car travel games

Long drive, short attention spans—classic combo, but the fix is cheaper than a new infotainment system.

Try Number Plate Cricket (letters score runs), the Alphabet Hunt (spot A to Z on signs), 20 Questions, or I Spy with increasingly unhinged clues.

For older kids and bored adults, riff on “Would You Rather,” the Movie Pitch game (invent plots from random words), or a silent round of the “Don’t Say ‘Um’” challenge.

Rotate a DJ, set a timer per game, and keep a small prize—winner chooses the servo snack at the next stop.

And yes, the driver plays too—verbally only; eyes on the road unless you fancy meeting the bonnet the hard way.