Confused.com has revealed the 10 most popular games families play in cars on long journeys.

52% of UK car owners avoided the tailbacks on the Bank Holiday and stayed at home or used another method of transport, according to new research from car insurance comparison site Confused.com.

But for those who stuck with tradition, a car packed with kids, pets and picnics awaited. Gareth Kloet, head of car insurance at Confused.com said: “Keeping your kids entertained on long car journeys is always a challenge.Of course there are a lot of gadgets such as games consoles and DVD players that can help time pass more easily, but some families might prefer a more sociable solution.

“Car games that mum and dad can play with their kids have a long tradition in Britain – so we’ve tracked down 10 of the best to help you stave off boredom on those long trips.”

Classic games such as ‘I spy’ and ’20 questions’ made it on to the list, alongside more educational pursuits such as encouraging children to help with map reading and getting them to spot landmarks as they are approaching.

Many of the games which made the list focus on what things children can spot while they are travelling. These include the ‘yellow convertible mini’ game, where children have to spot a yellow car, a mini or a convertible, but get more points for spotting combinations of the three. There is also the ‘three for a pig’ game, where different amount of points are awarded for all the different animals that are spotted, and the alphabet game, where children aim to spot consecutive letters of the alphabet on road signs or registration plates. Children can also make a simple game out of counting cars, and trying to be the first to spot a certain number of a particular colour or make.

Other games to make the list were ‘I went to the shops’, where children try and list items while working through the alphabet, and ‘What can you do with?’ where players think of all the possible uses for household objects.

No doubt the most popular game amongst travelling adults is ‘sleeping lions’, where children have to try and keep quiet for as long as possible.

Via EPR Network
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