Games you can play in the car! Fun activities to liven up drives and traffic jams
“I want to make boring time in the car fun!” If you’re looking for ideas to make that wish come true, you’re not alone.
In fact, there are plenty of games you can enjoy in the car with family and friends.
In this article, we’ll introduce ideas for car games that turn travel time into something exciting.
From license-plate math games and the classic word-chain game to music-based challenges.
With games that everyone can enjoy together, even traffic jams and long drives can turn into fun memories! Be sure to try them on your next trip!
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Games You Can Play in the Car! Fun Activities for Drives and Traffic Jams (21–30)
Chorus Quick-Sing Game
The “Chorus Sprint Singing Game” is perfect for staying awake during a drive.
First, the quizmaster says the title of a song.
The person who can start singing that song’s chorus the fastest wins.
You might think it’s easier than an intro quiz, but instantly recalling the chorus melody and lyrics can be surprisingly hard.
If you’re with people around the same age, pick songs from your own generation; if the group spans different ages, it’s better to choose songs everyone is likely to know.
Country Name Sharing Game
The “Country Name Split Game” is a game based on a comedy sketch by the duo JaruJaru.
One person says the first part of a country’s name, and another person says the remaining part to complete it.
For example, for “Argentina,” if one person says “Argen,” the next person says the remaining “tina.” If the remaining part can’t be continued smoothly and the country name isn’t completed, you’re out.
Even short country names like Japan or India might make you go “Huh?” and hesitate more than you’d expect.
It’s also a great way for children to learn country names, so give it a try!
Games You Can Play in the Car! Fun Activities for Road Trips and Traffic Jams (31–40)
Car Color Guessing Game
It’s a simple game where you guess the color of the car next to you.
Since you only have to answer a color, anyone can enjoy it regardless of age.
Each participant says what color they think it is, and at a signal, everyone looks at the neighboring car and checks its color.
Then you tally how many correct guesses each person made and determine the winner.
You can change the color you guess each round, or you can decide everyone’s color at the beginning and compete to see which color appears the most—both versions sound fun.
Lyrics Shiritori Game
A fun game where you play shiritori using song lyrics.
Sing a line from a song, then continue with lyrics from another song that start with the last character of the previous line.
It’s great for everyone from kids to adults—you’ll recall familiar tunes and discover new ones.
Not only for people who love singing, it’s also a chance to encounter songs you don’t know.
Perfect for karaoke, parties, and school activities.
Even those who aren’t confident singers will naturally smile—simple yet surprisingly deep.
Put your musical knowledge and creativity to use and have fun playing!
Majority Game
The Majority Game is perfect for wait times or traffic—an easy, lively way to pass the time.
Present a two-choice question like “With ramen, do you start with the soup or the toppings?” and have everyone answer simultaneously using a signal like rock (fist) or paper (open hand).
Those in the minority get a penalty, which sparks laughter through differences in values and unexpected discoveries.
You can chat while you play, making it safe in the car and great for breaking the ice even with people you’ve just met.
Depending on the prompts, the vibe can be serious or silly, so you can tailor it to the situation and enjoy different variations.
Prefecture Guessing Game
Cars on city streets come from various places, and you can tell where they’re from by looking at their license plates.
Highways in particular gather vehicles from many different regions.
This is a game that uses the place names written on license plates.
The place indicated on a license plate may be the name of a prefecture or a locality within that prefecture.
The quizmaster specifies a license plate that shows a locality rather than a prefecture name, and players must answer which prefecture that locality belongs to.
The difficulty varies depending on the locality, so how many place names the quizmaster knows becomes a key factor.
Look that way, hoi!
Many of you probably played “Acchi Muite Hoi” often when you were kids.
First, two people play rock-paper-scissors.
The winner, facing the loser, says “Acchi muite hoi!” and points either up, down, left, or right.
The loser tries to anticipate the direction and quickly turn their head to a different direction—up, down, left, or right—so it doesn’t match the pointing direction.
If the loser turns their head in the same direction the winner pointed, they lose; if it’s different, you go back and start again from rock-paper-scissors.
It’s a quick game you can enjoy even during short moments in the car, so give it a try!