8 min read
In this article
A little preparation
Children stay in an appropriate car seat or restraint for the whole journey, and the adult driving should not read clues, hand out items or judge a fast-moving game. If you are travelling with two adults, the passenger can lead the game; if you are alone, choose games that your child can play with only your voice and an occasional answer. Make sure any item, such as a soft toy or a clipboard, is lightweight and cannot become a missile in a sudden stop.
Keep the volume low and the pace slow. Agree a signal, such as a quiet please, that means the driver needs silence, and treat it as part of the game rather than a punishment. Plan a few short games rather than one long one, and have a snack or a drink ready for the gaps. If your child is travel sick, stop and let them look at the horizon; screens or reading are not a good idea. If you have two children of different ages in the back, let the older one choose the game on alternate turns so that both feel they have a say, and keep any answers short so nobody has to shout over the engine.
Ideas to try together
Destination inventor
Inventing a place with three features gives passengers a shared project. Each person adds an idea, and the story can stop at any moment. It builds imagination and the habit of building on someone else's idea, and no one has to say the right thing.
You’ll need
- Your voices
- Optional notepad on the passenger's lap
How to do it
- Choose an imaginary place, such as a mountain made of jelly.
- Give it three features, such as a staircase, a lake and a bakery.
- Ask your child how a friendly character would travel there.
- Add a feature to the story and let your child add another.
- Pause when the driver needs quiet and pick up again later.
- End with a name for the place.
Make it your own: Younger children can add a single feature by name. Older children can describe a map of the place or invent a problem for the character. Keep it flexible: if a game fizzles out, simply move on to a different one rather than trying to rescue it.
Category picnic
Packing a pretend picnic is a gentle way to practise listening and recall. Children name a food, and each person adds a new one, which trains memory in a relaxed way. It does not need to be a strict list: drawing, saying or pointing all count.
You’ll need
- Your voices
- A soft toy as the picnic guest
How to do it
- Say that you are packing a picnic for a soft toy.
- Name one food, such as an apple.
- Let your child add another food.
- Repeat the foods you have so far, with help if needed.
- Add a drink, a blanket or a game.
- Finish by saying what the soft toy will eat first.
Make it your own: Younger children can add one food each turn and skip the repeat. Older children can try an alphabet picnic with foods starting with each letter. Keep it flexible: if a game fizzles out, simply move on to a different one rather than trying to rescue it.
Would you choose?
Offering two gentle imaginary choices invites children to give a reason for their preference. There is no right answer, which makes it a relaxed conversation starter, and it helps children practise expressing opinions politely. Because the options are imaginary, a child who is tired can answer with a single word, and a talkative one can invent whole rooms and rules for the place they picked. It also teaches children that two people can like different things and still enjoy the same conversation.
You’ll need
- Your voices
How to do it
- Offer two choices, such as a treehouse library or an underwater garden.
- Ask your child which they would choose.
- Ask what they would do first in the place they picked.
- Share your own choice and reason.
- Make up a new pair of choices together.
- End with a choice for what to eat tonight.
Make it your own: Younger children can point at one of two pictures or say one word. Older children can compare the two choices and say why a friend might choose differently. Keep it flexible: if a game fizzles out, simply move on to a different one rather than trying to rescue it.
Sound detective
Making a quiet familiar sound and asking for a guess sharpens listening. Children also learn to describe where they might hear a sound, which builds vocabulary and imagination. Sounds from the kitchen, the farm or the zoo are good starting points, and a child who guesses wrongly often invents a funnier answer, which is part of the fun. It keeps eyes free for the window and hands free for the seatbelt.
You’ll need
- Your voices
How to do it
- The passenger makes a quiet sound, such as a gentle tick-tock.
- The child guesses what it is.
- Ask where they might hear it, such as in a kitchen or on a farm.
- Offer a hint if they are unsure, such as it lives on a wall.
- Swap roles so the child makes a sound for you to guess.
- Finish with a sound that you both like.
Make it your own: Younger children can choose from two sounds. Older children can make two sounds in a row and ask you to guess the order. Keep it flexible: if a game fizzles out, simply move on to a different one rather than trying to rescue it.
Colour and shape hunt
Looking for shapes and colours on the roadside turns the window into a picture book. Children practise naming and comparing, and the game can pause at any moment. It works best with a gentle pace and no scoring.
You’ll need
- A window seat
- Optional paper and crayon to record finds
How to do it
- Choose a shape, such as a circle.
- Look for round things outside, such as wheels or signs.
- Tell your driver what you see only when it is a quiet moment.
- Take turns naming a thing you spot.
- Change the shape to a rectangle or a triangle.
- Draw the best find on a small tray when you stop.
Make it your own: Younger children can search for one colour only. Older children can find something for each shape in a list of four. Keep it flexible: if a game fizzles out, simply move on to a different one rather than trying to rescue it.
Make it work for your family
Avoid games that pressure children to spot something at the last second. A cooperative noticing game can pause whenever attention is needed elsewhere, and nobody loses points for missing something. If your child gets restless, switch to a different kind of game: a quiet one after a lively one, or a drawing game after a talking game.
On long journeys, give your child a say in what to play next. They often have favourites, and a well-loved game can last longer than a new one. For more ideas, see these bus games for kids and some airplane activities that also work on car journeys, or try a few guessing games with no props at all. A small tin of surprises, such as a sticker book or a soft puppet, can rescue a long motorway stretch, though it should be something your child can hold safely and does not need to be picked up from the floor.
Parents also ask
What are good car games for toddlers?
Simple singing, naming things from the window and a soft toy to talk to work well. Keep games short and offer a snack. Avoid small items that can be dropped or swallowed, and keep the child safely buckled in.
Can the driver play car games with children?
The driver should only join with spoken answers when it is safe and should not read clues or watch objects. If you are alone, choose simple voice games and pause when you need to concentrate.
How do I stop children getting bored on a long car journey?
Offer a mix of quiet and active games, have snacks and drinks ready, and plan short stops for movement. Let children choose games, and avoid trying to fill every minute.
Choose materials and activities that suit your child, supervise as needed and adapt the ideas to their interests and abilities. About our editorial approach
