Games to Play to Make Driving Across Montana Suck Less

Driving in Montana is a necessity. We are a very big state and it can take hours to get from one town to another. Since I am in radio, I always like to listen to the radio stations from town to town. That isn't always enough entertainment for the other family members. Since I have had children we have had to make many long road trips. Some of these trips were 8 or 9 hours at a time. We needed something to make the trips at least a little bit bearable, maybe even fun. So we played games. Here are some classic games to keep you occupied while driving across Montana this summer.

20 Questions-  This is a classic. The way we play is one person thinks of something, or someone and the others in the car have to guess what or who they are thinking of. You only get 20 questions to try to guess the answer. This can make the time fly by. You may start in Billings and before you notice it, you are already pulling into Butte.

License Plate Game- The goal is to try to find a license plate from every state. This game used to be harder. A lot of times you had to find a U-Haul or a semi-truck to find some of the harder to find license plates. These days you can find license plates from all over the United States and Canada in Montana. I have even seen Hawaiian license plates in Montana.

Eye Spy- The old "Eye Spy with my Little Eye Game". A person sees something and then gives a clue to everyone else, usually using a color. Everyone has to guess what that person saw. The rules can be changed to have things either inside or outside the vehicle.

Alphabet Game- You try to find letters of the alphabet in order on signs or buildings or cars while on the road. Starting with letter "a" and working your way to "z". Here are some tips, when looking for the letter "q", look for a Quality Inn. When looking for the letter "z", travel plazas help. This is a game where everyone can work together. It can be done. You can win the "Alphabet Game" between Missoula and Butte in the dark.

The Motorcycle Game- I always taught my kids to keep their eyes out for motorcycles on the road when they were young. Instead of the "slug bug" game, where you would punch someone in the arm whenever they saw a Volkswagen Beetle, we played with motorcycles. There were two positives that came out of this. First they kept their eyes out for motorcycles. Second, it gave the kids a chance to punch me in the arm. Everyone was happy.

The Cow Game- This is my all time favorite car game. It doesn't last long, but it will make everyone in the vehicle groan at the same time. When you start to travel, whoever is the first person to see a cow will say "cow game". The game is then over and that person is the winner. No one else can win until you stop the vehicle and start driving again. The key to the "Cow Game" is to remember to actually play the cow game. The time goes by fast because the winner gets to brag until the car stops again.

Enjoy Your Time on the Road in Montana and Be Safe Out There

The prediction for the summer is that the Montana roads will be very busy and crowded. These are a couple ways to keep you occupied while on the road. Try to have fun and be safe out there.