Long car trips can be a pain in the butt and patience can quickly run out. One way to avoid such a problem is to make sure you have enough activities and things to do for the whole ride. But after a couple of hours things tend to get repetitive and boredom starts to settle.
But don’t worry, We did our job and provided you with a list of 16 things that you can do to keep yourself and teenage kids entertained on the car trip.
1. Snacking
Not only does healthy snacking let you enjoy your time in the car, It will also be a great way to keep your energy levels high and provide your body with the necessary nutrients.
Here are some of our recommendations for healthy road snacks:
- Pistachios.
- Walnuts.
- Almond butter & Strawberries.
- Grapes.
- Carrots.
- Dark chocolate.
2. Listening To Music
Most modern vehicles have built in bluetooth as an added feature, This is great for road trips since everyone can split turns and blast their favorite song full volume (bonux points if the rest don’t like it :P).
If you don’t have the option to do this, You can always hook your phone to a headset, Load your favorite playthrough and relax your way through the ride.
3. Taking Naps
Power naps can be a good way to pass time when road traveling, It’s also a good way to refresh yourself.
For this one you need to be prepared, Make sure to bring your comfy blanket and a lot of pillows and if possible a Neck Pillow to make sleeping as comfortable as possible.
Not always the case, But we found that some people tend to sleep faster when affected by repetitive white sounds and vibrations which is a good thing since both these factors are present on long car trips.
4. Try Not To Challenges.
This can include trying not to laugh, cringe, sing, dance…etc. All that is needed for this one is for the players to have a mobile phone and internet.
You choose what challenge you want to do, If it is no laughing you find a funny video on youtube and try not to laugh to it. Same thing for cringe videos.
The punishment can be something light hearted like getting your hand slapped, not using your phone for the next 30 mins or you can flip it and the winner gets a prize (extra snacks, play his favorite song in the car stereo…etc).
5. Building A Tent Fort
One of the easiest ways to pass time on a car trip is building a cozy tent fort. Activities you can do depend on if you have siblings/friends with you or you are alone.
Alone you can make it as a private room where you could listen to some music, relax, or play on your phone. But, it’s really up to you and what you feel like doing.
having friends to help will make time go by faster and give you some people to share the fort with.
6. Story Telling
Storytelling can be both a form of entertainment and a powerful way for teenagers to learn how to express themselves.
Some modifications you can do to make things a little bit more exciting is each one tries to connect his story with the last one told to make it a continued and long one, Or you can also add small lies on your story and see which one catches on first.
7. Reading Books
Just like storytelling, Reading a book is an amazing way to pass your time while in a long car ride. You can also read it out loud as a way to sharpen your story telling.
There are a lot of books to choose from in amazon, Whether you want to read about romance, sci-fi, literature or even investing. One book you should check that is quite popular amongst teens right now is: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.
If you don’t like having an actual physical book and prefer reading from ebooks, You can check Kindle Unlimited.
7. Listening To Audiobooks
If you considered yourself more of a listener and don’t enjoy reading books, Thanks to the technological advancement of the 20th century, Audiobooks are a thing now.
There are many apps that can do the job but most of the tend to be buggy or not have the books needed. As of right now the best way to listen to audio books is by using Audible. If this is your first time you will get 2 free books and a 30 days trial, If you cancel the trial after sometime you will still be able to keep the books for free.
8. Pillow Fighting
Pillow fighting can be a fun way for both kids and adults to let some steam off and get their friends for eating that last chocolate bar you were hiding at the back. Just make sure you don’t swing hard enough that you end up knocking someone’s head into the door.
9. Drawing Competition
The goal on this one is to pick a character (fictional or real), Look at it once, And then try to draw it as perfect as possible. rewards can range from a good 30 min nap without someone annoying you up to a free chocolate snack of your liking.
10. Watching Movies
After a couple of hours you will find yourself tired and not in the mood for games, This is a good time to watch that last marvel movie you’ve been waiting for.
11. Making A Wish List
Ever thought about what you want to do when you grow up? Car trips can be a great time to discuss your goals and ambitions with friends & family members. This will also give you different points of view and open your eyes to other opportunities you might never thought about.
12. Taking Pictures
Flip out your phone and start taking amazing pictures of all the nature you run across. This can be mountains, trees, lakes or even cloud formations. The good thing about this one is you can actually sell them on stock image websites.
13. Podcasting
Podcasts are becoming more and more popular with more than 57 million monthly listeners in the U.S alone. This means there is a lot of demand in the market and many people are moving away from video to audio clips.
If you have a passion for talking, This can be a good opportunity to record your conversations and start building a small community of people just like you.
14. Playing Mini Games
Playing mini games with your siblings is a good way to enjoy your ride and kill some of the boredom. Here are a couple of games you can try:
Fortunately/unfortunately
It works amazing if you are a group of 3 or more, Each player says one sentence at a time, the catch is each sentence must start with either “fortunately” or “unfortunately,” while always alternating between them.
Cards games
If you have siblings/friends in the car with you, you can play some Cards Against Humanity. It comes with 500 white cards and 100 black cards which is great for passing time, All the game rules are included inside.
Be warned, This card game can be really offensive, If you easily get offended you can try something else like WHAT DO YOU MEME?
15. Making Youtube Videos
More known as vlogging, Long car trips can be a great opportunity for you and your friends/siblings to create videos with each other and bond with each other.
It will also help you in becoming more outgoing and fluent when speaking to large crowds and reduce anxiety in social situations which is a big problem for many teenagers.
Conclusion: Things To Do On A Car Trip For A Teenager
We hope you enjoyed our quick list of Things To Do On A Car Trip For A Teenager. If you have any other activities you would like to suggest please make sure to leave them down below and comment which one you liked the most.
