For those of us who are hitting the open road this summer, with a car full of kids no less, activities that entertain (and stave off the endless "are we there yet?" questions) are a necessity! One easy way to keep your kids' minds off the destination, and more on the journey, is to give them brain games to play in the car. Of course, kids are all-too-prepared with their tech toys - tablets, handheld gaming systems, DVD players, and the like - but why not encourage them to flex their brain muscles with some good old-fashioned family games using their 5 senses.

I-Spy

The quintessential road-trip game, I-Spy, requires one player to "spy" something in the vehicle, and the other players to guess what player 1 has spied. The players that are guessing can ask questions to clarify the item, or simply make guesses in a rotation. This game is best for players ages 5 and up.

The Alphabet Game

The Alphabet Game (also known as the Sign Game in some family circles) is one that can be played using billboards, vehicle signs, restaurant signs and signage from other retailers. Players compete against one another by calling out signs in alphabetical order until all 26 letters of the alphabet have been completed. Letters have to be at the start of a word on the signage to count, but it's generally acceptable to count some letters (think: Q and X) even if they are found in the middle of a word. This game is best for players 7 and up.

The Counting Game

The Counting Game is a great game for your youngest players! Simply pick the item that should be counted (e.g. blue cars, signs from your favorite coffee shop franchise, white semi-trucks, etc.) and see who can count the most of that item before reaching your final destination. Players as young as 3 can generally play this game with ease. For more brain games to play in the car, including games of memory, rhythm and rhyme, and music, check out this link to the Top 10 Road Trip Games from Edmunds.com.