ESL Speaking

Games + Activities to Try Out Today!

  • Adult Activities
  • Kid Activities
  • Textbooks
    • ESL Textbooks for Adults
    • ESL Textbooks for Children
  • Teacher Resources
    • Resources
    • Online TEFL Course
  • Learn English
    • Learn English
    • Confusing English Words

in Activities for Adults· Activities for Kids

10 Fun Road Trip Activities for All Ages

Are you planning to go on a road trip? Whether you are going with your family or friends, we got a list of things to do on a road trip. These fun activities for a road trip are perfect for both kids and adults. Continue reading to find out about the 10 most fun road trip activities.

road trip activities

Road Trip Activities

Road Trip Activities

If you are looking for some fun things to do while you are on a road trip, try these activities.

1. I Spy Game

Classic games are the best. Try I Spy, which is the favourite road trip activity for a lot of people.

How to play the game I Spy:

  1. Someone secretly chooses what they can see.
  2. That person says, “I spy with my little eye something that is ____ (usually a colour).”
  3. The rest of the people in the car have to guess what it is.
  4. The person who guesses it correctly gets to choose the next secret thing.
  5. Play until you get tired of this road trip game!

2. 20 Questions

Some road trip activities tend to end really quickly, and you get tired of it easily. So, you might be looking for a road trip activity or game that lasts long. If that’s the case, try 20 questions.

How to play 20 Questions:

  1. Someone chooses a secret person, place, or thing.
  2. The rest of the people can ask yes or no questions about what it is.
  3. The person answers yes or no in response to the questions.
  4. The rest of the people can also make a guess about what the person, place, or thing is. This also counts towards the 20 questions.
  5. Whoever guesses correctly can go next and choose the secret thing.

Remember to keep track of how many questions are being asked. 20 is the maximum.

3. Don’t Say It

This is a really fun activity for road trips. Everyone in the car is forbidden to say a few words for a limited time.

How to play the Don’t Say It game:

  1. Have one person choose 3-5 words that nobody can say.
  2. Everyone must agree on the duration of the game. Possible time limits: play until you stop for gas, a bathroom break, or food.
  3. Whoever says a forbidden word gets one point.
  4. The winner is the person who has the fewest number of points at the end of the game.

Some words you might want to use for the forbidden list:

  • yet
  • hungry
  • bored
  • and
  • don’t
  • stop
  • water
  • snack
  • lunch/dinner
things to do on a road trip

Things to do on a Road Trip

4. Road Trip Treasure Hunt

This is a road trip game where everyone has to look for things. The first person to see all of the things on the list is the winner. Everyone will be looking outside to search for these things!

We created a list of things to find for 3 rounds. Feel free to play more rounds or change a few things on the list for each round.

Round 1 of road trip Treasure Hunt:

  • A big truck
  • A car with a child in it
  • An animal
  • A black car

Round 2 of road trip Treasure Hunt:

  • Someone eating or drinking something (could be in your own car)
  • Someone yawning, coughing, or sneezing
  • A road sign with km or miles
  • A white car

Round 3 of road trip Treasure Hunt:

  • A stop sign
  • Someone walking
  • A motorcycle or bicycle
  • A grey car

5. Name a Place Activity for Road Trip

This is the time for you to show off your geography knowledge! You will have to think of all the places you know – cities, countries, or continents. There are two ways to play the “Name a Place” game for a road trip.

First way: A-Z

  1. Go around in a circle.
  2. The first person says a place that starts with A.
  3. The next person says a place that starts with B.
  4. Continue until you reach Z.

Example: Andorra, Belgium, Canada, Detroit, Egypt, France, Greece, Honduras

If someone can’t name a place, that person is out of that round.

Second way: Beginning and End

How you play it is similar to the first way. The only difference is that you have to use the last letter of the previous word. You can only use each place once. Continue until everybody is out.

Example: Austrli(a), Alba(y), Yor(k), Kuwai(t), Texa(s), Sydne(y)

6. I’m Going on a Picnic

This is the type of road trip activity that can make people go nuts!

How to play I’m Going on a Picnic:

  1. Someone has to choose a word that fits a certain pattern. Keep the pattern a secret.
  2. The person says, “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m going to bring ___ (the word that fits the pattern).”
  3. Everyone else has to guess the pattern and choose a word that fits the pattern.
  4. Other people ask, “Can I bring a ___ (the word that they think fits the pattern)?”
  5. If the word doesn’t fit the pattern, the first person says, “No, you can’t come.”
  6. If someone says a word that fits the pattern, the first person says, “Yes, you can come.”

Example word patterns:

  • all words start or end with a certain letter
  • All words must be exactly 5 letters
  • All words must have a “t” in them

Here’s an example of I’m going on a picnic game. Read the dialogue and see if you can figure out the word pattern here.

John: I’m going on a picnic, and I’m going to bring a book.

Kim: Can I bring a coat?

John: No, you can’t come.

Peter: Can I bring a bar of soap?

John: No, you can’t come.

Helen: Can I bring a bottle of water?

John: Yes, you can come.

Kim: Can I bring a grasshopper?

John: Yes, you can come.

Did you figure out the pattern? All words need to have a double letter in them: book, bottle, grasshopper.

7. Fun Riddles

Riddles require some thinking to get the answer. Check out some easy and fun riddles that are perfect to ask while you are on a road trip: Riddles with Answers.

Here are some example riddles.

  • Riddle: A cat has one, a horse two, an elephant three. What am I?
    Answer: vowels
  • Riddle: I never ask questions but am often answered. What am I?
    Answer: doorbell
  • Riddle: What goes down but never goes back up?
    Answer: rain

8. Math Riddles

Are you more of a math person than a word person? Then try math riddles instead of regular word riddles. These math challenge questions don’t need a calculator, which is something you won’t have with you on a road trip! But it does require some creative thinking.

  • Easy math riddles with answers
  • Tricky math riddles for smart people

9. Name 5 Things

10. Would You Rather Questions for Road Trip

You might be tired of playing games. That’s when you want to ask would you rather questions. Between two options, you must choose one and explain why your choice is better than the other option. If someone in the car chose a different option, defend your answer and try to persuade everyone else.

Would You Rather question topics:

  • Dating and Marriage Questions
  • Icebreaker Questions
  • Questions for Adults
  • Questions for Kids
  • Superhero Questions
  • Birthday Edition
  • Sports Edition

11. Trivia Questions for Road Trip

Ask fun trivia questions about animals, food, sports, science, and geography. How well do your friends or family know about these topics? You will probably learn something new while having fun in the car.

Check out this article: Easy Trivia Questions with Answers

FAQs About Road Trip Activities

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about games and activities you can do in a car when you are on a road trip.

What can you do on a long road trip?

There are a lot of things you can do on a road trip. If you are going on a road trip with friends or family, try some activities that don’t require any props. You can also ask different types of questions: would you rather, trivia, riddles, and math riddles.

What are the best activities for a road trip?

Here are some of the best activities for a road trip: I Spy Game, 20 Questions, Don’t Say It, Treasure Hunt, Name a Place, and I’m Going on a Picnic.

How do you pass time in a car?

Try these things in a car to pass time:

  1. Watch a movie
  2. Listen to music
  3. Take pictures
  4. Play road trip activities
  5. Ask fun questions (trivia, would u rather, riddles, etc)
  6. Take a nap
  7. Play video games
  8. Have deep discussions
  9. Read a book
  10. Stop by some places before getting to your destination
fun road trip activity ideas

Fun Road Trip Activity Ideas

Road Trip Activity: Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts on these fun road trip activity ideas? Which one is your favourite one? If there is another fun road trip activity that you think should be on the list, let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you.

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 20 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 100 books for English teachers and English learners, including 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults, Great Debates for ESL/EFL, and 1001 English Expressions and Phrases. She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at:
YouTube
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram

« Positive Personality Traits List (+ Pictures) | Positive Characteristics
ESL Comparative and Superlative Games | Adjectives that Compare »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Great Debates for ESL/EFL: 39 Important Debating Topics for English Learners and Teachers (Teaching...
Great Debates for ESL/EFL: 39 Important Debating Topics for English Learners and Teachers (Teaching...
Check Price on Amazon
103 Low-Prep ESL Speaking Games & Activities for Kids, Teenagers, and Adults: The Ultimate Book for...
103 Low-Prep ESL Speaking Games & Activities for Kids, Teenagers, and Adults: The Ultimate Book for...
Check Price on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. What does this mean? I recommend products (only ones that I like) and if you purchase a product through that link, I earn some money.

Search this site

39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...
Check Price on Amazon
TOEFL iBT Vocabulary Builder for Score 90+: Higher-Level TOEFL Words, Expressions, Phrases & Idioms...
TOEFL iBT Vocabulary Builder for Score 90+: Higher-Level TOEFL Words, Expressions, Phrases & Idioms...
Check Price on Amazon
101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...
101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...
Check Price on Amazon

Different Types of Adverbs with Adverb Examples

Asking for Permission English Expressions, Phrases & Dialogues

Books For English Learners: Top 20 Easy Book Recommendations

Topics to Debate about With Friends | Debate Topics for Friends

50 Food Trivia Questions and Answers for All Ages

Online TEFL Courses

Get Certified Entirely Online

67 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More: For English Teachers...
67 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More: For English Teachers...
Check Price on Amazon
Scatter Sheets for Intermediate-Advanced Students to Improve Fluency: ESL Speaking & Vocabulary...
Scatter Sheets for Intermediate-Advanced Students to Improve Fluency: ESL Speaking & Vocabulary...
Check Price on Amazon
1001 English Expressions and Phrases: Common Sentences and Dialogues Used by Native English Speakers...
1001 English Expressions and Phrases: Common Sentences and Dialogues Used by Native English Speakers...
Check Price on Amazon
39 ESL Warm-Ups: For English Teachers of Kids (7+) Who Want to Get their TEFL Classes Started Off...
39 ESL Warm-Ups: For English Teachers of Kids (7+) Who Want to Get their TEFL Classes Started Off...
Check Price on Amazon
Jackie Bolen

Disclosure Statement

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Adult Activities
  • Kid Activities
  • Textbooks
  • Teacher Resources
  • Learn English

Our Top-Seller

39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Conversation and...
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Conversation and...
Check Price on Amazon

Search

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

More ESL Activities

making weekend plans in english

Weekend Plans (Easy English Dialogue for Beginners)

how to order sushi in English

Ordering Sushi (Easy English Dialogue for Beginners)

English dialogue feeling under the weather

Feeling Under the Weather: English Dialogue & Practice Questions

dialogue meet someone new

Meeting Someone New Dialogue (For English Learners)

About, Contact, Privacy Policy

Jackie Bolen has been talking ESL speaking since 2014 and the goal is to bring you the best recommendations for English conversation games, activities, lesson plans and more. It’s your go-to source for everything TEFL!

About and Contact for ESL Speaking.

Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Email: [email protected]

Facebook

Pinterest

TikTok

YouTube

LinkedIn

Address: 2436 Kelly Ave, Port Coquitlam, Canada

Copyright © 2025 Jackie Bolen + ESL Speaking. All Rights Reserved.