Buckle Up and Bond: Tips for a Fun Road Trip
“I like to sit in traffic.”
That was my response to a recent icebreaker question, and it’s totally true! (At least when I’m not trying to beat the clock to get somewhere.) Traffic means I get more time to listen to whatever podcast I’m in the middle of, more time to engage in that fun car discussion, or more time to play that really fun game with the passengers in the back. . . .
Road trips are a funny concept. You stick a bunch of people in a small space where they’re attached to their seats for miles at a time. Nowhere to hide. Nothing to do.
Nothing to do? Actually, there’s so much you can do together.
If you’re going on a road trip, airplane trip or any kind of trip this summer, here are my favorite ideas to keep everyone in the car entertained (and not yelling and throwing things at each other).
Deep Diving While Driving: Cars are a comfortable place to discuss all sorts of topics. Without direct eye contact, and while everyone has comfortable space around them, many people find it a great place to bring up all sorts of themes. Consider preparing some questions in advance (or looking them up on the spot). With young kids, ask everyone to share a big life question they have, something they’re grateful for, or what they would do to help the world if they had a million dollars. Tip: consider filling a jar with pre-written and folded-up questions. Every ten miles, draw a new one from the jar and let everyone respond.
Listen Up: Share a fun listening experience together. Many books come in audiobook format. (Ask your library about listening options.) There are also great podcasts out there for kids and families. Two of my favorites for kids are Circle Round and Wow in the World. Consider downloading a few episodes or books in advance, in case you lose cell service on the road.
Elevate Your Miles: Think of a mitzvah you can do while driving to add meaning and purpose to your trip. Is there someone you can call on speaker as a group to brighten their day? Is there a sefer you can learn together? How about you come prepared for a mini berachot party? (Just make sure not to spill the grape juice.)
Game Time: Last, but definitely not least, play a road trip game. There are the classics like “I’m going on a Picnic,” Ghost, Two Truths and a Lie, Road Trip Bingo, License Plate Spotting, Build a Story, Mad Libs and Twenty Questions. And here are some of my favorites:
• What Doesn’t Fit? (List four items, where one is not like the other. This can be super easy, very challenging or anywhere in between)
• Backwards Conversation (Start with the last sentence and work backwards. It’s harder than it sounds!)
• Talk in Questions (Do you know how to play? Have you ever tried it? Am I winning?)
• Contact (This one is my all-time favorite road trip game. It takes a bit of time to learn, but it’s definitely worth it. I’ll share it in short below, but if it goes over your head or you want more explanation, feel free to reach out or search the game rules online.)
In short, one person (Let’s call them the Thinker) thinks of a word and shares the first letter with the Guessers. (“It begins with P.”) Guessers then take turns asking the Thinker about the word. (“Is it an animal?”) The Thinker tries to reject their guesses by correctly dismissing the words they’re thinking of or even other words that qualify. (“No, it’s not a pig.”)
Meanwhile, Guessers listen to each other’s questions, and when they understand, they shout out “Contact!” Then, Guessers count together, “1, 2, 3 . . .” and if, and only if, they shout out the exact same word together, the Thinker is forced to share the next letter. (“Is it land surrounded by a lot of water?” “No, it’s not a . . . um . . .” “Contact! 1, 2, 3 Peninsula!” “Ok, the next letter is R.”) In this example, Guessers then will ask clues for words beginning with pr until they get the next letter, and so forth. This continues until they either correctly guess the word or they force the Thinker to share the final letter.
And there are plenty more similar games you can find online or by word of mouth.
This summer, if you find time to take a little trip, be sure to come prepared. It’ll make the journey more enjoyable (and maybe even uplifting) for everyone in the car.
Instead of “Are we there yet?” you might hear “Can we do that again?”
So, what are some of your favorite road trip pastimes? Please share with us!
Sari Kopitnikoff is an experiential educator, digital artist and content creator who is passionate about creating books, games, activities and shows that bring Judaism to life. You can find her books, games and lots of educational activities on her website, thatjewishmoment.com and on social media, @thatjewishmoment.