
We're a family that loves traditional games—those good old classics that don’t need Wi-Fi, batteries, or any fancy tech. You know, the kind of games that bring everyone together. So, we’ve put together a list of our favorite travel games that are perfect for those fun road trips. Check them out!
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Our Favorite Travel Games for Road Trips:
These games are simple to play, easy to carry, clean, and entertaining. We've enjoyed them with people of all ages, including 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, 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 are available for purchase individually or in bundles. Priced at under $5 each, they are our absolute favorite car toy! Everyone in our family, regardless of age, loves these boards. Simply doodle on the board, press the button to erase, and start anew. Each board includes a stylus and a cord to keep it attached. You can add magnets to the back for 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 ideal for keeping in the car.
The 12-player set of Telestrations is a favorite for our family gatherings. It has been a fantastic choice for our group activities. This game is so easy to learn and can accommodate anywhere from 4 to 12 players, making it perfect for our larger family. Each round begins with everyone receiving an erasable sketchbook, a dry-erase marker, and a word card, which adds to the excitement. After rolling the die to determine our secret words, we set a timer for 60 seconds to sketch our words before passing the books to the left. The guessing game that follows, where each player tries to interpret the sketches and write down their answers, leads to hilarious miscommunications. When we finally gather for The Big Reveal, the laughter that ensues from our creative interpretations is simply priceless, reminding me of the classic game of "telephone."
Sometimes classic board games work in the car and Scattergories is one of our faves. While I typically 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 are available for Disney, Space, Marvel, and Animal Planet.
We enjoy playing trivia games at home. Many portable trivia card decks are great for car trips, allowing both the driver and passengers to participate. This specific set of questions is particularly enjoyable. Sample questions include: 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.