The Car Journey Survival Guide: Games That Don't Involve Screens

"Are we there yet?" No. But here are 47 ways to make the next hour bearable—without anyone throwing up or throwing punches.

There's a specific kind of optimism that possesses parents before a long car journey.

"It'll be fine," you think. "We'll play games. We'll chat. It'll be quality family time."

Forty-five minutes later, someone's crying, someone else is kicking the seat, the toddler has dropped their snack into an unreachable crevice, and you're seriously considering whether you can legally leave children at a service station.

The problem isn't the journey. It's the lack of a plan for the journey.

This is that plan: a comprehensive arsenal of screen-free car games, organised by age, energy level, and desperation. Plus the stuff nobody tells you about motion sickness, sibling warfare, and why timing matters more than entertainment.

Part 1: The Motion Sickness Rules

Before we get to games, let's address the thing that ruins car journeys faster than anything else: vomit.

Motion sickness affects roughly 1 in 3 children (and plenty of adults). Even kids who don't usually get sick can succumb on winding roads, in hot cars, or when they're tired.

The golden rules:

What Makes It Worse

Looking down – Reading, colouring, screens, anything that focuses eyes on something inside the car
Sitting in the back middle seat – Worst view, most motion
Hot, stuffy air – Keep the car cool and ventilated
Strong smells – Air fresheners, food, fuel
Empty stomachs – Counterintuitively, hunger makes nausea worse
Full stomachs – But so does a huge meal right before travel

What Makes It Better

Looking at the horizon – Eyes on distant, stable points
Fresh air – Windows cracked, air con on
Front seat (if age-appropriate) – Better view, less motion sensation
Frequent breaks – Every 90 minutes minimum
Ginger – Ginger biscuits, ginger ale, crystallised ginger
Wristbands – Sea-Bands work for some kids
Timing – Travel during nap time when possible

The Practical Implication for Games

This means: no games that require looking down.

No colouring books. No card games. No activity books. No "find the hidden picture" puzzles.

Every game in this guide is eyes-up, looking-out-the-window, or imagination-based. They're not just screen-free—they're sick-bag-free.

Part 2: The Sibling Warfare Prevention Protocol

The other journey-killer: fighting.

Siblings in close proximity, strapped in, unable to escape each other, bored—it's basically a laboratory for conflict.

Structural solutions:

The Physical Setup

Middle seat stays empty – If you have two kids and three back seats, put one behind each front seat. The gap prevents poking, kicking, and "they're looking at me"
Clear territory – Each child has their own footwell, their own window, their own snack bag
Headphones available – Even without screens, audiobooks and music through individual headphones create personal space

The Psychological Setup

Team games, not competitive games – Games where siblings work together cause less friction than games where they compete
Turn-taking structures – "Whoever spots it first" games cause arguments. "It's your turn to look" games don't
Separate activities available – Sometimes the answer is "you do your thing, they do their thing, no interaction required"

The Intervention Protocol

When fighting starts despite your best efforts:

One warning – "If this continues, we're pulling over and sitting in a lay-by until everyone's calm"
Follow through – Actually pull over. Actually sit there. It only takes once
Separate activities – Fighting kids get headphones and no shared games for 30 minutes
Strategic snacks – Hungry kids fight more. Sometimes the argument is actually about blood sugar

Part 3: The Games Arsenal

Organised by category, with age recommendations and energy levels. Pick based on your current situation.

Category 1: Classic Road Trip Games (All Ages)

These have survived generations for a reason. They work.

I Spy

Ages: 4+
Energy: Low
How: "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with..."
Pro tip: For younger kids, use colours instead of letters ("something green")
Variation: "I spy something you can only see for a moment" forces everyone to look out the window

20 Questions

Ages: 6+
Energy: Low-Medium
How: One person thinks of something. Others ask yes/no questions to guess it
Pro tip: Set categories for younger kids (animals, food, people we know)
Variation: "Celebrity 20 Questions" for older kids—they think of a famous person

The Alphabet Game

Ages: 5+
Energy: Medium
How: Spot things outside starting with A, then B, then C...
Pro tip: Work as a team rather than competing—less fighting
Variation: Use road signs only, or licence plates only

The Number Plate Game

Ages: 7+
Energy: Low
How: Make words or phrases from the letters on number plates (BD51 XKF = "Big Dogs Exercise Kilted Frogs")
Pro tip: Sillier is better. Award points for making everyone laugh

Pub Cricket

Ages: 6+
Energy: Low
How: One team takes the left side of the road, one takes the right. Count the "legs" on pub signs (The White Horse = 4 legs, The Three Crowns = 0 legs). First to 50 wins
Pro tip: Explain what counts as legs before you start (birds? people?)
Works best: On A-roads and through villages. Motorways have no pubs

Category 2: Imagination Games (Ages 5+)

No equipment, no looking down, pure creativity.

The Story Game

Energy: Medium
How: One person starts a story with one sentence. Next person adds a sentence. Continue around the car
Pro tip: Add a rule—every third sentence must include something you can see out the window
Variation: "Fortunately/Unfortunately"—alternate between good and bad things happening to the character

Would You Rather?

Energy: Low-Medium
How: Pose impossible choices. "Would you rather have a tail or wings?"
Pro tip: Let kids ask the questions—their choices are often more creative than yours
Variation: Make them holiday-themed ("Would you rather go to the beach every day or the mountains every day?")

Two Truths and a Lie

Energy: Low
How: Each person says three things about themselves—two true, one false. Others guess the lie
Pro tip: Works surprisingly well for learning new things about your own kids
Best for: Longer journeys where you've exhausted other options

The "What If?" Game

Energy: Low-Medium
How: Ask hypothetical questions and discuss answers. "What if animals could talk—which animal would be the rudest?"
Pro tip: Resist the urge to make it educational. Silly is better
Examples: "What if you woke up invisible?" "What if it rained sweets?" "What if grown-ups had to go to school?"

The Radio Game

Energy: Medium
How: Turn on the radio. First person to correctly predict the next word in the song wins a point
Pro tip: Use stations that play well-known songs
Variation: Instead of predicting, make up alternative lyrics

Category 3: Observation Games (All Ages, Window-Focused)

These keep eyes up and looking out—perfect for motion sickness prevention.

Car Bingo

Ages: 4+
Energy: Medium
How: Before the journey, call out 10 things to spot (red car, lorry, bridge, cow, church, etc.). First to spot all 10 wins
Pro tip: Adjust difficulty by age—easy items for young kids, rare items for older ones
Variation: Print bingo cards before you go, or just remember a verbal list

Colour Car Count

Ages: 3+
Energy: Low
How: Each person picks a colour. Count how many cars of your colour you see in 5 minutes
Pro tip: Let the youngest pick first (they always want red, and red is common)
Variation: Count lorries, motorbikes, or caravans instead

Yellow Car

Ages: 4+
Energy: Medium-High
How: Spot yellow cars. Shout "yellow car!" when you see one. Different families have different rules about what happens next
Warning: This game can get loud and competitive. Set ground rules
Variation: Some families play that you get to gently punch your sibling (we don't recommend this)

The Quiet Game (Observation Edition)

Ages: 5+
Energy: Low (very low)
How: Everyone stays silent until they spot something from a predetermined list (police car, horse, person waving, etc.)
Pro tip: Yes, this is partly a trick to get silence. It still counts as a game
Duration: Usually 5-10 minutes before someone cracks

Motorway Bingo

Ages: 6+
Energy: Low
How: Specific to motorway journeys—spot: Eddie Stobart lorry, caravan, foreign number plate, broken-down car, police car, motorbike with sidecar, horse box...
Pro tip: Make an actual list of 20 items, tick them off as you go, see how many you get before your destination

Category 4: Music and Rhythm Games (All Ages)

Good for energy release and group bonding.

Name That Tune

Ages: 4+
Energy: Medium
How: Hum or "la la la" a song. Others guess what it is
Pro tip: Use songs everyone knows—theme tunes work well
Variation: Tap the rhythm on the dashboard instead of humming

The Singing Game

Ages: 5+
Energy: Medium-High
How: One person sings a line from a song. The next person must sing a line from a different song that starts with the last word (or a word in the last line) of the previous song
Pro tip: Allow "passes" for younger kids
Example: "Let it go, let it go..." → "Go Johnny go, go go..."

Finish the Lyric

Ages: 6+
Energy: Medium
How: Sing a song and stop suddenly. The next person has to sing the next line
Pro tip: Use songs from movies everyone's seen
Variation: Get it wrong on purpose—kids love correcting parents

The Rhythm Game

Ages: 4+
Energy: Low-Medium
How: One person claps a rhythm. Everyone else copies. Make it progressively harder
Pro tip: Let kids take turns being the rhythm leader
Variation: Add sounds—claps, clicks, thigh slaps

Category 5: Word Games (Ages 7+)

For older kids and longer journeys when you want something more challenging.

The Minister's Cat

Ages: 7+
Energy: Low
How: "The minister's cat is an ANGRY cat" → "The minister's cat is a BASHFUL cat" → through the alphabet
Pro tip: Add a rhythm—clap between each turn to keep pace
Variation: Use other categories (adjectives about animals, types of food, etc.)

Word Association

Ages: 6+
Energy: Low
How: One person says a word. Next person says the first word that comes to mind. Continue
Pro tip: Speed makes it harder and funnier
Variation: "Opposite word"—say the opposite of the previous word

Ghost

Ages: 9+
Energy: Low
How: Players take turns adding letters to build towards a word without completing it. If you complete a word, you lose. If you add a letter that can't lead to a real word, you can be challenged
Pro tip: This is surprisingly addictive for older kids
Example: A → AT → ATT → ATTE... (trying to make "attention" without finishing a shorter word)

The Category Game (Scattergories style)

Ages: 8+
Energy: Low-Medium
How: Pick a category (countries, foods, animals). Pick a letter. Take turns naming things in that category starting with that letter until someone can't
Pro tip: Allow challenges if someone names something questionable
Variation: One person picks category, another picks letter—prevents gaming the system

Hypothetical Headlines

Ages: 10+
Energy: Medium
How: Create fake newspaper headlines about your journey. "Local family survives three-hour journey with only one service station stop"
Pro tip: Award points for creativity, silliness, or accuracy
Best for: Older kids with good senses of humour

Category 6: Physical Games (Without Leaving the Car)

For when energy needs releasing but you can't stop.

Hand Slaps (Cooperative Edition)

Ages: 6+
Energy: Medium
How: Stack hands on top of each other (works between front seat passenger and back seat child). Bottom hand slaps to the top. Build speed
Pro tip: This is about coordination, not violence. Keep it gentle
Caution: Not for the driver

Thumb Wrestling

Ages: 5+
Energy: Medium
How: Classic thumb wrestling, works between adjacent passengers
Pro tip: Tournament brackets for longer journeys
Caution: Keep it friendly—this can escalate

The Copying Game

Ages: 3+
Energy: Medium
How: One person makes a gesture or movement (within seatbelt constraints). Others copy exactly
Pro tip: Let the youngest lead—they love having power
Variation: Add sounds to make it harder

Part 4: The Journey Structure

Games alone don't save a journey. Structure does.

The 90-Minute Rule

Most children (and adults) need a break every 90 minutes maximum. This isn't optional—it's biological. Build stops into your journey plan, not as emergencies but as scheduled events.

Sample 3-Hour Journey Structure:

Time	Activity
0-15 mins	Settling in, snack distribution, choosing first game
15-45 mins	Active game (I Spy, Colour Car Count)
45-60 mins	Quieter game (Story Game, Would You Rather)
60-75 mins	Audiobook/music break
75-90 mins	Stretch stop (service station, lay-by, anywhere with toilets)
90-105 mins	Active game (new one, not repeat)
105-120 mins	Independent quiet time (looking out window, resting)
120-150 mins	Word games or conversation
150-180 mins	Final push, snacks, "nearly there" energy

The Key Principles:

Alternate energy levels – High energy game → low energy game → break
Don't repeat games – Even good games get stale. Move on
Have more games than you need – You won't use them all, but you need options
Build in "nothing" time – Some minutes should just be quiet looking out the window
Save a "trump card" – One special game or treat for the final desperate stretch

Part 5: The Emergency Toolkit

Keep these in the car for journey emergencies:

The Physical Kit:

Sick bags (dog poo bags work, weirdly)
Wet wipes
Kitchen roll
Change of clothes for each child (in sealed bag)
Empty carrier bags for rubbish
Blanket (for cold, or for covering sick child)
Sunshade for windows

The Snack Kit:

Dry, non-crumbly snacks (raisins, crackers)
No chocolate (melts, mess)
No oranges (smell can trigger sickness)
Ginger biscuits (help with nausea)
Water (not juice—less sticky when spilled)

The Entertainment Backup:

Audiobook downloaded and ready
Playlist everyone agreed on before departure
One physical item per child (small toy, book for when car is stationary)

The Journey Is Part of the Day

Here's a mindset shift worth making:

The car journey isn't dead time between home and fun. It's part of the day out.

When you plan it properly—games ready, stops scheduled, snacks packed—the journey becomes something the kids look forward to, not endure.

Some of our best family conversations happen in the car. Some of our silliest games. Some of our most unexpected bonding.

The key is treating it as part of the plan, not an obstacle to the plan.

Let Us Plan the Destination

You handle the journey. We'll handle where you're going.

The School Holiday Planner generates day-by-day itineraries based on your location, your kids' ages, and your budget. We'll tell you what to do when you get there—including how long it takes, whether you need to book, and what the backup is if plans change.

You arrive knowing exactly what the day holds.

Generate your half-term plan

Got a favourite car game we've missed? Let us know—we're always adding to the arsenal.