10 minNothing at all
Rhyming Chain
Cat, hat, mat, flat. Keep going until you run out.
🔤
The Alphabet Game
Find A, then B, then C, on every sign you pass.
The classic car game. Needs nothing, works from the age of four, and lasts a surprisingly long stretch of motorway.
What you need
Nothing at all.
How to do it
- Everyone starts at the letter A.
- Find an A on any sign, number plate or shopfront and call it out.
- Once you have it, move on to B.
- You must find them in order, and each letter must be on something you can point at.
- First to Z wins, or whoever is furthest when you arrive.
Why this is good for them
Scanning the environment for a specific letter is exactly the visual discrimination that early reading depends on, and children will do it for far longer in a car than at a table. The strict ordering also adds a working memory load.
Adapting by age
4 to 5 yearsAny order, and accept letters anywhere including inside the car.
10 to 12 yearsThe letter must be the first letter of a word, which makes Q and Z genuinely hard.
Keep it safe
The driver does not play.
Cleanup tip
None.
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