7 Of The Best Games To Play In The Car With Your Kids This Holiday

“Moooooooooom! Are we theeeeeeere yeeeeeeet?!” Oh, driving in the car with young children, it’s an absolute joy – an absolute joy. Well, it can be, with a little clever planning.

With the school holidays fast approaching, we thought it best to ensure that your road trip travels are as smooth and “are we there yet?!” question-free (well, as much as it possibly could be) while on the road.

Games To Play In The Car have definitely moved on since “Eye Spy” *thank goodness* but we also know that you don’t want the little ones glued to a tablet or phone for the entire journey. Kilometers of tarred road is an opportunity for the kids to flex their creative juices and get the ol’ imagination kicking into gear!

So, to get this super fun road trip underway we suggest you come prepared with the following:

• Some paper

• Crayons or pencils 

• A few printables (enough for the trip back too!)
• And snacks, lots and lots of snacks (don’t forget the water bottles either!)

Time to hit the road! 🚗

1. The License Plate Game!
This game is best-suited for the little ones who are old enough to read or are at least able to associate letters enough to spot the differences on license plates.

How It Works:

This game is sure to keep little eyes glued to the road for a good amount of time…

Each time one of the kids spots a license plate from a different province, they need to colour it in on a map of South Africa or draw a small car for the number of cars seen.

What You’ll Need:

• Crayons or colouring pencils
• Printed map of South Africa with the province outlines

The best part of this game? It’s super FUN and is really a mini, car geography lesson – bonus!

There is so much on offer at Wonderdal, it’s surely the perfect way to keep the whole family entertained. Our tickets sell quickly, so don’t miss out. Click 👉 here to book a spot for the kids online, 👉 here to book a spot for the kids online.

2. Car Bingo! 🚗

Image source: Crazy Little Projects

(Ummmm, can moms and dads get in on that action too?!)

Another stash of printables comes in handy here!

The game of Car Bingo is based on what your kids spot on the road…

How It Works:

The kids mark off a square once they spy a stop sign, a blue car, or any other objects that are on the list. The first one to complete the grid, WINS!

What You’ll Need:

• Car Bingo printables – you can find some for download, here.
• A clipboard
• A crayon or khoki pen (if you’re feeling brave with those sort of possible stains)
• You’ll probably need a little prize on hand, you know, to keep the little ones sweet.

3. Popsicle Stick Playing Cards *this is so clever*

Image source: Good Housekeeping

This is a great game to play with older kids, although it should be noted that it will probably lead to one or two (or all of them), requesting a popsicle en-route (plan your pitstops accordingly).

How It Works:

This makes playing cards in the car super, super easy! Feel free to play any card game you wish, as you are simply swopping out cardboard-style cards, with more durable and road trip-friendly alternatives, made from popsicle sticks!

What You’ll Need: 

• Popsicle Sticks (be eco-friendly, collect and wash them. OR you’ll find them at your local craft store)
• A black felt-tip pen
• Making sure you have a full-deck of popsicle “cards”.

We see plenty of “Go Fish” in your road trip future! You can find some popsicle stick playing card inspo, here!

If you are in Cape Town over the holidays, look no further than, Wonderdal. A one of a kind kids interactive edutainment centre, where all the FUN happens 👏. Click  👉 here to find out more.

4. Baby / Toddler Activity Tray

Image source: I heart arts and crafts

If you’ll be travelling with super tiny little ones, don’t worry, we have another great game to play in the car/ idea that will keep those curious little minds and hands stimulated too. This is best done with an adult sitting at the back – for supervision.

How It Works:

Create your own activity table, made by spray painting a baking tray with child-friendly, non-toxic blackboard spray paint. This can then be set on a toddler’s car seat lap tray, along with a juice bottle (because discovering is thirsty work) and some chalk!

What You’ll Need:

• A baking tray
• Non-toxic blackboard spray paint
• Chalk
• Extra-large puzzle magnets (appropriately-sized to avoid choking)
• Some wet wipes – for mom or dad to wipe down

For a detailed description of how to do it, click here...

5. The Word Association Game
This is a great game to play in the car that really gets the entire family involved! Although we do suggest that mom and dad probably have their mug of coffee first – you know, added brainpower and all that.

How It Works: 

Start with any word (it can be anything…). Ask the kids to play along by saying words that connect to the word you chose…

Example: Tree-leaf-green-grass-cow-milk-ice cream-beach (and on it goes! )

Take a look here for a few other cool examples!

6. I Am An Animal! (this is one we created)

Another super FUN game to get those brains working! This is brilliant to develop critical thinking, patience, as well as teaching little ones about the natural world.

How It Works:

Start by choosing an animal and providing some basic information:

• Are you big or small?
• Where do you live (habitat)?
• What do you eat? (Herbivore, Omnivore or Carnivore?)
• Are you a reptile or a mammal?

Example:

I am tall. I  live in the grasslands and eat leaves

The guesses will start flying in: Kudu? Waterbuck? Springbok?

If the kids still aren’t able to guess the name of the animal, provide a few more clues…

I have a tall neck

I have a black tongue

I am a giraffe

Every player gets a turn (the time-length will vary per player, depending on age). Best you start building up some animal general knowledge!

7. 20 Questions!
Children under a certain age definitely have a knack for asking a question, within a question, within a question – ALL. DAY. LONG. 😐

We figured that all of that question asking might as well be turned into some games to play in the car!

Enter 20 Questions…

How It Works:

• One player thinks of a person, place, or object.
• The others take turns asking yes-or-no questions;
• After each question, they get a guess about what/where/who it is.
• If they don’t solve it after 20 questions, they lose.

Aaaaaaand the loop of it starting all over again will begin! But it isn’t all bad if you steer the conversation to topics that are of interest:

• Superheroes
• Sport
• Favourite foods

Now that you’re sorted with the entertainment aspect for your next School Holiday road trip (we told you we would provide you with an EPIC list of Games To Play In The Car) – all that’s left to sort out is the driving schedule and the snack or padkos basket!

Safe Holiday Travels x 

Wonderdal has no shortage of fun-filled activities to keep your little ones entertained and having fun this holiday. Don’t delay, click 👉 here to book your tickets now.