10 Ways to Entertain Kids on Road Trips

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Ah, the anthem of family road trips everywhere. But not for your family, since you've decided to find the top 10 ways to entertain kids on road trips. For your family, the road trip to your destination is bound to be almost as much fun as the trip itself!

Keeping kids happy on road trips may seem like a challenge, but a few tips and tricks can save the day. With beautiful memories in store, you can make your family's journey interesting, entertaining and memorable.

Amplify the fun with these clever ways to entertain kids on road trips.

How to Entertain Kids on a Road Trip

1. Play a road trip scavenger hunt BINGO game.
2. Create snack boxes with many individual compartments.
3. Play "I Spy" or "the first one to see...."
4. Rock out with some carpool karaoke or play another song game.
5. Play the license plate game.
6. Try your luck at 20 Questions.
7. Get creative with travel journals and road trip printables.
8. Wrap small gifts to give out when you hit significant mile markers.
9. Allow each child to pack a small bag of activities.
10. Take photos at every new state sign or landmark.

Let’s explore each fun activity in depth….

Keeping kids engaged and entertained is sometimes easier said than done. Try these fun road trip car ride ideas for boredom busters that work well for kids of all ages.

1. Play a road trip scavenger hunt BINGO game. Children inevitably look out the window anyway, so give them all a better reason! Make up road trip BINGO boards with different things they can find on the drive. Whoever completes their board first gets bragging rights!

2. Create snack boxes with many individual compartments. The fun variety of snacks helps to maintain stamina during a long road trip. Add small tidbits such as different types of cereal, mini marshmallows, small crackers or tiny cookies, small candies, raisins, and so forth. Surprise your kids, or let them build their own snack boxes while you finish packing!

3. Play "I Spy" or "the first one to see...." These kinds of games get everyone involved in the fun! For a more direct version of "I Spy," have a race to be the first one to find the goal. The first person calls out the challenge, such as "the first one to see a dog, wins." When someone sees a dog, it is then their turn to choose the next challenge.

4. Rock out with some carpool karaoke or play another song game. Sing to your hearts' content for lots of fun memories. You can also play the game where you break into teams and take turns singing a line of a song with that word in it. Keep going until someone's stumped and then the last person to sing a line correctly can choose the next word.

5. Play the license plate game. Print out a list of all 50 states to bring with you. Once you start playing, highlight or mark off any states you find on license plates of cars driving near you. To make it competitive, add initials or assign each child a certain highlighter color. You can even print a copy of the states for each kid to keep them even more occupied!

6. Try your luck at 20 Questions. This ages-old game passes the time like a champ. Try to figure out the mystery animal, vegetable, or mineral in 20 questions or less. Kids generally fall in love with it the first time playing, so it should be a great way to entertain kids on road trips!

7. Get creative with travel journals and road trip printables. So many creative ideas work wonderfully on the go during a long car ride. Print out some worksheets, coloring pages, or a travel journal that your kids can complete throughout the trip. You could also give each child a blank, unlined book or sketchbook to design as a travel journal from their own inspiration.

8. Wrap small gifts to give out when you hit significant mile markers. Consider wrapping the items to add to the anticipation. Labels them with the mile marker or town and state you'll be driving through when you distribute them. Surprise toys in blind packs can be fun, along with road trip travel games like magnetic board games the kids can dive into right away.

9. Allow each child to pack a small bag of activities. Yarn crafts, coloring, and magnetic poetry are just a few fun ideas. You might also consider books, word finds and puzzle books, sticker books, and old school games like Etch A Sketch. Some kids may prefer dolls or action figures while others may want their favorite stuffed animals. Give your kids some control over their own activities and they may surprise you with their maturity and independence.

10. Take photos at every new state sign or landmark. Snap dozens of photos of you family, especially the kids and the dog. When you get home, create a stunning road trip photo book! Simply drop your favorite photos into Mixbook's user-friendly editor, customize to your liking, and order a high-quality book of memories to last a lifetime.

Road Trip Photo Books

Mixbook's travel photo books freeze your favorite vacation and road trip moments in time so you can enjoy them to infinity and beyond. Fun and rustic road trip themes blend beautifully with your real life family adventure.

Rely on fine quality printing and complete flexibility over your road trip photo book to arrive at an incredible collection of memories. You can even invite your kids to help you choose the best photos and design the book. Family bonding at its finest!

We hope you and your family enjoy every moment of each and every vacation. For even more ideas on prepping and packing for your road trip travels, be sure to check out our other blog post - the Ultimate Road Trip Checklist.