By: Claire Franks
The idea of a road trip with friends or family sparks lots of excitement. From picking a “DJ” to deciding on which fast food restaurant to choose, road trips seem to be nonstop fun ending at a destination or vacation. However, the in-between of stopping at food and gas stations and arriving at the destination sometimes results in long stretches of boredom. Here are five tips I recommend for those boring in-between hours, tested and approved by yours truly.
1. ABC Game
The ABC game may be predictable, but it’s just enough to get your thoughts off of the hours looming ahead and redirects your mind to a competition. There are many variations to this game: any letter on a billboard could count, you exclude license plate numbers, or maybe you only count it if it’s the first letter of a word. Putting a fun spin on the game could make it even more fun. For example, allowing the winner to decide the next place to eat would make for an even more engaging competition.
2. Punch Buggy/ Banana Whack
I see this game as a fair game anywhere, in the car or not. During a long trip, having something to constantly search for (such as a Volkswagen beetle or any yellow car) can help keep your mind focused on something other than how many hours remain until you reach your destination. Also, the punching upon seeing a Beetle and the whacking upon seeing a yellow car gives the game an added advantage of getting to punch your friends without any real repercussions!
3. Hey Cow (My personal favorite!)
I personally found out about this game roughly two years ago. This game is particularly fun when travelling through back roads around fields and pastures. Every time you travel past any number of cows, roll the window down and yell “Hey, cow!” as loud as you possibly can. Before I played this game the first time, I never knew cows could move so fast when something catches their attention! (Sidenote: Sometimes the reactions of friends who weren’t expecting such an outburst is more rewarding than the reaction of a cow you just disturbed.)
4. Try Not to Laugh Competition
You have more than likely seen a video of one of these competitions on social media. Some people play it with rules that even a smile means immediate loss. Usually, jokes are told, but sometimes just trying to keep a straight face can make the game just as challenging. There are bonus points if you play while having a mouthful of water, this makes the game much funnier when someone laughs.
5. Road Trip Playlist
Basically, any playlist entitled “Road Trip” works well during long trips. Singing along to Bohemian Rhapsody when everyone joins in can result in real bonding with the people in the car with you. When traveling at night, singing loud with the windows rolled down seems comparable to a real concert.
Road trips can be long and boring at times, but if you find new playlists and games, it might be just enough to get you to your destination before realizing just how long you’ve been traveling. Car rides with friends and family can be really fun if the focus is taken off the GPS and shifted to ways to distract yourself from the actual trip. Happy traveling!