Fun Travel games for teens

Imagine this scenario: excited to begin your vacation, you head out on the open road with sunglasses in hand, a full tank of gas and GPS set to find the quickest route to your destination. Then, you glance at your teenage kids in the backseat. Memories rush back from previous road trips loaded with whining, bickering, hand-held games and headphones that made your travels seem a little less than family-friendly.

Luckily, you prepared in advance this time, packing three road trip games that will help your teens unplug, join in the fun, and maybe even learn something along the way:

The Fun Facts Game. The goal of the Fun Facts Game is to get to know your family members even better by guessing some funny facts about them. Begin by asking each member of the family to write an unusual ‘fun fact’ about themselves on a small piece of paper, fold it up and place it into a bag. A leader then picks a fact out of the bag and reads it out loud to the players. Players take turns guessing who the ‘fun fact’ belongs to, and the player with the most amusing or funny facts wins! Repeat as many times as you like.

The Definitions Game. The Definitions Game requires each person to access a dictionary app on their mobile phone or tablet device. Each player searches for a word they believe no one else has heard of and writes it down. Players then take turns sharing aloud their chosen word and the others write down their best guess at the definition of the word. The winner of this game is the person who gets the definition correct or comes up with the most plausible alternative definition of the word as voted on by the group.

The Celebrities Game. For the Celebrities Game, players write the names of five celebrities on slips of paper, fold them up and place into a bag. A person is selected to pick celebrity names out of the bag and give clues. Each player then has one minute to guess as many celebrity names as possible before time runs out. Play three rounds of the game and give one point for every celebrity name guessed. The player with the most points wins.

Road trips can be memorable, rewarding experiences that your teens will remember for a lifetime if parents take a few steps to prepare in advance. Having a few games ready to go and packing paper, pens and a small paper sack before hitting the road can help you make the most of your family time wherever you are headed. Safe travels to all – and game on!