Got any family vacations or road trips coming up? Keep everyone sane and having fun together with this monster list of screen-free travel games and activities!
**Links in this post may be affiliate links. This means that if you click that link and purchase the product, I may receive a small compensation. I am, however, committed to honestly assessing the products mentioned. Please read my disclosure policy for more details. **
As a kid, teenager, and young adult, I LOVED road trips. Give me a book (or two… or five) and some snacks, and I could ride for hours. And then… I had kids. And it got really un-fun for a while. Anything beyond an hour or two was sanity-stretching for everyone involved.
Now that my kids are older and can travel longer distances, it’s getting better and – dare I say it? – fun, even!
If we’re going to be traveling longer than a couple of hours, we let them watch a movie in the vehicle. Since we only do it on long trips, it’s a total treat! The rest of the time, however, we keep it screen-free. It’s books, activities, and family conversation, baby!
Before your next big family adventure, be sure to check out the following list of travel games and activities. These screen-free ideas will keep everyone occupied, make the travel time pass quickly, and help you make the most of your time together!
Related Post: 10 Ways to Keep Kids Occupied While Waiting
50 Screen-Free Travel Games & Activities
Got any family vacations or road trips on your summer agenda? You do NOT want to travel with kids without this blog post in your back pocket. Keep everyone sane and having fun with this monster list of screen-free travel games and activities!
1. Read-alouds — Here are some of our favorite family read-aloud books.
2. Audiobooks — Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks.
3. Podcasts — Here are our favorite podcasts for kids.
4. Busy Bags — Fill them with paper, markers/crayons/colored pencils, stickers, activity books, scratch art notebooks, road trip printables, etc.
5. Sketchbooks & Journals
6. Alphabet Game — Find items that start with each letter of the alphabet.
7. License Plate Game — See how many different states’ license plates you can spot.
8. Dry Erase Board & Markers
9. Crayola Travel Kits and Art-to-Go
10. Track Your Travels — Print out a map of your travel route (or pick up a state paper map) and let your kids track your progress as you drive.
11. I Spy — “I spy something… [green, red, purple, etc.]”
12. Family Sing-Alongs — Belt out your favorite tunes together.
14. Plan out your travel activities — Bust out your travel guides, Google your destination, and make a vacation game plan as a family.
15. Make up stories together — You can use these Story Cubes or the creative writing prompts in the Super Summer Learning Kit.
16. Simple knitting/crochet projects
17. Paint-by-Sticker and other sticker books
18. Card Games
20. 20 Questions
21. Wikki Stix and Wikki Stix Traveler
23. Mad Libs
25. “Shotgun!” Road Trip Game and “Shotgun!” Junior
26. Fortunately, Unfortunately Game
28. Bracelet Making
31. Origami
32. Travel BINGO
33. IQ Fit
35. Finger Puzzles
36. Travel Tangrams
39. Magnetic Tins
40. Water WOW books
41. Traffic Jam/Rush Hour Game
43. Guess in 10 Game
44. Spirograph
46. Cat’s Cradle
47. Travel LEGO (if you’re feeling brave!)
48. Magnets on a cookie sheet
49. Magic Snakes
50. Talk to each other — You can use these 50 Family Conversation Starters!
Other Helpful Tools for Traveling With Kids
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
- Mom Genius Tips for Traveling With Kids
- Tips & Tools for the Best Family Picnics
- 50 Backyard Activities For Family Fun All Summer Long
- What to Put In Your Family First Aid Kit
- 30+ Movies to Watch As a Family
Share your thoughts!