State License Plate Travel Game

When I was a kid on a family road trip, we used to play the car license game.  You may know exactly what I’m talking about when I say that.  For those who don’t here’s a brief explanation:

In order to keep the kids quiet, we were tasked to find how many license plates from different states we could spot.  My brother and I would keep our eyes peeled (and generally speaking were fairly quiet, too) until we spotted something. Then we’d call out, “Nevada!  I’ve got Nevada.”  Someone would dutifully write down who spotted what.

Since our road trips were all fairly local, I’m not sure that we ever spotted ALL 50 states, but it was a good way for Mom & Dad to have some peace while we were all cooped up in the car.

Variations of this game are still played today.  It will keep kids occupied, can be both fun and educational, and requires very little in the way of paraphernalia.  That means it takes no room to pack – and it’s cheap, usually FREE.

You can keep a list of the states that are found, you can have a list of the states printed up and then just check them off (or highlight them) as they are found, or download and print out this map of the states (hat tip to Richard P. Carpenter’s Travel & Trivia) and color in the ones you spot.

The game can be a team effort, with everyone keeping an eye out to try to see all 50 states.  Or, it can be competitive (first one to see the license plates gets to claim it), with individuals or teams competing to see who can find the most.  You’ll know your family and group best, and can decide which option best suits the personalities involved.  Best of all, kids of nearly all ages can be entertained by the simple game – and mom and dad, too!

Did you play this game as a kid?  Or maybe you still play it as an adult?

Photo credit: markhillary @flickr