If you’re traveling with a little one, you’ll want to bring a couple of toys, but you don’t want to overdo it. This list will help you choose travel toys for toddlers and babies that are actually worth bringing on your trip.
I’m of the belief that less is more when it comes to toys. Especially when it comes to travel.
First of all, they can be pretty bulky and take up lots of space in your luggage.
Secondly, we find that our daughter prefers things that are not toys 95% of the time.
When you’re traveling, there are so many new things around that anything can become something to look at or play with (as long as you deem it safe!).
Lastly, picking up a new toy or two in your destination can make a fun souvenir.
All this said, it’s a good idea to have a few mindfully selected toys for the flight. We’re sharing what we like to bring for our daughter to help you get an idea of what may work for your family.
Toddler & Baby Travel Toys Guide
Our experience
We have flown with our daughter on 60+ flights in her first 3 years of life, both domestically and abroad. So it’s safe to say we have a lot of experience packing toys and entertainment for travel.
We’ve experimented with packing all different types of travel toys, and can’t wait to share what we’ve learned with you!
→ Psst! You can read our full story and browse all our Family Travel articles here.
Things to think about when choosing travel toys
- Small: avoid anything bulky; compact, lightweight items are the way to go
- Quiet: toys that make noise aren’t good choices for travel (especially on airplanes)
- Will entertain them for a while: make sure each item you pack is one that will hold their interest for a while and won’t go unused
- Can be used on your trip: when choosing toys, select ones that you can use throughout your trip (not just on the airplane) so they aren’t just wasted space
- Not messy: avoid things that can make a mess, like glitter, markers, play doh, bubbles, etc. unless your child can handle them!
- Don’t need to be charged: the fewer things that need to be charged the better; with a few exceptions, most items on this list don’t require charging
- Not incredibly sentimental: if possible, avoid traveling with your child’s absolute favorite stuffed animal or toy to avoid heartbreak if it’s lost
- Don’t go overboard: there are a lot of things on this list, but I’d recommend only choosing a handful of them
In short, pack items that are small, hold their interest for a while, and are not noisy (you don’t want to be that parent on a plane).
→ Psst! See all our favorite baby travel items in one spot here.
Baby travel toys
Ages: 6 months – 18/24 months
You know your kiddo best, so these might be suitable for children slightly outside this age range. We personally started introducing some of the toys in the “toddler” section to our daughter around 18 months.
1. Indestructible books
These take up hardly any space and, like the name implies, are indestructible.
2. Tethers
These attach to small toys, binkies, or water cups so you won’t lose them in the abyss of your seat.
3. Teething toys
There are all sorts of teething toys to choose from, like these, this teething stuffy, or this cute turtle.
Good to know: Frozen teethers are allowed in your carryon and are exempt from the 3-1-1 rule. Just make sure it is fully frozen, or it may require additional screening.
→ Related: Read more about what you can bring on the plane in our tips for flying with a baby.
4. Sensory toys
Our daughter liked this bubble popper, and this buckle toy looks like a great pick.
5. Water painting book
This has been one of the staples in our diaper bag since our daughter was 15 months old and well into toddlerhood.
6. Suction spinner toy
Stick these to the airplane window and your babe will be mesmerized. We have 2 versions, but I like this one better because it doesn’t make noise.
Toddler travel toys
18 months – 4 years old
You know your kiddo best, so these might be suitable for children slightly outside this age range.
As your child gets older, the types of toys that will interest them will change. Here are the items we’ve loved for traveling with our toddler.
7. Stickers
Our daughter LOVES stickers and they are an amazing occupier. We’ve tried all of these and they are all winners:
- Puffy stickers and pad of paper – can’t go wrong with a pack of 1000+ stickers. The puffy ones are easier for her little fingers to pick up
- Animal books – fun landscapes with animal stickers in the back to create their own story
- Dot stickers – simple, colorful, and plentiful
- Reusable stickers – place them on the window, tray table, car seat… no problem
- Face stickers – dress up several different animals all on one page
8. Busy board
With many different activities and sensory play, this foldable board can be played with for hours.
9. Wikki sticks
I remember playing with these as a kid. Make stick figures, a house, or a ball, and they stay lightly sticky (like wax) for a long time.
10. Painter tape or washi tape
Our daughter loved playing with and placing blue painter’s tape when she was around 18 months old. It was pretty funny to see where she wanted to put the little strips.
At 3 years old, she really likes colorful washi tape that she can peel and place herself.
11. Mess-free markers
Have fun coloring without the worry of your little one marking up the seat in front of you.
12. Spot It
Fun card game geared towards older kiddos to look for matches. Check out the mini version or any of the spin off styles like camping gear, beach, or Disney themes.
13. Magnetic cubes
Like magna-tiles, but cubes. Let them create whatever they want with these magnetic cubes.
Our experience: We ordered these and actually ended up returning them because they are bigger than I thought, making them not ideal (in my opinion) for travel by plane. They could still be fun for road trips.
14. I Spy Book
Juniper loves her Where’s Bluey? book (like Where’s Waldo?)
15. Disney “Eye Fount It” Game
We just got this and while she’s a little young still, this game will grow with her and will be fun to play as a family! For right now, we’ve kind of made up our own rules and she really likes trying to find all the hidden items. Card games are great because they take up very little space!
16. Small animal figurines
We gave these out slowly throughout our trip as a reward system. Our daughter loved them and wanted to collect all of them.
17. Mini MagnaTiles
MagnaTiles are Juniper’s all time favorite toy at home, so we figured the mini version would be good to bring on trips! They are perfect for keeping toddlers occupied at restaurants or in accommodation.
Our personal experience: I will just warn you though that the towers kiddos build with them can be a little precarious for an airplane tray! (And they’re a hassle to clean up off the floor!) From now on, we might save these for ON the trip, and not necessarily the travel day.
18. Airplane scavenger hunt (optional: dry erase sleeve)
Help your little one explore around them and get them to look for scavenger hunt items around the airport or plane.
You can make your own list (it doesn’t have to be fancy) or find one online to download and print off. Use a dry-erase sleeve for easy clean up and play again on the return flight.
19. Digital Camera
Allow them to document their travels with an affordable camera that actually works. Juniper LOVES this!
20. Magnetic puzzle
Challenge your kid to make the shapes on this magnetic jigsaw board.
21. Snack spinner
It’s the perfect to-go size and you can fill it with healthy snacks so your kiddo doesn’t fill up on airplane cookies. It can be a little bulky, so if you don’t think you’ll use it later on in your trip, then skip packing it.
22. Doodle board
These boards are great for playing games, practicing letters, or just drawing. We recently got a mini one that is even better for travel.
23. Airport book by Richard Scarry
Learn about the airport with the beloved Richard Scarry characters.
24. Sewing/lacing cards
Great for developing fine motor skills, these sewing animal cards are great occupiers.
25. Yoto with cozy headphones
This screen-free audio player allows your child to listen to stories from their favorite characters. Our daughter loves using it with her “panda” headband headphones.
26. Road tape & cars
Why pack tape when you can have Road Tape? Pack along your own toy cars and make your own race track.
27. Sensory maze
This is a great quiet time activity that little ones can easily get immersed into. I timed Juniper on our last flight, and she played with this (quietly!) for 25 minutes. Heck, I could even play with it for a while!
28. Tablet and cozy headphones
We try to keep our daughter off her tablet as long as possible. On some flights, we manage to make it through the whole thing without screens. But there are other flights or road trips where we take out the tablet as a last resort.
We like our Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids tablet because it is easy to use and has a padded cover. We’d recommend getting the 64 GB storage because we have the 32 GB and it can fill up quickly and be a bit slow at times.
Bonus: High-value treats
It can be a good idea to have a high-value treat, like a lollipop or a cookie, stashed away just in case you feel like it is necessary. It can be a good bargaining tool, but I’d advise you to keep it hidden unless absolutely necessary.
Tip: We haven’t given our daughter lollipops yet, but this brand or this one look like decent options for children.
→ Related: Speaking of treats, check out our full list of travel snacks we pack for our child!
How to pack travel toys
With all the things you pack for kids, it would be nice to keep all your toys and gear organized. Here are a few ways to reduce the clutter.
Large pouches to keep it organized
Group similar toys together in pouches. Stickers in one, figurines and cars in another, drawing supplies in a third.
Packing cubes
We are huge fans of packing cubes and they are good for more than just clothes! Throw your toys in one and that way you only have to pull out one or two packing cubes to entertain your kiddo.
Toiletry case
This unique idea is genius for organization. Use this foldable toiletry case to house all your kids toys and games. They can use it on the plane and when you get to your hotel. Keeps everything tidy and folds up nicely.
Their own backpack
Give them a sense of responsibility over their toys and pack them all in a handy little backpack that they can wear. Juniper loves to wear her backpack through the airport and knows where each of her toys are in her bag. It also helps limit the number of toys you bring.
Download our packing list for traveling with a baby for more packing tips, plus a FREE printable checklist!
More airplane activities (that aren’t toys!)
If you don’t have toys on hand or your child gets bored, don’t worry – there are actually quite a few things on a plane that can be really interesting to a child.
For babies:
- We really don’t like single-use plastic, but in a pinch, a flight attendant gave us a plastic cup (the kind that they serve drinks out of), and our daughter was enamored with it for a good 30 minutes.
- The “sick bag” can be a crinkly sensory toy. Older kids can make it into a puppet by coloring a funny face on it.
- The safety manual and magazines can be fun to flip through. You can play “find the baby” or “find the airplane”
- Zoom in and out on the flight map on the TV screen.
For toddlers:
- Play an animal guessing game. You describe an animal and they guess what it is.
- Example: “I am pink and have a curly tail. I live on a farm and like to roll in mud. I say oink’”. “You’re a pig!”
- Play “I Spy”. Take turns.
Want more advice for traveling as a family?
We have lots of resources on traveling with children, from newborns to toddlers. Check out our Family Travel Guide for all the answers to your most burning questions, or read some of our favorite articles below!
- Practical Family Travel Tips: The ultimate guide to traveling with a baby or a toddler
- Flying with a Baby: Tried-and-true tips to prepare you for the flight
- Hotel or Airbnb with a Baby: Read this before you book any accommodations!
- Travel Snacks for Toddlers & Babies: Easy + healthy snacks to avoid a hangry child (or parent)
- Surviving Toddler Jet Lag: Our step-by-step process for adjusting time zones
- Encouraging Family Travel Tips: Heartfelt advice to boost your confidence!
Don’t forget to download our FREE printable packing list for traveling with a baby! Click the image below to get yours.
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We want to hear from you!
We hope these ideas for baby & toddler travel toys are helpful!
Do you have any go-to toys that we should add to this list? What questions or concerns do you still have?
Note: Please be respectful with your comments. Remember, we are sharing tips that have personally worked for us. This doesn’t mean they will work for everyone.