Alphabet Game
The alphabet game is a traditional road trip game that can be played on a school bus. Divide the students into teams. Teams may consist of the left-hand side of the bus vs. the right-hand side of the bus, or they may be comprised of quarters of the bus. Instruct the teams to utilize road signs, store names and billboards. They will start with "A" and go in alphabetical order. The only words that count are words that begin with the designated alphabet letter. For example, a fruit stand on the side of the road may have a sign that reads, "Apples and Cherries" and the "Apple" will count for "A." The first team that finds all the letters in the alphabet is the winner.
Another way to play this game is to require the teams find three items that start with each letter. Begin with "A," and the team that finds the three items first chooses the next letter. This version doesn't require following the standard alphabetical order. For example, the team that finds the three "A" items first could choose "S" as the next letter.
Counting Game
Many people count cows, but you can choose any item for the students to count. For example, if the school trip is driving through the city, then choose an item such as "red cars." Divide the students into two teams, left-hand and right-hand sides. They must count the items out loud to get credit for them. The team that counts the most items by the time you reach the destination is the winner.
Bus Bingo
This is a fun game that helps pass the time quickly. Prepare for it before the school bus trip begins. In the classroom, give each student a sheet of paper with empty grid boxes (nine to 12 empty boxes). On the chalkboard, write down items you expect to see on the bus trip. Examples include stop signs, traffic lights, other school buses, churches, schools, cows, trees and more. Instruct the students to choose items and write them in the blank grid boxes in whatever order they prefer. Ask them to bring the bingo cards and crayons on the bus. During the trip, call out items from the list when spotted. The students' goal is to complete full rows (vertical, horizontal or diagonal) by marking the sheets with the crayons.