Best Travel Toys for Kids

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If you’re looking for travel toys for kids, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve done plenty of traveling with babies and toddlers over the past few years, and we know what works—and what doesn’t—from experience! From airplane travel toys to screen-free activities for kids, we’ve curated our favorite toys for traveling by age.

What makes a good travel toy?

We look for toys that are compact and easy to pack in a diaper bag or carry-on. The best travel toys for kids are those that keep their hands busy and their minds engaged.

None of the toys on this list make loud noises, so they’re perfect for for traveling by car, plane, or train. Take them to the waiting room or out to dinner, too!

Additionally, all of the travel toys here are screen-free activities that engage fine motor skills and creativity through play.

Travel Toys for 1 Year Olds

Fidget Popper Sensory Toy

These colorful bubble poppers are affordable travel toys that are safe for young toddlers. You get two of them for under $10!

Their size is perfect for little hands to grasp and hold. Your little one will love pushing the buttons and hearing the satisfying “pop” sound. Take these anywhere you travel to keep your child’s hands busy and engaged.

The Good Stuff:

• Under $10
• Compact and easy to take in the car or on a plane
• Safe size; no choking hazard
• Helps develop grasping and finger-isolation skills

Drawbacks:

• Not fully plastic-free, so not ideal for mouthing

Zippee Silicone Sensory Toy

I’m convinced this is one of the best travel toys for 1-year-olds! We have this, and it’s kept our little ones occupied for long stretches of time. Even older toddlers love it.

Made of 100% silicone, this screen-free activity gives toddlers the option to push, pull, squeeze, and teethe. Its bright colors and multi-textured strings are mesmerizing and encourage creative play.

The Good Stuff:

• Promotes sensory engagement and fine motor play
• Easy to clean
• Plastic-free

Drawbacks:

• May be considered a bit pricey at $21

Busy Cube

A quiet, compact airplane travel toy, this busy cube features six sides with different activities to keep your toddler engaged.

It helps develop fine motor skills and offers plenty to do—push, twist, spin, pull, slide, and click buttons. There’s so much to explore with this toy!

The Good Stuff:

• Fits easily in a diaper bag for travel by car or plane
• Includes multiple screen-free activities in one toy
• Helps develop fine motor skills through play
• Affordable

Drawbacks:

• Not suitable for children under 1 year old

Travel Toys for 18 Month Olds

What Should I Wear? Soft Book

It’s a soft book with interactive components to hold your child’s attention. The book comes with a small, soft doll that you can “dress” on each page.

It narrates fun dressing questions like, “What should I wear to the swimming pool?” Then there’s a pool scene with a swim ring to place the doll in. I know it seems like a simple toy, but trust me—my kids loved playing with this on our recent plane ride!

The Good Stuff:

• Soft and safe for 18-month-olds, yet engaging for all toddlers
• Lightweight and easy to pack in a carry-on bag
• Machine washable

Drawbacks:

• The doll isn’t attached—if you lose her, you lose the fun of the book!

Portable LED Busy Board

One of our top tips for flying with a toddler is to pack this toy in your carry-on! We love this busy board—it’s so engaging and one of our favorite travel toys for 18-month-olds and older.

This board features eight different types of switches and 14 lights. It helps with fine motor development and keeps kids entertained for long stretches. You’ll want to have this handy in restaurants, waiting rooms, and on trips.

The Good Stuff:

• Engages toddlers for long stretches
• Perfect for airplane travel because it’s quiet
• Helps develop fine motor skills during play

Drawbacks:

• Bulkier than some other travel toy options

Tegu Travel Set of Magnetic Wooden Blocks

The larger size of these magnetic blocks makes them a great travel toy for 18-month-olds. While they’re wooden, they have hidden magnets that make a satisfying “click-clack” sound during building.

This type of travel toy offers open-ended play and stimulates curiosity and creativity. I love the compact design and that it comes with a travel bag. It’s the perfect size for traveling on planes—use the tray table to build!

The Good Stuff:

• Colorful, open-ended toy that’s compact for travel
• Fosters creativity during screen-free play
• Made with safe, plastic-free materials
• Travel bag included

Drawbacks:

• Considered more expensive at $34
• The “click-clack” sounds may be too loud in some environments

Travel Toys for 2 Year Olds

Suction Pop Tube Animal Toys

These pop tube animals make great travel toys. They’re affordable and add an element of fun with their suction-cup feet. Pop, stretch, twist, or wrap them. Stick them to windows or the plane’s tray tables.

Toys like these keep hands busy as your child manipulates the animals’ arms and legs. They can stretch or strike a pose. My kids loved these on our five-hour plane ride this year!

Note: Always supervise your child when playing with these, as the suction-cup pieces can come off. If you’re looking for pop tubes for younger children, these popping pipes are safe for little hands.

The Good Stuff:

• Affordable and entertaining travel toy for kids
• Lightweight and easy to fit in a carry-on bag
• Engages fine motor skills and creativity during play

Drawbacks:

• Supervise, as the suction-cup pieces can come off and become choking hazards

Sensory Activity Board

An activity board like this is great for sensory stimulation and fine motor skills. Your child can manipulate the silicone cords to fit on the board. It’s a fantastic fidget toy that encourages concentration and creativity.

The board is double-sided, allowing for two ways to play. I love that this toy packs easily into a carry-on bag. It makes a great airplane travel toy because it’s the perfect size for the tray table.

The Good Stuff:

• Easy to pack and lightweight
• One of the best airplane travel toys for all ages
• Works on fine motor skills and can have a calming effect
• Under $10

Drawbacks:

• All the cords need to be put back onto the board for it to fit in its travel case

Jelly Blox

We love these sensory blocks for traveling and everyday play! They’re a great size for 2-year-olds and combine sensory exploration with creative play.

Stack, twist, stretch, and squish them as you build. Some are filled with sand, while others are filled with beads. They’re fun to look at and manipulate but also encourage plenty of imagination. These are a winning travel toy in our family!

The Good Stuff:

• Fosters sensory exploration and creativity
• Keeps toddlers’ attention for long stretches
• A building toy that grows with your child
• Easy to clean with soap and water
• Affordable, under $20

Drawbacks:

• Don’t come with their own travel case
• Less compact than other toys on this list

Travel Toys for 3 Year Olds

Cupkin Sticker Book

These are our favorite sticker books, and they make great travel toys for 3-year-olds! We’ve used this brand for years. The different themed books are fun, colorful, and screen-free.

The book opens so that the stickers are on one side and the scene to decorate is on the other. Let your child use their imagination to set the scene! With over 12 scenes and 500 stickers, there are hours of fun to be had.

The Good Stuff:

• Easy to pack when traveling
• Works on fine motor skills during play
• Multiple themes to suit your child’s interests
• Comes with coloring pages, too

Drawbacks:

• Stickers are not reusable

Kokodi LCD Doodle Board

This is another travel toy we always have on-the-go. It’s great for 3-year-olds as they begin practicing pre-writing skills and refining their grasp. Younger toddlers love it, too!

Paul loves to draw and practice making shapes and letters on this doodle board. When you’re ready to clear the board and start another drawing, just push the button and everything disappears! Trust me, it adds an element of fun.

The Good Stuff:

• Affordable and quiet travel toy
• Grows with your toddler
• Lightweight and easy to pack

Drawbacks:

• Not recommended for children under 3 without supervision

Mini MAGNA-TILES Travel Set

Another one of our traveling favorites! Complete with its own travel tin, this is a great travel toy that allows your child to build on-the-go. Regular-sized MAGNA-TILES can be heavy to transport, so these are a lightweight alternative.

Build whatever comes to mind with these 26 micro-sized magnetic tiles. When you’re not traveling, you can add them to your building sets at home!

The Good Stuff:

• Comes with a carrying case
• Developmental toy that grows with your child
• Compatible with other magnetic tile sets

Drawbacks:

• Heavier than some other toys on this list

Travel Toys for 4 Year Olds

Magnetic Alphabet Maze

This is another one of our go-to travel toys. It’s slim enough to slide into a backpack and take on-the-go. All the pieces stay contained, providing screen-free entertainment wherever you are.

We love this toy for 4-year-olds because it works on letter recognition and fine motor skills while still being fun! Use the attached magnetic pen to put each car in its parking spot.

The Good Stuff:

• Easy to pack in any bag
• Works on fine motor skills and letter recognition
• Requires concentration

Drawbacks:

• Can’t be used well unless you have a flat surface

Highlights Hidden Pictures Book

We love all the Highlights learning tools we receive. This hidden pictures book is great for entertaining preschoolers on travel days and is lightweight enough to pack in a carry-on.

Your child can work on hidden picture puzzles, mazes, matching games, tracing activities, and more. These books are both educational and engaging, with 256 pages of fun!

The Good Stuff:

• Combines a travel toy and a learning toy
• Easy to pack
• Good value

Drawbacks:

• One-time use

Take & Play Matching Game

What’s better than a game on-the-go? This matching game is magnetic, making it a perfect airplane travel toy. Pull the tray table down and play!

I love matching games because you can always change them up. With 16 pairs, you can move the pieces around to create a different challenge each time you play.

The Good Stuff:

• Magnetic; pieces stay in place even through turbulence
• Compact and lightweight
• Great value, under $10

Drawbacks:

• Small pieces; not meant for children under 3

Looking for more?

Discover all our favorites for traveling with babies and toddlers—from travel feeding products to sleep necessities.

One of our top tips for traveling with toddlers is to pack plenty of snacks! Find our favorite snacks for on-the-go all in one place.