Looking for the best travel toys for big kids? Hitting the road (or skies) with older kids is definitely more relaxed than the toddler years – and that’s putting it lightly. But even though big kids are more independent, they still need solid entertainment options when you’re away from home. I’ve rounded up my favorite travel toys that keep elementary to middle schoolers engaged and happy while on the go.
What kind of travel toys do big kids need?
Big kids still love a good stash of activities when they’re on the move. Whether it’s a road trip, airplane adventure, hotel downtime, long line, or a visit to a not-so-kid-friendly relative’s house… having a reliable collection of travel toys for big kids can be a total game-changer.
When my kids were little, we had a travel kit that stayed in the center console of our car. (Okay, we still rely on that same kit for restaurant trips and surprise waiting room visits.)
But when we’re heading out on longer adventures or multi-day travel, I pack a fresh set of supplies: toys and activities that work for my whole crew which spans from lower elementary to middle school.
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 big kid travel toys
To break apart this list into Monica Geller levels of organization, I made three categories of travel toys:
- Travel games and fidget toys
- Travel books and workbooks
- Travel art supplies
You definitely don’t need to own everything on this list. Think of it as a choose-what-works situation. These are toys and activities that my kids – or their friends – have actually used and loved during travel, so I’ve kept this list rooted in real-life wins.
How to pack travel toys for kids
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The bags.
That’s how you travel with toys for big kids. I use The Bags of Internet Fame to carry the items for my kids. I typically pack up one kid-sized backpack with some of the toys in the list below for my kids – and the toys categories and easy to access in The Bags.
Putting items into the The Bags (rather than tossing it all in a backpack) makes it easy for the kids to find what they need, get to work/play quickly, and limit dumping the entire set up looking for one thing.
Travel games & fidget toys
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Transformable Fidget Spinner
The absolute travel hit for my kids for the last two years: these fidget bend, spin, twist, and can become imaginary creatures. The price is fantastic for a 4-pack and they’re easy to slip into a backpack. We’ve used them in the car, at restaurants, on hikes, in airplanes, and in long lines.
Wheel of Fortune
The newest mega hit for my family. From the moment it turns on and you hear the icon “Wheel…of…Fortune,” a sense of nostalgic peace fills your heart. My kids (8, 10, 12) have LOVED this – and it’s been really great for their spelling skills. This is an absolute smash hit to keep in the car or add to the travel toy selection.
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. 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.
Aqua Rings
Simple and basic – I know – but these hold kid attention spans. I always toss one of these into the car or backpack when we head on a trip. Again, I know they look like nothing, but you’ll have to trust me.
Car Scavenger Hunt
There are 24 scavenger hunts in this reusable pack (it’s made for dry erase markers), and my kids and their friends are obsessed. This is great for readers and non-readers, and keeps kids engaged in the car, looking out the window, and being really present on the road trip. We keep this in our car for running errands around town AND for long trips. It works for every occasion.
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).
Car BINGO
Did you have these as a kid? I did, and I was giddy when I found them for my kids. These live in our car on regular days, and the kids have played with them for two years. On road trips, they especially come in handy.
Reverso Fidget Puzzle
This is VERY new puzzle toy for big kids and adults – we’ve had it for a year. It’s engaging, a little addicting, and HARD. I’ve only solved it once (which is a running joke in my family where everyone else solves it pretty regularly). The goal is to place all the pieces onto the puzzle board. The fun catch on this puzzle: as long as you place the green piece first, there is a solution. This toy is small. About the size of a tween’s palm.
Flashcard Game
You are going to need to do two things here: trust me on this AND click the link to see all the variations/how this “game” works. There’s so many variations. I linked to US states and capitals. Kids open each of the four blue doors as they try to guess the anagram clue. When they want to see the answer, they slide back a panel. We have riddles, brain teasers, Minecraft characters, and jokes.
On-the-Go Game Pad
We LOVE this game pad with classic games like dots & boxes, categories, tic-tac-toe, fortune tellers, and hangman. My kids love having these premade game boards and it makes it 1000 times easier for them to play with any adult passengers in the car, passing this pad back and forth.
Travel Simon
We haven’t taken a trip without this toy since 2019. It’s so good. It’s also different than traditional Simon and not nearly as daunting. It also can be used with more than one player – the group play aspect is spectacular with big kid siblings.
Dog Fidgets
These are so great for long car rides and long wait times. 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.
IQ Puzzler
Such a great travel puzzle set, and this spans a large age group. From my youngest (who was a kindergartener when we got this) to my oldest (age 40-something aka my husband), this is a perfect travel toy for kids (and adults) who like logic puzzles.
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.
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).
Scramboozle Puzzle
Another hand-sized puzzle for big kids to adults. I bought this for my 8-year-old for Christmas and it’s been a huge (and challenging) hit. This puzzle takes time, keeps kids focused, keeps hands moving, and keeps kids coming back for another round.
Guess In 10
Gosh we love this game! Think 21 questions for kids, but with some guidance so they’re able to answer questions correctly and keep the game flowing. This is fun in a car and a hotel room, and even works for kids new-to-reading or just starting out.
Left-Center-Right
Our favorite simple game: it’s a luck-based dice game that’s perfect for all ages, all developmental levels… it’s a true crowd pleaser. This game only takes a few minutes to play, travels well, needs no reading skills, and is just plain fun to play.
Barrel of Monkeys
I know this is old school but my kids love this so much. It’s just one of those simple joys in life, and is a classic game for a reason.
Travel Books and Workbooks
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Game On!
This wipe-off activity pad is AWESOME and filled with single player and two player games. It’s a great addition to a quiet time bin, travel kit, or restaurant bag. It’s also just fun to have at home.
Weird but True!
My kids’ favorites. We have so many from this series (click the link and find them allllll). These are simple to look through, small in size, and great conversation/thought provoking information for kids. We keep these in the car for day to day driving, but also pack them up for travel.
Riddles for Kids
I have a child who loves riddles so I was delighted when I found this book of riddles AND they loved it. It’s been such an awesome, engaging book – challenging, interesting, fun for my child to do and then quiz us with. This is a gem.
Perfectly Logical!
This was a great find for my kids and introduced them to so many puzzle styles they weren’t familiar with yet (like analogies and challenging picture patterns). I can’t recommend this book enough for 8 to 12+. A very solidly engaging and fun workbook for traveling kids.
Logic Workbook
If you have a child who loves logic puzzles (rather than jumbles, word searches, or mazes), this is the book for them. It’s a wide range of logic puzzle styles so it doesn’t get repetitive.
Trickiest Puzzles Ever
I have three kids who love puzzles – but each love a different style. This book has it all. It’s a great catch all for my three (ages 8, 10, and 12). Sometimes they work independently on a puzzle, sometimes they work as a group in the back seat of the car. There’s riddles, logic puzzles, sudoku, and so many other types of cool, unique puzzles.
Totally Awesome Mazes and Puzzles
Who doesn’t love a maze, a word search, puzzle, etc? I bought this book when my oldest was a first graders. It was well-loved and every page used by the time we finally said goodbye to it many years later. My kids adored this book.
Difficult Puzzles for 11-14 Year Olds
This is a difficult puzzle book. Like really difficult. So it’s perfect for those tween and early teen travelers who need something to work on, but maybe aren’t ready for adult-level or font size puzzle books. This is a great middle ground and was a huge success with my older kids.
Highlights Magazines
We love Highlights magazines over here. These are fantastic for travel and don’t take up any more space than a traditional magazine. The 4-pack is getting a lot of mileage over here.
Mad Libs
Do you remember Mad Libs? Guess what? Still awesome, still funny, still an absolute banger and the best way to help kids learn about grammar/parts of speech. Once you have kids who can read and write, you have to own Mad Libs.
The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids
My kids have loved this book since we got it in 2019. Big kids who can read can share it with little kids or just enjoy the jokes themselves (and share to audience members later). Either way, it’s a fun one to own and take with for travel.
365 Jokes for Kids
If your kids already have the book above, try this one next. I bought us this 365 Jokes for Kids in 2023 and my kids have loved it too. Joke books are just the best.
Ultimate Puzzle Challenge
I know – another workbook, and it’s another puzzle book, and it’s another Highlights book. I couldn’t keep it off the list, not when my kids enjoy this big book so much on travel.
Would You Rather
The absolute stronghold “Would You Rather” has on my kids and their friends… this book is fantastic for kids and gets the conversations flowing on long car rides. It’s a really good one to toss in the bag.
RELATED: Interested in more cool books for kids? I have the best list of books for kids (that make great gifts).
Travel Art Supplies
Busy Toddler is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
Travel Watercolor
I got my daughter (then 7) this travel watercolor set on the recommendation of an 11-year-old (who, ironically, had brought it on vacation). It’s been an absolute joy to have this and allows my daughter create art while traveling.
Mini Books
This is a 24-pack of little books. Obviously, I don’t bring all of these on vacation but I usually grab a few so that my kids can draw, sketch, and write stories about their travels. It’s a really easy and really fun way to encourage writing while away.
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.
Color Your Own Stickers
This is such a cool book with blank stickers. The outlines are there (and they’re adorable), but it’s up to kids to color them in. My daughter takes this with her everywhere.
Colored Pencils
Dedicated colored pencils for travel are a must for big kids – and we love that this pack comes in a cylinder which makes it easy for trips. It’s a great set to own.
“Wiky Sticks”
Yes, this is a knock of brand of the originals and I’m okay with that for a travel toy. These are really cost effective. It is a pack of 500 for a fraction of the name brand price and I can’t tell a difference.
Paint by Stickers
Bless these mosaic sticker books and how much quiet, independent, and focused time they’ve given my kids. I can’t sing their praises enough. We take a book of these on every trip (there’s so many styles and even holiday packs).
Mandala Coloring Book
My kids LOVE this book. They even color the pictures together sometimes. It takes time. Hours to finish a mandala. When we pack this book, I also pack up short sized colored pencils that fit great into one of “The Bags.”
Mini Sketch Pad
We don’t go anywhere without mini sketch pads. These are the perfect size for travel, and kids love the “book” aspect of them with the binding. It’s an easy place to hold and showcase their art.
RELATED: Looking for more cool art supplies? Check out my main list of the best art supplies for kids.
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 screens as needed. For our family, we bring our Nintendo Switch on plane rides, but we only have 1. So the kids have to rotate. We also don’t have 3 tablets – it wasn’t in the budget when my kids were younger so it’s not something we have to offer. We do have one iPad that they can share to watch movies with.
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Megan F. says
Love these travel ideas – curious if you’ve tried a Lite-Brite touch yet! My kids love it for travel along with many other ideas on this list!
Lori Jones says
These are great suggestions! I have 12 grandchildren ages 6 months to almost 8 years old. I’m looking for “treasure hunt” prizes, and these ideas are so helpful!