Looking for the best travel toys for toddlers and preschoolers. Hitting the road with little ones can definitely feel like a juggling act – but the right supplies can make things a whole lot smoother. This post is packed with ideas to help keep toddlers and preschoolers busy and happy while you’re away from home.
What are the best travel toys for toddlers and preschoolers?
While packing for toddlers and preschoolers isn’t quite the same as the baby stage (goodbye, oversized diaper bag), this age still brings its own set of travel hurdles. These tiny travelers need support -and a few well-chosen travel toys can go a long way in keeping things calm.
Whether it’s a road trip, flight, hotel stay, endless line, or a stop at a relative’s house without toys, having a reliable stash of travel-friendly activities can be a serious life saver.
Here’s what I look for in travel toys: They need to last across multiple ages (yes, even for little kids – I want longevity and big kid crossover), stay low-mess, keep noise to a minimum, and don’t involve a ton of tiny pieces that love to disappear.
After more than a decade of parenting, I’ve got a solid handle on what actually works. These are the best travel toys for toddlers and preschoolers – tried, tested, and worth the packing space.
RELATED: What else do I always pack on vacation? Here’s our list of favorite items for traveling with kids (to make life easier).
The categories of travel toys for toddlers and preschoolers
To keep things as organized as possible (hello, I am Monica Geller), I split this list into three categories:
- Travel toys and games
- Travel arts and crafts
- Travel books and workbooks
Please read this: You do not need to own everything on my lists.
Pick and choose what’s best for your kids. These are things that I’ve used over and accumulated over a decade of parenting – not all at once.
How to pack travel toys for kids
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The bags.
I use The Bags of Internet Fame to carry the items for my kids – all hail the bags. I typically pack up one kid-sized backpack with some of the toys in the list below for my kids in these bags.
It may seem hyper-organized, but putting items into the The Bags (rather than tossing it all in a backpack) makes it 1000x easier to find everything, get to work/play quickly, and to limit kids dumping everything out all at once when they’re on the hunt for that one thing they desperately need.
Travel Toys & Games
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Transformable Fidget Spinner
The absolute travel hit for my kids in 2024: these fidget bend, spin, twist, and can become imaginary creatures. The price is fantastic for a 4-pack that I genuinely wish I’d had when my kids were younger. These are it.
Robot Sensory Travel Toys
These are hysterical – from toddlers to tweens, these are fun to play with. They stick on windows, have pop tube legs, and make for great imaginary play. It’s one of those expert-level random travel toys that kids gravitate to.
Tangles
These are so simple – but they keep hands busy and brains engaged. These twist and bend, they can be pulled apart and connected. My kids have loved them and I can totally see why (I find myself twisting and molding them, too).
Fidget Worm Toy
If ever there was a moment for you to just trust me, this is it. The Morf Fidget Worm is an unbelievable sensory toy. It’s SILENT, it’s engaging, it’s mesmerizing. I’d recommend this for ages 4+. As an adult, I will get lost in holding this toy, opening, shutting, and manipulating it. Every child I hand this to has the same “awe” reaction – please, please, trust me.
Eye Found It!
I love this game so much. It’s perfect for littles and bigs and the adults traveling with them. No reading necessary. You are trying to find an object in an photo (like a fish, lamp, or hat).
Spot It!
An absolute GOAT. This is a must on vacation – and can be played by little kids, big kids, and parents. It’s a simple family game to bring with on travel.
Animals
This random set of animals is travel-toy-perfection. The collection makes no sense (a zebra, a platypus, a dinosaur, an antelope?) and that’s kind of the magic behind it. We bought this in 2018, and with the low price, I never stress about losing an animal on vacation. It also comes with fences which my daughter wants you to know is a very important play feature of this beloved set.
Aqua Rings
I know how basic these look – I get it. I also know that of the house full of toys I live with, my preschool neighbor asked for these on such repeat that I bought him a set for his birthday. They’re adorable and perfect for littles.
MagMen
These are the coolest and they work for all ages. The only note is they do have magnets so know your child and supervise well. MagMen are so fun in the car, at tables, on a plane.
Car Scavenger Hunt
There are 24 scavenger hunts in this reusable pack (it’s made for dry erase markers). This is a great set for a preschooler or kindergartener. It promotes environment print (a helpful pre-reading skills) and gives them a game to play with big siblings who are readers.
Dog Fidgets
These are so great for long car rides. They’re an awesome fidget item that doubles as a toy for kids to play with. My kids loved them so much that I bought a second set to live in our toy bin.
Number-Bots
Forever and ever and ever I will Stan this toy. The price is amazing (it’s not on Amazon, though) and they’re everything. They’re “transformers” for little kids. My son fell in love with these at age 2. He’s 8 now and still tosses them in his travel backpack.
Pop It Fidgets
My big kids fell in love with these as toddlers and they still play. They’re so easy to toss into a backpack and have quick access to any time we need them.
Dinosaurs
These dinosaurs live in a zipper bag in my car, and have forever. They’ve also traveled to other states and countries. My daughter loves having animals with her and these are the perfect size.
Carry Around Animal Town
This may be the greatest toy ever invented. It’s magical. It’s the perfect size for toddlers and preschoolers, but they’ll keep playing with it through elementary school.
Magnetic Book
I think my favorite thing about this toy is that it all folds up and lives together in one nice little container.
Left-Center-Right
Our favorite simple game: it’s a luck-based dice game that’s perfect for preschoolers to play with big kids and adults. No reading requires (and a bonus of kids learn their lefts and rights). This game only takes a few minutes a round, travels well, and is just plain fun to play.
Clixo
These might not seem like a standard travel toy, but if you have a child who loves to build, these are flexible and magnetic – so think magnetic tile that will bend. They’re amazing and they store flat.
Little Cars
If you have a kid who loves little cars, this can be your travel set to keep their beloved ones safe at home (check the price, you’ll see). This set is just the right size and absolutely perfect.
Mini Magnetic Tiles
Do you have a set of mini magnetic tiles yet? They are life. I recommend them to everyone as the perfect “trunk of car” or “bottom of stroller” toy. Such a genius size for toddlers and preschoolers.
Travel Arts and Crafts
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Paper Dolls
Paper dolls that aren’t actually paper: they’re fully reusable and they’re awesome. I bring these with me when I need to entertain my 4 and 5 year old friends and they love these. So do the middle schoolers.
Doodle Board
This LCD monochrome doodle board (say that 10x fast) gives kids a mess free space to create – and without the limits of paper. Kids gravitate to this – it’s just awesome.
Puffy Sticky Books
These bring back such good memories from my kids as toddlers and preschoolers. I’m so happy they’re still being made. They made for many a peaceful dinner.
“Wiky Sticks”
These are absolutely knock offs, but I love them and the price is fantastic. It’s too good to pass up and none of my kids have ever noticed a difference between this set of 500 sticks and the name brand.
Window Clings
Long car ride or plane ride? Window clings to the rescue. It’s a sticker than can be removed and keeps kids busy.
Water Wow!
The GOAT. The legend. The myth. There just isn’t a more iconic travel toy for littles. It lives up to the hype. I’m so glad they still have these around.
Travel Books & Workbooks
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Big Preschool Workbook
I have such fond memories of this workbook. I saved workbooks for travel so they were “special” to my kids and this one is huge. They used it for years.
Dry Erase Book
Preschoolers feel so fancy and professional with this dry erase workbook. It’s an easy one to pack and take with you when you need them to “work.”
Highlights Magazines
These are the best – and such a great pack of easy to do puzzles and games for preschoolers. This is a fun one to own and easy size to pack.
I-Spy Books
We love a good I-Spy book. These have picture clues so even non-readers can find what they are hunting for. They’re also way smaller than the traditional I-Spy book size and so, so good to take with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
That depends: depends on time you’ll be traveling, stuck in a hotel, sitting at dinners or homes of relatives, and number of kids you have. These kinds of factors contribute. I like to strike a good balance: 2 to 3 items from each of the above categories seems like the right number for my three kids.
Yes! I think there is a limit. Make sure kids can both find what they need and can build relationships with the objects you bring. This helps hold their attention better.
Absolutely! Use what you have! For us, aside from plane rides, I do like using toys, books, and conversation to occupy kids… plus we never have had 1:1 devices for our three kids so it’s just never been an option to have them on a screen in a car, at a restaurant, or a relative’s house.
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Brooke says
These are all so good!!!!