Sometimes even a two-hour road trip can feel like an eternity. This is especially true when you have kids riding with you. Keeping little ones occupied is famously challenging, but even older children and adults can get antsy after a while. Car games are indispensable for road trippers. They make the time fly a little faster, keep everyone’s brains occupied, and have a lot of laughs and fun in the process, turning a dull ride into an adventure.

1. I’m Going on a Picnic

The first game is a classic memory game called I’m Going on a Picnic. Player 1 starts the game by saying “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m bringing a blanket,” or any picnic-related item of their choice. Then player 2 repeats Player 1’s item and adds their own item to the list. For example, “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m bringing a blanket and a cooler.” Then the third player takes a turn and repeats the first two players’ items and adds their own to the list, and so forth. The first person who can’t correctly repeat all the picnic items in the order they were given is out of the game.  Everyone takes a turn until one player emerges as the memory champion.

2. A to Z

The second game is simply called A to Z, where a lead player chooses a theme (you could also pick  theme suggestions from a literal or figurative hat). Now, the rest of the players in the car take turns in succession, naming something that begins with each letter, in alphabetical order, that fits that theme. For this example, a theme might be “countries of the world,” challenging each player to take a turn naming a nation that starts with their letter (“Albania, Botswana, Colombia…”).

The player who cannot think of a country that begins with their assigned letter has to pass to the next player, and they’re out of the game. It then goes to the next person until everyone is stumped and there is a clear victor.

3. Name That Tune

The third game is Name That Tune, based on the retro game show. One lead player takes on the role of “The Hummer.”  The first player who can name the tune that’s being hummed receives one point. The first person to reach 10 points (or however many points you decide), wins the round. A new Hummer is then selected for the next round, and so on.

4. Guess My Animal

The next game is another classic called Guess My Animal, which is great for the very small children in the bunch. A lead player thinks of an animal. The rest of the players must ask yes or no questions to figure out what it is. To add to the challenge, you can limit the number of questions the guessers are able to ask, and it doesn’t have to be 20!

5. 20 Questions

The next game is the classic for all ages called 20 Questions. The lead player picks a secret item, person, job, celebrity, etc., and the other players in the car take turns asking a series of yes or no questions to determine the right answer. The first person who can correctly guess the secret in fewer than 20 questions wins the game.

6. The Name Game

The Name Game is a good one for adults and older children. Player 1 starts with the name of a famous person. Then Player 2 calls out a famous person whose first name begins with the first letter of the previous person’s last name (or alternatively a person whose first name begins with the last letter of the previous person’s last name) The game ends and restarts when someone can’t come up with a new name. And no repeated names! For example: Tina Knowles – Keith David – Donald Glover – Gabourey Sidibe or Meagan Good — Dwayne Johnson — Nicki Minaj — James Earl Jones…

7. Treasure Hunt

Finally, Treasure Hunt is a simple game that players can have fun with for hours. A lead player selects three things randomly — for example, a turtle, a red SUV, and a person wearing a cowboy hat. The first to spot all three (or any number you choose), is the game winner.

The best thing about these games is that you don’t need to wait til you’re on wheels to play them. They’re great for house parties, too. Bon Voyage!