Buzz is a counting game played around the car: players count up from 1, one number each, and say “buzz” instead of any number that is a multiple of 7 or contains a 7. Say the number by mistake, or hesitate too long, and you’re out. The last player still counting wins.
It needs no looking, so the driver can play, and the difficulty scales with a single choice: which number is the buzz number.
The rules
- Set the order around the car before you start: driver, front passenger, then the back seat from left to right. Seat order is the part that goes wrong in a car, since nobody can see who’s next.
- The first player says “1,” the next says “2,” and so on.
- On 7, 14, 17, 21, 27, 28 and every other multiple of 7 or number with a 7 in it, the player says “buzz.”
- A mistake or a pause of more than three seconds puts you out. The next player carries on from the next number.
- The last player in wins. Start the next round from 1.
Pick the buzz number by age
Ages 6 to 7: buzz on 5 or 10
Every number ending in 5 or 0 is a buzz. Kids can hear the pattern, so they learn the game before they’re working at it. Play as a team, and count how high the car gets before the first mistake.
Ages 8 to 9: buzz on 3 or 4
Multiples only, no “contains” rule. This is times-tables practice that doesn’t feel like homework, and kids quickly notice that 3 comes around faster than they expect.
Ages 10 and up: buzz on 7
The full rules, with multiples and any number containing 7. The 70s are brutal: every number from 70 to 79 is a buzz.
Teens and adults: Fizz Buzz
Say “fizz” on multiples of 3, “buzz” on multiples of 5, and “fizz buzz” on both. Or play Buzz on 7 with reversals: every buzz flips the direction of play around the car, so you have to track both the number and who’s next.
Team record mode
Knocking players out is fine for older siblings who are evenly matched. With a six-year-old and a twelve-year-old, the little one is out in ten seconds and bored for the rest. Play for a record instead.
Everyone counts together, and a mistake ends the round for the whole car. Write the highest number reached on a sticky note on the dashboard. Every round is a shot at the record, and the twelve-year-old will start helping the six-year-old, because it’s their record too.
Tips for long drives
- Three seconds is the right thinking time. Any shorter and younger kids panic; any longer and the rhythm falls apart.
- Play in 10-minute bursts. Counting games tire the brain faster than spotting games.
- Change the buzz number each round. Players who master 7 are suddenly shaky on 6.
When it stalls
A round that dies at 4 three times in a row means the number is too hard for someone in the car.
Drop to an easier buzz number rather than stopping. If the whole car has had enough of numbers, move to a word game with the same turn-taking rhythm, like rhyme time or I packed my suitcase. Both keep the circle going without the math.
