License Plate Game: Make Family Road Trips Fun
Inspired by our older daughter’s first road trip, I put together one of my favorite road trip games, the license plate game. Growing up, my family would travel cross country each summer from Wisconsin to Arizona or Florida to visit family, friends, and many destinations. On those long driving days we played a lot of games to pass the time and the license plate game became one of my favorites.
Fast forward to my next generation of traveler. I would love it if she enjoyed the license plate game, but also get a better grasp of the states that make up this country and where they are located. Since she’s a bit older, it’s also good penmanship practice when writing down the letters/numbers of each plate (and some of the vanity plates are truly amusing!).
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License Plate Game
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 1 Copy of the Game for each player OR 1 Copy for the vehicle
- Drawing utensils (Pens, pencils, markers for big kids and adults; Crayons for little kiddos)
- Anything firm to write on (Books, magazines, clipboards, travel kits for kids, etc – We like these from Crayola!)
How To Play
1. As you are traveling, look for vehicles with license plates from states you don’t have on your sheet.
2. When you find a plate, if you are an adult or big kid, write down the plate number in the box on the sheet. For little kids, either circle or color in the state on the map.
3. At the end of the trip, count up the number of license plates. The one with the most wins the game. If you are playing together as a team, try to get a higher number than last trip.
TIP: Parking lots at any of your stops (I.e. Hotel, lunch, tourist destinations, etc) are great places to find plates. Kids also can see/read them easier than when they are zooming by. We found a TON at Mount Rushmore years ago!! Just be sure to stay safe and hold the little kiddos hands when walking through the parking lot.
Have fun bringing the license plate game along on your next road trip adventure! How many states can you find? What are your favorite road trip games? Let me know in the comments.
