Five of the best: Games for a long drive

Five favourite car games to keep everyone entertained. Photo / Thinkstock

We've settled in very nicely to this Easter break. What a weekend
- sandwiched with a day off either side, making it ideal for hitting the road. We are especially lucky in New Zealand with so many holiday hotspots just a short drive away (or a staycation with plenty of day tripping options). The destinations are alluring but the tricky part is passing time in the car once the chatter has run out and the boredom starts to set in, especially when you have little ones on board. To help ease the pain of the return journey home tomorrow, here are five of our favourite car games to keep everyone entertained (without the use of flash techno gadgets).

1. I Spy

The classic car game. You know how it goes - one person picks something they can see around them (that won't be passing by too swiftly) and gives the clue starting with "I spy with my little eye something beginning with ..." Usually it's the first letter of the object, but younger kids might prefer a colour clue. The person who gets it right gives the next clue. See how many points you can rack up.

2. Don't forget the lyrics

You might have seen the American television programme which inspired this game. It's pretty easy to prepare. Pull together a playlist of family favourite tracks before you leave the house. To play the game, pick the first "contestant". The "host" hits play on a song and lets it run for 15 seconds or so (basically until there's a good line to follow). When the music stops the contestant must sing the next line. Un-pause and see how close they come. The turn continues until the line is messed up. You could do a separate list for each player to prevent bickering over an unfair advantage for any age differences.

3. Window art

This bright idea came from a parent pal in the office who we often consult for kid matters. It's no secret children like drawing, particularly on surfaces they aren't meant to - like car windows. She suggests picking up a set of washable markers and glass cleaning wipes. Children can doodle on the windows, wipe it off and start again - ideally on the side windows rather than the rear window, for safety reasons. This one also gives grown-ups a bit of a breather.

4. Alphabet game

This is still one of our favourites and can be adapted to suit the age of participants. Players run through the alphabet, one person for each letter. They name something beginning with that letter, depending on the topic. Boys and girls names are easy ones to start: A for Adam, B for Brett, etc. Older kids might be more into famous faces, sports stars or names of songs. Continue until someone gets stuck (but consider making allowances for tricky ones like Q and X).

5. Car cricket

Fitting since we're all getting over a serious case of Cricket World Cup Fever. This one is best for kids who can count, but older ones can always help out the littlies. Each player takes a turn "batting". Cars equal 1 run, cars with a trailer equal 2 runs, bus or truck equal 4 runs (a boundary), semi-trailer equals 6 runs. The batter continues to score until a red car passes, in which case they are out. The next batter takes the crease. The game can be played until a player reaches 100. Bend the rules to suit whatever you're passing and get everyone involved trying to spot the red cars ahead.