I don’t know about you, but summertime means vacations and road trips for me and my family. When road trips are long, my kids can get seriously bored and restless, and that means it’s time to break out the car games for kids to keep my boys from vegging out on too much tech or driving us parents crazy!
If you’re like us and summer brings family road trips and vacations with a good bit of car travel involved your way, keep reading!
Car Games for Kids
Whether you visit relatives or explore new parts of the country, car rides can be fun for kids when you have great activities planned. Sure, spending long hours in the car can be challenging for younger kids. And while it’s hard to compete with the allure of electronic devices, with minimal creativity and work on your part, you can keep your kids entertained without screens. How great is that?
From classic games, like I Spy, to more modern options, like Heads Up, there’s something for everyone — parents and kids alike. Below I’m sharing a list of 6 fun, easy to travel with car games for kids that is perfect for parents who want their kids to remember more about the trip itself than the last YouTube or TikTok video they watched.
So, pack up your car and get ready for some fun!
Why Car Games for Kids is Better Than Screen Time
It’s tempting to hand your kids a phone or tablet and let them zone out for a while. I totally get it! Seriously, I do. Handing your kid an electronic device to keep them entertained is much easier than listening to the constant, “Are we there yet,” remarks, but car games for kids offer many benefits over screen time.
- First, games are a great way to bond with your children and make memories that will last a lifetime.
- Next, car games also help them use their imaginations which has longterm positive benefits.
- Lastly, instead of passively watching TV or playing a video game, car games for kids require them to be active participants. They have to use their brains to develop solutions and strategies, which is excellent for their development.
So now that you know how easy it can be to incorporate car games for kids into your next road trip or vacation and why it’s better for them than a bunch of screen time, let’s move on to the actual games.
6 Fun Car Games for Kids
So, what are the best car games for kids? Here’s a list of car games broken down into categories for different age groups.
For the Younger Crowd:
- Find It Game – These self-contained adventures come filled with colorful pellets encased in a themed tube. The tubes are closed on both ends with plastic caps, and each game has all items listed on the lid. Fortunately, each game comes with a tear-off pad that allows you to check off each item once you’ve found it.
- Rory’s Story Cubes – This game aims to throw the dice and tell a story based on the pictures on the die. The best part about this game is that no story is ever the same so that you can play it repeatedly with your kids.
For Tweens:
- Would You Rather – This car game is perfect for kids who are old enough to start asking tough questions. The game is simple; you present two options, and they must choose which one they would do instead.
- Heads Up – This game is a modern classic and is ideal for as few as two people. You use cards or headbands with a word, and the other gives clues to guess the word.
For Teens:
- Shotgun – This game is a fun one for older kids. It’s designed for ages 12+ and is encouraged to be played with 2 or more players. You start by reading a card and playing based on the prompt! You can play until you reach your destination or until you make a pit stop.
- Carpool Chaos – This car game is a hilarious one. One person pulls and reads one of the160 action-packed cards featuring games, challenges, hypotheticals, etc, and then the person or group completes it. This one will have you laughing all the way to your destination!
If these car games for kids sound fun to you, you can find even more fun car games here!
So Ditch the Electronics in Favor of Connection
Our kids, especially teenagers, are so used to being entertained by electronics that playing car games might seem like a foreign concept. But car games for kids offer many benefits over screen time because they allow everyone to participate and bond with each other. These games help them use their imaginations, are more fun for everyone, and will help make memories that will last a lifetime!
So next time you’re planning a road trip, leave the electronics at home or packed away and bring some car games for the whole family to enjoy.
Love and light,
Meagan