Best Airplane Toys for Traveling with Toddlers

There is already a lot of stress that accompanies traveling, not to mention traveling with toddlers. You can help it to go smoothly by being prepared with great travel airplane toys for toddlers. It is helpful to keep those little fingers busy on your long journey! Bringing a variety of toys and activities will be worth it. Let’s jump into some of the best plane toys that you can fill your travel bag with for fun in-flight entertainment! 

Tips for Packing Your Bag

Before we get into all the toys and activities to keep small children engaged on a long flight, let’s talk about a few tips for when you are packing your carry-on bag. You could have the best toys, but if you don’t have them accessible and easy to find they won’t be very useful. 

Make Activities Easily Accessible 

On most flights, you can have a personal item that fits under the seat in front of you. A diaper bag could be this personal item. Make sure to check the details of your flight, as some flights do make you pay for additional bags, even carry-on bags, depending on the airline.  Alternatively, you may have to store your bag in an overhead compartment. It can be super helpful to organize your toddler’s airplane activities in individual zippered bags (we got these mesh ones) so you aren’t digging through your bag during the flight.

You will likely be able to get up and move around after take-off, but make sure to grab something for the first leg of the journey. Then, later in the flight, you can get new toys and activities for your toddler. 

Store Activities in Individual Storage Bags

These mesh storage bags or these plastic zipper bags are the perfect thing to hold your travel activities. A lot of toys will fit in these bags, and it allows convenient and easy access. This is especially helpful for any activities with a few pieces. I would recommend sticking with activities that don’t have lots of small parts, however, some things, like coloring or a bag of some cars or animals may be wonderful to have! In these cases, it can be a great idea to have everything contained in these smaller bags, which will help keep your travel bag more organized! I’ll share everything we are bringing on our first flight with twins in the next sections.

Pack Just the Essentials 

It is tempting to put everything you could need into your diaper bag or carry-on bag. Think through when you will need to access the items you are packing and keep your carry-on bag to just the essentials! We all know how a bag will quickly fill up with additional snacks, beverages, or those last-minute items we grab while running out the door. Take time to plan ahead and think about what you need during the entire flight, and pack just those items. 

What toys and activities do I pack my toddler for the airplane?

I am going to offer a handful of toys and activities that are perfect for plane travel, or a long car ride! These activities are contained and mess-free providing many opportunities for sensory exploration and fine motor development without the stress of losing pieces or having something to clean up.

Lacing Activities

It was by accident that I thought of this activity. My sons opened up a bin in our toy rotation closet and found our lacing activities which I hadn’t taken out yet. Much to my surprise, when I sat down to show them how it worked, they were so enamored and concentrated on this! I found these wooden lacing activities that would be a little more appropriate for a first lacing activity. My twin toddlers are 16 months and a traditional lacing activity was still a little too difficult. This beginning lacing activity is perfect! Lacing activities are great ways to develop concentration and hand-eye coordination. If you have an older toddler, consider a lacing activity that has smaller holes. These make a perfect travel toy and are an amazing way to work on fine motor skills. I also love how the string is attached to the board, making it impossible to lose.

Water-Wow Books

Painting wouldn’t normally be considered a travel activity, but painting with water is! These Water-Wow books from Melissa & Doug are the perfect art activity to take along on long-haul flights. Make sure to keep the refillable water pen empty until after you get through TSA. Then fill it up and your little one can watch the color of the scene show up as they paint with water. You could take the binding off from the pages and have loose cards. This could be an easy way to keep the activity more engaging by offering choices of the scene they paint. It also may fit better on the tray table. 

​Montessori Busy Book

If you are looking for ways to bring more to do with less space then a Montessori busy book may be a great option. It is very compact, and quiet, offering so many different engaging activities for a child to do on the plane ride. I have found our Montessori busy book to be fun as a young toddler and some of my older nieces and nephews have found it engaging with all the different buckles, latches, and fasteners.

Magnetic Bead Drawing Board

This magnetic drawing board is an amazing travel toy for young children. It uses a magnetic stylus that when used on the board will pull the magnetic bead up to the surface. You can make designs, and shapes or write messages on this board. To get the board cleared just use the side of the pen to push the beads back below the surface. This will allow for more repetition and creativity. This activity is a handy toy to have for your next trip and is sure to be a huge hit!

Doodle Board- The Perfect Airplane Toy

The last thing you want is your child accidentally coloring the person next to you, or dropping their crayon only for it to roll away down the aisle. Doodle boards, sometimes known as boogie boards, will give your child the joy of coloring without the hassle of stains, extra paper, or losing your writing utensil. The stylus can be used to draw on the board. Then, with the press of a button, you can clear the board and start a fresh design. With the version I purchased, there are a few added features as well. The stylus pen is attached to the board and you can lock the screen from being erased. There are so many activities you could play on this with an older child but a younger toddler will enjoy drawing on this board as well. 

Reusable Sticker Book

Reusable sticker books would be a good idea to have while traveling. It is interactive, non-permanent, and allows for repetition. We also have a storybook called “All Better“ that has a few reusable bandage stickers to help the characters when they get an owie. This is a really cute story and a fun way to get your toddler involved. Another storybook we have that offers opportunities for interaction is this “Laundry Day Sort and Play“ book which has felt pieces that can be moved around throughout the story helping to complete the laundry tasks of the day. There is a similar “Grocery Day Sort and Play” book with a similar concept. 

Mess-Free Markers 

Crayola makes special Color Wonder markers that are completely mess-free. They don’t have any pigment at all until they are used on Color Wonder paper. The Color Wonder markers are a great choice for long trips. There are different sets available. This travel set would be great for on-the-go but may be a bit larger than you have room for in your carry-on. Alternatively, you could get a set of Color Wonder markers and a pad of Color Wonder blank paper or a Color Wonder coloring book and store it all in a zipper bag for a more compact and convenient experience. The tray table will be the perfect place for your child to use their mess-free markers. 

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Travel Memory Game

This travel memory game is perfect for older toddlers. It comes with seven different themed memory cards that slide into the memory board. The double-sided themed memory cards will prevent a child from memorizing where the objects are, adding a nice touch to the game. The wooden flaps make this a fun activity for small hands and a great interactive game to enjoy with your child. The size is perfect to slip into your diaper bag, purse, or carry-on. 

Colorful Magnetic Dot Drawing Board

This activity got my attention because it looked so fun! It has a magnetic stylus that even has a little slot to go back into when you are not using it. The stylus can be used to pick up and move the little M&M-shaped beans. An acrylic panel secures the entire activity, keeping everything within the board. A must-have airplane toy for toddlers!

Suction Spinner 

These suction spinners would be a great sensory toy for an airplane window. This spinner has a suction that would allow it to stick to the tray table or window. This could be a fun travel toy for a younger toddler or an older baby. 

Travel DVD Player

As much as I try to avoid screen time for my twins, there are just moments when it is a great resource to have. As a Montessorian at heart, I strive to find toys and activities that are active, meaning they will require action and engagement from the child. Our culture is so fast-paced and we expect immediate responses and seek to be entertained constantly. I have found Mister Rogers Neighborhood to be a wonderful non-stimulating show that keeps my children’s attention without being attention-seeking.

In these episodes, you will see Mister Rogers moving slowly, showing how he is tying his shoes, playing with playdough, and talking to other people in his neighborhood. With a three-hour flight across the country, I wanted to have Mister Rogers as an option for my twins. We got these portable DVD players and toddler headphones. I love that the screen can swivel, making the buttons inaccessible. It also comes with a remote, which may double as an activity most of the time anyway! The screen is small, only 7.5″, but will be the perfect size for travel or sick days in bed at home. 

Small Books 

We have a set of these small books about differnet objects. I will be putting together a small bag of 4 or 5 of these little books. My boys have been loving the one about different people and all the different body parts. This is where having a small zipper or mesh bag for containing the toddler toys can be a nice option. 

Quick List of the Best Travel Toys 

Here is a quick list of perfect plane toys for toddlers. Choose 4 to 6 different activities to bring on your next flight or car ride. 

• Early Lacing activity, older toddler lacing cards
• Water-Wow Book
• Montessori Busy Book
• Doodle Board
• Magnetic Bead Drawing Board
• Reusable Sticker Book
• Travel DVD Player, toddler headphones, and Mister Rogers DVDs
• Mess-Free Color Wonder Markers and Coloring Pages
• Travel Memory Game
• Colorful Magnetic Dot Drawing Board
• Suction Spinners
• Zipper pouch of small books