Planning your next family road trip? Keep your kids happy and occupied with these amazing Fun Road Trip Games for Kids and Families.
Getting excited about your next road adventure? Before you hop in the car for your next road trip with the kids take a look at these Fun Road Trip Games for Kids and Families to have a happy, relaxing and screen-free road trip.
In this fantastic round-up, you’ll find a selection of DIY portable games you can craft yourself, travel Bingo games, road trip scavenger hunt games, word games and riddles, printable sheets for travel binders and the best all-around road trip games for families. That means fewer squabbles and less complaining so you can all have fun on your family road trip.
And if your road trip is also a camping trip, be sure to also take a look at our useful list of What To Bring Camping With Kids.
Happy and safe travels!
DIY Road Trip Games for Kids
Love crafting? Be inspired by these creative portable games you can make for your car trips to keep the kids happy.
1. DIY Portable Tic-Tac-Toe Game
This DIY Portable Tic-Tac-Toe Game is a sweet little game that kids of all ages will love. For this lovely project, you will need a metal case with a lid, magnetic and sticker paper and free printables included in this tutorial.
Learn more: A Beautiful Mess
2. Calming Find It Game
If the kids get bored on your road trip get them concentrating on finding fun objects in this Calming Find It Game. It’s super easy to make with a plastic bottle, rice and small objects and perfect to take with you on trips.
Learn more: Lady Behind The Curtain
3. DIY Fabric Marble Maze
Fan of sewing? Make this lovely DIY Fabric Marble Maze for your kids. This DIY fidget toy is a pocket-size fabric marble maze sewn from fabric scraps. Get your free marble maze template and instructions in this tutorial.
Learn more: Apple Green Cottage
4. DIY Magnetic Travel Game for Kids
We created this DIY Magnetic Travel Game to keep the kids busy when we’re out and about. It includes free printable Monster cutouts and kids can mix and match the monster body parts with different eyes and mouths creating all kinds of silliness.
Learn more: Fun Loving Families
5. DIY Battleship Sweets Game
This DIY Battleship Sweets Game must be the cutest game we’ve ever seen. What an adorable spin on the classic Battleship game. Find out how to craft it in this fun tutorial.
Learn more: Lovely Indeed
6. Magnetic DIY Travel Tangram Puzzles
Have you heard of Tangram Puzzles? This simple activity will keep kids busy for a little while as they explore making new shapes and because they will stay put it makes it great for trips.
Learn more: Delia Creates
Road Trip Games for Kids
If you’re not a fan of crafting your own games and want an easy solution check out our family favorite road trip games picks.
7. Wikki Stix Traveler Set
Wikki Stix are a fun, mess-free, creative activity that my kids have always loved and I love this Wikki Stix Traveler Set that is perfect for kids who like to be creative.
8. Melissa and Doug Hangman Travel Game
This Melissa and Doug Hangman Travel Game is another favorite travel game in our house. Once your kids can spell a few words, they can start playing hangman. It’s a game that is built to last, so you’ll be able to keep it and use it for years. We’ve had ours for about 5 years, and it’s still going strong!
9. License Plate Game
You can’t go wrong with this License Plate Game. If your kids like to play this game, then this is something you’ll want to keep around. It’s easy to keep track of which states have been spotted and all of the pieces stay connected…so no missing pieces. Ever.
10. Travel Bingo Games
Grab a set of these Travel Bingo Games and have fun spotting the various sights along the way. This bundle includes the Original Interstate Highway Travel Bingo Set and the Highway Hunt Card Game.
11. Rubber Neckers Game
Rubber Neckers Game is a really fun challenge game where players earn points for completing challenges. I love that many players can play this game together, so it really makes for a fun car ride game. Each card has a challenge (e.g. get a person in another vehicle to wave, be first to spot a picnic table, etc.) with a point value, and you can play to however many points you choose.
12. Games on the Go Set
This Games on the Go Set is a collection of portable guessing games, word games, memory challenges, and more. They’re great to keep in your purse to play with the kids in the car, or while you’re waiting for your food at a restaurant. I love this set because they’re games that the whole family can play together.
Printable Road Trip Games for Kids
Whether you want to save a few dollars or are short on time, these printable travel games are a great way to add some time-fillers to your arsenal on the road.
13. Road Trip Alphabet Race
This Road Trip Alphabet Race is a fun engaging game to see who can spot the first thing beginning with each letter that is drawn from the pack. Whoever has the most letters at the end of the game wins! Check out this free printable and the instructions below.
Learn more: Handmade Charlotte
14. Little Red Riding Hood Finger Puppets
Let your kid’s imagination flow with these adorable Little Red Riding Hood Finger Puppets. This free printable includes six finger puppets from the Little Red Riding Hood story.
Learn more: Easy Peasy and Fun
15. Would You Rather Printable Game
I love the representation of this simple DIY Would You Rather Printable Game. Use this free printable to create one for your road trips and get the whole family talking and sharing.
Learn more: Typically Simple
16. Road Trip Scavenger Hunt Printables
This Road Trip Scavenger Hunt has just the right level of challenge for any age kid in the car. Print as many as you need for your toddlers, big kids, or tweens and teens. Grab the free printable via the link below.
Learn more: Fun Loving Families
17. DIY I Spy Game
Are you intrigued by this DIY I Spy Game? This one is created as a collage of different objects found around the house and then photographed and printed out. You can print out this one or be inspired to make your own.
Learn more: Dabbles and Babbles
18. Car Game Printable Games
Here is a fun set of free printable, re-usable dry-erase Car Game Printable Games. Head to this tutorial for the download and tips on how to create a simple kid’s travel kit.
Learn more: Simply Designing
19. License Plate Coloring Map
I love this coloring version of the license plate game. In this free printable kids color in the states as they spot the different license plates. You can download this License Plate Coloring Map via the link below.
Learn more: Happiness is Homemade
20. The Ultimate Activity Travel Printable Kit
The kids will have plenty of road trip games to choose from with this Ultimate Activity Travel Printable Kit. It includes all the best travel activities for kids to make your car journey a breeze.
Learn more: Moms Who Think
21. Printable Road Trip Activity Pack
Here’s another adorable Printable Road Trip Activity Pack to give you more choices. This one includes a colorful binder cover and seven entertaining activities for screen-free fun.
Learn more: Playdough to Plato
22. Printable License Plate Game
Keep it simple with this Printable License Plate Game. Kids can check off the states as they see the corresponding license plates. You can make this a cooperative game with all kids working together to finish the sheet, or print off multiple copies and make it a race to see who can find them all first.
Learn more: Raising Whasians
23. Restaurant I Spy Printable
This Restaurant I Spy Printable is a fun game that is perfect for road trips. Kids will have fun spotting the different logos on billboards and the roads with this bingo game.
Learn more: 3 Boys and a Dog
24. License Plate Game
License Plate Games are so much fun on road trips. Kids can see what the different state license plates look like while they play this printable license plate game. This post also includes handy 5 Road Trip Survival Rules For Traveling With Kids.
Learn more: The Suburban Mom
25. Kids Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
This Kids Road Trip Scavenger Hunt is great for the younger kids. The cute illustrations of cars, animals, buildings, street signs and more are perfect for preschoolers.
Learn more: Kristen Duke Photography
26. Busy Binder with Printable Road Trip Games
Here’s a fantastic Busy Binder with Printable Road Trip Games. The “Which Colors Can You Find” is one that I hadn’t seen before, so I had to include it here. I’m sure the variety of games in here will keep the kids happy and engaged.
Learn more: Cutesy Crafts
27. Road Trip Word Search
Add this Road Trip Word Search to your game printables and put them all in a binder to keep them organized. You can also have it laminated and use a dry-erase marker to use it over and over again.
Learn more: Artsy Fartsy Mama
28. Road Trip Sticker Activity Set
This fabulous Road Trip Sticker Activity Set includes four different activities that correspond to four different sticker sheets that after printing you can have bound into a handy little workbook.
Learn more: The Homes I Have Made
29. Road Trip Games Printables Pack
Grab this Road Trip Games Printables Pack. This design would speak to the older kids who will have fun with it and be entertained.
Learn more: Today’s Creative Life
30. Printable Disney Theme Would You Rather Game
Disney fans will enjoy this Disney-themed version of the popular Would Your Rather game. Get this free printable via the link below for the hours of fun.
Learn more: Or So She Says
Final Tips on Road Trip Games for Kids
- You can print all of these free printable travel games and put copies in a binder for your kids to keep everything neat and organized.
- Some families like to ration out the games so that the kids don’t rush through everything in the first hour of the trip. You can set a timer or use post-it notes to remind you of when to pull out a new set of games. This is really a great tip because it allows for lots of variety and the kids always have something to look forward to.
- Use a backseat headrest organizer to keep games organized and within reach.
BEFORE YOU GO: See our best tips for keeping your car clean and organized before your next car trip!
