Road trips are the highlight of summer vacation. Personally, if you're with the right group of people, I feel like getting to the destination can be half the fun!
But, the best thing about a road trip doesn't have to be the playlist or the sights you might see along the way. In fact, when the car ride gets to a lull, you know what the best thing to do to pick the energy back up is?
Play a game! Here are 10 games to play in a car during a good, old-fashioned road trip:
1. Guess the song
A fun car game to play is something I like to call "guess the song." You shuffle your music, put a song on and figure out the title of the song and the artist. One point for the song and one for the artist, person with the most points at the end wins.
2. Guess the animal
You start each turn by saying something like: "I'm thinking of an animal, it starts with the letter *insert letter here*." Then you guess what animal the person thinking of. Whoever guesses correctly gets to go next! This one doesn't have a point system unless you're just THAT competitive and want to think of one yourself.
3. My father owns a grocery store
I'll admit I grew out of this one, but for those of you with younger siblings or with young children, this is a great game to play! Similar rules to the guess-the-animal game. You start your turn by saying: "My father owns a grocery store and in his store, he has a fruit/vegetable/object/etc that starts with the letter *insert letter here*." and then guess what the person is thinking of! Again, no point system, but you can always make your own rules!
4. License plate game
This one is a team effort! It's also best for cross country or multi-state journeys. To win this game, point out as many car's as you can that hold a license plate different from the state you're currently in. As soon as you collect each state*, that's the end, good luck!
*If you so choose, you can exclude Hawaii and Alaska. :)
5. Alphabet game
This one is simple! Find each letter of the alphabet using your out of car surroundings! First one to get to letter "Z" wins!
6. Don't say it
Each person in the car think's of a word that no one, not even themselves, can say! If you say one of the words, then you get penalized in some way. The penalty is subject to car ride and group decision.
7. Riff-off
"Pitch Perfect" knows what's up. A person starts by singing a lyric from any song of their choice. The next person follows with a different song, whose lyric starts with the last word from the previous lyric sung.
For example:
"Come over here and sit next to me, we can see where things go naturally." — "Sit next to me" by Foster the People.
"Naturally, it comes naturally when you're with me, baby" — "Naturally" by Selena Gomez.
8. Name that movie
In order to play this game, one person starts by naming an actor. The next person names a movie that actor is in, and the next person has to pick a different actor that starts in the same movie, and so on.
For example: The actor picked is Liam Hemsworth. A movie he is in is "The Hunger Games." A different actor in "The Hunger Games" is Woody Harrelson. Woody Harrelson is also in "Zombieland." "Zombieland" stars the actor Jesse Eisenberg. The cycle then continues until someone cannot think of a movie or an actor, or is wrong about their selection.
9. 20 questions
This one is interesting because there are so many different variants of it. People can just go back and forth asking questions to each other, or you can do it the way I like to. One person thinks of an object or a person or something of the sort and the group has 20 questions to ask to figure out what or who that person "is." Don't be an asshole and think of something unrealistic, that's not fun!
10. TV/movie quotes
In order to play the quoting game, one person says a quote from a TV show or a movie and everyone has to guess who says the quote. For example: If someone's quote was: "Legen... wait for it... DARY" the group would be trying to guess the character Barney Stinson from "How I Met Your Mother."
Personally, I find it best for everyone to stick to one category (TV or movie, or otherwise chosen category). One point for the character and one point for the show/movie/other, two points if you get both. Person with the most point's wins!
Passing the time on a road trip doesn't always have to be shoving your headphones in your ear and tuning the world out! Car rides are a great place to have conversations and make memories. Connect with the world and have some fun with your friends and family!