Being stuck in traffic on a car trip, on the tarmac before your plane takes off or even just a doctors office waiting room can be a drag, but you can easily turn it into a chance for a little mental exercise, laughter and quality bonding time… plus it beats hearing “I’m bored”, “stop touching me” and the classic “are we there yet?” over and over again.
Here are 15 “anywhere games” you can play that don’t require any supplies, crayons, paper, apps or anything else for these games (which means there’s nothing extra to pack just for the car ride), most of them you can do any time, any place.
1. Guess The Song
Turn on the radio or shuffle a playlist of your family’s favorite songs. The first person to guess the song before the vocals starts wins (then, listen to the whole song and sing along).
2. Team Counting
The goal is to listen and work together as a team to count to the highest number possible. One person starts by saying “1” and each person randomly continues the counting one person at a time. If two people say the next number at the same time, you have to go back and start again.
3. Grocery Store Alphabet
Everyone takes turns naming an item that you can get at the grocery store that starts with the next letter in the alphabet, see how many times your family can make it through the alphabet with no repeats.
4. Would You Rather
Would you rather have the power of flight or invisibility? Live in the mountains or at the beach? Each person comes up with a few would you rather questions for the other players to answer… don’t forget to explain your answers!
5. Questions?
Can you have a whole conversation asking only questions? Who do you think will break first? (“Are we there yet?” is not allowed!)
6.Don’t Say It!
Pick a word and make it taboo! You have to find another way to ask your question or make your statement without using that word.
7. Guess What Animal
Describe an animal without using the name and the other players guess what animal you are describing.
8. Do Not Laugh
Everyone tries to make one person laugh, whoever makes that person laugh gets a point and is the next person to try not to laugh! (Only rule: no touching!)
9. Movie Chain
Name a movie the next player has to name a movie with the first letter being the last letter of the one before it. For example: Cinderella – Alice and Wonderland – Dark Night…
10. Road Rhymes
Spot something outside and then see how many words you can come up with that rhyme with that thing.
11. Listen Up
Each player picks a word, then turn on the radio or your playlist, the first person to hear that word on the radio wins.
12. Pizza Toppings Memory Game
Take turns adding “toppings” to your pizza order. each person has to remember the toppings before them for example “I want to order a pizza with cheese” the next person adds to it “I want to order a pizza with cheese and pepperoni” see how many toppings you can add before you can’t remember the whole list.
13. Categories
One person names a category and the rest of the players need to come up with as many things within that category as they can.(Ex. category: felines. Possible answers: leopard, house cat, ocelot…) No repeats!
14. Tell a Story
Start telling a story and then pass the story along to the next person, each person gets to add their own twist to the story. (Optional: If you have a pen and paper handy, have someone write down your story)
15. Don’t Forget the Classics
I Spy, 20 questions and seeing if you can spot license plates from all 50 States are easy ways to pass the time on long car rides, too.
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