You’re about to depart on a flight with your little ones. You’re scouring the internet looking for travel toys to entertain toddlers and babies on a plane. The thought of keeping them occupied in their seats is terrifying. It does not matter if you are taking a quick hop or a long haul, keeping babies and toddlers entertained on an airplane can be a full time job.
Never fear! We’ve scoured advice from Club Bébé Voyage members to create the ultimate list of travel toys for entertaining toddlers and babies on an airplane! The list is completely technology free! (We’ve also suggested some companies who will get the job done for you, because, well. . .life.)
The general advice from the club is that you know your child best. If your toddler loves to draw, stock up on the art supplies mentioned below. If your baby is into chewing on things, then look for a variety of textures and new novel things for them to put in their mouth.
When all else fails stock your bag with these simple fun items.
Babies
- Blue Painters Tape
- Spinning LED Wand
- Munchkin Traveling Flash Cards
- Lots of Links
- Zoo Animal Finger Puppets
- Finger Puppet Glove
- Baby Rattle Teether Set
- Sensory Teether Toy
- Koosh Ball
Toddlers
- Crayons
- Triangle Crayons
- Twistable Crayons
- Paper From Heaven Crayon Roll (Etsy)
- Buckle Toys
- Learn to Dress Dolls
- Quiet Book
- Wiki Sticks
- Color Wonder Travel Kit
- Tegu Blocks
- Melissa & Doug Reusable Sticker Books
- Melissa & Doug Water WOW
- Melissa & Doug Tape Activity Book
- Spinny Creatures
- Ryan’s Room Lacing
- Magnetic Playsets
- Create-A-Story Cards
- Stout House Designs (Etsy) Travel Road Map
- Sticker Books
Turn your tray table into a play station with these fun options:
- Star Kids Play N’ Go Travel Tray
- TRAYbleCloth
- Meraki Toys (Etsy) makes covers to order
- LoveToTravelProducts (Etsy) makes an airplane tray activity cover
Snacks are always a good way to keep kids entertained. Make snack time more fun by trying some of these containers:
- Plastic Pill/Vitamin Container
- Tackle box
- Use Learning Chopsticks
- The Cheerio Playbook
- Silicone Snack Bags
Before your trip scour the Target ‘Dollar Spot’ or your local Dollar Store for items like these:
- Plastic Cups
- Pipe Cleaners
- Dry Ziti Noodles (to string on pipe cleaners)
- Gel Clings for Windows
- Stickers
- Post-It notes
- Crayola Color Packs (Contains stickers, coloring sheets and crayons)
- Kaleidoscope
- Board Books
These simple crafts will keep your kids busy:
- Wrap small toys in foil or paper for kids to unwrap on plane
- Stuff an Oball with other little toys and pieces of fabric and allow baby to work at getting them all out
Don’t have time to run to the store? We hear you! Here are a variety of companies that will put together travel toys for toddlers and babies into travel packs for you.
- Keep ‘Em Quiet is a favorite in the Bébé Voyage community. They put together travel packs based on your child’s age and length of travel. (Use the code BBV10 for a 10% discount off your order.)
- Fun on the Fly has a variety of sized and themed travel packs that are ready to go. Just pick the one best suited for your kid and you’ll be ready for your next trip.
- Fun Pack works with parents to put together packs that are fun and educational. These look geared toward older children.
- Etsy seller Busy Kiddo Printable has Airplane Travel Kits for instant download if you’re in a pinch.
Perhaps you want to spend some time reading together or just letting your baby chew on a book. Check out these travel themed books perfect for your next trip.
- Around The World
- Travels with The Little Prince
- My First Things That Go
- All Aboard! Series
- Curious Critters Board Books Series
- Goodnight Our World Series
- Local Baby Books Series
- San Francisco
- Chicago
- Hello, World Series
Older children might enjoy learning a bit more about where they are traveling. Try searching for children’s books for your travel destination. Here are a few to get you inspired.
- Igostories London puts your child into an adventure leading you down the Thames River, highlighting sights to see along the way.
- This Is Series
- Lonely Planet Pop-Up Books
- Lonely Planet Kids City Trails
Phew! Alright, you should be all set now. Make sure you check in and let us know how your flight went and which travel toys worked for you! We are continually expanding this list so let us know what we’ve missed. Use the hashtag #bebevoyage on any social media to share your trip or tips.
If you are interested in reading about even more ways to keep your kid entertained on an airplane, check out our article on How to Entertain a Two Year Old and How to Keep your Toddler Entertained!
This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through one of our links, Bébé Voyage gets a small portion of the money at no cost to you. This helps us continue to provide great travel advice.
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