Summertime is here! With Covid-19 restrictions being lifted, people are itching to travel again, but more people are choosing a classic road trip over air travel these days. But, during long hours in the car, how do you keep your children entertained? We’ve got you covered. Read on for some great summer activities for kids that you can do in or out of the car.

License Plate Game

The whole family can get involved in this classic summer road trip activity for kids. All you need for this game is a pen and paper. The idea is to find license plates from all 50 states. Bonus points for foreign plates! This game will help your children brush up on their geography knowledge while keeping them entertained in the process. You can even use My Worksheet Maker to create a free, printable custom Bingo card with the state names.

Travel Journal

Buy or make a simple printable notebook or journal for your child to write (or draw) memories of the trip. This is a great way to keep them engaged while also maintaining their writing skills over the summer months. Additionally, it is a great keepsake from your family’s road trip for many years to come!

Puzzles

Puzzles are great activities for kids of all ages. You can find free crossword puzzles suitable for any age to keep your child engaged on a long road trip. Crossword puzzles are a great way to keep older children entertained. 

With My Crossword Maker’s crossword puzzle maker you can even make your own custom  puzzles. Get creative and make printable crossword puzzles about where you are traveling, inside family jokes, or whatever you and your family fancies.

A word search is a good option especially for younger children. Check out our My Word Search Maker to design and print your child’s own word search puzzle. There’s also a full library of free crossword puzzles available to print or solve online.

Books

Go back to the basics, and head to the library before your trip. Let your children pick out their favorite books to take along. If your child tends to get motion sickness, most libraries offer an array of audiobooks. You can even skip the headphones and listen to books as a whole family. 

Maps & Atlases

Let your kids follow along with the route by printing out a map of where you’re going or buying an atlas. Your children can mark the spots where you’ve been, and maybe even find some fun, unexpected  detours along the way.

Coloring Books

Coloring books can be a great option for both toddlers and older children, depending on the context of the book. However, be aware that crayons can melt in the heat and markers can get messy. Considering bringing colored pencils or washable markers. 

‘I Spy’ Game

‘I Spy’ is a simple and easy road trip game for  children of all ages. Here’s how to play ‘I Spy’: There are two different versions. The first is based on the object’s color, “I spy with my little eye something green”). The second way to play this road trip game for kids is based on the starting letter of the object (“I spy with my little eye something that starts with “B”) . Whoever guesses the correct object gets to select the next object. 

Time to Pack

Finally, give yourself time a few days ahead of the trip to get everything organized. Don’t forget to add all the necessary materials to your packing list, including colored pencils, notebooks, printable puzzles, books, and of course, some snacks.

What are your favorite road trip activities for kids? Let us know in the comments section below.