Summer is the time for vacation and vacation means car rides and car rides are a great way for families to connect. Car rides can be very, very boring if you aren't entertaining yourselves. Car games are a God send when you are trying to keep from dying of boredom on a 10 hour car ride.

1. I Spy.

This is a classic car game. Everyone has played this at one point or another. One person picks an item and they proceed to say, "I spy with my little eye something (color of the object) or something that starts with the letter (insert first letter of the object's name). The other players then proceed to guess what the object is. First person to guess the object goes next.

2. Car Colors.

This is one that my family always played on the way to the lake. Each person picks a color (blue, red, silver, white, black). Every time that you pass a car on the highway and it's your color you get a point. Tally or keep track of points until you are to your destination. Most points declares winner. If you don't want to do a car color you could do as my mom does and choose roadkill as your "car color" and count the roadkill you pass on the side of the road.

3. License Plate.

This is much like the car color game, only with license plates. Choose a state and then proceed to keep track of points. You can also use the letters and numbers to create words and phrases.

4. Mad Lib.

This was always a fun one with my family. You can do this with a write-in notebook Mad Lib or you can get the game version. With the notebook version, you have a fill in the blank story that you and your co-riders can fill in. Each person gets a turn. When they get to a "blank" word they will offer an adjective, adverb, verb, noun, whatever the story calls for. At the end you will read the whole thing out loud. Result can be pretty great.

5. Create a Story.

One person will start with a sentence and then the next person will continue the story with their own sentence. The ending product can either be very, very funny (like with my family) or it can be a nice, cute story; it's up to you!

6. Would You Rather?

Go around the car and ask would you rather questions to your fellow riders. Some answers may surprise you!

7. Name that Tune.

Someone will pick a song and either whistle, hum, or sing some of the song. Whoever guesses the correct song gets to go next. You can either choose a theme, such as show tune or TV themes, or you can have a free-for-all.

8. Movie Quotes.

Much like Name that Tune, someone will pick a movie quote from a movie to say and the others will guess what movie it is from. Whoever guesses correct goes next.

9. Alphabet.

By using road signs and billboards you have to find every letter of the alphabet in alphabetical order. You can have the sign start with the letter or you can have the letter be anywhere in the letters on the sign. You have to focus on the signs on YOUR side of the car. The first one to the letter Z wins.

10. Silent Game.

I always tried this one with my brothers; it never lasted long. The first one to talk or make any sounds is the loser.

11. Zilch.

My personal favorite. This game you count windmills you can see from the car. Also, if you want to make it even more fun, the first person to cry out zilch after spotting a windmill can punch the person next to him/her in the arm. Great game for siblings, let me tell you!

But when all else fails...

12. SING-A-LONGS!

That's right! Pop in that favorite playlist and sing your little hearts out.