1. Add-on storytelling

Storytelling games spark creative thinking and curiosity. They encourage your child’s mind to explore ,and are an easy way to pass time between stop-offs.

Start by creating the first sentence, such as “One day a family went camping in the forest”, and let one of the kids continue. Keep going until everyone has had a turn, adding their own sentence to the sto

ry where the last one left off. Go around as many times as you like, and choose different themes to mix things up. Once they’ve got the hang of it, let the kids pick the first sentence and cue the laughter.

2. Scavenger hunt and journal-jotting

This one requires a little preparation before you set off. Before starting your road trip, create a scavenger hunt list, including things like road signs, animals or other items you’re likely to see on the drive. To make things easier, we have created a   printable scavenger hunt (177KB) which you can use on your next road trip.

Next, give each child their own scavenger hunt list, and let them mark off each item as they see them. Once they’ve finished the hunt, give them a notebook and ask them to write about or draw their favourite items.

3. WA travel quiz

No matter where you’re road-tripping to, a quick travel quiz is a great way to get the kids excited for their holiday. Before setting off, prepare a list of easy to hard questions about the places you’re passing on your road trip (or the place you’re travelling to), and have another passenger read them aloud to the car. Whoever gets the most questions right, wins!

4. Spot the what?

Your kids might know the sound of a fire truck or police car, but do they know what they look like? This game is similar to I-spy, and is played by asking the kids to spot the emergency car.

Start by saying “spot the fire truck/engine” or “spot the police car”. This will encourage the kids to look out their window and find the safety vehicle. After playing, test their knowledge by asking them questions about the emergency car’s colours, or which people sit in which cars. For example, what car would a policeman sit in?

5. Song hummer

Every road trip needs music, right? A fun way to test your kids’ music knowledge is by playing the ‘song hummer’ game. To start, hum the tune of a song and let everyone in the car guess what it is. Try to pick a song that is familiar to your kids, such as a nursery rhyme or the theme song to one of their favourite television shows.

Or if you’ve got older kids, turn the radio on and play ‘name that song’. The first person to guess the song, wins.

6. Crosswalk challenge

When they’re out of the car, it’s important your kids are aware of traffic and their surroundings – so try a crosswalk challenge on your next road trip. Similar to ‘spotto’, in this game the kids will yell out ‘crosswalk!’ when they see white zebra crossing lines on the road. The person who spots the most crossings first, wins.

If there’s a long break between crossings, or you’re travelling on long stretches of regional roads, try quizzing them on safe ways to cross the road. For example, what should you do before crossing?

How do you tell if it’s safe to cross? Should you still look/listen for cars even though you’re at a pedestrian crossing? As an added bonus, offer the kids extra points if they can answer these correctly – and if they can’t, use this opportunity to give them tips about safely crossing roads in the future.

7. Road safety challenge

As you may be on the road for a while, make the most of your driving time by encouraging your kids to brush up on their road safety knowledge with a fun challenge.

In this game, you receive a point every time you spot safe behaviour from someone using the road. This may include a cyclist wearing their helmet, a pedestrian crossing the street at marked zebra lines, or a driver using their indicators correctly. This game is a great way to create awareness about safe road use, and will also encourage kids to learn more about road rules.

8. Exercise challenges

Create some healthy competition on pit stops by competing in fun exercise challenges. Whether it’s jumping jacks, sprints or push-ups, set a target for your chosen movement and whoever reaches it first, wins. If you’ve got plenty of space, hold a running race to let the kids burn off some extra energy.

It’s just as important for drivers to take a break on long road trips – so don’t forget to get involved and get active in this game. Moving around or simply stretching your legs is a great way to increase blood-flow when you’re sitting on long car trips.