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Planning a summer road trip? Don’t get bored on the open road! Instead pass the time with these 10 Road Trip Games and Activities for Couples!
I LOVE taking road trips! For me, road trips are thrilling and super exciting. I guess it is just thrill that I can hop in my car and hit the road whenever my heart desires and explore the unknown. Or maybe it is the fact I do some of my best thinking and planning when I am alone in the car.
But despite the fact that I love to travel, especially by car, doesn’t mean everyone does. In fact, I think most people loath road trips because they can seem so long, tedious and boring. Since we take road trips all.the.time, with several planned later this summer and fall, I thought I would share some of our favorite activities and games that help pass the time… because let’s face it, even though I love the “adventure” the open road brings, after several hours in the car you need a little something to help pass the time! 🙂
The following games and activities are more geared to couples, but could really be enjoyed by an entire car load of adults. Pick one or two or do them all depending on how long your drive is! Have fun and get to know each other!
Road Trip Games For Adults:
Name That Tune: This is probably our favorite road trip game because we are huge music fanatics! The idea is simple- in the first 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. seconds of the song you try to guess the song name and/or artist. Sometimes if we are on point with planing our trip, we will each create our own “name that tune” road trip CD or playlist and take turns listing to each others’ and guessing. However, this game can easily be played by putting your playlist on shuffle or by listening to the radio. If you choose, you can keep score by seeing who can guess the song correctly the fastest, who can get the most right in a set amount of time or who can name the correct song title AND artiest.
Storytelling: This “game” can seem silly, but is so fun, especially with a lot of people. One way to play is to download or purchase a book of “fill in the blank” short stories (the ones where you fill in a random verb, adjective, noun, etc. before reading the story). You can find fun simple ones based on themes or even create your own. Another option is to dream up a story about the people in the car next to you. Let your imagination run wild! Who are they? Where are they going? Etc. You could even each take turns and each say a sentence of the story.
Puzzle Books and Word Games: Puzzle books are typically for one person, however, you can make them fun for two by trying to solve crossword puzzles or riddles together by reading the clues allowed.
A to Z: I play this game all the time with my students, but it is just as fun for adults! The object of the game is to try and name a word that starts with each letter of the alphabet in a particular category. For example if the category is fruit, each person names a fruit starting first with the letter A (apple, apricot, etc.). After each person names one, then move onto the next letter, B (banana, blueberries, etc.), you keep going until someone gets stuck and can’t name a fruit with the next letter. For kids I keep categories simple and basic, but for adults you could name fruit, vegetables, flowers, countries, boy names, girl names, brands, bands, movies, etc.
Guess Who or 20 Questions: Both of these are guessing games based on clues. For Guess Who, one person thinks of a person (famous, historical, family member, etc.). The other person can ask 10 yes or no questions to try and figure out who the person is. Example questions: Do I know this person? Is this person male or female? Is this person a celebrity? Etc. For 20 Questions, one person thinks of a person, place or thing. The other person has 20 questions they can ask, with the answer being yes, no, sometimes, usually or rarely. Start with general questions at first, like have we been there? Is it bigger than a mouse? Etc. And then ask more specific questions.
Road Trip Activities for Adults:
Podcasts and Audio Books: Both of these are great for long road trips! As you get ready for a road trip, pick an audio book that you will both enjoy. There are many apps that allow you to listen to audio books directly from your phone, as well as many options available at libraries and for purchase. I personally like podcasts better for traveling with someone else, because they tend to be shorter (usually 30 minutes to one hour) and about current events; thus creating conversation starters after the podcast is over.
Road Trip Conversation Starters: Not only is the open road a great place to think, it is a great place to for an in-depth conversation. Talking to another passenger, about serious topics or fun, silly questions; is a great way to not only bond but pass the time. I created a fun printable that has some great road trip conversation starters for couples. Some of these may be topics never discussed, while others may have been discussed before but due to life, the answers may have changed. Click here to download and print this free printable for your next road trip.
Trivia: Driving into the unknown? Visiting a bucket list destination? Look up trivia and fun facts about your travel destination, before you hit the open road, and print to read allowed while en-route.
Stop and Smell the Flowers (Literally!): Part of the fun when taking a road trip is seeing all the beauty in the world around us. As you plan your road trip, pick a few places on your travel route that you can stop and enjoy. Maybe it is a road side attraction, famous restaurant, or historical landmark. Also, part of the adventure, is not planning; so don’t feel rushed on your road trip, but be spontaneous and stop whenever something catches your eye and enjoy the view.
Pit Stop: Making stops on a road trip is necessary. To make them more fun and to have something to look forward to on a long car ride, I created these fun “Pit Stop” tags. I usually place a city, town or landmark (like a state line) on these cards and then write a fun activity or game (like the ones above) on the card. Another option is to make it a surprise and put a fun snack or treat, new CD, puzzle book, etc. in a paper lunch sack and staple the card on the front. Having a fun snack, an interesting place to stop or a new game/activity to look forward to can make a long trip more bearable! Click here to download these free printables!
While a road trip can be fun, car trouble will instantly stop you in your tracks. Since I have taken hundreds of road trips over the years, I can share countless adventures and misadventures from the open road. One “misadventure” that has happened several times is car trouble. Getting stranded on the side of the road in the middle of no where is not fun, and has happened to me a few times. I finally learned my lesson, and do everything in my power to get road trip ready BEFORE hitting the road. Not only do I pack some snacks, plan some road trip games, and fill up on gas; I do things like check my windshield wipers, rotate my tires, check my tire pressure and get an oil change, if needed. Some of these things I have to take my car into the shop to get serviced, but some I can do on my own!
I am so glad that I have learned how to do many of these car care tasks on my own; so that I can get my car road trip ready every time I want to hit the open road. One thing that is SO easy to do, is change the air filter. Not only can a clean air filter increase acceleration and horsepower, it prevents dirt and dust from entering and damaging the engine.
Since an air filter is so easy to change, I have gotten in the habit of doing it myself. I confess, changing an air filter by yourself can seem intimidating at first, but is a simple as popping the hood of the car, releasing a latch and sliding the old air filter out and slipping in the new one in. I can even conveniently pick up air filters, like FRAM Extra Guard Air Filters, while I am stocking up on groceries, household items and other road trip essentials at Walmart. To find out what model FRAM Extra Guard Air Filter you need for your car, you can look online or use the special and easy to use product finder in the auto department at Walmart.
See, changing an air filter can be done in just a few minutes and requires very little or no tools at all! Before you hit the road for your next road trip this summer, make sure you check out all these road trip and car care tips, tricks and hacks to ensure you have a safe and fun adventure!
I’ve share some of our favorite road trip games and activities, now I would love to hear yours! Please share in the comments below!
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