Taking a road trip with children can be an incredible bonding experience—but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Long stretches of highway, rest stop fatigue, and “Are we there yet?” on repeat can test any parent’s patience. Fortunately, with a bit of planning and creativity, road trips can become an enjoyable adventure for kids of all ages. At The Kids Point, we believe that travel should be both fun and enriching for children. That’s why we’ve compiled this guide full of fun and easy road trip activities to keep kids entertained, engaged, and screen-free as much as possible during your next journey.
Classic Road Trip Games with a Twist
a. License Plate Game
This timeless favorite gets kids scanning the road for license plates from all 50 states. Give each child a printed checklist or a laminated board with dry-erase markers to track which ones they find. Turn it into a competition or a collaborative effort—either way, it’s a fun way to learn geography and sharpen observational skills.
b. Alphabet “I Spy” Game
Starting with the letter “A,” each player looks for signs, billboards, or license plates featuring words that start with the next letter of the alphabet. First to reach “Z” wins. It’s simple, educational, and surprisingly addictive.
c. 20 Questions
This classic guessing game involves one person thinking of a person, place, or thing, while others try to guess what it is with 20 yes-or-no questions. It sparks curiosity and critical thinking—and it never gets old.
d. Would You Rather?
Prepare a list of silly and thought-provoking questions: “Would you rather have spaghetti for hair or pancakes for feet?” Kids love this game for the laughs, and it gets everyone chatting and giggling.
Creative and Crafty Activities
a. Sketchbooks and Stickers
Pack a small sketchbook or notebook for each child along with colored pencils, gel pens, and a sticker collection. Kids can draw what they see, create their own comics, or decorate their pages with stickers to pass the time creatively.
b. Water Painting Books
Mess-free and endlessly entertaining, water painting books like “Water Wow” allow kids to paint with a reusable water pen. Once the water dries, the image fades, and they can start again. Great for younger travelers.
c. Mosaic or Sticker Art Kits
These kits involve matching colored stickers to shapes or numbers and creating a picture. They’re simple, portable, and can keep little hands busy for a while.
d. Paper Folding and Origami
Paper folding books that require no scissors or glue are perfect for the car. Pre-folded designs or basic origami can be fun for older kids and help improve motor skills.
Travel-Friendly Toys and Games
a. Magnetic Play Sets
Magnetic dolls, puzzles, or building sets stay together and reduce the risk of lost pieces. Look for sets that come in metal tins or portable cases designed for travel.
b. Small Building Kits (e.g., LEGO)
Attach a LEGO baseplate to the inside of a plastic pencil box lid, and you’ve created a mini building station. Kids can store bricks inside the box and build on the go.
c. Fidget Toys
Pop-its, tangle toys, and stress balls are great for kids who need to keep their hands busy. Fidget toys can help with focus and reduce restlessness during long rides.
d. Travel Board Games
Look for compact versions of family favorites like Connect Four, Battleship, or Guess Who that are designed for road travel. Magnetic or self-contained pieces make cleanup and storage a breeze.
DIY Activity Kits
Make your own kits before the trip for a more personalized experience. Here are some ideas:
a. DIY Busy Bag
Include a few small puzzles, coloring pages, lacing cards, and activity books. Rotate the contents every few hours to keep it fresh and interesting.
b. Craft-on-the-Go Kit
Fill a small container with pipe cleaners, stickers, mini glue sticks, googly eyes, foam shapes, and a glue stick. Kids can create imaginative art without the mess of scissors and wet glue.
c. Puzzle Box
Cut up old postcards or photos into puzzles, then keep them in separate Ziploc bags for a quick brain game. Label each bag with a number of stars for difficulty level.
Educational Fun on the Road
a. Audiobooks
Bring a few family-friendly audiobooks for kids to enjoy. Series like Magic Tree House, Harry Potter, or Ramona Quimby are great choices for different age levels. Audiobooks stimulate imagination and help pass time quietly.
b. Brain Quest Cards
These educational flashcards come in levels from preschool to middle school and cover subjects like math, reading, and science. Challenge each other as a family or let kids play quizmaster.
c. Mad Libs
Perfect for reading, writing, and laughing. Have one child ask for nouns, verbs, and adjectives without revealing the story. Then read the completed silliness out loud and enjoy the giggles.
d. Geography Challenges
Print out a blank U.S. or world map and let kids color in or label countries and states as you travel. Use travel time as a mini geography lesson.
Screen-Free Entertainment
a. Podcasts for Kids
Try screen-free listening options like Brains On!, Wow in the World, or Circle Round. These kid-friendly podcasts are fun, informative, and perfect for quiet entertainment.
b. Music and Sing-Alongs
Create a playlist of favorite family songs and have a karaoke session. Bonus points for costumes or air guitar performances! It’s a great energy booster for those mid-drive lulls.
c. Road Trip Bingo
Make or print bingo cards with things kids are likely to see on the road—cows, stop signs, school buses, water towers, etc. Provide dry-erase markers or stickers so kids can reuse them for the next leg of the trip.
d. Silly Challenges
Create a list of goofy challenges like “talk like a robot for 5 minutes” or “don’t say a word for 10 minutes.” Kids will be entertained just trying to win or stump each other.
Snack-Based Games
a. Snack Necklaces
Use cereal like Froot Loops or Cheerios and string them on yarn or licorice to make edible necklaces. They’re fun to create and delicious to eat—win-win!
b. Snack Sorting
Give kids a mix of snacks and ask them to sort by color, shape, or size. This is great for toddlers who enjoy patterns and order.
c. Taste Testing
Bring a few new or unusual snack items and hold a “mystery taste test.” Blindfold kids and see if they can guess the food. This is especially fun if you’re crossing regional areas with new local treats.
Interactive and Group Activities
a. Guess the Song
Play a few seconds of a song and see who can guess it first. Kids love this especially if you use songs from their favorite shows or artists.
b. Story Chains
Start a story with a single sentence, then go around the car with each person adding a new sentence. The story gets sillier as it goes and it’s a fun collaborative bonding game.
c. Who Am I?
Each person thinks of a character or famous person. Others ask yes-or-no questions to figure out who it is. It’s great for slightly older kids who enjoy guessing games.
d. Road Sign Scavenger Hunt
Give each child a list of common road signs to find—speed limit signs, exit signs, yield signs, etc. First one to check them all off gets a small reward!
Rest Stop Fun
Use pit stops as an opportunity for movement and mini-games. A few fun ideas:
- Jumping Jack Challenges – Who can do the most jumping jacks in 30 seconds?
- Nature Bingo – Look for birds, rocks, or tree types at each stop.
- Dance Breaks – Blast a song and have a dance party in the parking lot.
Not only do these break the monotony, but they also help release pent-up energy.
Build the Anticipation
Lastly, keep kids excited by involving them in the travel process:
- Countdown Chains – Make a paper chain with one link for each hour of the drive and let them tear off one every hour.
- Map Tracking – Give each child a map to track your journey. Mark rest stops and destinations with stickers.
- Trip Journal – Encourage kids to jot down or draw one memory from each leg of the trip.
These add layers of meaning to the journey and give kids a keepsake of their adventure.
With the right combination of preparation, creativity, and flexibility, a road trip can become a cherished family memory instead of a stressful ordeal. These fun and easy road trip activities will not only keep your children entertained but also foster learning, creativity, and quality time together. At The Kids Point, we’re passionate about helping families create joyful and enriching experiences—and there’s no better place to start than the open road.