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Road trip with kids:

10 games to play to
survive boring car
journeys
3rd July 2019 by Catherine McGloin

Heading on a long car journey with the

kids this weekend? Pass the time and
beat backseat blues with these fun
old-fashioned travel games.

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You’re stuck in traffic, bumper to bumper for the

next five junctions, the kids are brawling and
grandma needs the loo; ‘fun’ options are limited.
Short of leaving the lot of them on the hard
shoulder and cruising off into the distance, take
a deep breath and suggest one of these fun
games to play in the car – ‘I spy’ or ‘Would you
rather?’ to relieve the tension. We guarantee, a
round of ‘the quiet game’ or any one of these old-
fashioned travel games and harmony will be
restored, at least until you make it to the next
service station. Here are ten to choose from next
time you’re faced with road trip rage.

10 free and fun games to play in

the car

1. License plate game

A car full of kids, a few pads of paper, pens and

the open road. That’s all you need to keep the
little ones entertained as they search for license
plates from different countries. Or if you’re in the
U.S., different states. Scribble down the plates
you find on paper (be honest) and the one that
has the most wins. You can raise the stakes by
giving double points for naming the capital city of
the country spotted, triple points for diplomatic
or official plates.

Read more: Top 5 scenic road trips in

Ireland

2. I Spy

Probably the easiest game to play in the car: just

utter the words “I spy with my little eye” and
everyone will be on the lookout for the most
obscure bit of scenery flashing by. It’s good for
kids, and older generations won’t be able to
resist this simple game’s sentimental charm.
Items such as ‘road’ ‘clouds’ and ‘sky’ are all
predictable choices, whilst things almost invisible
to the human eye are more likely to get you the
win, like ‘air’ or the leaves on that tree three
fields over. However, nothing says ‘spoil-sport’
like selecting a target that zoomed past a mile
back; make sure your choice is present at all
times throughout the game.

Read more: 10 of the best mountains in

Ireland for activities in 2019

3. Punch buggy

The concept is simple enough: give a little love

tap to your neighbour in the car whenever you
find a Volkswagen Beetle. But, there’s some
debate over whether the classic buggies, the
New Beetle or the sporty modern version should
be used for the game. Just don’t put too much
power behind your punch; there’s nothing worse
than fighting back tears after your little sister
beats you down.

Read more: 8 of the best lakes in Ireland

for activities in 2019

4. 20 questions

Pick your answer and give the rest of the people

in the car only 20 questions to figure it out.
Seems easy enough, until you get someone that
picks something obscure like Hervé Villechaize;
trying to guess the evil henchman from James
Bond classic, The Man with the Golden Gun,
might get people asking “are we there yet?”
That’s a question – you’ve only got 19 more to go.

Read more: August Bank Holiday Breaks

from Ireland 2019

5. Hold your breath

You’re heading in to any underground route, and

whilst you could pretend it’s a dragon’s lair, this
may incite even more backseat excitement from
your little darlings. Instead, set them the
challenge of holding their breath for the entire
length of the tunnel. Time them to see how long
they can hold on and whoever does so the
longest wins. Of course, if you run in to traffic the
game is suspended. It’s probably a good idea to
let the driver or person in the front passenger
seat figure out who wins.

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6. Guess the time

You’re en route to Tayto Park, the cool-box is

packed with sandwiches and fizzy pop, and you’re
keen to scream your head off on the latest
stomach-churning rollercoaster. How long is it
until you’ll be scared senseless on Cú Chulainn
Coaster, or get your thrills on the Sky Glyder?
Take turns guessing how long it’ll take to reach
your destination. Just don’t let the driver use
GPS before making their guess, or worse, let
them think they can speed to beat your guess!

Read more: Ireland School Holidays 2019

– The When and Where to Go!

7. Memory game

There are a few names for this one (The Picnic

Game, Casserole Game, etc.) but they all start in
similar fashion; you say “I’m going out on a picnic
and I’m bringing…” follow that with whatever item
that comes to mind. Then the next player has to
remember that item and add something else to
the story. Get a part of the story wrong and
you’re out. This one keeps the trip fun and can
last for a good long while, so long as you give the
younger travellers some leniency with their turn
in the game.

Read more: 10 of the best castles in

Ireland 2019!

8. Quiet game

This is a true trump card in attempting to restore

order in a car full of squabbling siblings. You’ve let
the incessant arguing over whose turn it is to
play Candy Crush on the iPad slide for the past
100 km, but no more. “Let’s see who can stay
quiet the longest” – which really means stop
moaning and give me some peace and quiet. It’s a
good time to get creative and find ways to pick
on your passengers without any noise, but this
may result in actual expulsion from the car, so our
advice is to shut up pronto!

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9. Would you rather?

Would you rather put your hand in a bowl of

electric eels or dance naked while roaches are
poured over your head? Neither option is
particularly pleasing, but you’ve got to pick one.
That’s the premise of this travel game. Everyone
takes a turn having to choose between a rock
and a hard place. Alternatively, you could make it
a game of awesome ultimatums, but where’s the
fun in that? Admittedly, this one is more geared
towards the adult audience, but it can easily be
tailored for kids and be just as fun.

Read more: Family holidays 2019: Top 10

destinations for summer fun

10. Hot seat

This one is a decidedly grown-up game to play in

the car, but still a lot of fun. Every person in the
car takes a turn in the ‘hot seat’ – once you’re in
it other passengers will ask you five questions
that you must answer. Usually you can veto one of
the questions, but you can see how wild this
game could get… Try avoiding giving an answer
that’s going to annoy fellow travellers and create
an awkward atmosphere for the next four hours.

Read more: Secrets to saving money on

car hire

Road trip with kids: 10 best

games to play in the car

1. License plate game

2. I Spy

3. Punch buggy

4. 20 questions

5. Hold your breath

6. Guess the time

7. Memory game

8. Quiet game

9. Would you rather?

10. Hot seat

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