Chances are you came here looking for the best toddler toys for road trips. If that is the case, you’ve come to the right spot. I know traveling with little ones can be challenging and, quite honestly, daunting! I think a lot of us have been there.
In addition to all the things that need to be done, you also need to pack snacks, pack your stuff, pack the kids’ things, and try to come up with activities or things they can do to keep busy. There are a lot of things to worry about!
This is why I am sharing some of the best travel toys to keep your young kids entertained. If you’re gearing up for a long road trip or even a long flight, the right toys for your little kids can make all the difference. Not only will they help encourage independent play, but they can also cut down on screen time.
Keeping young children happy for hours on the road is tough, but you can make it easier with a good road trip toy. So, stick around as we show you the best toddler travel toys to keep your little one entertained.
Quiet Toys for Peaceful Travel
If you are anything like me when traveling, you want toys that will keep your kids busy for a long time and also something that isn’t quite as loud on those long journeys.
Not to say that toys with sound are bad because, of course, that’s not the case, but sometimes the last thing you want while traveling is to have a toy constantly playing in the background when you’re on long trips. If that is you, too, take a look at these toys that are quiet for your next road trip.
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Melissa & Doug Water Wow
If you are worried your child will be making a mess, this is the one for you. This is like a coloring book, but you color in the pages with a pen that has water in it. So when the water touches the paper, it’ll reveal the color. Not only that, but they are also reusable.
As soon as the pages dry, your kids can color them again. This activity book has farm animals, but there’s also a jungle, dinosaurs, under the sea, and more.
Lacing Cards
Not only will these lacing cards keep their attention for some time, but they are also ideal for toddlers because they help with fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination and are great for developing their pincer grasp. What I love is that they’ll help their little minds as they think about how to lace the cards.
LiKee Fidget Popper Sensory Baby Toys
Which kid doesn’t like fidget toys? Here is a ladybug and caterpillar pop-it toy that will keep little kids busy. The best part is that it’s easy to carry and take on long haul flights or shorter trips.
My First Big Toddler Coloring Book
As simple as it sounds, coloring books would be a good idea to take on a family road trip. They’ll keep them busy, they’re light weight, and they only take up little space. Don’t forget to bring crayons with you.
TIP: While we’re at it, check out this travel tray for kids.
That tray is a must-have for little kids. It will hold their water bottle and snacks, as well as all of their small travel toys and more! Overall, it’s a great thing to have. The best part is that it can be strapped around the car seat to hold it in place for your toddler.
Bunmo Stretchy Strings
Here is one that will surprise you and keep your toddler happy and entertained for some time. These squishy toys are stretchy, textured, and quite honestly satisfying to play with. If you want something other than the textured ones, they also have some that are glitter, glow in the dark, and smooth. Whichever you decide to choose will be a great choice.
Melissa & Doug Sticker Wow
This activity set is a fun way for kids to play with stickers. It includes a stamp-like sticker tool that does just that—it places the sticker on the paper. The set also includes other activities, such as counting, search-and-find, and more.
This way, your kid has other things to do than simply adding stickers to the set. It’s compact, too, so it’s perfect for on-the-go.
Melissa & Doug Pet Shop Puffy Sticker Set
This reusable sticker set would be another great way to keep the kids busy on long road trips. It comes with ten scenes where the kids have to place the stickers. If they want to reuse the sticker for another scene, they can because these are reusable.
If you are looking for more than one sticker book activity, take a look at this one, which has three.
Sensory Board
This board is an excellent sensory toy for little ones and even adults. The best thing is it comes with its own carrying bag for easy traveling.
In The Deep Blue Sea Stickers + Coloring Book
If you are looking for a bigger sticker activity set that would work for more than one child, this one is for you. It comes with twelve coloring pages and over 500 stickers they can use to fill the pages with.
If you are thinking of getting this, don’t forget to get crayons for the trip.
Wikki Stix for Doodlers
Not only does this come in its own easy-to-go container, but it is also a fun way to entertain your little kids while letting them get creative. This is basically a stick made of wax that kids can mold and shape to whatever they want. How cool is that? Your toddler will have fun playing with this on the long car ride.
If you are looking for something different, here is a set that includes cards they can shape the Wikki Stix onto to make a number, letter, or shape. This Wikki Stix is the perfect road trip toy.
My Quiet Book – Airplane Must Haves for Toddlers
This quiet book is a great way to keep the kids busy on a long drive or while on a long flight because it also includes ten activities they can do, which are attached to the book so that no piece is lost, which is always a plus, especially for those younger kids. It comes with a handle, so it’s easy to take with you anywhere.
Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Fingerprint Ink Painting Activity
Any time you can entertain the kids without worrying about messes is a win. This finger painting kit is a great option for traveling because the ink only shows up on the paper provided, not on skin, clothing, or walls. It has 18 pages, so you know your young kid will be busy coloring this. What’s not to love about this? It’s a great toy that will bring so much fun to your kids.
They also have Color Wonder markers with the coloring pages if that works best for you. If I had to pick one thing from the list, I would suggest these. They’re the perfect toy that will keep them happy and won’t make a mess.
Compact and Portable Toys
If you were thinking of getting more compact and portable toys for your toddler, here are some for just that.
Magnetic Drawing Board
This magnetic drawing board is another excellent way to keep your kid happy and busy. They can get creative, and you won’t have to worry about messes.
It has its own magnetic stylus, which the kids can use to draw. Once they are done, they can run their fingers on the board to draw something else. This is also easy to take, so you can slip it into your bag or backpack, and you’re good to go.
Buckle Toys – Buddy Activity Backpack
Now, this is a cool backpack that has all these little things that help kids with their fine motor skills, such as zippers, buttons, a buckle, and more. The best part is that you can actually use the backpack to add things, and it’s made of soft material that can be washed, too. I love things that are also practical.
LiKee Open-Ended Wooden Shape Puzzles
This wooden puzzle contains 36 shape pieces and 60 pattern cards. Your toddler tries to recreate what’s on the card with the wooden pieces, which helps them develop creative thinking. It’s a great road trip toy to keep your kiddo busy.
Buckle Toys – Learning Activity
If you want something other than the backpack I mentioned above, here is a simple buckle toy that will keep kids happy and busy. This one also has a zipper pocket.
Sticks for Kids Travel Size
It’s a simple on-the-go toy that will keep kids entertained on long road trips. It comes in two different size options. All your little kid has to do is put the corresponding colored stick in the correct color spot. If they want to start over, all they have to do is open it up, dump the sticks out, and start again.
Bunmo Pop Tubes
These can make quite a noise, but as simple as they are, they will keep your toddler occupied for some time. Trust me, they will absolutely love them. You can also connect them and make them as long as you want or just play with one.
It doesn’t matter. Our son loved these, and I bet your toddler will, too! What I loved is that they’re easy to take anywhere and, of course, lightweight, so you can just toss them in your bag.
Crayola Toddler Touch Lights
Let your kid get creative with this mess-free finger-painting tablet. This toy comes with six songs and twelve light-up colors. All they have to do is use their little fingers to create a doodle or sketch something up.
Fat Brain Toys InnyBin Shape Learning Toys
Here is another one for the long car trip ride, perfect for toddlers. It’s a cube-shaped toy that comes with blocks that are bright colors, textured, and shaped differently.
Your toddler will enjoy pushing the blocks through the elastic bands. This small toy is great for traveling and doesn’t take up much space.
Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Take-Along Shape Sorter
This shape sorter is a good option for long trips. It has a handle, so you can easily take it with you. There are two activity sides: one has the shape sorter with nine textured blocks, and the other has crinkly flaps with images on them.
BUNMO Suction Toys
These will be so much fun for your toddler. They can connect them together to make something bigger or simply stick them on windows or any non-porous surface. This suction toy can even be used for bath time, and it has five different textures, so you know they’ll love getting their hands on it.
6 in 1 Busy Cube Activity Montessori toys
If you’re thinking of getting sensory toys for your kid, this busy cube will keep any young kid busy on a long car or plane ride. It’s a mix of different fidget toys, which are good for their little hands, so they will enjoy playing with it on those long trips. It’s a great toy for younger toddlers and, of course, a great compact toy to take with you.
TEKFUN Kids Toys 10 Inch LCD Writing Tablet
This writing tablet is perfect for toddlers because they can doodle while on long road trips without having a piece of paper, colored pencils, or crayons. You simply use the pen provided to draw what you’d like and press a button to clear the screen when you want to draw something else.
CreateOn Crayola Mini Magnetic Tiles
Your young toddler will love playing with these, and the best part is that they’re the perfect size for traveling, so you can easily take them with you. Store them in your suitcase or, better yet, put them in your backpack for easy access. They will love building different things.
Road Trip Activities for Older Kids
Since I am sharing road trip toys for toddlers, I thought it’d be great to include road trip games/activities for older kids, too. So here are a few things you can include for older kids.
Big Potato OK Play
Think of this like Connect Four, but instead, these are tiles, and you have to get a line of five horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to win. What makes this great for traveling is how compact it is so that it won’t take up much space at all. It even comes with a clip, so you can hang it just about anywhere.
Sticker Paint Book
For the older kids, here is this sticker book. It’s pretty much like paint by numbers but with stickers. If you are looking for something different the older kids can do to pass the time, this would be a great activity they can do.
Knock Knock On-The-Go Game Pad
Just pack this every time you’re on the go! Adults and older kids will love this activity pad. It has five games: tic-tac-toe, hangman, dots and boxes, categories, and more. If you are looking for something else, they have different options.
The Best Hidden Picture Puzzle Book
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like the Highlight books are always a hit, no matter your age. Of course, they’re more suitable for older kids and not necessarily toddlers, but they’re definitely one to consider. Add this to your travel kit for sure. You also can’t go wrong with the Ultimate Puzzle Challenge.
Would You Rather Questions
There is something about Would You Rather questions that is fun and gets everyone talking. To help pass the time, ask your older kids some questions. Even the younger kids will enjoy joining in.
Family Conversation Cards
Every family should have these cards, which make talking with kids easy and fun. I know it may seem as though you really don’t need these to talk with your kids, but sometimes it feels like you’re trying to pull teeth while trying to start a conversation with them.
These cards make it easier to start a conversation with them and are a great way to know more about them. The cards come in four categories.
Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
I have this here for the older kids, but that doesn’t mean the older toddlers can’t do this, too. This road trip scavenger can keep the older kids, even toddlers, busy looking for these items.
Final Thoughts on the Best Toddler Toys for Road Trips
When it comes to traveling with young kids, it can feel stressful trying to plan for everything, but I hope that with these road trip toys for toddlers, you’ll have a smooth and peaceful trip because, let’s face it, even without kids, it can still be nerve-racking.
The right toys can keep your little ones happy and entertained. Making long-haul flights or long road trips easier and more enjoyable for everyone. I hope that you have safe travel and fun!
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Related post you might find helpful:
The Best Road Trip Scavenger Hunt for Kids of All Ages
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