The Best Travel Activities for Kids
Traveling with kids is hard enough, but doing it without the right travel gear? Well, that just doesn’t make sense! In this blog series, I’m compiled my years and miles of family travel knowledge to bring you the my recommendations for the best travel products that will make your family trips a breeze.
In this edition we’ll cover the top travel toys and activities for kids. Whether you’re planning a road trip or have a long flight ahead of you, you’re not going to want to leave home without these!
Ready to embark on a journey towards a hassle-free travel experience with your little ones? Let’s dive right in!
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Top Travel Toys and Activities for Kids
To keep your child entertained in the car or on the plane, the key is options. Keep the activities rotating and make sure they’re all stress- and mess-free.
Here are the toys and activities we never travel without:
Yoto Mini
The Yoto Box Travel Player is a game-changer for traveling with kids. Ours lives in our car so it’s available for quick trips, and it is our constant companion on long ones, too. This portable audio player is kid-friendly and durable and can be loaded with audiobooks, music, podcasts, and more. Plug in some headphones and your kid will be all set. They can change the cards as they please and be fully entertained.
We love the Yoto Box at restaurants, too! When your kids just can’t sit still anymore (which is totally normal and to be expected!) this is slightly less obnoxious than whipping out a tablet).
It’s also great for helping your kids sleep!
Some of the Yoto cards we especially love are:
- Story Shed – a hilarious podcast for ages 5-8 (although my 4-year-old loves it)! It sells out regularly so act fast when it’s in stock.
- KIDZ BOP! Party Playlist – dance music for ages 0-14. If you have a kid who loves KIDZ BOP, don’t miss this one!
- The Laurie Berkner Band – Adorable songs for ages 0-14 – this is my personal favorite.
- Winnie-The-Pooh: The Complete BBC Collection – For ages 5-8, this one has the added bonus of being wonderful to fall asleep to.
LEGO
LEGO sets are a timeless travel companion for kids, although I recommend them for ages 5+ because dropping and losing the bricks can be a nightmare with younger ones. Pack them in a zipper pouch or organizer. Classic sets work better than building projects (again, losing a brick issues…). Pull these out during layovers, at rest stops or restaurants and let your go wild!
Mess-Free Art
I can’t emphasize the mess-free part enough! There are so many great travel-friendly art supplies that are great to pull out mid-flight or mid-drive.
Water WOW! – Let your child color with water – great for even the littlest travelers!
Wikki Stix – The fun is endless with these wax sticks, and they double as a fidget or sensory toy!
Reusable Sticker Books – Who doesn’t love stickers? They take up a lot of time and you can stick these reusable ones on airplane or car windows or your tray table (and then peel them off!)
Dot Markers (bingo daubers) – For toddlers, these are always a hit. My two-year-old will play with these for an entire flight. Don’t forget the art books!
Boogie Board – this is so fun for kids to doodle on and takes up no space in your luggage!
Best for slightly older kids, starting at about 4-years-old my daughter will sit and focus on these sticker books for long periods of time. We also love these slightly less complicated sticker books for younger kids (and wish they made more of them!).
Sometimes the simplest options are the best. Washable crayons and a sketchbook are always a hit, 4-year-old also loves to pack stencils.
This light-up “painting” set is completely mess-free and truly magical. This baby is hard to find! It sells out quickly so if you find it in stock, be sure to grab it!
Post-it Notes – this is one of those mom hacks that I wish I knew sooner. They’re so versatile – post them all over, doodle on them, stick and unstick – and they clean up in a flash!
Suction Cup Toys
This set of suction cup toys is perfect! And while we still always travel with them, they are essential if you are traveling with a baby. Stick them to windows, tray tables – we even stick them to the table at the doctor’s office while we wait. Super versatile and always fun!
Pop Tubes
If your kids aren’t already obsessed with pop tubes, just trust me on this one. The simplest, least expensive toy that brings all the fun. I find myself fiddling with them when we travel, too.
Tablet
It would be naive of me to create this list and not include a tablet. However you may feel about screen time, there are times during your travels that you’re going to need this thing. This Fire Tablet for kids is our favorite because it comes with the case, it’s easy to pack, and there are lots of kid-friendly features.
Steering Wheel
When you’re packing for air travel, packing space is limited, but if you’re heading on a long road trip, this steering whee is a must-have. I’ll be honest… my kids fight over it. Let them drive while you do. This one makes noises, has buttons, a ‘radio’ and even a little game where kids try to keep the car on the road. It’s so good.
Interactive Book
Another car-friendly toddler activity, we love these LeapFrog interactive books. They can be a bit loud, and there’s no headphone jack, so they’re best kept in the car. My toddler loves the animal books but my 5-year-old is into the tracing one!
That’s it, my favorite travel toys & activities for kids!
You’re almost ready to take on travel with toddlers after reading this blog post. Don’t hit the road without reading the other posts in this series:
- The Best Travel Safety Products for Traveling with Kids
- The Best Travel Sleep Products for Kids
- The Best Travel Gear for Toddlers, Babies & Kids
- The Best Travel Essentials for Traveling with Kids
It’s my goal to make family travel easier, so you spend more time enjoying and less time stressing! Get out there and explore!
