How to Pass the Time in a Car: Best Activities for Long Drives

Stuck in traffic on the M2, or driving six hours from Adelaide to Melbourne? Time doesn’t move faster just because you’re in a car. But what you do while you’re stuck there? That’s entirely up to you. Most people just stare at the road, fiddle with the radio, or scroll mindlessly on their phones. There’s a better way.

Turn your car into a mobile entertainment hub

Your car isn’t just a machine-it’s a space. And like any space, it can be optimized. You don’t need fancy gadgets. Start with what you already have. A good pair of headphones, a charged phone, and a playlist you’ve actually curated. Not just whatever Spotify suggested. Pick something that matches your mood. A podcast about Australian history while driving through the Murray River region? Perfect. A comedy album to laugh through the boredom of the South Eastern Freeway? Even better.

Try audiobooks. They’re the quietest way to get lost in another world. If you’ve never tried one, start with something short. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba is gripping, under 8 hours, and feels like a movie playing in your head. Or go for something funny-Yes Please by Amy Poehler turns a boring stretch of highway into a stand-up show.

Play games that don’t need screens

Screen fatigue is real. After an hour of TikTok, your eyes feel like sandpaper. Try games that use your voice, your memory, and your imagination instead.

• 20 Questions: One person thinks of something-a kangaroo, a 1998 Holden Commodore, the taste of Vegemite. The rest ask yes-or-no questions until they guess it. It’s simple, but it gets wild. Someone once guessed ‘the sound a brake pad makes when it’s worn out’ after 18 questions.
• The Alphabet Game: Spot every letter of the alphabet on signs, license plates, or billboards. Start with A. Go in order. If you’re driving through South Australia, you’ll hit Z fast-there are so many road signs with ‘A’ for ‘Adelaide’ and ‘Z’ for ‘Zuccoli’s Fruit Stall’.
• Story Chain: One person starts a story with one sentence. The next person adds one sentence. Keep going. No stopping. The weirder, the better. ‘The kangaroo drove a Tesla. It was late for a meeting with a koala who owned a bakery.’ You’ll be laughing before you know it.

Use the drive to learn something real

You don’t need to be in a classroom to learn. Your ears are your classroom. Try educational podcasts designed for driving. Stuff You Should Know explains how refrigerators work, why we yawn, and how the Great Barrier Reef formed-all in 30-minute chunks. 99% Invisible turns everyday things-like the shape of a soda can or why streetlights are orange-into fascinating stories.

Or listen to local history. Australia has amazing oral histories. Try ABC Local Radio’s ‘The Long Road’ series. It’s full of stories from outback towns, coastal fishing villages, and forgotten railway stations. You’ll learn more about your own country in a single drive than you did in three years of high school.

Keep your hands busy with tactile activities

Your brain craves movement. Sitting still for hours makes you restless. Give your hands something to do.

• Stress balls or fidget toys: Keep one in the glovebox. Not the plastic kind from a gas station. Get one made of silicone with texture-bumps, ridges, grooves. Squeeze it while you wait at a red light. It calms your nerves and keeps your fingers from tapping the wheel like a drum solo.
• Knitting or crochet: Yes, really. Lightweight yarn, small needles. You don’t need to make a scarf. Just practice a simple stitch. It’s meditative. And when you finish, you’ve got something useful-a coaster, a keychain, a tiny kangaroo.
• Journaling: Keep a small notebook and pen in the door pocket. Write down what you see. The way the light hits the eucalyptus trees near Murray Bridge. The smell of rain on hot asphalt. The name of the last town you passed. These notes become memories. Five years from now, you’ll read them and remember exactly how you felt that day.

Make the car smell good-on purpose

Smell is the strongest sense tied to memory. A bad smell makes you want to get out. A good one makes you want to stay. If your car smells like old fries and wet dog, it’s hard to enjoy anything.

Try a natural car freshener. Not the plastic hanging thing with fake pine scent. Use a small ceramic diffuser with a few drops of lavender or eucalyptus oil. Put it on the vent. The air flow carries it gently. Or keep a small sachet of dried lavender in the glovebox. It’s subtle, calming, and doesn’t make your windows fog up.

And if you’ve got kids? Let them pick a scent. They’ll feel involved. And if they start complaining? Just say, ‘The lavender is working. You’re getting calmer.’

Use the drive to plan, not just pass time

Not every moment needs to be fun. Sometimes, it needs to be useful.

Use voice notes. Record your thoughts. ‘Need to call Mum about the garden.’ ‘Remember to book the oil change next week.’ ‘I should try that new bakery in Gawler.’ You’ll thank yourself later. No phone typing. No distractions. Just you, your thoughts, and the road.

Or make a list. What do you want to do this year? What’s one thing you’ve been putting off? Write it down. Don’t overthink it. ‘Learn to make damper.’ ‘Visit the Flinders Ranges.’ ‘Try surfing at Port Noarlunga.’ Keep the list in the sun visor. Every time you drive, you’ll see it. One day, you’ll check one off. That’s progress.

Change your perspective

Most people drive with their eyes locked on the road ahead. But what’s behind you? What’s beside you? Look out the side window. Notice the shapes of the clouds. The way the fence posts line up. The way the dust kicks up behind trucks. Watch the light change as the sun moves. It’s not just scenery-it’s a live painting.

Try this: Every 30 minutes, pick one thing you didn’t notice before. A red roof. A dog sitting on a porch. A sign that says ‘Beware of Emus’. Write it down. Or just remember it. You’ll start seeing details you never noticed before. And suddenly, the drive isn’t empty. It’s full.

Don’t underestimate silence

Not every moment needs noise. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is turn everything off. No music. No podcast. Just the hum of the tires, the wind, the occasional honk.

Let your mind wander. Think about nothing. Or think about everything. What’s something you’re proud of? What’s something you’re scared of? What do you want your life to look like in five years? Silence isn’t empty. It’s full of space-for ideas, for feelings, for clarity.

Try it on the next long drive. Turn off the radio. Roll down the window just a crack. Breathe. Drive. And notice how the road feels different when you’re not trying to fill every second.

What not to do

Some things sound fun but aren’t. Avoid:

• Trying to read a physical book-it’s dangerous and gives you a headache.
• Playing video games on your phone-you’ll get motion sickness before you finish level one.
• Arguing with passengers. Save it for when you’re parked.
• Overloading the car with gadgets. Too many chargers, too many screens, too much clutter. It feels like a mess, not a space.

Keep it simple. Keep it safe. Keep it human.

If you’re driving alone, treat the car like your mobile office, library, and lounge room. If you’re with others, make it a shared experience. Either way, don’t just survive the drive. Own it. The road doesn’t have to be boring. It just needs you to show up differently.