10 Top Games to Play in The Car

“How long until we get there?” It’s the classic question every kid asks their parent on a road trip. Luckily there are plenty of games to play in the car that will tide over long drives as well as shorter ones to the shops, school and outings.

And because we’re an internet-driven society, we know kids are often hooked on screen time. It’s the bane of many parents’ lives – constantly pondering the issue of “how much screen time is too much?” Which is why we’ve compiled a list of real-time games to choose from:

‘Real time’ games to play in the car

As school holidays loom and travel restrictions ease, we’ve compiled some ultimate boredom busters to play in the car. The best part is that they all have an educational twist, though that’s not to say they’re in any way dreary – far from it! But you’ll know your kids’ brains are ticking while playing, which is always a perk.

Here are our top 10 games to play:

1. Name game

The first person says any name that pops into their head. The next person must come up with a name starting with the last letter of the first name. The third person will choose a name starting with the last letter of the second player’s choice, and so on. Once everyone gets tired of people names, you can play this game with types of animals instead.

2. Celebrity name game

This game is similar to the name game, only the stakes are higher, so it’s a good one for tweens and teens. The first person chooses a celeb (name and surname this time). Whatever the last letter of the celeb’s surname is will be the first letter of the next celeb that person number two must come up with. Anytime someone gets stuck, the game restarts. And the last person who came up with a name gets to go first. Depending on everyone’s age and interests, you can also play this game using names of countries, TV shows, etc.

3. Licence plate game

Everyone gets to try spot cars with licence plates from all the different states and territories. Depending on border restrictions and what jurisdiction you live in, this game could be a dead stick. But given that the revolving doors of lockdown will eventually open up, we thought this would be a good game to include.

4. Alphabet game

The aim of the game is to get through the whole alphabet by spotting road signs that start with the letter ‘A’ then ‘B’ and so on. You can only spot a road sign when it’s your turn. This can be a great game for kids who are just becoming familiar with their A, B, Cs.

5. Party game

This game is great for memory. It starts with the first person saying what they brought to the party. For example “I went to the party and I brought my pet poodle”. The next person starts from the beginning then adds what they brought, i.e.: “I went to the party and I brought a pet poodle, and a chocolate cake”. And so on, with each person saying what everyone before them brought then adding their item to it.

6. Story game

Every player gets to tell a piece of the story, which can make for some strange and hilarious tales. The first player gets to start the story, possibly with “Once upon a time” and make it up from there. The next person must tag on their section of the story so it connects to the first story. The third person must take it from where the second person stops and make it up from there.

This game can also extend to once you arrive at your destination, with each person doing an illustration of their section of the story. You can even compile the funniest favourite story games and print them out with the drawings to give as end-of-year Christmas gifts.

7. Playmobil

Playmobil offers up a world of possibilities, plus it’s built to last. This entire toy system is so advanced that you can mix and match parts of different sets. You can switch out your characters’ hats, gloves, shoes, beards, hair, jewellery and more. To avoid losing any bits and bobs, bring along a tray or large tupperware as a workspace and another lidded tupperware for storing lose pieces. Check out some of these car themed Playmobile sets:

1. Volkswagen T1 Camping Bus for adventurers
2. Classic VW Beetle with roof rack
3. Back to the Future DeLorean for fans of the film
4. Fire Chief’s Car with lights and sound
5. Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Police for action packed fun
6. Mobile pet groomer comes with a poodle and tools

Watch this cute video made entirely from Playmobil:

8. Lego

Kids learn from copying us, so what better than for them to build their own LEGO car in the car! LEGO releases loads of new designs each year, and has everything from easy designs for little ones through to complex designs that take hours for big kids. Be sure to bring that big tupperware along so pieces don’t end up strewn and lost somewhere in the car.

9. Sticker books

Nothing beats doing stuff with your hands, which is why sticker books can be fun games to play in the car. This is a good option for kids to do on their own when there aren’t any other kids along on the drive – or when they just want peace and quiet to themselves.

Sticking somewhat to theme of cars (but not entirely), here are some of our top picks:

• Melissa and Doug scented sticker book, which has a scratch and sniff interactive element
• Monster cars pocket sticker book, conveniently pocket-sized for short trips
• The big sticker book of birds has so many stickers, it will last a few road trips
• Animal sticker encyclopedia has hundreds of reusable stickers that will teach about the animal kingdom

10. Screen time games to play in the car

Screen time can be a thrill and not just for kids, for parents too. Because when you’re tuckered out, the screen does all the work to keep your kids entertained. Read about three apps that are fun and educational in our article on car storage ideas, to make all kinds of car runs easier!

If you’re into car themed games, you might also want to try out My Summer Car.

Back to the real world, make sure you know how to stop car sickness to keep your car trips smooth sailing.

Car insurance for road trips and everywhere

Whether you’re doing your daily commute or an interstate road trip, comprehensive car insurance helps make the drive a smoother one. Nothing beats having the peace of mind you get from knowing that you’re covered in case of accident, theft or weather damage. Plus, you can opt to purchase the additional perk of 24/7 roadside assistance for as little as $89/year (at the time of writing – T&Cs apply).