Keep your children entertained with these fun car games. From the number-plate game to the picnic game, there are plenty of exciting options to choose from. Providing your kids with entertainment along the way is a chance to bond as a family and to spend quality time together. Need a new car? Find vehicles for sale on Auto Mart and travel in comfort this festive season.
The number plate car game
This is probably one of the easiest car games, all you need is a few sheets of paper and pens to play this fun game. During the number plate game, all the players have to write down every number plate they see. At the end of the period that’s been agreed upon, the person who has written down the most number plates wins. For slightly older children, you can allocate extra points for naming the region of South Africa that the different number plates belong to. Get your little ones laughing by taking turns to make up silly suggestions on what the letters of the number plates could stand for.
Twenty questions
Twenty questions is a popular game your whole family can enjoy. The player has to think of a person and everyone else in the car has to ask questions that provide clues about who the person is. You can adapt this game according to the age of your children by selecting well-known characters if you’re playing with little ones. Variations of this game include trying to guess a place or a thing.
I Spy
Similar to twenty questions, I Spy is a classic game that everyone will love. The crucial difference is that the selected object must be visible to everyone in the vehicle. The players also get an additional clue as the person leading the game provides the first letter of the object that they’re thinking of. The game continues until the object is correctly guessed or everyone gets frustrated and gives up.
Hold your breath
See who can hold their breath as you go through a road tunnel or around a traffic circle. The aim isn’t to avoid taking a breath at all but to see who can hold their breath according to the guidelines of the game.
Guess the length of the trip
To ward off the dreaded question, ‘are we there yet?’, get everyone in the car to guess how long the trip will take. Just make sure that nobody cheats by using the GPS. Another loophole to avoid is that none of the players try and delay the trip by requesting more toilet stops than necessary.
The stay-silent game
Is the noise of your kids fighting driving you mad? Enjoy a few moments of silence by starting a game where the players have to try and keep quiet. The winner of this game is the person who can stay silent for the longest. A few moments of calm can also help set the tone for a more peaceful road trip when the littles ones start to get overexcited.
Picnic game
When it comes to car games, the picnic game is a fun opportunity to test the memory of your kids. A minimum of two players is needed for this game but the excitement is multiplied when everyone joins in. The first player says ‘I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing’ followed by an item. The next player repeats the first player, including their item, and then adds on another item. As the game continues, the list of items that everyone must remember increases. If a player forgets one of the items, they’re disqualified from the game. If your children are older than 5 years, you can add interest to this game by using the alphabet to guide the choice of items. In this case, the first player will have to name an item starting with the letter A, the second player will add an item beginning with B and so on. To even the playing field, you can help younger players out by giving them prompts or clues along the way.
Punch buggy
Sharpen the observance skills of your kids with this car game that has stood the test of time. Dating back to the 1960s, this game involves tapping the other players whenever you spot a VW Beetle. Variations of this game include a tap for any VW car or giving other players a hug instead of a tap.
Would you rather?
No road trip is complete without a game of ‘would you rather?’ During this game, players come up with two options that are both unappealing and everyone has the chance to select the option that they dislike the least. Would you rather have hands for feet or feet for hands?
Hot seat
This game is more suitable for adults but can be fun for kids too. One person is in the hot seat and all the other players have the opportunity to ask them five questions they need to answer.
Now that you’re feeling inspired, you can create your own car games this festive season. Get your road trip off to a great start by finding a reliable car for sale on Auto Mart.
