Music, Maps and Midway Meltdowns
Once upon a time, going on holiday meant piling into the family car, arguing over legroom and setting off with nothing but a paper map, a glovebox full of tapes and a boot stuffed with excitement. No sat-nav. No tablets. Just vibes, boiled sweets and Now That’s What I Call Music on loop.
At Zingo Bingo, we think every journey should be this fun. Because much like a full house, the best part is often the build-up. So grab your imaginary Walkman and let’s coast down memory lane with a look back at those unforgettable, unpredictable car journeys of the past.
Step 1: The Backseat Setup
🎒 The backseat was its own kingdom. If you got the middle seat, you were a saint. If you got the window, you were lucky. The whole thing was sticky, warm and loaded with unspoken rules.
Backseat essentials we still remember:
- Blankets and bags acting as makeshift barriers between siblings
- Piling your feet on the middle hump for extra height
- Arguing about window control rights
- Trying to sleep with your head banging against the seatbelt
- Drawing on the windows with your finger and pretending it was art
🎲 Zingo Tip: Recreate the chaos with a “Bingo Battle of the Backseat” where players vote on the top road trip snack, seat and song.
Step 2: Taped Maps and Glovebox Chaos
🗺 Before sat-navs calmly recalculated your wrong turns, Dad had the AA Road Atlas and Mum had a panic attack every time they missed a junction. The map was sacred, the detours were personal and the glovebox held everything from tissues to an expired sandwich voucher.
Navigation memories include:
- Trying to fold the map properly and failing every time
- “I think we were supposed to take that exit…” moments
- Highlighted routes in neon marker
- Disagreements that ended in glorious silence
- Getting lost and stumbling across the best chip shop by accident
🎲 Room Match: Retro Grid 75
Where following the pattern can be smooth or scenic, just like the old road trips.
Step 3: Mixtape Moments and Singalong Sessions
📼 The car stereo was the real star of the trip. Loaded with mixtapes made from chart shows or borrowed from older siblings, it turned every journey into a pop concert and every roundabout into a drum solo.
Greatest hits of the glovebox:
- A tape labelled “Holiday Bangers 1998” that never left the player
- Recording the Top 40 off the radio with awkward DJ interruptions
- Skipping the fast-forward game to find your song
- Parents making you listen to The Best of Queen whether you liked it or not
- Screaming the chorus with the windows down as if you were famous
🎲 Room Pairing: Monthly Mega Groove
Where the beats are big and the jackpots even bigger.
Bonus: Host a Road Trip-Inspired Bingo Night
✅ Bingo cards with cassette, car and snack icons
✅ “Choose your seat” mini game to assign bingo buddies
✅ Bingo playlist filled with 90s pop, 80s rock and karaoke classics
✅ Award points for best “fake family meltdown” story
✅ Encourage players to wear travel hats, sunglasses or holiday tees
🎲 Room Match: Fab Friday
Where every game feels like the start of a new trip.
What’s Your Favourite Car Journey Memory?
💬 Did your mixtape get stuck on one track? Did you fight over who got the window seat?
Share your stories using #ZingoBingoRewind and tag our socials for a chance to be featured in our next themed event.
Let’s Zingo and Cruise Into the Good Times
🚗🎲 Because whether it’s daubing for a full house or passing motorway signs at 70mph, every moment is worth the ride.
