11 Best Travel Toys To Keep Your Child Busy

The trick to any journey with kids is to keep them occupied with fun things to do. That way they won’t utter the dreaded “are we there yet?”, because they’ll be deep in play. These toys will make time fly for them, and make travel stress-free for you. What is there to lose?

#1 Magnetic Doodle Board

The doodle board is perfect for entertaining toddlers at the airport, on the plane and in the car. There are no pieces that you have to worry about losing and it is very light weight. It fits easily into backpacks and diaper bags. This is a toy that your toddler can play with alone, with you or with other kids.

#2 Raceway Deluxe Car Play mat

Tired of all the beeping battery powered plastic breakable toys currently on the market? Looking for the perfect distraction for an active toddler while you’re on the go? Check out these screen-free travel toys without the noise. These toys help improve fine motor skills, encourage independent play, introduce storytelling skills, even color learning. But your children won’t notice any of that, they’ll be too happy that you gave him a portable racetrack for their cars!

#3 Teach My Learning On The Go

Teach My Learning On The Go encourages hands-on-learning while traveling. The simple and lightweight carrying case allows little ones to learn their basics, while on the go.

A magnetic dry-erase board with coordinated magnets and learning cards provides the perfect spot to encourage learning on the move. From the alphabet and numbers to colors, shapes and word building, your mini scholar will be so busy having fun, they won’t even realize they are learning!

Take the Teach My Learning On The Go set on your next car ride, plane trip, train journey, to a waiting room, restaurant or Grandma’s house!

#4 Compact Foldable Kids Origami Travel Tray

The goal with the product is to help parents like most of us:

• Keep everything organized and in place
• Protect children from dangers of poor hygiene on planes.
• Ultra-portable. Take this solution everywhere, hotels, restaurants, trains, school, beach and more!
• Promote a Growth Mindset approach so you as a parent have a better experience and create positive habits.
• Make traveling more fun and peaceful.

#5 Reusable Water-Reveal Activity Pads

Dane Homenick from Journo Travel Goods: My wife and I raised our kid on our sailboat, so we always needed on-the-go toys that were compact, somewhat waterproof, and tons of continuous fun. The one that sticks out are the water-pen reusable coloring books, like these from Melissa & Doug.

#6 Fat Brain Toys Squigz

Fat Brain Toys Squigz are silicone shapes with suction cups that can connect together or to surfaces to create endless shapes and chains. We love these toys because they can be used on airplane windows, tray tables, hotel desks and windows and more! Toddlers will love this sensory and imaginative play!

#7 Lulla Doll Baby Sleep Companion

The inclusive doll is backed by science and plays real-life sounds of a heartbeat and Ujjayi breath technique for up to 12 hours which creates a calming effect and allows them to sleep restfully through the night. Whether families are traveling on the plane or in a car, the Lulla Doll can help keep the baby at ease in a new environment. It’s always important to keep your baby safe and healthy, which is why the doll has a crib attachment that’s recommended to be used for newborns for at least one year.

#8 Toiletry Bag Travel Bottles Set

Megan Close Zavala from Turn the Page Book Coaching & Editorial: My daughter has spent many happy hours with a toiletry bag filled with (empty) bottles and cases. She loves having one that looks like her mom’s, and it’s fun to fill the bag, empty it, open the bottles, zip zippers, etc. The URL I provided is for an example of one that would work, but parents can easily put together their own at Target or a drug store.

#9 Leapfrog Learning Pages Book

This provides hours of entertainment – kids can touch the words on the pages to play the 100 words, or they can touch buttons to hear sound effects and fun little factoids. Everything can be heard in both English and Spanish for added fun.

#10 Highlights Hello Magazine

Megan Close Zavala from Turn the Page Book Coaching & Editorial: My mother got my daughter a subscription to this magazine and it has been a lifesaver! The pages are chew-proof, waterproof, and the stories/activities are varied and engaging. They magazines/booklets are light and don’t take up much space, so we take all of our back issues with us. We also scour yard sales and thrift stores for back issues, which can be purchased on eBay, too.

#11 Little First Look and Find 4 Book Vinyl Bag Set

These board books are great for car trips because each page has items for them to find on the picture, which take time for kids to find. The hidden items are age-appropriate for toddlers, with additional challenges at the back for older kids. The books are well-made and durable enough for rough toddler hands, and they come in a carry case which is extra fun for kids.

The recommendations of products and books within this article where sourced from industry experts. Their names and websites are listed below.