License Plate Game- Printable Road Trip Game For Kids

We love fun games on road trips and this license plate game has always been a hit when we travel with our kids. Up until now we have never had a way to track the states we find so I decided it was time to create (and share with you all!) a printable license plate game to help pass time on road trips with kids.

Free printable USA map with crayons next to it

There are so many great travel games and activities to do with your kids on long car trips. This includes scavenger hunts, word searches, audio books and a million games of tic tac toe. This road trip license plate game is a classic road trip game. It is a fun way to pass time and is perfect for the whole family!

This game provides a lot of road trip fun and is great for school aged kids. So take out your snacks (trail mix is our go to) and enjoy this game and some quality time together!

Supplies

  • USA map & fun USA state fact sheet- Free printable templates are towards the bottom of this post
  • Color crayons or markers
Free printable USA map and silly state facts printable

How To Play The Classic License Plate Game

  1. Print off the free printable USA map towards the bottom of this post. You can either have one copy for the whole car or print one off for each person. 
  2. As you spot different state’s license plates have your child yell out the state they found and color in the state on the map. 
  3. The map has the state abbreviation in each state. The fun state facts sheet (this printable is included with the USA map) has the state name plus the abbreviation so the child can make sure they color in the correct state. 
  4. For added fun have your child read the fun fact from the state they just found.
  5. At the end of your trip count up how many states you found. Keep track and try to beat your record next trip!
completed license pate game on clipboard

Tip: If you are having a hard time finding new states on your trip make sure to keep your eyes open when you stop at a gas station or drive through parking lots. There are often multiple states represented and it is fun to have a burst of new states to cross off of the list. Doing this always seems to give my kids momentum to keep looking to try to find all 50 US states!

license plate printable on template with road and car

Different Ways To Play This Fun Roadtrip Game

  • See how many different state license plates you can find on a long road trip
  • If you are taking short trips this summer challenge your kids to see how many different states you can find over the all of your trips
  • Keep the map in your car and date the state when you find it- see how long it takes to find all 50 states
  • When you find a state make it extra challenging by seeing if someone knows the state capital, this is an added challenge for bigger kids
  • Make your own rules! Don’t forget to celebrate when you find all 50 states, ice cream is our favorite celebration treat
USA state map and state facts free printable

Your Free Printable License Plate Game

Fill out the form above with your email address and the free license plate game will be emailed to you automatically. The link included in this email will bring you to a free PDF file that you can download and print off. This printable game is for your personal use at home or in your classroom. 

This printable includes a map of the United States as well as a sheet that has a fun fact for each state. My kids love this part and you get some good giggles about some of the silly facts that are included! 🙂

child in car seat coloring in the USA license plate game

Other Travel Tips & Activities For Parents

Make sure this license plate game is on your packing list for your next long car trip for a little bit of added fun!

pinterest pin for the license plate game

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