When I was young we played several games in the car to occupy the time. One of these was ‘Padiddle.’ The rules of Padiddle are easy: If you spot a car with only one headlight, be the first to say, “Padiddle,” and earn a point. This game could only be played at night.
Another game my sons played, that sometimes caused spats in the backseat due to too much ‘ooomph’ given to the punch, was ‘Punch-buggy.’ A Punch-Buggy was a nickname for a Volkswagen Beetle. The first person to spot one would yell, “Punch-Buggy,” accompanying the shout with a punch in the arm for his/her seatmates.
A few other backseat games:
The Alphabet Game – finding the letters of the alphabet in order on roadside signs.
The License Plate Game – Trying to find all continental state license plates on long trips.
Do children/teenagers still play these games or are their eyes always focused on a phone or tablet?
Can you think of any other games such as these that you played in a car?
MINDING MY P'S WITH Q 
My sister and I made up a game when we were little. Red eye/white eye… when a car was coming towards us, my father would say “white eyes” and we would duck down, to avoid tigers. When the car passed, my father would say “red eyes” and it was safe to come up, and see the tigers receding into the distance….
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that…what a creative Dad!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My children played Punch Buggy.
My husband still plays the license plate game on EVERY car trip! He can drive capably, call out the states on plates, and keep a running list in his head. Today husband and grandson are driving from NY to NC, and I asked how the license plates were going. The answer: all states east of the Mississippi except Maine and Rhode Island.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A family after my own heart. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person