A game for car trips within the United States, the Find-a-State License Plate game has everyone, including the driver, on the lookout for a license plate from each of the 50 states. A volunteer keeps a record of which states' license plates have been spotted and writes down the name of the state and who spied the license plate first. Upon arrival at your destination, the person with the most "finds" wins. Hint: 18-wheel trucks are gold mines when playing this game.
A license plate game for kids 6 and up is the Add-it-Up- License Plate game. Participants pick out a car driving by and quickly add up the total of all the numbers on the license plate. Letters don't count, and folks have to think fast to play this game that uses math skills.
Also known as the Slug Bug game, participants who see a Volkswagen Beetle first will shout "Slug Bug, no tagbacks" and give any other participant a gentle nudge. Someone keeps a tally of who has spied the most slug bugs, an affectionate nickname for the round, jelly-bean colored cars.
As your troupe carries on their merry travels, count how many McDonald's restaurants are seen. This is a group activity, without an individual winner. Tall signs and low terrain can sometimes provide a view of two or three McDonald's restaurants at one time.
For trips when children must be a little more quiet, the Invisible Word game is ideal for two players. Player A holds out a hand, palm side facing firmly up. While Player A looks away from the proffered hand, Player B "draws" a letter onto the outstretched palm using a fingertip. Player A tries to guess what letter was traced onto their hand, and the game progresses until Player B has completed a word. Players switch roles thereafter, with Player B holding out a palm, and Player A doing the letter tracing.
I Spy is a game that can be played while driving, flying or riding on a train or subway--it is also a game best suited for children 8 and younger. Player A will pick out an object within the immediate area (for example, a red hat) and keep the object a secret. Player A then gives clues as to what their secret object is (the red hat.) Each clue will start with the phrase "I spy something...." A clue for a red hat could be "I spy something on a head," or "I spy something red." Other players get to shout out answers to the clues, and the winner is the person who guesses the secret object. .
