Travelling with a toddler can be magical, messy, and mildly chaotic — especially when you’re trying to keep them entertained in a confined space. Whether you’re flying long-haul, taking a road trip, or hopping on a train, having the right travel toys can make all the difference.
After plenty of family adventures (and a few meltdowns at 30,000 feet), these are the best travel toys for toddlers that have truly saved our sanity. Each one is compact, screen-free, and designed to hold little ones’ attention — without scattering a million tiny pieces across the floor.
Below are our tried-and-tested favourites, complete with photos and links to the ones we actually use.
Sketch Pad
An absolute travel essential! A reusable LCD doodle pad keeps toddlers entertained for ages — no mess, no crayons rolling away, and endless creative fun. Perfect for drawing, doodling, or playing simple games like “guess what I drew.”
Lacing Beads / Threading Toys
Brilliant for developing fine motor skills while keeping hands busy. Choose one with chunky, easy-to-thread shapes — it’s engaging, quiet, and surprisingly calming mid-flight.
Search-and-Find Book
Toddlers love spotting hidden objects, and these books encourage focus and imagination. They’re lightweight, screen-free, and double up as a bedtime story once you arrive.
Water WOW! Pads
These reusable magic colouring pads are pure genius for travel. Just add water to the pen, and the colours appear — then fade as they dry so your toddler can start again. No ink, no mess, no problem.
Buckle Toy
A hit for curious little fingers. Buckle toys are soft, portable, and packed with clips, zips, and snaps that toddlers can fiddle with for ages — perfect for takeoff and landing when toys need to stay put.
Rotating Puzzle
Compact, clever, and challenging enough to keep your toddler thinking. This puzzle toy offers endless combinations but stays in one piece — ideal for tray-table play.
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