Math On the Go: Road Trip Games

Look no further than this blog! We've created some entertaining math activities that the whole family can play as you travel for the holidays. Whether you are traveling by car, bus, or plane, these games will allow you to keep children of all ages engaged. 

These activities are scalable for age and level, so everyone should be able to participate. Try a few of these with your children and turn road trip boredom into road trip fun!

Grades K-1: Guess My Number

Think of a number from 0-10 and ask your child to guess. You can limit their number of guesses or set a time limit. When they guess, tell them if your chosen number is "higher" or "lower" to help steer your child toward the unknown number, like a game of hot and cold.

A typical game might go like this: 

Parent: I'm thinking of a number between 0 and 30. 

Child: Is it 20? 

Parent: No, it's lower. 

Child: Is it 10? 

Parent: No, higher. So now we know it's between 10 and 20...

As your child's ability and confidence grows, change roles so that you're the one guessing the number and your child gives the clues. Eventually, increase the range of numbers to 0-50, or change the range to start with a higher number.

Grades K-3: Counting Cars 

Ask your child to count how many cars pass by on the road in 2 minutes. Then estimate the number of cars that would pass by in an hour.

How many cars are slower or faster than yours? 

Tell your child that you have a feeling that the roads are busier in the mornings than in the evenings. Ask your child to help you figure out how many more cars pass by in the mornings than in the evenings.

Grades 3-5: Travel Time!

Use driving time to introduce elements of motion problems! You can ask a series of math-type questions, including:

- Tell your child how long you expect the trip to take and when you need to be there by. Ask: What time should you leave in order to arrive on time?

- If you drove 2 miles in the last 5 minutes, ask your child: How far could you go in 30 minutes? If you need to cover a distance of 15 miles, should you speed up to arrive on time? 

- Tell your child the estimated time of your trip, ask: What time do you think you will arrive?

With these activities, you can keep your whole family entertained as you travel for the holidays! We hope you have a wonderful holiday season!