From Teresa Plowright,
Your Guide to Family Vacations.
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Next road trip, turn your kids into backseat detectives, eagerly eyeing other cars on the highway to find license plates from as many states as possible.

Version 1 of this car game is an easy format and less likely to frustrate young players. Version 2 lists all the contiguous states, and the goal is to find license plates from every one.

Both games can be played competitively (the person with the most finds wins) or cooperatively (everyone works together to spot the license plates), depending on the ages and moods of your kids! Sometimes it's best to set a time limit.

Tip: if your child gets carsick, play this game so s/he will focus outside the car. Focusing the eyes at short range-- on a book or hand-held game-- makes carsickness worse. ( Read more.)

Clickto see all US license plates online.

The License Plate Game: alphabet version

The License Plate Game: find every state

More simple travel games:

• Connect the Dots
• Animals A to Z
• Tic Tac Toe
• Rhyme Game
• Word Scramble

Thanks to guest contributor Nancy Bates!