Traveling with little ones can be an exciting adventure…or it can absolutely suck. Keeping your toddlers and babies entertained on the go is key to a smooth journey. That’s where travel toys for toddlers and babies come to the rescue!
As a parent who loves to explore new places, I’ve discovered some fantastic toys that keep my kids happy and engaged, making our trips enjoyable and fuss-free. Let’s dive into the best travel toys for toddlers and babies that will make your next family adventure a breeze!
Aside from just packing their favorite baby toys, why not try some of these activities for babies during travel? I’ve found that packing a few of their favorite toys is a great idea, but when it comes to road-tripping, you’ll need to think through some activities your kiddos can do with those toys to really keep them entertained.
Best Young Toddler Travel Toys
First Coloring Books for Toddlers
We’ll start with travel toys (and suggested activities) for babies and then graduate to toddlers and preschoolers. This is all about keeping you sane, mama, so let’s get the show on the road!
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Travel Toys for Babies
Rainbow Baby Stacking Cups
Product Features
- Easy for travel
- Great for hand-eye coordination and dexterity
- Drain holes for water play later!
This classic toy is perfect for travel play. Baby can either set the cups inside one another or stack them up as a tower. Plus, the fun animal faces on the bottom of the cups are sure to catch your little one’s eye!
Babies can engage in a variety of fun and developmental activities with stacking cups in the car. Here are some ideas:
- Stacking and Nesting: Babies can stack the cups on top of each other or nest them inside one another. This helps develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Color Recognition: Parents can use the cups to teach babies different colors. Pointing out and naming the colors as the baby plays with each cup can be an educational activity.
- Counting Games: Simple counting games can be played with the cups. Count the cups as the baby stacks them, helping them get familiar with numbers.
- Hide and Seek: Hide a small toy or object under one of the cups and let the baby find it. This game can entertain and surprise them, keeping their curiosity piqued.
- Sound Exploration: Babies can explore different sounds by tapping the cups together or against other surfaces. This helps them learn about cause and effect while having fun.
- Texture Exploration: Some stacking cups come with different textures. Babies can feel and explore these textures, which can be soothing and interesting for them.
- Pretend Play: Encourage babies to use their imagination. They can pretend the cups are different objects, like a phone, a hat, or a drum, sparking their creativity.
Baby Rattle Socks & Wrist Rattles
Product Features
- Bright colors and patterns are perfect for keeping your baby’s interest
- Keeps fun within baby’s reach
- Baby socks are one size fits most
A car seat is the perfect place to bring out these cute rattle baby socks. The black and white stripes catch even the tiniest baby’s attention, and these socks and wrist rattles are a great way to introduce cause and effect.
Your little one can enjoy a range of stimulating and fun activities with rattle socks and wrist rattles while in the car. Here are some ideas:
- Sound Exploration: Babies will be fascinated by the sounds made by the rattles as they move their hands and feet. This helps them learn about cause and effect and keeps them entertained with the noises they create.
- Sensory Stimulation: The rattles often have different textures and colors. Babies can touch, feel, and look at these, stimulating their senses and promoting sensory development.
- Coordination Practice: Wearing rattle socks and wrist rattles encourages babies to move their arms and legs, helping them develop motor skills and coordination. They’ll start to associate their movements with the sounds the rattles make.
- Visual Tracking: The bright colors and movements of the rattles will attract the baby’s attention. This helps develop their visual tracking skills as they follow the movement of their hands and feet.
- Play and Giggles: Babies often find the jingling sounds of rattles amusing. This can lead to spontaneous play and giggles, making the car ride more enjoyable for both the baby and parents.
- Self-Discovery: Rattle socks and wrist rattles can help babies become more aware of their own limbs. As they move and hear the rattles, they start to understand that their movements are causing the sounds, which is an important part of their development.
- Interactive Play: Parents can gently shake the rattles or play peekaboo with the baby’s hands and feet, turning it into an interactive game. This can be a bonding experience and a way to keep the baby engaged.
- Calming Effect: The rhythmic sound of the rattles can be soothing for some babies. It might help them relax and even fall asleep during the car ride.
Crayola Palm Grasp Washable Crayons
Product Features
- Ergonomically designed for toddlers to comfortably hold and scribble with
- 6 colors included
Regular crayons are too easy for little hands to break or lose in the car seat, but these egg-shaped crayons are perfect for travel! Here’s how to use them for your infant or toddler:
- Coloring on Paper: Bring along a sturdy clipboard or a travel-friendly blank coloring book. Babies can use the palm grasp crayons to scribble and draw, developing their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Learning Colors and Shapes: Use the crayons to teach babies about different colors and shapes. You can draw a shape or color on a piece of paper and encourage your baby to mimic it, turning it into a fun learning activity.
- Exploring Textures: Provide different types of paper or textured surfaces for your baby to color on. This allows them to explore how the crayons feel and behave on various textures, enhancing their sensory experience.
Travel Toys for Toddlers
First Coloring Book for Toddlers
Product Features
- Simple pictures for young children
- Single sided pages to prevent bleed through
- 30 different pictures
Typical coloring books have pictures that are too detailed for the smallest artists, but this coloring book is perfectly designed for young toddlers, with large, simple images.
Using a coloring book for toddlers in the car can provide a range of engaging and developmentally beneficial activities for babies and toddlers. Here are some ideas to help extend the time your little one spends with the coloring book:
- Coloring Pages: The primary activity is, of course, coloring the pages. This helps toddlers develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and creativity. Make sure to use chunky, toddler-friendly crayons or markers that are easy to grip and less likely to create a mess.
- Learning Colors: Parents can guide their toddlers to use specific colors for certain parts of the picture, helping them learn and recognize different colors. For example, “Can you color the apple red?”
- Identifying Shapes and Objects: While coloring, parents can ask their toddlers to identify shapes and objects in the pictures, promoting language development and shape recognition. For instance, “What shape is the sun?” or “Can you find the tree?”
- Counting Activities: Incorporate counting into the coloring activity. Ask your toddler to count the number of items on a page, such as the number of flowers or animals. This helps with number recognition and counting skills.
- Storytelling: Create stories based on the pictures in the coloring book. This can turn into an interactive activity where the toddler colors while listening to a story, enhancing their imagination and listening skills.
- Stickers and Decorations: Some toddler coloring books come with stickers. Toddlers can add stickers to the pages, which adds another layer of fun and fine motor skill practice.
Take-Along Shape Sorter
Product Features
- Handle at the top makes this shape sorter easy to travel with
- Padded shape sorter has 9 textured blocks in different colors
- Crinkly flaps are fun for babies to feel
- Great for 9 months and up
This shape sorter is nice and soft, making it easy to pack for traveling. Plus, both sides have fun activities for little ones. Help your little one make the most of their time with the shape sorter by trying out one of the following activities:
- Shape Sorting: The primary activity is, of course, sorting shapes. Toddlers can practice fitting different shapes into the corresponding holes, which helps develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving abilities.
- Color Recognition: Parents can use the shape sorter to teach toddlers about different colors. For example, “Can you find the red square?” This activity helps with color recognition and language development.
- Counting Shapes: Count the shapes together as your baby sorts them. This simple activity can help introduce numbers and counting in a fun and engaging way.
- Identifying Shapes: Use the shape sorter to help your child learn the names of different shapes. Ask them to find specific shapes, such as, “Can you find the triangle?” This enhances their vocabulary and shape recognition.
- Textures and Sizes: Some shape sorters have different textures or sizes for each shape. Your kiddo can explore these textures and learn about the concept of size by comparing different shapes.
- Imaginative Play: Encourage imaginative play by creating stories or scenarios involving the shapes. For example, “The circle is a wheel on a car, can you find the wheel?”
- Cause and Effect: Toddlers learn about cause and effect by understanding that placing a shape in the correct hole results in a successful match. This helps them understand the concept of actions and consequences.
- Interactive Play: Engage with your child by asking questions and praising them when they successfully sort a shape. This interaction can make the activity more enjoyable and boost their confidence.
Toddler Busy Board
Product Features
- Features 4 different pages of activities to developing fine motor skills
- Unzips to divide into two busy boards
- Soft felt feels nice for toddlers
This soft busy board lets your child practice snaps, buttons, and other fine motor activities. You can get it in 3 different styles, so you can choose your toddler’s favorite! Try some of these activities to keep your toddler busy:
- Buttoning and Zipping: Many busy boards include buttons and zippers. Toddlers can practice buttoning and unbuttoning, as well as zipping and unzipping, which helps improve their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Velcro and Buckles: Busy boards often feature Velcro and buckles. Toddlers can practice fastening and unfastening these components, which enhances their dexterity and problem-solving abilities.
- Lacing and Tying: Some busy boards have laces and tying activities. Toddlers can practice threading laces through holes and tying knots, which is great for developing their fine motor skills and patience.
- Shape and Color Recognition: Busy boards frequently include shapes and colors. Parents can ask toddlers to identify and match different shapes and colors, promoting cognitive development and language skills.
The Best Travel Games and Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
While babies might end up sleeping during the car ride or flight, toddlers and preschoolers are usually less likely to snooze for most of the trip.
They don’t want to miss a moment of the fun, you know?
The hard part is that toddlers and preschoolers are also usually the ones most likely to get restless and bored during travel. While your teen might be fine popping in earbuds and playing on a phone, it takes more effort to impress our 1–4-year-olds.
Rest easy, though; there are plenty of options for playing travel games with kids and toddlers, and we’re here to tell you how to use them!
Skip Hop Toddler Zoo Crew Memory Game
Product Features
- 48 bright and colorful cards
- Durable and sturdy cards are perfect for little hands
Matching games are a great way to pass time for kids on a trip. Pro tip: If 24 pairs of cards is overwhelming for your kids (or just won’t fit on their travel tray), just use fewer pairs! Start with 6 sets of matches, and as your child needs more challenge, you can add more! Here’s how to play:
Engaging a toddler with a memory game can be a fun and educational activity that helps develop their cognitive and memory skills. Here are some steps to make the experience enjoyable and effective:
Choose the Right Memory Game
- Age-Appropriate Cards: Use memory cards with familiar and simple images, such as animals, fruits, or everyday objects.
- Durable and Safe: Ensure the cards are made from sturdy, toddler-friendly materials that are safe to handle.
Setting Up the Game
- Clear Space: Lay out the cards on your child’s travel table or any other flat surface.
- Small Sets: Start with a small number of card pairs (e.g., 4-6 pairs) to avoid overwhelming your toddler.
Explain the Rules
- Simple Instructions: Explain the game in simple terms: “We’re going to turn over two cards at a time to find matching pairs. If they match, we keep them; if not, we turn them back over and try again.”
- Demonstrate: Show an example round to illustrate how the game works.
Playing the Game
- Take Turns: Encourage taking turns to flip two cards at a time. This teaches patience and turn-taking.
- Name the Images: When a card is turned over, say the name of the image out loud. This helps with language development and memory.
- Encourage Observation: Prompt your toddler to pay attention to the positions of the cards. For example, “Remember where the apple was?”
Head and Tails Animal Matching Puzzles
Product Features
- Great first jigsaw puzzles
- 15 puzzle pairs
- Self-correcting head/tail pairs ensure correct pieces are paired together
This set of 15 two-piece jigsaw puzzles is perfect for little hands! We love puzzles for the interactive development, and if you can, it’s good fun to sit beside your toddler and guide their play in the car. Here are some ways to keep the fun going:
- Show Interest and Encouragement: Sit with your toddler and show interest in the puzzle. Encourage them as they try to fit pieces together. Positive reinforcement like clapping or saying “Well done!” helps keep them motivated.
- Demonstrate and Guide: Show your toddler how to start the puzzle by placing a few pieces in the right spots. Let them try to fit the pieces on their own but be ready to help if they get stuck.
- Make it a Game: Turn puzzle time into a playful activity. You can create challenges like finding specific pieces or making animal sounds as you fit animal puzzle pieces together.
Pass the Potato
Product Features
- 30+ phrases and sound effects
- Machine washable
- Comes with 3 AAA batteries
I know… Hot Potato usually is a game where you toss a potato back and forth. But you can pass it back and forth in the car too! This silly potato is soft (better for car play because you KNOW you’ll eventually get hit in the back of the head) and says lots of phrases that will keep your kids giggling in the car.
Consider the following when playing hot potato in the car:
1. Safety First: Emphasize that the object should be passed gently and not thrown and that the potato will go back into its box if the game gets rowdy. This prevents any accidents or distractions while driving.
2. End of Round: When the music stops or the timer rings, the person holding the object is out for that round. You can continue playing rounds until one person remains, or simply play for fun without eliminating players.
3. Encourage Laughter and Participation: Make sure everyone feels included and enjoys the game. Offer encouragement and praise for participation.
4. Adapt to the Car Environment: Consider the space and movement constraints within the car. Modify the game as necessary to ensure it’s safe and enjoyable for everyone.
5. Alternative Versions: If the car environment doesn’t allow for passing the object physically, you can play a verbal or memory version where players say or remember who they are passing the “hot potato” to next.
Joyin Reusable Sticker Book
Product Features
- 3 pack of sticker books
- Stickers can be removed and reused for hours of fun
These games let your kiddos create magical stories and pictures they can change repeatedly. Plus, they’re easy to pack in a carry-on bag or car activity kit.
1. Prepare the Space: Before you start your journey, set up a small, stable surface for your toddler to use, like a travel tray that can attach to their car seat. This gives them a flat surface to stick the stickers on and helps prevent stickers from getting lost.
2. Demonstrate How It Works: Show your toddler how to peel the stickers off and place them on the different scenes in the book. You might need to assist them initially until they get the hang of it.
3. Create Stories Together: Engage your toddler by creating stories about the scenes they are decorating. For example, if they are placing animals in a jungle scene, you could talk about what each animal might be doing or the sounds they make.
4. Encourage Independence: Let them decide where to place the stickers. This fosters creativity and decision-making. Praise their choices and the scenes they create, which boosts their confidence.
I Spy Travel Card Game
Product Features
- 48 jumbo travel cards with instructions
- Easy grab and go travel game
- Great for younger and older kids
While playing “I Spy” just from your own imagination is fun, sometimes it’s nice to get a little inspiration. That’s where this set of cards come in. Kids are given a prompt such as “I spy a person riding a bike” or “I spy something shiny.”
You and your kids can have fun together with this simple game, plus it’s great for bigger kids to play with their little siblings if you’re getting tired of sitting in the back seat entertaining (we get it, trust us). Here’s how to set the parameters for a great game of I Spy with multiple kiddos in the car:
1. Explain the Game: Make sure all the children understand how to play. The idea is to pick a card, describe an object on it using hints like colors, shapes, or the first letter of the object, and have others guess what it is.
2. Turn-Taking: To keep the game fair and orderly, establish a rotation for who picks a card and gives the clues. Ensure each child gets a turn to be the “spy,” regardless of their age.
3. Adapt the Clues for Age Differences: Encourage older children to give more detailed clues that might challenge them more, while simpler clues can be provided for the younger ones. For example, an older child might say, “I spy something that starts with ‘T’ and is used for cutting,” whereas for a toddler, it might simply be, “I spy something red.”
4. Use Teamwork: Pair an older sibling with a younger one as a team, so they can work together to figure out the clues. This promotes bonding and can help the younger child learn from the older one.
5. Reward Efforts: Offer praises or small rewards for correct guesses or for particularly clever clues. This keeps all ages motivated and feeling appreciated for their contributions.
6. Keep Rounds Short: To maintain interest and manage attention spans, especially for toddlers, keep each round of the game quick. Switching roles frequently can help keep the game lively.
7. Interactive Guessing: Allow everyone to shout out guesses if they think they know the answer, which adds excitement to the game. Alternatively, use a hands-up approach to guess to control the noise level in the car.
8. Flexibility in Rules: Adapt the rules as needed based on how well they are working for your kids. The key is to keep everyone engaged and having fun!
Squigz
Product Features
- Suction cup builders in 8 versitaile shapes and colors
- Stick them to any smooth surface and each other
- 100% food grade silicone, BPA free, latex free
- 50 pieces
Using your car window, activity tray, or airplane tray table, your kiddos can use their imagination to build all sorts of cool things with Squigz suction toys.
They also come with a convenient carrying case, a favorite feature for travel toys! Here are some great ways to use them with your kids in the car:
1. Color and Shape Games: Initiate a game where children can categorize the suction toys by color or shape on different window panes. This is especially great for younger children as it helps with their color and shape recognition skills.
2. Storytelling with Toys: Each child can create a scene or tell a story using the toys on the windows. Older children can make more complex narratives, while younger ones can focus on simple scenarios or mimicry of daily life.
3. Timed Challenges: Set up timed challenges where kids have to stick and restick toys to form different letters, numbers, or shapes before time runs out. This can be a fun and educational race against time.
Make Travel with Your Little One Fun With Travel Toys for Toddlers
It’s easy to be stressed about having to make a big trip with your baby or young toddler. But you can do this!
Since you can’t expect them to nap the entire time, make sure to bring along a few of these toys and games to help the hours fly.
It’s all about making those long journeys a bit easier on everyone, including you. By packing the right mix of engaging and educational toys, we’re not just keeping our kiddos busy—we’re turning travel time into a fun learning adventure.
Whether it’s sticking and resticking colorful shapes on the window or guessing what’s on an “I Spy” card, these activities do more than entertain. They ignite our little ones’ imagination, help them learn new things, and even give us a few well-deserved moments of peace.
So next time you’re gearing up for a long trip, remember: a little planning goes a long way. With these playful tools in our travel bag, we can help our toddlers and babies enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Safe travels, and here’s to smooth rides and happy vibes all around!
