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30 brilliant car games children of all ages can play on road trips

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30 brilliant car games children of all ages can play on road trips

Keep the kids entertained in the car with these fun games that test their powers of observation and concentration, social skills – and sense of humour

boy and girl in back seat of car looking happily at each other

Sara Conway

Published: July 20, 2023 at 6:03 PM

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Off on a long car journey with children in the back? You're going to need something to keep them occupied. And while headphones and screens, and endless repetitions of Never Enough, have their place, it's undeniably more brain-stimulating to get them playing games – with each other and with you.

From the Grocery Game to Car Skittles, and from Alphabet Game to the Cow Game, there are loads of games that should reliably stave off the chants of "Are we nearly there yet?"

We've pulled together 30 of the best car games for children of different ages. Some of them are silly, some are more challenging. Some are noisy, some are quiet. Some need great observational or counting or imaginative skills, some just need low-level cunning. All of them are free, fun – and should make the journey pass in double-quick time. Looking for extra entertainment? Discover our quiz for kids. From animals to fairy tales, we’ve rounded up 100+ fun and age-appropriate quiz questions for children aged 3–11 with answers included. Also discover knock knock jokes, riddles for kids and kids jokes.

The Nintendo Switch is also a fantastic option for longer road trips. Check out our list of the best Nintendo Switch games for kids depending on age and suitability.

Here are 30 great car games for kids, from age 2 to teen

Most of these games don't need anything other than eyes and brain power – although you may also want someone neutral to award points, keep score or set a timer.

1. Skittles Car Game

Suitable for age: 3+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Colour-spotting; reaction speed

How to play: The aim of the game is to spot yellow cars and score points. You'll need someone to keep score – preferably someone who's not playing.

Look around you to spot yellow cars and police cars
If you see a yellow car, say, "Skittle!"; if you see a police car, say, "Busted!"
Whoever says "Skittle!" (correctly) first, gets 1 point
When someone says "Busted!" (correctly), everyone loses their points – apart from the person who said, "Busted!"
The winner is the first to reach 10 points.

Variation: For a shorter game, set a time limit and see who scores the most points in that time.

2. Grocery Game

Suitable for age: 4+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Logical thinking

How to play: The aim of the game is to guess what item from the grocery shop (or supermarket) the 'shopper' is thinking of. The youngest player gets to be the shopper first.

The shopper thinks of an item you can buy in the grocery shop or supermarket.
The rest of the players take turns to ask a question about the mystery item – to which the shopper can only answer yes or no. Examples of good questions include "Can I eat it?", "Do we have this at home?", "Is it green?" or "Is it round?"
Once the shopper has given their yes/no answer, the questioner can have 1 guess at what the item is. If the questioner guesses right, they become the shopper and choose a new mystery item; if their guess is wrong, it's the next player's turn to ask a question.
If no one has guessed the mystery item after 20 questions have been asked, the shopper must reveal what it is.

Variations: You can change this game up by making the mystery item an animal. Or, for younger children, restricting it just to a fruit or vegetable. For older children, the classic 20 Questions game may be a better challenge.

3. I Spy

Suitable for age: 3+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Observation; categorisation

How to play: The aim of the game is to guess what another player has seen or 'spied'. The traditional version of the game involves letters of the alphabet and a grasp of spelling but it's easily played with colours instead. The youngest player gets to be the 'spier' first.

The spier looks around and choose something they can see – either in the car or outside. If you choose something outside, remember that a car is always moving, so you'll need to spy something that'll still be there in several minutes' time: sky, trees, road or clouds are good options here!
The spier then say, "I spy with my little eye... something red," (if you're playing with colours) or "I spy with my little eye... something that begins with S" (if you're playing with letters).
The other players look around and take turns to guess what the spier has chosen.
The first person to guess is the next person to say "I Spy..."

Variations: You could try a rhyming version of I Spy: "I spy with my little eye... something that rhymes with toad." (The road!)

4. Cow Game

Suitable for age: 3+ | Players needed: 2
Skills involved: Counting

How to play: The aim of this madcap game is to earn points for spotting cows. Best played when you're driving through the countryside, obviously – although it does adapt well into the Dog Game if you're stuck with city streets. You may want to appoint a grown-up to keep score – or help less able counters with their running totals.

Choose a window each and look out of it for cows – and churches.
If you see a cow, yell, "My cows!" and then count them.
When you've counted them, yell the total number. For example, "I have 5 cows!"
If you see more cows, add them to your previous number and announce your new total. For example, "I have 12 cows!"
If you see a church, shout, "Marry my cows!" and double your number of cows. Announce your new total. For example, "I have 24 cows!"
Keep playing until 1 player reaches a 5o cows. Or set a timer and then see who has the most cows when the buzzer sounds

Variations: A wicked variation can includes graveyards as something else to spot – and if you see one, you shout "Bury your cows!" and then the other player loses all their cows.

5. Alphabet Car Game

Suitable for age: 5+ | Players needed: 1 or more
Skills involved: Letter recognition

How to play: The aim of the game is to spot the alphabet from A to Z as you whizz along. It's a great way to encourage children to recognise letters but remember that if your child hasn't known their letters for long, they may struggle to spot them speed – and they will almost definitely not be as familiar with reading upper case letters (capitals) as lower-case ones. If there are 2 players or more, it's better to work as a team, since you're all looking out at the same things anyway.

Look out of the windows and try to spot the letter A/a. Good places to look include road signs, car numberplates and advertising hoardings.
Call out the letter when you see it.
Now look for the letter B/b, C/c – and so on, until you reach Z/z.

6. Car Numberplate Game

Suitable for age: 5+ | Players needed: 1 or more
Skills involved: Observation; decoding

How to play: The aim of the game is to find numberplates from different European countries. This game is best played on the motorway where it's easy to see lots of cars at once. If there are 2 players or more, you may prefer to work as a team.

Look out of the windows at passing cars and study their numberplates. You're looking for the blue or green strip on the left-hand side. It may have a circle of yellow EC stars on top (if the car's from an EU country) and then 2 or 3 letters underneath.
If you spy a plate like this, try to work out what country the letters stand for. This list of European numberplate codes will help.
If there's more than 1 player and you're not working as a team, the player who spots the most numberplates from different countries wins.

Variations: Make it harder by awarding bonus points for players who can name the capital city of the country they spotted; Make it easier by swapping country letters for numbers at the end of numberplates, and trying to spot a 1, then a 2, then a 3 and so on.

7. Quiet Game

Suitable for age: 2+ | Players needed: 1 or more
Skills needed: Self-control

How to play: The aim of the game is to win by being the quietest. It's amazing how the competitive angle achieves the one thing you've always wanted: a moment of calm.

Challenge all the children in the car to be quiet for as long as they can.
If there's just 1 passenger, you can time them – and then challenge them to beat their time later.
If there are 2 or more passengers, they compete against each other; the winner is the child who manages to stay quiet for longest.
(But the real winner is you, of course!)

8. 20 Questions

Suitable for age: 6+ | Players needed 2 or more (works better with 3 or more)
Skills involved: Logical thinking

How to play: The aim of the game is to use questions to guess exactly what another player is thinking of. Similar to the Grocery Game but better suited to older children, the 20-questions-or-bust element keeps the competitive tension ticking. The youngest player is the first to be questioned.

The youngest player (silently) chooses one of the following categories: a famous person, a household object, a film or TV programme, a country or a sport. Then they think of something/someone that belongs in that category.
The rest of the players take turns to ask 20 questions (in total) to try to guess what the something/someone is. It's good to try and narrow down the category, so ask questions about that first.
The player who is answering can only say yes or no. If it's your turn to question and you get a yes, you can ask another question. When you get a no, it's the next player's turn to question.
The first person to guess the mystery someone/something wins a point and is the next person to challenge everyone else.

Variations: For more of a challenge, play the traditional version of this game, which only allows categories of animal, vegetable or mineral. The mineral category is tricky!

9. Punch Buggy

Suitable for age: 5+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Observation; quick thinking

How to play: The aim of the game, also known as Punch Bug and Slug Bug, is to score points for being the first to spot VW Beetle (or "Bug") cars. You'll need someone to keep score.

Look out of the windows at the cars going by.
If you spot a VW Beetle, shout, "Punch Buggy!" (Some versions of this game involve giving your nearest fellow passenger a light punch when you shout – but we think this is best ignored!)
The first person to shout, "Punch Buggy!" scores a point.
The winner is the person with the highest score when you reach your destination – or a designated stopping point.

Variations: Involve younger children by making this about spotting a cars of a particular colour, like ladybird red or beetle green, instead of the make of car.

10. The Movie Game

Suitable for age: 10+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Memory; wide film knowledge

How to play: This game is perfect for film buffs – but it's definitely an older-child game because you need to know the names of lots of different actors or actresses and the movies they appear in. The youngest player goes first.

The first player names a film – any film, as long as it isn't an animation.
The next player names an actor who features in that film.
Whoever's next to play now has to name a different film that this actor or actress has appeared in.
The game continues in this way, alternating between actor and film, until the person whose turn it is cannot think of another link. When this happens, the previous player wins a point.
The winner is the person with the highest score when you reach your destination – or a designated stopping point.

Variations: If you'd rather not keep score, you can work as a team and use your collective brain power to keep the chain going for as long as possible.

sisters in back of car in car seats, holding hands

11. Copycat

Suitable for age: 3+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Observation

How to play: In this quick and easy game, everyone has fun copying each other. The youngest player goes first. You'll need someone to set a timer.

Agree a time for each 'go'. We suggest 1 minute, to start with.
The first player is the Cat. Start the timer, then everyone copies the Cat's actions: how they move and what they say.
When the time runs out, a new player become the Cat.

12. Road Trip Scavenger Hunt

Suitable for age: 5+ | Players needed: 1 or more
Skills involved: Observation

How to play: You'll need to do a little grown-up prep for this one, before your car journey starts. Make a list of 10 things your children might spot on the journey. Good ideas include a landmark, a particular animal, a car of a particular colour, 3 trees in a row, a particular road sign...

Give each child a copy of the list with tick boxes against each thing they need to spot. You'll also need to give them each a pencil.
Every time they spot one of the things on the list, they tick it off.
The winner is the first to tick off all the things on their list.

Variations: If you have younger kids, you can include them by drawing pictures of the things to spot instead of writing them down. Or print pictures and stick them to a piece of paper.

13. Triple Threat

Suitable for age: 4+ | Players needed: 1 or more
Skills involved: Imagination; storytelling

How to play: This is a super-simple one that can take all sorts of interesting directions...

A grown-up names 3 nouns. This works best if you choose3 words that are not related at all – for example flamingo, helicopter and false teeth. Or, water bottle, tadpole and didgeridoo.
The 1st player now has to to come up with a story using these 3 words.
The rule after that is there are no rules – although you may like to put a time limit in the story if your children tend to wax a bit lyrical...
Repeat with the next player.

14. The Counting Game

Suitable for age: 4+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Counting; co-operation

How to play: All you have to do is count to 20 – but there's a catch...

Between you, count to 20 out loud. There's no order as to who speaks when but everyone must say a number, no one can say 2 numbers in a row and you can't speak at the same time!
If more than 1 person says a number, go back to 0 and start again.
How long will it take you?

15. Would You Rather?

Suitable for age: 3+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Sense of humour

How to play: This age-old favourite is a real crowd-pleaser and can be played by everyone from tots to teens.

Player 1 thinks of a 'Would You Rather?' question. This is, simply, a simple alternative: would you rather this or that. Fun questions include: Would you rather be invisible or fly? Would you rather have dinner cooked by mum or dad? Would you rather be tall or be strong? Would you rather be funny or clever?
Player 1 says their question out loud. Then everyone else says their answer in turn – with a reason why.
(Be warned, lots of questions will inevitably feature poo!)

16. Car Snap

Suitable for age: 3+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Observation; reaction speed

How to play: The aim of the game is to look out for cars that match in either colour or make.

Player 1 points out a car they can see – and says its colour or its make (eg VW).
All the other players now have to find another car that matches that colour/make.
When they see one, they have to be the first to shout, "Snap!"
Whoever shouts "Snap!" first chooses the next car to find a match for.

Variations: Make it more challenging for older kids by specifying the make more specifically – so not just VW but VW Golf GTI.

17. The Rainbow Game

Suitable for age: 2+ | Players needed: 1 or more
Skills involved: Observation; colour-matching

How to play: The aim of the game is to find cars that match every colour of the rainbow. This is a great game for younger kids – and works nicely as a team challenge.

Name all the colours of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and violet)
Look out of the windows and start spotting cards in those colours. Can you spot one in each rainbow colour?

Variations: Violet is probably the most difficult colour to tick off – because it's not a popular car colour and it's quite tricky to differentiate it from purple. So, you may want to substitute it for another more common car colour, like white or black.

18. Don't Laugh Game

Suitable for age: 3+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Self-control

How to play: The aim of the game is not to laugh, no matter how hard someone tries to make you.

Choose who is going to be the person trying not to laugh.
Start a timer. Now, every other person in the car tries to make them giggle. You can try telling jokes, funny stories and pulling funny faces – but tickling is not allowed!
When the person laughs, stop the clock and record their time.
Repeat, with someone else as the person trying not to laugh.
The winner is the person who records the longest time.

19. The Name Game

Suitable for age: 4+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Letter/alphabet recognition

How to play: The aim of the game is to think of famous people's names in turn – but each new name must start with the first letter of the previous famous person's surname. The youngest player goes first.

The first player says a famous person's name: first name and last name (for example, Taylor Swift).
Play now moves in a clockwise direction to the next player. They take the first letter of the last name of the famous person the first player named (S, in our example) and name another famous person whose first name begins with that letter (for example, Shawn Mendes).
If the famous person only has one name – for example, Madonna – play reverses direction.
Keep going until a player can't think of a name. The person who went before them now scores a point and starts a new round.

Variations: For younger players whose knowledge of famous people may be more limited, you can widen the definition of 'famous' to include cartoon or TV or book characters.

20. I Like Bananas!

Suitable for age: 3+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Colour recognition

How to play: The aim of the game is to spot the colour of a car and think of something else that matches that colour. You'll need someone to keep score.

Look out of the window at the cars around you. If you spot a yellow car, shout out, "I like bananas!"
If you spot a car in another colour, think of something that matches that colour and shout about that in the same way. So, if you spot a green car, you could shout, "I like broccoli!"
Yellow cars are always "I like bananas!" but you can vary the "I like" choice for other colours.
If you're the first to shout, "I like bananas!", you get 2 points; if you're the first to shout, "I like" for another colour (correctly), you get 1 point.

21. Hot Seat

Suitable for age: 5+ | Players needed: 3 or more
Skills involved: Writing and reading; deception (!)

How to play: This fun game needs everyone to have a pad and a pen – and the willingness to try to keep a poker face... The oldest player goes in the Hot Seat first.

The person sitting nearest the player in the Hot Seat decides on a question to ask the player in the Hot Seat. You can make the question as funny/cheeky as you like. You could ask, What's your favourite flavour of ice cream?" or "When was the last time you tidied your bedroom?"
All the players, including the player in the Hot Seat, write down what they think the player in the Hot Seat will say in answer to the question.
The player in the Hot Seat collects the answers and reads them out as if they are all written by them. This is where poker-face skills come in!
The other players take turns to guess which answer the player in the Hot Seat wrote. The winner of the round is the player who guesses correctly: they win 1 point. If no one guesses correctly, the player in the Hot Seat wins a whopping 5 points!
The winner is the player with the highest total score when everyone has had their turn in the Hot Seat.

22. Telephone Game

Suitable for age: 3+ | Players needed: 3, sitting together
Skills involved: None

How to play: The aim of this game, which can really only be played by 3 people sitting together in the back of the car, is to see if you can pass a message along a row of people without the words changing.

The person directly behind the driver thinks of a sentence – make it long and complicated – and whispers it into the ear of the person next to them.
That person now whispers what they think they heard into their of the person on the other side of them.
The 3rd person says aloud what they think the message is. Is it the same as the original message?
Repeat, with the person sitting directing behind the passenger seat thinking of the sentence this time.

23. Fizz Buzz

Suitable for age: 6+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Times tables; logical thinking

How to play: The aim of this game is to count to 60 (or 100 if you can!) but there are some numbers you can't say out loud...

Take it in turn to count out loud.
If you are about to say a number with 3 in it, you have to say "Buzz!" instead of the number. If the number is the 3 times table, you also have to say "Buzz!". So, 3 would be "Buzz Buzz!", 12 would be "Buzz!" and 33 would be "Buzz Buzz Buzz!"
If you are about to say a number with 5 in it, you have to say "Fizz!" instead of the number. If the number is the 5 times table, you also have to say "Fizz!". So, 5 would be "Fizz Fizz!", 10 would be "Buzz!" and 55 would be "Fizz Fizz Fizz!"
If anyone goes wrong, you have to start again at 0.

24. Name that Song

Suitable for age: 5+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Song knowledge

How to play: The aim of the game is to recognise what song your opponent is humming.

Decide who is going to perform first. This player hums a tune. It can be a pop song, a nursery rhyme, a hit from a musical – any well-known song.
The other players shout out the name of the song when they think they recognise the tune. The first person to guess correctly wins 1 point.
The performer also wins 1 point if the song is guessed: this gives them an incentive not to choose a song that's too obscure!
Repeat until each player has taken their turn as performer – or several turns if you like. The winner is the player with the most points.

Variations: Instead of humming, you can use the radio for this game. Turn on different stations and see who be the first to name the song that is playing.

25. Supermarket Game

Suitable for age: 4+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Memory

How to play: The aim of the game is to remember an ever-growing list of purchases.

The youngest player goes first. They think of an item they're going to buy from the supermarket. They then say out loud: "I went to the supermarket and I bought... " and add on their purchase. So, "I went to the supermarket and I bought an apple."
The next player thinks of something else to buy. They then say it out loud in the same way but must remember to name what the previous player bought, too. So, "I went to the supermarket and I bought an apple and a tin of beans."
Play continues with each player adding a new item and remembering everyone else's – in the right order.
If a player can't remember an object or says the list in the wrong order, the player before them scores 1 point and starts a new round.
The winner is the person with the highest score when you reach your destination – or a designated stopping point.

Variations: You can mix up the game with different themes. For example, "I went to the moon and I saw..." Or, "I went to Fairyland and I met..."

26. Word Association Game

Suitable for age: 6+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Quick-fire thinking

How to play: The aim of the game is to take it in turns to come up with linked words as quickly as possible. The youngest player goes first. You'll need someone to set a timer.

The first player says a word. The next player quickly says a word associated with that word. So, if the first player says garden, the next player might say flower or outside or green.
Keep going, taking it in turns to say linked words – and only allowing each player 5 seconds to say their word. Time pressure usually leads to funnier answers.
Keep moving between players saying words that have a connection.
If a person says a word that doesn't have an association or they can't think of one in time, the player who went before them wins 1 point.
The winner is the person with the highest score when you reach your destination – or a designated stopping point.

2 boys and a girl in back seat of car playing rock paper scissors

27. Rock, Paper, Scissors

Suitable for age: 4+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Logical thinking

How to play: The aim of the game is to choose 1 of 3 possible hand signals that will 'beat' the other players' choice. Each hand signal 1 other signal it beats and 1 other signal it's beaten by.

Everyone holds 1 fist out in front of them
Then, on the count of 3, each player makes 1 of the following hand signals: rock – keeping the fist closed; paper – opening the fist out to make a flat hand; scissors – opening the top 2 fingers out to make a scissors shape
Look at the hand signals everyone has picked and work out who's won: rock will blunt the scissors (win) but get wrapped by the paper (lose); paper will wrap the rock (win) but be cut up by the scissors (lose); scissors will cut the paper (win) but be blunted by the rock (lose).
Repeat. The winner is the first person to win 3 times.

Variations: Increase the options by adding in Water and Bird. Water (flat waving hand) will erode the Rock (win), blunt the scissors (win) but be drunk by the Bird (lose) and let the paper float (lose); Bird (fingers together with thumb centred underneath, like a beak) will drink the Water (win), make a nest with the Paper (win), be hit by the Rock (lose) and be stabbed by the Scissors (lose).

28. Jumping Game

Suitable for age: 3+ | Players needed: 1 or more
Skills involved: Observation; dexterity

How to play: This game features in an episode of Bluey. It's great for fans of Mario-style computer games, where you run and jump over objects. You'll need someone to keep score.

First, decide on something that will give players an extra 'life' if your car passes it – for example, a Motorway Services sign.
Each player positions their index and middle fingers in a 'running' position at the base of a window.
As your car zooms past scenery, the players run their fingers along the base of the window and jump over 'obstacles' as they appear outside – cows, trees, fence posts, trucks and so on.
Score 1 point for every object you leap over. Lose 1 of 3 lives if you don't jump in time. (Don't forget that you can win a life back!)

29. Backseat Face Snap

Suitable for age: 4+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Observation; reaction speed

How to play: The aim of the game is to be the first to shout "Snap!" if you and your opponent share the same facial expression.

Decide on the 4 different facial expressions you'll use to play the game. For example: angry, excited, sleepy, sad.
Everyone covers their face. On the count of 3, each player uncovers their face and pulls 1 of the 4 chosen facial expressions.
If another player is pulling the same facial expression as you, shout, "Snap!"
The first player to correctly shout, "Snap!" wins 1 point.
The winner is the person with the highest score when you reach your destination – or a designated stopping point.

30. Island Shipwreck

Suitable for age: 4+ | Players needed: 2 or more
Skills involved: Observation; writing

How to play: This aim of this game is to find things you'd need or like if you were stranded on a desert island. Each player will need a pad of paper and a pen.

Tell every players to imagine they are stranded on a desert island with only palm trees, a fresh water stream and beach clothes to help them survive.
Now each player should look out of the windows to spot useful items they'd like to have shipped out to them on their desert island. Maybe you'll spot some fruit on a supermarket lorry or see a cute kitten (to become your desert companion) on an advertising hoarding.
Jot down everything you spot and want.
At the end of an allotted time, compare lists of what you've have decided to take to your island.

Need a breather? 5 great car-travel games to keep them busy

It’s useful to buy at least one travel game to bring along as backup if you want to switch off for part of the journey. Here are 5 of our favourites.

Janod Racers Magneti’ Book, £18.99 (3+). A cute box containing all the pieces your child needs to build their own vehicles. The magnetic parts stick easily inside the folding lid. Pricey but the great repeat play value.
Galt Funny Faces Sticker Book, £5 (3+). A well-put-together book filled with 12 funny faces and 70 reusable stickers.
Magnetic Snakes & Ladders, £9.99 (4+). This travel version of Snakes & Ladders also includes Ludo, draughts and chess. Just be careful where you throw the dice!
i-Spy book, £3.99 (5+). Each page features interesting items to spy on your journey and tells you how many points you bag for spotting each one. There are several different books to choose from.
Rubik’s Cube, £13 (6+). The Rubik’s Cube has made a mighty comeback and it’s perfect for playing with on the go. It's a great fidget toy, too.

Pics: Getty Images

Authors

Sara Conway