Road Trips! Fun and Educational?! YES!!!

Have a big road trip coming up?

Spend a lot of time in the car with your child running errands?

Want to keep your child entertained and sneak in some education?

Today’s Therapy Tidbit: Play road trip games!

Whether you’re leaving on a full-fledged road trip or just running a few errands, playing some “road trip games” while in the car will your children entertained and exercise their brains too. Many road trip games incorporate loads of language and can help develop the following areas:

·        Auditory Memory Skills

E.g. You have to remember answers other players listed previously.

·        Word Retrieval/Categorization

E.g. You have to name items from a specific category.

·        Describing/Solving Riddles

E.g. One person needs to describe something, and the other players have to guess what that person is describing.

·        Alphabetizing/Phonological Awareness Skills

E.g. You have to name things in alphabetical order.

Listed below are some common games, basic instructions, and other ideas for play. Enjoy!

1)     I’m Going On A Picnic, And I’m Going To Bring

·        Instructions: The first person lists an item that starts with “A” (e.g. I’m going on a picnic and I’m going to bring apples). The next person repeats the sentence, adding a new item that begins with “B” (e.g. I’m going on a picnic and I’m going to bring apples and bread). Play continues with each person adding another item in alphabetical order while still repeating all the aforementioned items.

·        Ways to Change It Up: Play rounds with different categories- list foods during the first round, clothes during the second round, animals during the third round, etc.

2)     I Spy

·        Instructions: The first player describes something s/he sees using the carrier phrase “I spy something that is…”, and the person who correctly guesses the item takes the next turn.

·        Ways to Change It Up: Challenge your child to give two descriptions of the item (e.g. I spy something that is red and round; I spy something green that starts with “G”). Alternatively, have your child describe the function of the item (e.g. I spy something squirrels like to climb on).

3)     The Category Game

·        Instructions: Pick a category and everyone takes turns naming an item from the category trying not to name something that was already said.

·        Ways to Change It Up: Instead of using broad categories (e.g. animals, colors, clothing), use specific categories (e.g. shampoo brands, song titles, breakfast cereals) or abstract categories (e.g. feelings, character traits)

4)     The License Plate Game

·        Instructions: Try to find license plates from as many states as you can.

·        Ways to Change It Up: Print out a list of states or a pictures of the different state license plates beforehand so younger children can check off each one they find. For older kids, encourage them to not to repeat state names.

5)     20 Questions

·        Instructions: One person thinks of a person, place, or thing, and the other players get to ask up to twenty yes/no questions to guess the item.

·        Ways to Change It Up: For younger children, it may be helpful to stick to one category (e.g. think of an animal, a person, etc.) so it is easier for them to think of questions and guess items.

6)     The Name Game

·        Instructions: The first player says a person’s name, and the next player needs to think of a name the starts with the last letter of the previous name (e.g. Karen-Norbert-Tom).

·        Ways to Change It Up: Try the same concept with other categories (e.g. country names) or try listing names in alphabetical order (e.g. Andrew, Barbara, Cynthia, etc.).

7)     Fortunately/Unfortunately

·        Instructions: Pick a topic and create a story with each person adding one sentence at a time. The sentences must alternate between starting with “fortunately” and “unfortunately.”

E.g. The kids want to bake cookies. Fortunately, they had lots of chocolate chips in the house. Unfortunately, they had no flour. Fortunately, their father offered to drive them to the store. Unfortunately, he ran out of gas on the way.

·        Ways to Change It Up: Play the same game with younger children, but take out the rule about needing to alternate using “fortunately” and “unfortunately.” Focus on just adding to the story, one sentence at a time.

What are some of your favorite road trip games? Share in the comments below.           

Who We Are:

We are The Village Therapy Place, a multidisciplinary pediatric therapy center located in Wyckoff, NJ- in Bergen County. We aim to provide integrative, neurodevelopmental, individualized, pediatric therapy in a warm, fun, and collaborative environment. 

We offer pediatric services that include physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, feeding therapy, and DIR Floortime.  

 At The Village Therapy Place, we utilize current and evidence-based treatment techniques to help treat your child during his PT, OT, speech therapy, feeding therapy and DIR Floortime session. These include sensory integration, reflex integration, therapeutic listening, Kinesiotape, craniosacral therapy, NDT, BrainGym, feeding therapy, PROMPT, to name a few. 

Our expert pediatric therapists offer a variety of treatment options, including 30/45/60 minute sessions, group classes, at home sessions and virtual therapy to best suit your child’s needs. 

 The pediatric physical therapists, occupational therapists & speech therapists at The Village Therapy Place are in constant contact with a child's caregivers to facilitate lasting change. 

Call us today at (201) 201-8220 or email us at office@thevillagetherapyplace.com to speak with a pediatric expert who will help your child thrive!