When you''re spending long periods of time in the car, road trip games are a great way to have some laughs and pass the time. You can play all kinds of games on a road trip. You can make them up as you go along, or you can familiarize yourself with a number of "classic" road trip games. They''re easy, fun and most of them require nothing but enthusiasm and some creativity. Some of the standard games of the road are described here.
Each person must call out something that they see from the car, in alphabetical order. For instance, the first player sees an "apple tree." The second person spots a "book store." The next person sees a "cornfield" and so on. For extra fun, you can play the alphabet both forward and backward! By the way, you can get stuck on the letter x, so decide in advance whether you''ll skip it or require a word that includes an x, such as an exit sign or a boxcar.
A variation on this game is even more fun: Everyone plays at the same time and they race to see who finishes first. Also, the letters are called out only when you see an actual word on a sign, car or billboard that starts with the letter. You''ll be amazed at how fast the miles fly by while everyone in the car is desperate to catch sight of a Dairy Queen, Quality Inn or Quizno''s Subs shop!
This one''s a real classic. Make your own bingo cards on blank paper: five rows and five columns for a total of 25 different squares. Inside each square, put the name of a different state. Make sure the state names are different from card to card. Now, play bingo! Decide whether to play diagonally, on a straight line or an entire card blackout. As you drive along, just look at other cars for license plates from "your states." When you see one, call it out and cross it off your card until someone cries, "Bingo!"
You can''t go wrong with a pack of cards. Cards provide a huge variety of games, including Go Fish, blackjack, poker, and the ever-popular B.S. You can even make up your own card games!
Play any way you want. Sing in rounds, for instance, or make up new lyrics to favorite songs. (Be sure to have someone write it all down so you can relive the hysteria later on.) Another fun game is "Name that Song" or "Name that TV Show theme."
Spend hours playing games on your favorite trivia topics. For instance, a person can say the initials of an actor and everybody else has to guess who it is. Play sports, politics or geography trivia. With a little inventiveness, there''s no limit to the fun you can have passing the time, laughing and learning all along!
The whole point of a road trip is to have fun with your travel companions. Road trip games are a big part of it all. Play some of the "classics" described here or make up your own as you go along. No rules, just plenty of laughs!