I love travelling with my children and going on holiday is one of my favourite things about family life. What I don’t love quite as much is keeping them entertained during the journey, which is why finding the best travel toys for kids has made such a difference.
Now Oscar is seven, travelling with him is much easier. He’s very happy reading a book or building a LEGO set. Noah is three and still at a trickier age, although thankfully we’re emerging from what I call the “octopus stage” when toddlers appear to have eight limbs and refuse to keep any of them still! No more glass of wine and book on a flight!
Over the years, I’ve worked out which are genuinely the best travel toys for kids and developed a collection of “ride-or-die” favourites for different ages. The best ones are compact, mess-free and good for independent play, without lots of tiny pieces to lose under an aeroplane seat.
These are the travel toys that have worked best for us on planes, car journeys, in hotel rooms and at restaurants. I’ve organised them by age to make it easier to find something suitable for your child.
SilverSpoon tip: pack at least one toy or activity they haven’t seen before. It doesn’t need to be expensive; the novelty alone can buy you some valuable peaceful travelling time. Always check that anything you buy meets the appropriate UK safety standards.
Best Travel Toys for Babies (0 – 18 months)
Honestly, I don’t think babies need many toys on a plane. You mostly hope they sleep, and if they don’t, you can make funny faces, show them the in-flight magazine or let them play with a packet of wipes. But for the purposes of this guide, here are the baby travel toys I actually recommend!
Play Socks and Wrist Rattles
These play socks and wrist rattles are extremely cute and perfect for sensory play through seeing, touching and hearing. The real beauty is that they are attached to your baby, so you won’t spend the entire journey picking toys up from the floor.
Suction Spinners
These spinners entertain babies with their bright colours and spinning movement. I loved popping them into my handbag when Noah was a baby. They attach to a plane window or tray table, making them one of the most practical travel toys for babies.
Activity Cube
I had this activity cube for Noah when he was a baby. It’s compact enough to fit into a handbag or nappy bag and has lots of sensory elements for babies to spin, twist, roll and pop.
If you’re travelling with a baby, my ultimate baby travel packing list covers everything else you might need, with a free downloadable checklist.
Best Travel Toys for Toddlers (18 months-4 Years)
Personally, I think this is the toughest age for travelling. They’re now in their own seat – which is arguably harder than having them on your lap – you can no longer guarantee a nap, and they don’t want to sit still or concentrate for long.
Toddler parents, the struggle is real! These are the toddler travel toys that have worked best for us. And always, always have a few episodes of Peppa Pig downloaded on your phone for emergencies.
Sticker Book
Having a new sticker book is an absolute prerequisite when travelling with a toddler. Bonus points if it features their favourite character – for us, that means Peppa Pig or Numberblocks. Noah doesn’t just put the stickers in the book; he sticks them all over the plane and all over me too! Just remember to clear them up afterwards.
Yoto Mini
The Yoto Mini is our absolute top choice. Both boys love it and can be entertained by it for hours.
If you haven’t heard of Yoto, it’s essentially an audio player for children. You buy cards featuring different stories, music and activities, which children can insert into the player themselves. The compact Yoto Mini is particularly good for travelling, while we use the larger Yoto 3rd Generation in the hotel room.
You can also get a travel case and wireless headphones, which are very useful for plane and train journeys.
LED Drawing Boards
These LED drawing boards are so simple, but they’re some of our most-used travel toys. They’re lightweight, mess-free and can genuinely keep both boys entertained for hours.
Magna-Tiles
These Magna-Tiles microMAGS are excellent for travelling. Both boys love them and the set is easy to pop into your bag for a plane journey, hotel room or dinner.
The magnetic pieces stick together, so they’re less likely to end up scattered everywhere. I particularly like this set because it comes in a neat storage box.
Busy Books
These busy books contain lots of different activities, including Velcro, laces, zips, letters, numbers and colours. They’re particularly good for toddlers who like fiddling with things and can provide plenty of quiet, independent play during a journey.
Toniebox
The Toniebox is slightly bulkier, so it isn’t necessarily the most practical toy for a flight, but we rarely go on holiday without ours.
It’s an audio player that plays a different story or music collection depending on which Tonie character you place on top. Although it sounds similar to the Yoto, the boys use them differently enough that we genuinely love and travel with both.
We also have a case for the Tonie figures, which helps keep them together, and you can buy matching headphones for travelling.
Best Travel Toys for Children Aged 4+
Personally, I think travelling becomes much easier at this age. Oscar loves reading independently, and we’ve also started a tradition of buying him a new LEGO set at the airport. He then settles down to build it during the flight.
For slightly older children, the best travel toys are often the simplest: books, building sets and games they can enjoy independently.
Airplane Activity Book
Oscar loves reading, quizzes, puzzles and activities, so the Airplane Activity Book is perfect for him. It combines several activities in one book and is easy to slip into his hand luggage.
LEGO
You might think that bringing LEGO onto a plane is asking for trouble. There is always a risk of tiny pieces falling on the floor or disappearing between the seats, but it keeps Oscar busy for ages.
I recommend choosing a set like this one, which comes with a carry case and allows children to build inside the box while sitting on the plane.
UNO
Being able to play card games with my children has been quite a game-changer, particularly in restaurants. UNO is always a favourite, and this version comes with a useful travel case.
Dobble, Top Trumps and a simple pack of playing cards are also great travel games for older children.
Mini Travel Games
Miniature versions of family favourites such as Connect 4, draughts and chess are easy to pack. Many travel games are magnetic, which is particularly useful on a plane or train.
Be careful with small pieces and magnets if you’re also travelling with younger children.
Other Family Travel Essentials We Never Leave Home Without
I’ve never been one for travelling with lots of extra equipment. One of the benefits of choosing a family-friendly hotel carefully is that it can usually provide most of the larger items, so I rarely bring cots, high-chair boosters or similar accessories.
BabyBjörn Travel Cot
If you do need to bring a travel cot, I recommend the BabyBjörn Travel Cot. We’ve used ours at home when we’ve needed an additional cot, and it’s lightweight and simple to put up.
Stokke YOYO Pram
Our Stokke YOYO pram has been my non-negotiable family travel item since Oscar was a newborn. It folds and unfolds easily and is compact enough for the overhead compartment on many flights, although you should always check your airline’s cabin-baggage rules before travelling.
And trust me, if you’re a central London mum, the likelihood is that you already have a Stokke YOYO.
Packing Cubes
Another absolute must-have for us is packing cubes. Each family member has a different colour, and we use the various sizes to separate clothes and accessories.
They make it much easier to find everyone’s things without unpacking the entire suitcase. We couldn’t travel without them now.
The best travel toys for kids don’t need to be complicated or expensive. For me, the most useful ones are compact, mess-free and capable of keeping children entertained independently – even if it’s only long enough for you to finish a cup of coffee.
These are the toys and activities that have actually worked for Oscar and Noah at different ages. I’d always pack a mixture of trusted favourites and one new surprise, then keep Peppa Pig downloaded for emergencies!
PIN IT!!!
