15 Best Toddler Travel Toys (for Babies to Preschoolers)

The best toys for traveling with toddlers are simple, lightweight playthings that bring joy to the journey without hassle. Whether you’re embarking on a plane ride or a family road trip, ensure a happy vacation with these toddler travel toys for young children, from babies to preschoolers. Of course, you’ll want to bring your child’s favorite stuffed toy, but a few surprises go a long way. Look for double-duty toys and avoid noisy or bulky activities. This list includes 15+ entertaining options to make your family trip easier and more fun!

All of these great travel toys are available for easy purchase and shipping from Amazon. Travel Mamas will receive a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to consumers. Images in this article are from Amazon.com unless otherwise noted.

Travel Mamas and Grownup Getaways sometimes receive compensation and/or hosted travel and sample products related to blog posts. This story may include affiliate links for which we receive a small commission at no extra cost to consumers. As an Amazon Associate, we earn money from qualifying purchases.

1. Manhattan Toy’s Skwish (Ages 0+)

I have yet to meet a baby who isn’t mesmerized by the Manhattan Toy’s Skwish, a modern and innovative take on a standard rattle. This toy’s wooden beads feature non-toxic water-based finishes, perfect for teething tots. Choose from Artful Wooden or Color Burst.

2. Stroller Toys (Ages 0+)

Stroller toys easily attach to a stroller or car seat so babies and toddlers stay busy and content wherever they go. Children tire of these over time, so swap them out regularly to keep their attention. Get a new stroller toy or two before your travels.

Babies see contrasting colors like black and white better than muted shades. Vibrant colors help with brain development, too. With that in mind, this Euyecety Black and White Spiral Stroller Toy is a great option.

This Lamaze Fifi the Firefly Clip On Toy makes a popular choice with its vibrant color patterns, multiple textures, crinkly wings, and attached mirror.

3. Bath Toys (Ages 1 to 3)

Don’t forget to bring a few bath toys for toddlers on your family vacation. If you keep them stored separately at home, children will be excited to be reunited with their travel bath toys on each trip.

Sometimes, the simplest toddler travel toys are the best. A set of First Years Stack & Count Stacking Cups is so much fun in the bathtub and beyond. Kids can create a tower during air travel, nest the cups on a car trip, or scoop sand and water on the beach.

Discuss all the types of transportation used during your trip with your young children when they play with vehicle-shaped TOYMYTOY Bath Swimming Toys.

Younger children adore the characters from the Hundred Acre Wood. Get this Winnie-the-Pooh and Pals Bath Set for Baby. It is especially fun for a trip to Disney World or Disneyland with toddlers. The toy set comes with a bucket for easy storage and packing, which doubles as a cup for washing your child’s hair in the hotel room bathtub.

4. Bubbles

When traveling with toddlers and babies, bubbles are a must. Bubbles work wonders in entertaining young kids at pitstops or while waiting in theme park lines. Toss a Sloosh Bubble Liquid Clear Bottle with Wand Set in your diaper bag for use on the go. (Keep it in a zipper-lock plastic bag if you’re worried about spilling.)

5. Play Smartphone (Ages 1 to 3)

All little kids want to play with their parent’s smartphones. Keep your technology safe from drops and drool. Give your baby or toddler My First Smartphone by Stone and Clark instead!

Kids can learn numbers, listen to songs, and have pretend conversations on this plastic play phone. This great toy delights children and encourages imaginative play instead of providing actual screen time. Although not adjustable, the volume level is low.

6. Make-Believe Computer (Ages 6 months to 3 years)

Toddlers like to imitate mom and dad. For many families, that means typing away at a computer. The VTech Brilliant Baby Laptop has many buttons, songs, and lights — everything small children love. Volume can be reduced so you don’t annoy other passengers on the train, airplane, or other public transport.

7. Dot Markers (Ages 1 to 3)

Little hands not yet coordinated enough to color or draw can still get creative with Ultimate Stationery Dot Markers. Children dab paper or coloring books to form dot artwork with these washable, easy-grip toddler travel toys.

8. No-Roll Crayons (Ages 4+)

Most preschoolers love arts and crafts on vacation. When flying, choose activities that work well on an airplane tray table. Anti-roll Crayola Triangular Crayons make a good choice.

9. Coloring Books (Ages 1+)

Add a coloring book or two to help your budding artist create on the go. The Dot Markers Activity Book Animals has 50 cute animal images with large dots for toddlers to fill.

This Simple & Easy Coloring Book for Toddlers offers 100 pages of uncomplicated images of everyday objects like vegetables, fruits, animals, and different shapes.

Older children (ages 3 to 6) will love this adorable A to Z Alphabet Travel Coloring Book. Coloring pages feature a travel theme with images of planes, globes, national parks, and more.

9. Sticker Scenes (Ages 3+)

Sticker books with different scenes are also a big hit with older toddlers. Children love making pictures simply by arranging reusable stickers on the pages.

Peaceable Kingdom Sticker Fun packs vary from Ocean Animals and Magical Unicorns to At the Airport, Space Adventure, and beyond. These reusable sticker sets come in their own carrying totes.

Melissa and Doug sticker scenes are lots of fun, too. Get Animal Habitats Reusable Sticker Pad or a trio of Puffy Sticker Activity Books featuring Princess, Dress-Up, and Mermaid.

10. Crayola’s Color Wonder Crafts (Ages 3+)

Parents like that Crayola’s Color Wonder doesn’t make little fingers messy. Meanwhile, children are amazed by Color Wonder’s “magic” ink.

Get a Color Wonder Travel Easel for easy use on a car trip or plane ride. Replenish with Color Wonder Pages.

Or buy a new Color Wonder Activity Pad before every family vacation. Select from different themes like Peppa Pig, Disney Princesses, Paw Patrol, and more.

In addition to a carrying case, this Color Wonder Activity Set comes with a stamp pad, four stamps, a stamp holder, a 24-page blank Color Wonder book, three sticker sheets, and five Color Wonder markers.

11. Lacing Boards (Ages 3 to 5 years)

Lacing boards provide an engaging activity to take on the road without taking up too much space. They help preschoolers work on their fine motor skills through play.

The Melissa & Doug Lace & Trace Activity Set: Pets gets high ratings on Amazon and is the lightest option made by this popular brand, weighing in at just over half a pound (9.6 ounces). It contains five lace boards for preschoolers.

For an even lighter option, buy Stephen Joseph Zoo Lacing Cards. These animal-shaped cardboard lacers come with a handy travel bag and weigh just .44 pounds (7 ounces).

12. Wikki Stix (Ages 3+.)

Colorful Wikki Stix are bendy craft items sure to inspire your child’s imagination. Use them to build a variety of 3-D crafts. These work well as fidget toys, too.

For even more fun, buy the Wikki Stix Traveler. This red carrying case is loaded with 144 Wikki Stix in 16 Colors, two connect-the-dot sheets, and an activity book of games and different activities.

13. Finger Puppets (Ages 3 to 5 years)

Sing along to “Old MacDonald Had A Farm” with these darling RIY Farm Finger Puppets during a road trip with toddlers.

Distract young children with make-believe stories during airplane take-offs and landings with a 20-Piece Story Time Finger Puppets Set. It includes animals plus family member characters. These toddler travel toys make the perfect travel companions!

14. Beach Ball (Ages 1+)

Bring along road trip toys for pit stops when planning long car rides. A Beach Ball works well for toddlers and preschoolers. This collapsible item is perfect for playing at the hotel pool or beach. Even older siblings can use this compact toy while traveling.

15. Children’s Books (Ages 0+)

Don’t forget some children’s books for your travels. Bring along a couple of favorite titles as well as a few new stories to entertain kids during the journey and before bedtime. Board books make sturdy choices but can be quite heavy to tote, so keep that in mind when packing.

Maisy Goes On a Plane prepares toddlers for their first flight and entertains children in the air, too.

Going on an Airplane: A Toddler Prep Book is another hit with young travelers for a long flight.

Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks from A to Z makes a good pick for long road trips and will please little ones interested in all things with wheels.

More than simply a book, the Esjay Toddler Busy Board entertains toddlers during long journeys. This busy book improves hand-eye coordination with toddler sensory activities like buckles, a zipper, a clock, shape matching, and more.

Want more story ideas? Take a look at the best travel books for children.

Travel Toy Tips

Now that you know which toddler travel toys to buy before your next family trip, here are some tips to get the most value from your purchases.

Keep a Hidden Stash of Toys for Travel

I advise parents to keep a separate stash of toys, quiet books, and games specifically for travel. This way, you don’t have to run all over the house pulling these items together for every trip. Plus, as we all know, children tire of their toys quickly. Hiding these playthings makes them seem new again.

Pack a Busy Bag for Each Child

A little planning goes a long way, especially when traveling with kids. Bring a few favorites from past trips and a few new toys.

For long trips, splurge on a few new toys to be unveiled on the go. You can wrap these presents in gift paper to buy extra time and add to their magic. Save time by using tin foil instead of wrapping paper.

Learn More Tips for Traveling with Toddlers

Keep your child safe while flying! Read my review of the CARES airplane harness for toddlers.

View the best travel games for kids from toddlers to teens.

Lighten your load during your travels with baby travel gear rentals.

Get helpful travel sleep tips for toddlers from a child sleep expert.

Keep this List of Toddler Travel Toys

Save these toys for traveling with toddlers and young children for your next trip. Just pin the image above to Pinterest. Be sure to follow Travel Mamas on Pinterest while you’re at it!

Which of these toddler travel toys looks most engaging to you? Let us know your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below!

A Note from Travel Mamas: Unless otherwise noted, all photos are from Amazon.com. We received no free product or monetary compensation related to this blog post. Your purchases help keep Travel Mamas a free resource for readers like you. All opinions are ours, as always.

Sharing is caring!