A ton of fun activities to do with your kids on the road

There are lots of games that can help your child expand their vocabulary, even if you have no pencils or paper on hand. Here are a few word games you can play on your trip:

• Call out the letters of the alphabet as you spot them in words outside the car (on signs or other vehicles). You have to get all 26 letters in the right order. The first to complete the alphabet wins.
• Make the longest sentence without making a mistake: One player (it can be the driver) starts the sentence with the first word. Then, the next player repeats the word and adds a second one. The third player repeats the first two words before adding their own, and so on. For example: I - I see - I see a - I see a cloud . . . Players who get a word wrong or add one that does not make sense in the sentence are eliminated until there is only one player left.
• Name the most words that start with a single letter: The driver chooses a letter of the alphabet. The other passengers take turns naming a word that begins with that letter, until someone runs out of ideas. Then, they move on to the next letter. You can make it harder by restricting the words to a specific category. For example: foods that begin with the letter “m.”
• Name words in a category: Like the last game, but this time players list words related to a theme in alphabetical order. One player chooses the theme (animals, food, objects, etc.), then the rest of the players take turns naming words related to the theme in alphabetical order. For example, if the theme is “animals,” the first person might say “alligator,” the second ”buffalo,” and so on.
• “Smurfing” verbs: Players have to replace all the verbs in their sentences with the word “Smurf” and conjugate it correctly. Players who say a normal verb lose points.
• Find rhymes: The driver says a word, and other players take turns finding words that rhyme with it. For example: vacation / station / hydration…
• The license plate game (great for when you’re stuck in traffic): Players have to form sentences or acronyms from the letters on license plates. To make it harder, instead of sentences, players have to think of words that contain the letters in the right order. 
• Link cities or countries: The driver says the name of a city, region, or country. The other passengers take turns naming a place that begins with the last letter of the previous one. For example: Quebec / Chile / Edmonton…

Playing math games can boost kids’ motivation to learn. Here are a few number games to keep you busy on the road:

• Find all the possible ways to calculate a specific answer: Choose a number and ask your kids to figure out how to get that number using all the types of mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). For example, if you choose 42, they can say 40 + 2, 6 x 7, 50 - 8, and 84 ÷ 2.
• Play math bingo: Before you leave on your road trip, print out these cards, and remember to bring pencils and erasers for every player. An adult says an equation (for example, 9 x 3), and if your child has the answer on their card (27), they can put an X on it. When your child gets five numbers in a row (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally) or fills their whole card, they win and get to shout BINGO!
• Count things you see on the road: Players have to name a series of objects or animals to look for. You can choose anything from cows to traffic signs to yellow cars. Make a note of each thing that you’ve spotted. Whoever has the most points at the end of the trip wins!

Memory, concentration, and logical thinking are essential skills, not only for succeeding at school but also for navigating the challenges of everyday life. A road trip offers plenty of opportunities to boost your child’s memory and help them concentrate with games. Here are a few examples:  

• I Packed My Suitcase: The first person begins by saying: “I packed my suitcase with…” and they name an object. The second player has to repeat the sentence and then add a new object. The third player repeats the sentence with the first two objects, then adds their own to the list, and so on. The player who remembers the most objects wins. You can play a variant of this game where you pretend you are at the grocery store, and each player names something to put in the cart.
• The Yes or No game: For a set period of time, players aren’t allowed to answer questions with “yes” or “no.” Players who forget are penalized or eliminated. It is a classic!
• Odd One Out: Players name five words, including one that is not like the others. Whoever names the odd one out first gets a point, and they give the next set of words. For example: Four famous actors and a random name, four cities in Canada and one in another country, etc.
• Think fast: To start, one player names a word. The other players take turns naming a related word as quickly as possible. For example: Cake / coffee / tea / leaves / tree / branch / bird / sky, etc. This is a fast-paced game that can keep going for a long time. Players are eliminated if they repeat a word.
• 20 Questions: One player starts by thinking of an object, plant, or animal. Then, the other players ask yes or no questions to figure out what it is. Players cannot ask the same question twice, and the player who chose the object, plant, or animal can only answer 20 questions. Whoever guesses it first gets to choose the next one!

There is so much to see on the road! Why not do some activities that stimulate your sense of observation? Here are just a few examples:

• Find the colour: The first player names a colour. Players have to find as many things as they can of that colour, inside or outside of the car. The same object cannot be used twice. The player who finds the most in a given time wins.
• First to find: A player comes up with an object to find outside, such as a green car, someone with a beard, a sign with a deer on it, a car with a canoe on the roof, etc. The first to find the object scores a point, and they come up with the next object to find.
• I Spy : A player looks around and chooses an object for the other players to guess. They describe the object with one clue at a time (for example, “I spy with my little eye something beginning with ‘m’”). The other players have to guess what the object is, or ask for another clue, until someone guesses correctly.

Music and podcasts are great for long trips. They can entertain us, ease the frustration of being stuck in traffic, and even teach us fascinating things! Here are a few ideas for activities you can do with music:

• Guess the song: Players take turns humming a tune, and the others have to figure out which song it is. You can also play a variation of this game by clapping the rhythm, whistling the melody, singing part of the song’s lyrics for the others to complete, etc.
• Continue the song: One player starts singing a lyric from a popular song. The other players have to pay attention to the last word sung. The next player’s song has to start with that same word. See how long it takes for someone to get stumped!
• Find a song with . . .: The first player says a word, then the others have to name song titles that contain that word. Whoever gives the most answers wins!
• Name the artist: The first person to name the artist or group when a song comes on the radio wins a point. Keep playing until you reach your destination (or for a set period of time). Whoever has the most points at the end wins.
• Need some quiet time? Play the Quiet Game: Whoever stays silent the longest gets to choose the next game. 😉