are such fun ideas! I don't take many road trips, however my partner and I will be traveling to St. Louis from Kansas City more frequently, these will come in handy! I'll be getting Sussed for the next trip!
Love these ideas! Mad Libs are my favorite because they can be done anytime, anywhere with little supplies.
Our kids loved mad libs, doodle boards, and Uno when traveling. For that matter, Uno still comes along though they're a bit older.
I'll be taking my 3 year old granddaughter on a road trip in January. She would love the doodle board. So much easier than coloring book and crayons.