Here’s dozens of things you can do until you get there, that need minimal equipment or supplies — mostly your mind and your observational skills! We’ll keep adding to this list, so check back on your next trip!

Where are you on the Map?

Look at the map of Alberta in the Alberta 48 Travel Guide.  Can you figure out the answers to these questions?

• Where is the place where you started this trip?
• Can you find the place where you will finish the trip?
• And where is your car right now, on the map?
• What is farthest from you? Where you started, or where you will finish?
• What’s the closest town to you right now?
• Can you tell who is driving your car where they have to turn next?  Left or right, or an off-ramp? 
• Can you guess how long it will take to reach that next turn?  Track the time and see if your guess is right!

Vehicle Matching Game

Here are the top 10 car models in Alberta.  Can you spot one of each of them?

1. Ford F-150
2. Toyota Corolla
3. Honda Civic
4. Chevrolet Silverado
5. Toyota RAV4
6. Ram Pick Up
7. GMC Sierra
8. Honda CR-V
9. Hyundai Kona
10. Hyundai Elantra

Place Name Bingo

Can you find on the map, or recall at least one place in Alberta that has a capital letter for each letter of the alphabet? Want a more detailed map of Alberta? Click here and zoom in.

How Observant are you?

Spot each of these items and score points. Can you reach 100 points before you’re there?  If you don’t have a pencil and paper to record scores, everyone can add up their own scores and remember them.  Score 5 points for each:

1. A bear!
2. A bike rack with bikes on the back of a car.
3. A bridge
4. A Calgary Flames sticker
5. A Canadian flag
6. A car with three kids in it
7. A church
8. A convertible with its top down
9. A coyote
10. A dog that is in a car (wave to them!)
11. A dog that isn’t in a car
12. A falcon or eagle
13. A field of cows
14. A give way sign
15. A green car, any model
16. A magpie
17. A man wearing a Western hat
18. A moose
19. A red barn
20. A roadside mailbox
21. A School Bus
22. A seagull
23. A semi trailer with an image of food on the side
24. A speed limit sign
25. A stick figure family window decal
26. A stop sign
27. A traffic light
28. A train
29. A white SUV
30. An airplane jet stream
31. An Alberta flag
32. An Alberta license plate starting with B
33. An Alberta Veteran license plate
34. An Edmonton Oilers sticker
35. An oil derrick pump
36. An RCMP car
37. Horses
38. Two people on one motorcycle

Count Up!

Pick something to count.  For example; the number of blue cars, the number of buses, the number of barnes or train crossings or speed limit signs.  Or, as a challenge, pick multiple categories and count them all the same time!

Hide and Seek

Print out some pictures of animals, cars, etc. and hide them around the car but in viewing sight. Some of them can be a bit more challenging. Tell the kids to look around and find them.

Categories

Take turns picking a topic such as animals, fruits, ice cream flavors, etc. Try to name as many as you can in each category that starts with a certain letter. 

That’s strange…!

Take turns pointing out something you see out the window that is out of the ordinary. It could be a crazy sign, a fun-colored car, or a unique landmark. 

When I Go

The first person starts with “When I go to (a place) I am bringing a (an object, the sillier the better.) Then the next person repeats the phrase and adds on another item. For example: “When I go to Red Deer, I am bringing a flame-thrower, a bag of potatoes, a hockey stick, and poutine.”  See how long you can keep it going.

Guess the Animal

One person thinks of an animal and everyone else takes turns asking questions to try and figure out which animal it is. This is similar to 20 questions, but without a question limit. Ask broad questions first, such as, “Does it walk on four legs?” or “Does it have fur?” before moving onto the more direct questions, like “Is it a fish?” or “Is it a hippo?” 

Mad Libs

Mad Libs will leave everyone laughing.  You can find versions online to access or print or you can buy a whole book. And here, you can download the original Mad Libs as an app for your phone.

Trip Journal

Use a special journal, or just write on a pad of paper about the journey you’re on.  If you can’t think of what to write, try answering these questions: 

• “The best part of the trip so far has been…,”
• “I’m most looking forward to…,”
• “My favourite thing to do in Alberta so far has been…,”
• “My favourite city/town in Alberta is ____ because…,”
• “The best thing I’ve eaten so far is…,”
• “The weirdest thing I’ve eaten is on this trip is…,”
• “I wish I could have…,”
• “The coolest thing I’ve seen is…,”  (and draw a picture of it!)

Postcards

Stop and buy postcards at gas stations and visitor centres along the way and write messages to friends or a family member back home.  Put the postcards in the mail at the next post office. 

You can also post the cards to yourself; write a note on the back about something memorable you have seen, or done, or eaten.

When you’re home, you can build a memento scrapbook with them.  Make sure the back of the cards are visible, so you can see the cancellation stamp, and your note, which will help you remember the trip.

License Plate Game

All you need is a pen and paper.  Or you can print out a map of Canada before you leave home, and cross out each province as you spot a car with that province’s licence plate.  Bonus points if you spot either Newfoundland and Labrador plates, or Prince Edward Island!

Once you run out of Canadian provinces, you can move on to United States plates.

I Spy

An oldie, but a goodie.  One person picks an item they can see, that isn’t passing by (unless there are many of them, like fence posts!).  They say,  “I spy with my little eye something that starts with the letter A.” Everyone must try to guess the object.

Alphabet Game

A good game for all ages.  Choose a category.  For example, colors, car models, animals, food, movies, music, etc. 

The first person has to name something in that category that starts with the letter A. They have 5-10 seconds to come up with an answer.

The next person has to answer with something that starts with the letter B, and so on.

If someone is unable to think of a word in the category for their letter, they’re out of the game. Keep playing until everyone is out, and the winner is declared.

20 Questions

One player thinks of a person, place, or thing, and everyone else in the car asks questions that the first person can only answer yes or no.  For example:  “Is it an animal?”  “Does it have brown fur?”  The other players have to guess before 20 questions are asked, or they lose!

Alphabet Spotting Game

Start with the letter A. Everyone must work together to find something outside the car that starts with A. Once an item is located, the players move on to the letter B. This continues until the alphabet is complete.

Name That Tune 

Play or sing just a few seconds of one of the family’s favorite songs. See if anyone can guess what song it is!

Story Starter

Begin a story with a sentence, but don’t finish the sentence. The next person must finish the sentence, then start their own sentence, that continues the story.  The third person finishes that sentence, then starts their own, and so on, until the full story is told.

Budding bards can write the silly story down as it is made up, and add it to the family scrapbook, or their own journals.

The Road Sign Alphabet Game

Work as a group to find a word on a sign that starts with A. Then B, then C, and so on through all the letters of the alphabet.

Would You Rather

Players take turns asking mind-boggling “Would you rather” questions like, “Would you rather have wings or a tail?” It’s an exercise in ethics and imagination, sparking conversations that can range from the bizarre to the profound. Best for older kids.

Telephone

One person whispers a sentence into the ear of the person next to them.  It can’t be repeated, so listen hard!  Then that person whispers to the next.  As the whisper goes around the car, it will shift into something unrecognizable.  At the end of the round, the last person says aloud the sentence they heard.  You’ll be amazed!

Punch Buggy

When someone spots a Volkswagen Beetle, they gently “punch” the person next to them and call out “Punch Buggy!”

This will keep everyone alert! 

Two Truths and a Lie

For older children.  Each person shares three statements—two true and one false.  Everyone else must figure out which of the three statements is the lie.  Be prepared to be surprised! 

Who Am I?

Think of a character in a book, movie, or tv show. The whole family asks yes-or-no questions to guess who you are. The possibilities are endless.

Rhyme That!

Someone chooses a word, and everyone else take turns saying words that rhymes with it.  It can become very challenging!

Quick Draw

Someone shouts out an object, and you have 30 seconds to draw it. Reveal your doodles and vote for the best one. Note: Make sure the driver is focused on the road!

Name That Movie

Someone begins to describe a movie plot, making it as vague as possible, but they cannot lie.  From the bland description, everyone else must guess the title.  If they cannot, the first person can add more detail, while still trying to be as obscure as possible without being inaccurate.   

Here’s an example: “They met on a ship.” (Titanic seems the obvious answer, but there is also An Affair to Remember, and the SF thriller Passengers. More details needed!)

Chain Game

Pick a category of words, such as geography, NHL players, types of animals, etc.  The first person names something in that category.  Say, for example, “Connor McDavid.”  The next person must take the last letter of the name, and find another word in that category that begins with that letter.  In this example, they could say “Dillon Dube.”

Odd One Out

One player lists aloud three items, and the others must guess which one is the odd one out. For example, “Apple, Banana, Car” — the odd one out is the Car because it’s not a fruit. Suitable for children aged 5 and up. For older kids, make the categories more complex.

Travel Trivia

Turn your car into a quiz show. Prepare or search up a list of trivia questions related to your travel destination, general knowledge, or even family history. This is great for older children aged 8 and up who enjoy a mental challenge.

You can also use general trivia questions. To start your game, here are 100 Science Trivia Questions For Kids.

Cloud Shapes

Let imagination soar by identifying shapes, animals, or objects in the clouds. This low-stress game is perfect for kids aged 3 and up. It’s a great way to encourage creativity and can be played individually or as a group.

Word Association

One person says a word out loud, and the next person has to say a word that is associated with it. For example, if the first word is “sun,” the next word could be “shine.” Great for children aged 6 and up. For a challenging twist, impose a time limit for responses.

Rhyme Time

Keep the kids linguistically active. One person says a word, and everyone else tries to find words that rhyme with it. This game is suitable for children aged 4 and up. You can make it competitive by setting a time limit for finding the most rhyming words.

Musical Stories

Start playing a song, then pause. The first player makes up a story suggested by the song lyrics. Play the song and pause once more. The next player continues the story. Excellent for kids aged 8 with excellent imaginations.

Simon Says

A classic game gone mobile. Chose a “Simon”, who calls out things to do, as quickly as possible, always with “Simon says…” in front of it. For example, “Simon says touch your nose. Simon says turn your chin to the left. Simon says poke your tongue.” At any point, the “Simon” can give a direction without the “Simon says” in front of it. Anyone who follows that direction is out, so listen hard and pay attention!

10 non-screen things to bring with you to keep the kids occupied

1. Printables
2. Surprise boxes
3. Trays with soft sides
4. Travel games
5. Books
6. Cookie sheets & magnets
7. Crayons and coloring pencils
8. Stamps to send postcards on the way
9. Window crayons
10. A ball or frisbee for rest stops