Car Ride Activities

Travel by Car Activities

Traveling by car for a summer vacation can be both exciting and exhausting, especially for kids. Create some screen-free activities that help promote language, visual processing, writing, and matching skills. Activities can be easily customized for interests and specific locations. Check out these fun ideas:

Travel Bingo

This simple game has kids looking out for items along the drive. Kids can play alone trying to win bingo (for a prize?) or compete against siblings. Some ideas to include:

Individualize boards for levels with simpler boards for younger children.
Include articulation words for speech practice.
Add pictures of area specific items such as "Welcome to Florida" or "Big Foot Statue"
Use wikisticks rolled in a ball to mark the board with no mess.

I Spy

Play "I Spy" games with family members. One person picks an item outside and gives a clue for others to guess it. For examples, they'll say, "I spy with my little eye something green". The clue can be anything -something.... red, huge, soft, that starts with a K, that is made of wood, that sparkles, etc.

For a more independent game, provide a list that kids can find themselves. Kids can check and/or write what they see that matches the description.

Find and Color

Create a board of things they may see along the journey. Kids can look out their windows to find specific items and color on their board.

Tic Tac Toe

Look for specific items and try to win tic tac toe.

Here is a tic tac toe based on color identification. One person finds a color car ("red!") and marks their board. The next person must choose a different color car and mark the board ("white"). You cannot repeat cars or colors. There are 4 games per page.

This tic tac toe shows different types of vehicles you may see along the road. There are 2 different boards. Kids can each try to make tic tac toe using different boards.

License Plate Game

Look for different license plates. Color each state as you find it. Try to find the most states. (Parents could offer 25 cents per plate for vacation spending money!)