5 ways to have some summer fun on a road trip

School is coming to an end soon. That means summer trips are already being planned! Road trips, we all know, aren’t just about the destination. They are about the journey along the way: packing the cooler for the back seat; the pit stops in funky diners and interesting truck stops; and planning the games for the long drive. Depending on how far you may be traveling, the long car ride can be as entertaining as the vacation itself! Rather than looking at this time as being stuck in a car, there are many games the family can all get involved in! Here are 5 road trip car games and activities from American Legend Homes to make your road trip that much better: 

1. Name the Artist: This game is one that can be throughout the whole road trip. Every time a song comes on, the first person in the car to guess the correct band or artist will win a point. By the time you get to your destination, everyone can count up how many points they have and the person with the highest amount of points wins! You can even spice things up a little by letting the winner pick where the family will eat when you get there! 

2. The License Plate Game: This car game is familiar to everyone who has ever been on a road trip. It can be light and fun, or highly competitive! You can get this wipe-on/wipe-off laminated map for multiple road trips on Amazon for just $6.99! Or print this one for free before you set off! As your road trip progesses, don't take your eyes off the road or you might miss a new state's license plate to cross off the list! Once you have seen all 50 states license plates, the game is over! How many can your family get? 

3. 20 Questions: 20 Questions is another game that keeps everyone in the car actively involved and talking to one another! PIck one person in the car to think of a person, place or thing, but don’t say it out loud! It is everyone else’s job to ask yes or no questions to try and figure out who or what their family member is thinking of. Whoever guesses correctly goes next! 

4. Road Trip Scavenger Hunt: Now this game definitely takes a little prep work before leaving for the trip! Print out a list of things that you may see along the way. These items could be anything: animals, specific road signs, certain fast food restaurants, a type or color of car or truck, mountains, trees and so on! Once you have your list ready to go, get on the road and see who can spot the items!  

5. Alphabet Game: Similar to the license plate game, this game is all about looking out the window and playing attention to what is around you. Take turns in the car looking for words on the side of the road that start with the letters A to Z in alphabetical order. For example, if you see a sign for the restaurant Arby’s then say, “A for Arby’s!” Anyone who finds the next letter can chime in! Players can use road signs, billboards or anything outside the car with words on it.

These games are some road trip staples and are also wonderful at sparking conversation in the car, learning letters, reinforcing reading skills and more (like keeping bored kids from bickering).Once you have finished one, just move on to the next game. Road trips can be long and tiring but they can also be a lot of fun and help make wonderful memories that kids will never forget. American Legend can’t wait to find out what your family's favorite road trip game is this summer!