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Traveling with little ones is a parenting challenge like none other. Juggling diaper changes, potty breaks, naps, feedings, snacks, exercise, and tantrums away from home requires preparation and patience. Thankfully, travel toys can help minimize some traveling toddler and baby struggles.
Travel toys for babies and toddlers keep little hands and eyes busy on the go. A solid travel toy is not too complicated, doesn't have a lot of pieces, is easy to clean, and fits little hands well. For example, a UFO silicone pulling toy is an excellent sensory toy for traveling toddlers.
Surprisingly, the market is full of travel toys with tiny pieces that get lost under seats or in hotels. So the following list is far more sensible for realistic travel with a toddler and a baby--and they are well-tested by experience!
1. UFO Silicone Pulling Toy
Moonkie's UFO Silicone Pulling Toy is a favorite travel toy among customers for good reasons. Toddlers can pull on a variety of silicone rope textures and shapes to hear different sounds, push the popper buttons, slide a button for clicking sounds, and squish or shake the whole thing around for fun.
Although this construction has been copied quickly, Moonkie's version has attained all the American and European safety ratings. Moreover, Moonkie's silicone ropes are thicker and shorter to prevent swallowing or chewing pieces off.
Since Moonkie uses high-quality food-grade silicone, you can sterilize the UFO Silicone Pulling Toy by dipping it in boiling water (don't leave the whole thing in water over 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two minutes).
Having seen my little ones drop toys in toilets, drag them around airport floors, and spill sauces and drinks on their travel toys, I'm all about anything I can sterilize! Spraying toys down with Lysol just isn't enough to put my mind at ease.
Age: 3 years+
2. Silicone Phone Press Toy
Push toys are attractive to a baby strapped in a car seat, but many such toys are made of cheap silicone or are too flimsy for baby hands to grip and push well. That's where Moonkie's Silicone Phone Press Toy shines.
Made in a stiff form in the perfect shape, Moonkie's phone press toy is adorable, easy to grip, and firm enough for curious baby hands to hold and press without the whole thing flopping around. Moreover, the entire phone is a delightful teether with various textures to explore, made in one piece to prevent a choking hazard.
The cherry on top is that you can run it through the dishwasher for cleaning and boil it in water for up to five minutes for sterilizing! Nifty!
Age: 6 months+
3. LCD Writing Tablet
Crayons and coloring books are fun until they fall to the floor. But if you don't find them all, those crayons will melt in the car and make a mess. After several rounds of this, I discovered LCD writing tablets and haven't looked back since!
First, the pen is attached to the tablet so it won't fall. Second, you won't have tons of paper and pens all over the place. Third, my toddlers played with these for hours on long flights abroad and in the car. You can use it educationally or for fun.
However, the cheaper tablets will not withstand significant spills, banging around, or stomping. That said, the set I originally bought made it through two years of toddler play and traveling before giving up. These were well worth the investment!
Age: 3 years+
4. Cloth Books
Cloth books are often safe, interactive, and easy-to-clean travel toys. You can find cloth books just about anywhere these days, but you should keep a few things in mind before getting one for traveling.
Ensure the cloth book is age-appropriate and lacks small pieces that are easy to pull off and swallow. For instance, cloth books for babies should be as simple as a cloth book that crinkles when handled or has various textures stitched firmly to each page.
However, a cloth book for two-year-olds may have more buckles, velcro straps, or little flaps because a two-year-old is less likely to chew them off. Whatever you get, having a travel mirror set up on your child's seat will help you see what your little one is doing with the book.
Age: 3 months+
5. Cars
Some little ones are fascinated by cars for hours, while others don't seem to care much about them. If your little one loves wheels or vehicles, you've got an easy travel toy choice!
The main thing to keep in mind when traveling with toy cars is age appropriateness. Though Hotwheels are fine for toddlers, the wheels can come off too easily for teething babies and one-year-olds.
Another thing to think about when choosing a car toy for traveling is something to roll the car on. I set the folded sunshade on my toddler's lap when driving and a piece of tape on the tray table when flying. I've also used books, part of a broken Hot Wheels track, and a little cookie sheet.
If you want to buy a car that is fun for toddlers on the go but really fun when you have some floor space, try Moonkie's silicone car in the On-the-Go Gift Set. It is perfect! That car rolls so far, is easy to clean, and doesn't hurt the wall.
Babies are not usually interested in rolling a toy car on a surface in the car seat, so finding a large, well-built car for your baby to look at and move the wheels is plenty of entertainment.
Age: 6 months+
6. Little Bag with Pockets
As odd as it may sound, little ones love playing with a bag equipped with many pockets. It can be a purse, little backpack, or fanny pack with pockets. Whatever you choose, put little age-appropriate toys in the various pockets and let your kiddo explore.
The more you put into the bag, the more you will have to pick up and keep track of. However, you may be surprised at how long your little one can spend taking things out, putting them back in, taking them out, and putting them back in again. It's an adorable activity!
Age: 1 year+
7. Car Seat Teether
That teething stage is probably the most terrible time to travel because fussiness, a low fever, and lots of crying are frequent. You can't blame your little one for being uncomfortable, but you can provide something safe to nom on.
A teether with various textures that you can tie to the car seat and clean easily is perfect for travel. You can go a step further by packing several teether toys of various kinds to keep your baby busy with fresh textures.
A stacking teething ring set with various densities, weights, shapes, and textures is excellent for this. You can also add something thicker, like the Silicone Phone Press Toy I mentioned earlier in this list.
Age: 3 months+
8. Magnetic Ball Maze
Did you ever play with a ball maze as a kid? You know, the wooden or plastic maze with tiny steel balls inside that you tried to maneuver into one pocket? I spent hours playing with those mazes while traveling in elementary and middle school. Well, you can offer something similar for your toddler today!
Magnetic ball mazes have larger steel balls and a more straightforward wooden maze, but the concept is the same: move all the balls to one location. My toddlers enjoyed these mazes so much that we bought a few more to keep them entertained on long trips.
As your child grows, you can find more and more complicated versions until no magnets are needed. It's a fun challenge that exercises fine motor skills and planning!
Age: 2 years+
9. Mini Rainstick
If you can stand the sound, a mini rainstick is a fun travel toy for one-year-olds. The movement of so many tiny balls and their sound is mesmerizing. It won't take long for your young toddler to realize that different movements result in different sounds.
Though mini rain sticks are a bit too loud for flights, you can find rain sticks with a softer sound, like chimes, balls in water, or a mixture of different items inside.
Age: 1 year+
10. Fidget Block
A fidget block may be entertaining if you have a rather studious three or four-year-old who likes focusing on little things at hand. Fidget blocks are not intended for toddlers, but my toddlers fixated on these for hours without a problem.
Fidget blocks have a different click, button, switch, or ball to roll on each side. They are definitely not safe for teething babies and young toddlers, so keep them well away from wee ones. However, older toddlers and preschoolers may be fascinated like mine were.
Age: 4 years+
How Do Travel Toys Differ from Normal Toys?
Travel toys don't have to be different from typical toys, but they are super helpful when they are. For example, regular toys with lots of pieces, loud sounds, a large size, or requiring more than one person are not ideal for traveling.
A fantastic travel toy should be:
easy for little hands to hang onto
small enough to pack away quickly
safe for little ones to play with without your full attention
easy to clean and sterilize while traveling
entertaining for long periods of downtime
have no separate pieces to lose
have nothing easy for bored kids to tear or chew off
great at exercising a skill (sensory exploration, coordination, fine motor skills, etc.)
not too expensive to replace if lost
5 Tips for Keeping Travel Toys Interesting
Unfortunately, no toy is incredible enough to keep little ones fascinated for the duration of a trip or every trip you take together. Over the years, I've learned a few tricks for keeping travel toys interesting.
You can avoid some fussiness, anger, frustration, and tantrums with these simple strategies:
Tip |
Explanation |
Keep travel toys separate from home toys. |
Keep travel toys fun and exciting by ensuring they are not regularly played with at home. Store them in a travel backpack to avoid excessive heat and freezing temperatures. |
Have several travel toys for your little ones to choose from. |
A variety of toys helps maintain interest. Rotate them every so often to keep things interesting. |
Only give one or two toys at a time. |
It is easy to overwhelm your little one with too many toys at once, especially when they say that's what they want. Focusing on one or two toys at a time is better for keeping attention and avoiding losing toys to the floorboard. |
Include some things that are not toys. |
Little ones like to mess with the things they see their parents use, so include a few safe everyday items in the travel toy bag. |
Play a song between turns for sharing. |
If you have two toddlers, an older and younger child, or twins, you know the struggle to share is dramatic. You can encourage sharing by playing one or two favorite songs during turns and switching before playing the next set. |
As much as I'd like to say these tips are foolproof, they are not. Toddlers and babies struggle on long road trips and flights because they are not wired for sitting still for long periods.
However, these tips may help you stave off the inevitable or calm down the chaos a bit, which is more than a tired parent can ask for some days!
If you are planning a trip abroad, you will need more than a bag of travel toys. Read Traveling Abroad with a Toddler and Baby: Tips to Make Your Trip Smoother to make sure you cover your bases.
In a Nutshell
More than a few young families arrive at their destination frazzled and wondering whether traveling is worth the effort in this season of life. Looking back on my years of traveling far and wide with littles, I can confidently say it is worth all the hassle--even though your littles probably won't have direct memories of these trips.
The lessons learned, the memories you get as a parent, and the tests passed together are far weightier than the aching, exhaustion, and struggles with patience. Keep it up, and enjoy the ride!
