How to Create Your Own Car Game for Kids

Use the materials that you have. Some of the most enjoyable car games don't require pre-prepared materials or store-bought items. For example, you can use the atlas in your car to have your kids pick destinations that they'd like to visit, and allow other people in the car to guess where they'd go using 20 yes or no questions. You can also do this with an item from the glove compartment. Ask the kids to guess where you bought it, how much it cost and what it's for.

Use your surroundings in a new way. You don't need to have kids look for license plates from various states or different models of cars, as kids are used to those games. Instead, for example, you can have kids make up stories and backgrounds about the passengers in the cars you pass, based solely on a quick glance at them. The kid who thinks up the most interesting story wins the game. You can also do this with the houses you pass.

Use your car's interior not just for driving, but as the springboard for a game for the kids. For example, for kids around ages 3 to 7 who aren't well acquainted with the parts of a car, point to a button or switch on the interior of the car. The kid who can first say what that button or switch does correctly wins a point. Or you can play a song on the radio, and have kids think of new lyrics to the melody. The kid with the best new lyrics wins.

Prepare simple materials before the trip begins. Write down clues or riddles on little strips of paper, and hide them in the seat pockets of the car or in between the cushions of the backseat and other various places. Write down anything that you think will pique the interest of your kids. The kids have to solve the riddle or explain the significance of the clue. If they do they get a prize.