Airplanes, Trains & Boats: Trivia for Kids + Family Road Trip Quiz

Backseat Trivia Rumble - Episode 78 7-10-2026
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[00:00:00] All right, and welcome back to Backseat Trivia Rumble. I hope the snacks are open and the volume is up, because we've got a heavyweight battle today. In the backseat, the high flyers and the cloud chasers. In the front seat, the track masters and the rail riders. Three rounds, 30 questions. Drivers, eyes on the road.

Kids, eyes on the prize. Before we get the engine started on round one, we have a very special VIP to celebrate. A massive happy birthday goes out to Victor from Nebraska. We hope your day is filled with tons of trivia wins. Have an awesome birthday, Victor. Now that we've celebrated our VIP, let's get down to business.

Let's get ready to rumble with the first kids round. [00:01:00] Question one: What are the individuals called who fly the airplane from the cockpit? And the answer is the pilots. Question two: What part of an airplane extends out to the sides and provides the lift needed to keep it up in the air?

And the answer is the wings. Hey, quick, why did the airplane get sent to his room? Because he had a bad altitude. Question three: What do we call the big building at an airport where airplanes are parked, worked on, or kept safe from the weather?

And the answer is a hangar. Question four. Before an airplane can fly high in the sky, it has to speed down a long, flat, paved road at an airport. What is that road called?[00:02:00] 

And the answer is the runway. Question five: What invisible force pulled by the Earth must an airplane overcome to lift off the ground and fly?

And the answer is gravity. I tried to build a model airplane out of balsa wood, but I just couldn't wing it. Question six, what is the main body or shell of the airplane called where the passengers sit during a flight?

And the answer is the fuselage. Question seven: What are the uniform-wearing crew members called who help passengers stay safe and serve snacks during a flight?

And the answer is flight attendants. Question eight. What special mechanical device do skydivers wear on their backs that opens up like a giant [00:03:00] umbrella to slow them down when jumping out of a plane?

And the answer is a parachute. Question nine. What do you call the rubber masks that drop down from the ceiling if an airplane ever loses air pressure?

And the answer is oxygen masks. Question ten. What is the name of the white fluffy looking trails left behind in the sky by high-flying jet airplanes, which are actually made of frozen water vapor? And the answer is contrails 

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All right, parents, are you ready for round two? Today, we are swapping our daily traffic jams and commuter rail delays for a nostalgic ride through the rails, tracks, and model trains of the '90s and 2000s.

Kids, let's sit back and watch those parents do their work. Question [00:04:00] one, in 1996, what famous blue fictional steam engine got his own extremely popular live action and animated television spinoff series on PBS Kids?

And the answer is Thomas the Tank Engine. Question two: What high-speed rail service launched by Amtrak in the year 2000 connects Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour?

And the answer is the Acela. You know, I always wanted to be a train conductor, but I kept getting sidetracked. I guess I just lost my train of thought. Question three, what iconic magnetic wooden toy train system featuring destinations like Knapford Station dominated living room floors through the '90s and 2000s?

[00:05:00] And the answer is The Thomas Wooden Railway. Question four. Released in 2004 and starring Tom Hanks, what animated holiday movie features an extraordinary steam locomotive that takes children on a magical ride to the North Pole?

And the answer is The Polar Express. Question five. What short-lived futuristic type of train transportation, which uses powerful magnets to hover above the tracks rather than traditional wheels, opened its first commercial high-speed line in Shanghai in 2004?

And the answer is the Maglev. Question six, what is the specific name of the very last car on a traditional freight train? And the answer is a caboose. Question seven. In the 1990s, the iconic [00:06:00] Eurotunnel officially opened to the public connecting England and France. What is the popular nickname for this famous underwater rail tunnel?

And the answer is the Chunnel. Question eight. The underground rapid transit system in London is famously referred to locals by what name?

And the answer is the tube. Question nine, in 2003, the New York City Transit System officially retired what iconic small metal objects?

And the answer is the subway token. Question 10. What type of train engine, which largely replaced steam engines in the mid-20th century, uses an internal combustion engine to turn an alternator and power electric drive motors?

And the [00:07:00] answer is the diesel electric engine 

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We've got two rounds in the books, and it's on to the rumble round. This round is all about the wild world of ships, subs, and high seas adventures. First to shout out the answer is the winner. Question one, what is the name of a boat that can travel completely underwater?

And the answer is a submarine. Question two: What heavy metal object do sailors drop from a boat on a long chain to grip the sea floor and stop the boat from drifting away? And the answer is an anchor. Question three: What classic triangular or rectangular piece of fabric catches the wind to push a boat forward through the water?

And the answer is a sail. Hey, quick, why was the boat so [00:08:00] inexpensive? Because it was a sailboat. Question four: What do we call a giant floating chunk of ice that breaks off a glacier into the ocean, which can be very dangerous for ships?

And the answer is an iceberg. Question five. What is the flat horizontal floor of a ship or boat that you walk on when you are outside?

And the answer is the deck. Question six. What long wooden or plastic poles with flat blades do rowers pull through the water to move a rowboat or canoe?

And the answer is oars. Question seven. What do you call a massive passenger ship designed like a floating hotel that carries thousands of people on vacation trips to tropical [00:09:00] islands? And the answer is a cruise ship. Question eight. What is the traditional maritime term used for the left side of a ship when you are facing toward the front?

And the answer is the port side. Question nine. What tall tower built on a coast or island shines a bright rotating beam of light to guide ships safely past dangerous rocks at night? And the answer is a lighthouse. And the final question: What type of small, fast motorized watercraft is designed for one or two people to ride on like a motorcycle across the water?

And the answer is a jet ski

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