Fun Things to Do on a Road Trip to Stay Entertained

• Plan a mix of activities before you hit the road to avoid boredom miles down the highway.
• Try creative ways to have conversations, enjoy music, and stay active in the car.
• Use simple games that work for any age group to keep everyone involved.
• Include stops and small challenges outside the car when possible.

Sometimes road trips feel longer than they are. You check the time, and hardly any has passed since the last time you checked. But you can make those hours slip by with less effort if you set up a few fun things before the trip and keep an open mind about new activities. This list covers ideas for solo travelers, families, or friends , anyone interested in making the drive feel like part of the adventure.

Music and Audio Entertainment

Music and podcasts are easy choices, but there are ways to make them more engaging on the road.

Create a Group Playlist

Get everyone to add songs to a shared playlist before you leave. If you use streaming apps, some let you collaborate even from different locations. When you play it in the car, it becomes a soundtrack that reflects everyone’s taste.

• Rotate DJs every hour so one person controls the playlist.
• Have a contest to guess the name or artist of a random song.
• Pick a theme (summer, throwbacks, rainy-day songs) for each playlist.

Try an Audio-only Story Game

There are lots of story-based podcasts and audio dramas these days. Choose a series and treat it like an audio book club , pause every so often and discuss what happened.

Driving in silence can be tempting, but an interactive audio story brings everyone together, even if you barely knew each other at the start of the trip.

Road Trip Karaoke

You do not need great voices , honestly, the worse you are, the better it gets. Pass around a tablet or phone and queue up lyric videos.

• Everyone must sing at least once, no matter their confidence.
• Sing duets or have teams for group songs.
• If you feel competitive, keep a tally of best (or worst) performances.

Car Games That Require Nothing But Your Brains

Sometimes you just want games with no equipment. Here are a few that don’t need pen, paper, or electronics.

License Plate Game, Extra Edition

Almost everyone looks for different states. Make it trickier by being the first to spot a specific number (“Let’s all compete to spot the first license plate that contains a 7!”) or look for funny vanity plates.

I Spy

You remember this one. Someone spots an object with their eyes and says, “I spy with my little eye something that is green,” and others take turns guessing.

20 Questions with Themes

Take the usual 20 Questions but pick a theme for each round: movies, famous people, animals, weird roadside attractions.

Simple guessing games can be surprisingly hard when you have been awake for hours and the landscape barely changes. They work because they can be adapted. Adjust rules so they do not get repetitive.

Geography Chain

The first player names a place (city, state, country). The next must name a place starting with the last letter of the previous one. You can make it harder by requiring only places you will drive through or places you want to visit someday.

Food and Snack Activities

Eating is part of traveling, and if you plan it right, it becomes an event.

Snack Taste Tests

Bring a bag of unusual snacks , maybe new flavors of chips or candy bars you have not tried yet. Rate them. Swap reviews. Maybe not every flavor will be a winner.

Build-Your-Own Snack Packs

Instead of pre-packed bags, give every person a small container and access to a mix of options (nuts, crackers, chocolate chips, raisins, etc.). Let them invent their own blend.

Arranging a snack-building contest is more fun with weird combinations. Some people turn these experiments into a game of who can invent the “worst” or most surprising but edible trail mix.

Conversation Starters and Deeper Talks

Road trips can get people talking, but after a few hours, new prompts might help.

• Would You Rather
• What is a job you think you would be terrible at, and why?
• If you had to describe your last week as a movie title, what would it be?

Sometimes people do not want to talk. And that is fine too. But throwing out a few questions can get new stories or jokes rolling.

Road Trip Storytelling Chain

One person begins a story with something like “I once met an ostrich at a gas station because…,” and the next person continues. No matter how silly. Keep going until the story is too wild to continue.

Story games make silence less awkward and help people reveal things in a low-pressure way. You do not have to be a natural comedian; just keep the plot moving.

Stay Active on The Road

A day in the car is tough. Some movement helps.

Rest Stop Challenges

When you stop, do one fun activity before getting back in. Try:

• Race to see who can find the weirdest souvenir in the gas station (with photo evidence)
• Stretching or quick exercises (see who can hold a plank the longest on the grass)
• Toss a frisbee for five minutes if space allows

Competition at breaks is a good antidote for sleepiness. It gives people something to talk about once you are back on the road.

Car Yoga (Seated)

You will not get a full workout, but you can do neck rolls, arm stretches, even seated twists when it is safe to do so.

Take Photos and Keep a Road Trip Journal

These days, everyone has a phone camera, but intentional photos are different from random snaps.

• Challenge: Each person must take one photo of something odd or beautiful every hour.
• Prompt: Document your food at every stop. Rate the coffee at each gas station.
• Mini Journal: Jot down a sentence for every new town or landmark you pass, even if it is just “saw a huge inflatable dinosaur.”

A shared journal (digital or physical) can become a keepsake , and frankly, it can be fun to argue about the best photo or the worst cup of coffee after the trip.

Explore Local Radio and Learn Something New

Tuning into regional radio stations can add surprises: local news, music, or even call-in shows. Sometimes you hear things you would never find back home.

Try a “Fact of the Hour” Game

Set an alarm and every hour, someone looks up or shares one fact about where you currently are. It might be a population number, a weird roadside monument, or the origin of a small town’s name.

There is a lot to learn about local places that you would miss without digging for random facts. It pushes people to be curious and keeps the drive from feeling flat.

Get Hands on With Maps and Route Planning

Even with GPS, printed maps or paper atlases can turn navigation into a group effort.

• See who can spot odd town names you pass.
• Vote on the next food or coffee detour using the map.
• Make predictions: How long will it take to the next border or landmark?

If you want to keep people involved, hand out different trip roles, like navigator or snack manager, and have them switch every couple of hours.

Scavenger Hunts from Your Window

Before you go, make a list of things to look for outside the car.

• A water tower shaped like something unexpected
• A billboard advertising a local festival
• A herd of cows or other animals
• Someone outside with a sign or costume

Whoever gets the most points by a scheduling checkpoint wins a snack, chooses the next playlist, or picks the next game.

Puzzles, Coloring, and Creative Work

Even with bumpy roads, hands-on tasks can help pass time.

• Pocket-sized puzzles or fidget toys for adults and kids
• Travel coloring books with pencils (markers can be risky in a moving car)
• Write postcards, even if you plan to hand them over at home instead of mailing

A personal favorite: small crossword or logic puzzle books. Not everyone likes word games, but for some, they are the fastest way to make hours disappear.

Plan Side Trips and Mini Adventures

Having a flexible schedule is a luxury, but it means you can fit in a small detour without too much stress.

• Pick out one weird or curious place to visit for every four or five hours of driving
• Try to find a roadside stand selling local specialties , you might find homemade jerky or fresh fruit
• Take a walk in a random park or nature loop, even if it is only 15 minutes long

Not every trip has room for major detours, but small changes add stories to share later.

Bring Technology, but Don’t Rely on It

Streaming video, games, or trivia apps on a tablet can help , just do not let screens swallow all the interaction.

Try Downloaded Trivia Apps or Offline Mad Libs

Pick games that support pass-and-play or can be done with groups.

Sometimes devices are the only thing that calms kids , or adults , for a half hour. That is not a failure. Just try to blend screen-based and non-screen fun.

Final Blockquote Wraps

A road trip is a perfect mix of planned fun, happy surprises, and sometimes, small disasters. Expect the unexpected and you will probably discover something interesting about both the road and the people you are traveling with.