Car games can teach and entertain all ages.
Don't let your children waste valuable travel time in the car by staring idly out the windows. Make car time learning time with fun and entertaining games that will teach them a few things at the same time. Take advantage of the captive audience you have in your car. Turn off the radio, unplug the iPods and start playing some learning games.
License Plates
Bring along a checklist of fun facts from the 50 states. Each time one of the children sees a license plate from that state, have your navigator, the passenger in the front passenger seat, read aloud and check off one of that state's fun facts. Have a mock quiz later to see how many of these facts were actually learned, and offer a token prize to the winner. The prizes might include a "Stop This Car" pass at a destination of the winner's choice, change for a vending machine or the option to ride up front for a few hours.
Who Are They?
Work on developing creative imaginations with this game. As you're driving down the highway, it isn't unusual to pass the same car with a family inside more than once. Choose a carload of people that you've seen a couple of times and ask each of your own car's occupants to create lives for these people.
For example, you might start the game by saying, "Molly Jones is the driver. She's a 40 year old mother of two children. She works part time at the elementary school and enjoys shuttling her kids to and from all of their activities." Then say, "Who else is in the car?" Once you have established an entire family, start asking questions of the faux personas. You might say, "Bobby, what does Sam Jones like to do on Saturdays?" Try to "keep up with all the Joneses" until you can't add any other facets to their lives.
Purchased Games
You can buy several tried-and-true educational car games that no family should be without. For example, Mad Libs books require practice in determining which words may be used as various parts of speech. Kids won't even realize they're learning when laughing over the hysterical stories that the family creates with these fun books.
Brain Quest makes a series of games involving question-and-answer cards on a variety of topics. There's even one for road trips called Brain Quest Extra for the Car: 1100 Questions and Answers About America. Geared for ages 7 to 12, the games' fun facts also will keep adults entertained.
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