37 easy to pack Toddler Airplane Toys: Keep your Toddler Entertained and the Adults Sane
How do you keep your toddlers busy on the plane?
As much as we all love to travel with our kids, keeping a toddler entertained on a short or long(er) flight can be exhausting at times.
For most parents, especially those traveling for the first time, entertaining toddlers on the plane is, most of the time, a difficult task.
Luckily, our daughter is an easy and calm child and even as a toddler we never had much trouble keeping her in her chair. However, since most toddlers are a little more active, we’ve gathered the best toddler airplane toys that will help you entertain your little one.
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Are toddler airplane toys a necessity? 🤔
📌Can’t I just bring a tablet and leave it at that?
A tablet is a sure way when entertaining your toddler on the plane. Screen time are good travel entertainment for toddlers as they will keep them occupied for a considerable period of time.
We don’t mind screen time all that much, because we like to indulge in some series or movie time once in a while as well. Especially when traveling, our daughter can use our smartphone or the inflight entertainment system as much as she wants.
However, when she was still a toddler her average attention span for anything screentime related was about 5 minutes…
This means we always brought along her own little backpack filled with toddler travel toys.
💡Most toddlers usually don’t have such a long attention span, so even if they like the tablet it might be wise to bring a couple of toddler toys for your plane ride. It’s a great way to avoid a tantrum from your 1 or 2-year-old which you definitely don’t want, especially for long flights.
📌How many toys for the plane should I bring?
It is important to note that you don’t need to bring all your toddler travel toys for the plane. Luggage is limited when you’re traveling by plane (especially if that happens to be carry-on!), so you don’t want to overdo it. Children are creative and can find a lot of things to entertain themselves.
However, you don’t want to bring too little either because toddlers can be picky already about what they want to play with. And well, the whole being trapped in a metal box high up in the air kinda makes you want to be prepared for everything.
💡Don’t forget that you usually receive a fun package from the airline, which will keep your kid entertained for a while. However, that will usually be the case when they’re older than two (we did receive a soft toy elephant from Qatar on our trip to Malaysia!).
📌How do I transport the best travel toys for my toddler?
A backpack that contains all the toys for your toddler on the plane would be wise. This would enable you to locate the best toys to keep your toddler busy on the plane without having to go through all the rest of your luggage.
We always brought along a little backpack with a couple of small books, a soft toy/a (not so small, unfortunately) doll, some pencils and a notebook for drawing, a memory game, and a small box of lego.
We have a separate tote bag that contains all our snacks and drinks, meaning our daughter’s backpack ( the Panda backpack from the French brand Coq en Pâte) can be stuffed with fun stuff for her.
💡It’s important to have a small backpack that your little one can easily carry (though don’t worry, it will probably last all of 5 seconds before you have to click it onto your daypack).
I particularly like the Skip Hop toddler backpack with a leash , not to control the kiddo but because she would like to play with the leash attached to the backpack herself. Pretend it’s a dog or something similar. That makes for one travel toy less. Win-win!
📌How to select which toys to bring?
It might be difficult to choose which toys to take on the plane. If you pick the wrong one, they won’t play with it and that’s a shame because it takes up extra space and they already have only a few items.
The best airplane toys for toddlers are diverse (no use bringing more or less the same thing a couple of times – except when you know for sure that they’re crazy about it), small enough to fit in the backpack, and should give your toddler a decent amount of entertainment time.
Furthermore, you want them to be as quiet as possible (no vtech!) and they should be easy to stay on the tray or in your child’s lap (rolling things or 50 different pieces are a no-go).
Tablet & headphones
Most parents let their toddlers watch cartoons or play games at a certain point during their plane trip.
📱It might be useful to bring a kid’s tablet that you can fill with downloaded movies and cartoons and (educational) games. This is always a sure way since watching videos and playing games are fascinating airplane activities for toddlers.
The Fire kids edition tablets are a popular choice (and they come with an if-it-breaks-we’ll-replace-it-for-free 2-year guarantee), but here are some other options:
📍The Contixo V8-2 Android Kids Tablet is a good tablet for kids as it is affordable, comes in a shock-proof case and has a lot of pre-installed apps and other entertainment suitable for 2-year-olds. It also has parental control settings allowing you to easily control the content consumed by your toddler as well as set a limit for screen time.
📍For kids who are into Disney, the Dragon Touch Y88X Pro Kids Tablet is a good pick. It is preloaded with at least 18 Disney storybooks and 6 audiobooks including Zootopia, Toy Story, Finding Nemo and more! It also has lots of toddler-appropriate games that will surely occupy your kids during the long flight.
🎧 If your toddler isn’t happy watching or playing without sound, bring some headphones (you and your airplane neighbors will be happy!).
Young children are often not that fond of common headphones. That’s why we like the CozyPhones kids headphones which are fleece headbands. They come in a whole bunch of cute designs, check them out here!
If you are looking for more toys for toddlers on planes, here are the best plane toys for toddlers that will surely occupy their attention and ensure that you have a stress-free flight.
toddler toys for Travel in the Airplane👶
✍️Toddler airplane toys for 1-year-old
📍Lift-the-flap books
Books are very important for children, so they can’t really be too young to get started. Reading is great for their language acquisition and an amazing bonding time.
💡 Make sure to choose lift-the-flap books to ensure interaction and you might want to stay away from the ones with loud (animal) sounds (both for yourself and the other passengers). Books are among the best travel toys for a 1-year-old since you can use them as a nighttime ritual as well!
📍Soft toy/teddy bear
Don’t forget to bring your little one a soft toy when you’re thinking about airplane travel with a toddler or in fact any trip at all.
Bring their favorite soft toy from home. Even if they don’t have one (which was the case with our daughter) they will like to cuddle something on a long flight or at night in bed. This is among the best airplane toys for 1-year-olds especially since it is easy fun and to carry. 👌
📍Triangular Crayons
Crayons are among the best toys for airplanes for 1-year-olds since they like grabbing things andscribbling.
Even though your toddler is still young, grabbing a crayon and scribbling around will give them lots of fun.
👌Make sure to bring triangular ones as you don’t want to fold yourself in two trying to get hold of that damn rolling crayon under the airplane seat.
📍Tegu Magnetic blocks
The wooden Tegu Magnetic Blocks are a true joy and one of the best plane toys for a 1-year-old.
The blocks are simple but attractive and toxic-free and they come in a little pouch that you can tuck away in your jacket, purse, or (backpack) diaper bag. This is genuinely a genius idea!
📍Shape sorter with attached pieces
Shape sorting is always a lot of fun but packing a regular shape sorter will end up in searching like a maniac for the pieces under the seat.
The Oombee Cube Sorter is a genius invention as the 6 shapes are attached to the corners of the cube.
This is a great toy to keep your toddler busy on the plane without you having to worry about missing parts.
📍Pipsquigz
If you are looking for small toys for toddlers on the plane, Pipsquigz is a unique travel toy that you can use in any situation on the go (in the stroller, the bathtub, the high chair etc.).
💡 With them being small, brightly colored, and with suction cups to stick them to a surface, they are one of the very best toys for the airplane for a 1-year-old.
📍Quiet Book
Don’t forget to bring a quiet book for your little one, as it is one of the best travel toys for a 1-year-old on a plane.
They will surely entertain themselves for a while thanks to the fun activities – and develop some sensory skills and imagination too!
📍Activity cube
Another one of the best toddler toys for airplanes is an activity cube that was specifically designed for travel.
The BrainUpToys busy cube for toddlers is super lightweight (only 5 ounces/142gr) and portable. Just tuck it into your diaper bag and go. 👌
✍️ Airplane toys for 2 year old
📍Magnetic doodle board (etch-a-sketch)
An Etch-a-Sketch or Magnetic Doodle Board is one of the best toddler plane toys as it helps your kid be creative while on a trip.
They can doodle and draw as much as they’d like because when full, they just have to push the slider back and forth, and ta-da: a brand new page!
💡 Because it is mess-free a magna doodle board is one of the best travel toys for toddlers on the plane.
📍Books
Books are very important for children, so they can’t really be too young to get started. Reading is great for their language acquisition and for an amazing bonding time. They are great toddler plane toys since it is sure to entertain them for a long period of time.
Bring a couple of books on your trip and have lots of fun together. Bringing a couple of books is great for the nighttime ritual as well! 📚
📍Triangular Crayons
Crayons are among the best airplane toys for 2-year-olds as toddlers this age especially loves to scribble.
👌 But even at this age, make sure to bring triangular ones as you don’t want to fold yourself in two trying to get hold of that damn rolling crayon under the airplane seat.
📍Quiet Book
Don’t forget to bring a quiet book for your little one, as it’s one of the best airplane toys for 2-year-olds on the plane.
They will surely entertain themselves for a while thanks to the fun activities – and develop some sensory skills and imagination too! 👌
📍Lego Duplo
If you’ve got yourself a little builder, bring along some lego for toddlers. They’re great on the plane, but even more so as one of the best travel toys for a 2-year-old.
👌 You can put the blocks in a DIY lego kit to make them easy to use on the plane table.
📍Water wow writing pad
Coloring with water. Which kid isn’t gone for it? And if it involves a fillable pen it suddenly doesn’t sound that messy anymore! It is sure to entertain your 2-year-old on your plane ride.
🌈The Water Wow Writing Pads are small notebooks with ‘magical’ drawings. Your toddler can use the accompanying pen to color the pages and see the images come to life!
📍Scribble and play E-writer
If you’re looking for a screen that your toddler can use all the time, a Boogie Board e-writer is one of the best travel toys for toddlers on airplanes.
It is small, so you can easily tuck it into a backpack or diaper bag. The big stylus is easy to hold for little ones and the colorful background adds some extra fun to the scribbling.
📍Magnetic blocks
The Tegu Magnetic Building Blocks is a great choice in travel toys for an 18-month-old and up on plane. It is compact and comes with a pouch and super easy to tuck away and bring up to entertain your little one when they’re bored.
It is a cute and fun toy making it among the best airplane toys for 18-month-old kids! 👌
📍Reusable stickers
Easy-to-pack reusable sticker board? This Giggles & Pebbles sticker book is travel-friendly with its A4 size (14×8″ or 27×20 cm), easily making it one of the top flight toys for 2-year-olds.
💡The overall quality exceeds those of comparing products as they are thicker, can be used indefinitely, and are dirt-proof but can absolutely entertain your toddler on your plane ride.
📍Magnetic Fun Tin Box
The magnetic fun tin boxes are very similar to the reusable stickers and are sure to be a fun toy for 2-year-olds on the plane.
Each set comes with a bunch of magnets (too much to be handy, so leave some at home) that your kid can stick to one of the seats.
There are many different designs including Mickey Mouse, Disney princesses, and, of course, dinosaurs. 🦕
❗ Be aware that this toy contains quite small pieces!
📍Aquadoodle travel mat
Just slightly bigger than an A4, this aqua doodle travel mat might become your little one’s best friend. A toddler in an airplane can put this on their lap and scribble away. You fill up the pen with water (after security check!) and every drawing disappears after a couple of minutes. Sounds like a great toy to entertain your toddler on the plane, right?!
👌 Although it states to be suitable for kids age 3+, there’s no reason not to use it with your 2-year-old.
📍Puffy stickers
Puffy stickers are reusable stickers with a more sensory aspect, making them extra fun travel toys for toddlers on airplanes. You can buy them separately (and put them onto the plane table or some other hard plastic surface) or you can buy them with glossy backgrounds for endless playtime. 👌
💡 These A4-sized puffy stickers are absolutely indispensable airplane travel toys for 2-year-olds.
📍Threading Toy
How cute is this little apple with a worm?! Toddler travel activities can include learning threading skills as well.
This wooden travel toy would surely turn out to be among the best airplane toys for 2-year-olds who love fine motoric play.
Airplane toys for 3 year old
📍Magnetic Doodle Board (etch a sketch)
An Etch-a-Sketch or magnetic doodle board will make toddler airplane travel a lot easier, while it also helps your kid be creative while on a trip.
They can doodle and draw as much as they’d like because when full, they just have to push the slider back and forth, and ta-da: a brand new page!
📍Books
When it comes to toddler-plane activities, books are a great choice. Reading is not only great for their language acquisition but it’s an amazing bonding time as well.
Bring a couple of books on your trip and have lots of fun together.
👌A couple of interactive books will surely be one of the best airplane toys for your 3-year-old (great for bedtime rituals as well!).
📍Pencils/markers/crayons
Depending on the preferences of your child, bring pencils, markers, or crayons. Most kids enjoy drawing and/or coloring, so it’s a safe choice that will also save space for your toddler’s other flight toys.
💡When it comes to travel toys for toddlers on airplanes, it is smart bringing triangular pencils or crayons.
📍Aquadoodle travel mat
Just slightly bigger than an A4, this Aquadoodle Travel Mat might become the best toy for your toddler on the airplane.
Your toddler can simply put this on their lap and scribble away. You fill up the pen with water (after security check!) and every drawing disappears after a couple of minutes. 👌
📍Lego Duplo
If you’ve got yourself a little builder, bring along some lego for toddlers.
They’re great on the plane, but even more so as one of the best travel toys for 3-year-olds.
👌 You can put the blocks in a DIY lego kit to make them easy to use on the plane table.
📍Scribble and play e-writer
If you’re looking for a screen that your toddler can use all the time, a Boogie Board e-writer is a great toddler on-plane toy!
It is small, so you can easily tuck it into a backpack or diaper bag. The big stylus is easy to hold for little ones and the colorful background adds some extra fun to the scribbling making it a good choice if you’re looking for airplane travel toys for 3-year-olds.
📍Water Wow writing pad
Coloring with water. Which kid isn’t gone for it? And if it involves a fillable pen it suddenly doesn’t sound that messy anymore! In fact, it becomes one of the best toys for a toddler on a plane!
The Water Wow Writing Pads are small notebooks with ‘magical’ drawings. Your toddler can use the accompanying pen to color the pages and see the images come to life!
📍Imagine Ink coloring book
Another great option for kids’ airplane toys is this Imagine Ink Coloring Book.
These coloring books work only with a specially designed marker. This means you only have to keep one marker and they can’t secretly color away on the airplane seats!
There are many different options available! 👌
📍Magnetic building blocks
📍Reusable stickers
Although reusable stickers are good airplane window toys, most reusable sticker books are too large to tuck away into a kids’ backpack.
👌 We like the Giggles & Pebbles Sticker Books, however, because they are still manageable at A4-size (14×8″ or 27×20 cm) and have good quality with thicker and reusable stickers. You can easily put it in your hand-carry to keep your toddler entertained on your plane ride.
📍Magnetic Fun Tin Box
The Magnetic Fun Tin Boxes are very similar to the reusable stickers. They are cute and fun making them suitable toddler toys for long flights.
Each set comes with a bunch of magnets (too much to be handy, so leave some at home) that your kid can stick to one of the scenes.
There are many different designs including Mickey Mouse, Disney princesses, and, of course, dinosaurs. 🦕
❗Be aware that this toy contains quite small pieces!
📍Puffy stickers
Puffy Stickers are reusable stickers that have a more sensory aspect, making them extra fun toys on the plane for your 3-year-olds.
You can buy them separately (and put them onto the plane table or some other hard plastic surface) or you can buy them with glossy backgrounds for endless playtime. 👌
📍Threading Toy
These little animals are great aeroplane toys for 3 year olds!
Children learn best when playing, so while these wooden threading toys provide a lot of entertainment, they will also teach your toddler hand-eye coordination. They are definitely one of the best toys to entertain your toddler on the plane.
📍Gel window stickers
If you’ve got a window seat available for your family, bring a pack of Gel Window Stickers and let your little one have fun sticking them to the plane window. 🐠
These entertaining plane window toys will surely keep your toddler entertained while you take some moments to relax. ! 👌
📍Quiet/Busy book
Sometimes, you just want your toddler to play with something quiet. And what better option is there than a soft book with silent activities?
This type of book is a great travel toy for a toddler on a plane because they are very interactive and they come with a zipper so the material can’t get lost.
📍Travel puzzle
Puzzles are now one of the best airplane travel toys for toddlers! You can choose a magnetic puzzle to make sure they don’t fall or you can pick these MudPuppy puzzle sticks.
They aren’t magnetic, but thanks to the added puzzle tray it is fairly easy to keep them at hand. Furthermore, they are super cute and original. 👌
Wrapping Up Toddler Airplane Toys
Toddlers love activities and keeping toddlers entertained on the plane is challenging.
While they may enjoy looking at clouds for a while, they will surely need other fun things to take their attention. As such, it is always important to bring travel-friendly toys with you.
A trip to a faraway country is surely a great way to bond with your kids. And with the right toddler airplane toys to keep them entertained, you will surely have a stress-free journey toward a stress-free vacation. 🏖️
Have a safe and fun travels! ✈️
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Babs Rodrigus is the co-founder and main writer of Mums on FlipFlops . She is absolutely crazy about traveling – especially together with her wife and kids. Babs loves animals, chocolate (what did you expect from a Belgian?), reading, and writing.
