Summer Games

Car games rules

Here are some popular car games and a summary of the rules of how to play them. Of course, every family will have their own variation, which is part of why they become a strong memory and a bond between the family. Remember, whatever game you choose to play, if the driver is joining in, it’s vital that their attention isn’t distracted from the road.

I Spy

Players have to guess what object another player is referring to, just by the first letter Rules: One person picks an object they can see, and without revealing it to the other players, says “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…” then states the first letter of the object they have in mind. The first person to guess the right answer then picks something else and says, “I spy…”

Players have to agree whether the objects must remain visible all the time they are guessing, if objects have to be inside the car, or if objects which are outside and are passed can be included.

The winner at the end of the journey is the person who guessed the most correct objects.

“Banana/Yellow car”

First to spot a yellow car and shout banana car, or yellow car, wins. One variation of the game includes the ‘spotter’ then hitting another player on the arm. We do not condone that variant!

Car colour bingo

Players have to spot cars of a list of colours – the first to see all the colours wins.

Truck spot

Players each select a well-known company and whoever sees the most trucks from that company wins.

Rules: Each player picks a company and then keeps count of how many trucks from that company they see, calling out each time they see one so the other players can confirm the spot. A common format is to all pick a supermarket each. With strong visual identities, the supermarket option works well for younger children.

The winner is whoever has seen the most of their chosen company’s trucks by the end of the journey.

Tip: sneaky parents may know where certain companies have big logistic depots, and so choose their company accordingly…

Pub sign cricket

Score runs based on pub names or signs.

Rules: The player ‘batting’ scores one run for every leg belonging to a person or animal in the pub’s name. The player is ‘out’ when a pub is spotted with either the word head or arms in its name and the next player starts ‘batting’.

The winner is the person who has scored the most runs by the end of the journey. (The Duckworth Lewis method does not come into play in this format of cricket!)

Alphabet game

Each player adds to an alphabetical list, but has to repeat the whole list of previously stated items.

Rules: Each player in turn has to add to an alphabetical list of items, listing out all the items that have gone before and adding a new one for the next letter on their turn. If a player can’t come up with a suggestion for the list, or correctly repeat all the items that have gone before, they are out of the game until only the winner is left.

Animal trail

Each player has to name an animal starting with the last letter of the previous player’s suggestion Rules: Players have to come up with the name of an animal or bird that begins with the last letter of the previous player’s suggestion. The same animal cannot be used in each round. E.g. first player says ‘elephant’, the next player could say ‘turtle’ and the third player then has to find something beginning with ‘e’, (but cannot use elephant again). If a player repeats a previous suggestion or can’t think of a new animal or bird, they are out of the game until only the winner is left.