Now more than ever it seems like travelers are returning to the idea of the great American road trip. Sure, you can fly to Florida in three hours. But, you’ll see none of the cool things you pass along the way. Hard pass. Enter the minivan. And the snacks. And the screen time debate. And the “Are we there yet?” question asked every fifteen minutes from now until eternity. (Or until you lose your shit and someone ends up crying.) Again.
There are cool things about road trips, though. Honest. For one thing, you don’t have to rent a car when you get there, figure out a new car seat or sit in someone else’s cigarette smoke. For another, it’s the chance to eat Waffle House at 3 a.m. It’s a chance to do a fire drill around the car while making a pit stop in some tiny town you’ll never see again. All while eliciting giggles from your most favorite people in the entire universe.
So, how do you pass the hours when you’re trying to limit technology, encourage your kids to look out the window, and avoid losing your cool? Maybe you should try bonding by keeping your kids thinking with road trip questions and games. Luckily, we’ve gone ahead and rounded up some questions sure to start some interesting conversations. Bon voyage!
Would You Rather and This or That Questions
Below we’ve rounded up the best this or that questions from all over the internet that will bring your family to complete existential crisis. Use these queries to learn even more about your kids.
1. Drive or fly?
2. Driver or passenger?
3. AC or Windows down?
4. Sleep or look out the windows?
5. Radio or headphones?
6. Music or podcast?
7. Music or audiobook?
8. Disney or Universal?
9. Disneyland or Disney World?
10. Beach or Lake?
11. Mountains or desert?
12. Hotel or cabin?
13. City or country?
14. Swim or sight-see?
15. Nature or city?
16. Waffle House or Denny’s?
17. McDonalds or Burger King?
18. Milk or juice?
19. North or south?
20. East or west?
21. Minivan or SUV?
22. Detective or a pilot?
23. Skiing or water park?
24. Fly a kite or swing on a swing?
25. Dance or sing?
26. Hide and seek or dodgeball?
27. Firework display or a circus performance?
28. Raining or cold and snowing today
29. Create a new holiday or create a new sport?
30. Float in space or the ocean?
31. Incredibly lucky with average intelligence or incredibly smart with average luck?
32. Horses or ponies?
33. Apples or oranges?
34. Broccoli flavored ice cream or meat-flavored cookies?
35. Popsicle or a cupcake?
36. Play with giant 5-foot bubbles or a bathtub-sized pile of Legos?
In-depth questions about traveling for the ride there…
37. If you were planning our trip where would we go?
38. What would we do when we got there?
39. Where would we eat?
40. What’s the first thing you want to do when we get there?
41. What’s the absolute one thing you must do at our destination?
42. Is there anything you don’t want to do?
In-depth questions for the ride home…
43. What was your favorite thing we did?
44. What was your favorite meal?
45. Any favorite snacks?
46. What souvenir will you always keep?
47. What’s your favorite memory from this trip?
48. Is there anything you’d change about this road trip?
49. How does this trip compare to others? (If this is their first: Do they want to do it, again?)
50. Where do you hope we go next?
51. Where do you hope we never go?
More questions to start conversations
52. Where do you want to take your family when you’re a grown-up?
53. Where do you want to go by yourself when you’re a grown-up?
54. What do you think would make a vacation very expensive?
55. Where would you go if you needed a cheap vacation?
56. Where would you suggest someone else go on vacation?
57. Do you think you’ll travel a lot when you’re older? Why or why not?
58. Do you think it’s more important to buy souvenirs or make memories when we’re on vacation?
59. Would you rather get super cool presents for holidays and birthdays or know we’re saving for super cool trips in the summer?
60. If you could go on a vacation with just Mom, where would you go?
61. If you could go on a vacation with just Dad, where would we go?
62. Where would you like to go on vacation with your siblings, without your parents?
63. Which do you like better: Getting there faster and having more time at the destination or taking our time and enjoying the ride?
64. Would you rather we drive at night, while you sleep, or during the day, so you can see where we’re going?
65. Do you like surprise trips or do you want to help us plan our vacations?
66. Do you want a trip to the beach or the mountains?
67. Do you enjoy movies or music in the car?
68. Do you want to help with cleaning up or setting up?
69. If you could go on vacation with just your friends, where would you go?
70. If you could only bring one gadget to a deserted island, what would it be?
71. If you could only watch one Disney movie for the next year, what would it be?
72. If you could only play one sport for the rest of your life, what would it be?
73. If you could have only one snack for the rest of the year what would it be?
74. Would you rather have more gifts in your Christmas stocking or under the tree?
75. If you had to choose between Halloween and Christmas, which would you choose?
76. Would you rather parents tell the truth about Santa or keep up the fantasy?
77. Would you rather have one toy you never get tired of or many toys you always get tired of?
78. Would you rather be surprised with a trip or knowing ahead of time you’re going?
79. If you had to move one holiday to a different time of the year, which holiday would it be and why?
80. Do you prefer reading the book or watching the movie version of something?