GAME #1. SILLY SONGS
Ask everyone in the car to name an object. It can be something they see around them, something they have at home, or something they’ve seen or read about. Then, choose a familiar song like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” “Happy Birthday,” “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” or “Three Blind Mice” or any nursery rhyme or camp song. Sing the song and replace the objects in the song with ones on your list.
The results can get pretty crazy, from “Twinkle, twinkle little shoe” to “Mary had a little restaurant” to “Three blind billboard signs.” The sillier the better. Once players know what’s going to happen, they can start choosing objects that will sound as outrageously odd as possible.
GAME #2: HOW GOOD IS YOUR MEMORY?
The first player begins by saying the line: “Once upon a time there was a princess named… ” then gives the princess a name, like “Annie.” The next person repeats the sentence and gives the princess a second name: “Once upon a time there was a princess named Annie-Kelly.” Players continue adding names until someone forgets or leaves out a name. That person then begins over with a new name.
VARIATIONS: You can make the game more challenging for older children by beginning each name with the succeeding letter of the alphabet. Thus, the princess might end up named Annie-Betty-Carla-Darla-Elizabeth-Freddie-Gail…etc. Or you can decide that all the names should begin with the SAME letter.
The first player can replace the princess with a prince, or a puppy, or a town, or street, anything with a name. For more fun, use the line to start a game of “Storyteller.”
GAME #3: STORYTELLER
Here’s a game that will challenge everyone’s creativity. The first player becomes the Storyteller, beginning a tale as silly, fantastic, or adventurous as they like. After a few lines, the Storyteller points to someone else in the car who must then take over the story. The new Storyteller picks up the tale and adds to it, then passes it on by pointing to someone else. Each Storyteller is free to add to the story any way they like. TIP: Have one person write the story down as it is being told and keep it as a souvenir of your car trip.