In today’s post I’m sharing my favorite airplane toys for toddlers that all of my kids have loved. All of my recommendations can be found on Amazon and are kid (and parent) approved.
Flying with kids is rarely stress-free, but a little planning can go a long way. Especially when you need to try and keep little ones happy and entertained in an airplane seat. A thoughtfully packed kid bag of airplane toys for toddlers can mean the difference between a semi-peaceful flight and one filled restless kids.
The more I’ve traveled with my kids, the more I’ve honed in on an easy collection of airplane toys for toddlers and kids that actually hold their attention (for more than five minutes!) without taking up too much space in our bags. I’m always on the look out for travel toys that don’t have too many small pieces that could get lost, but are compact and engaging, and hopefully won’t disturb anyone sitting near our crew.
While these are great for the airplane, they’re also great to pull out when we’re waiting at the airport or hanging out at our hotel.
I keep these special toys reserved just for flying and traveling. This helps not only keeps them fresh and exciting but also helps my kids look forward to traveling. Beyond just keeping them entertained, the airplane can also create a sense of routine, even when on vacation.
If you’re gearing up for a flight with little ones, here are some of my favorite airplane toys for toddlers and kids that have made our travels a little smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.
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My Favorite Airplane toys for Toddlers and kids:
Clixo Crew 30 Piece Pack: One of my top recommendations and favorite airplane toy for toddlers and kids. The Clixo Crew 30-Piece Pack is one of those toys I go back to again again that keep kids entertained without taking up much space. This set comes with 30 flexible, magnetic pieces in different shapes, plus two spinners, so kids can snap, bend, and twist them into all kinds of creative builds. Think fidget toy meets building set, but without the tiny parts that end up lost under airplane seats. They also have a slightly smaller 18 piece set, but the 30 piece set is great for sharing with multiple kids. My kids love how the pieces click together in different ways, and I love that it keeps them busy without making noise.
Reusable Puffy Sticker Book for Kids: This flight to Japan was our first time using these and they were a hit. My kids loved making their own little scenes and then moving the stickers around to change it up. It’s also really nice that they’re super thin because they don’t take up hardly any room in our backpack.
Sketch Books with Spiral Binding: These drawing pads are the perfect travel size. I pair them with these multicolor fine tip ballpoint pens that my all my kids love. The different colors in the single pen are fun and it’s easier to keep track of than a bunch of colored pencils for younger kids. For older kids, colored pencils are a good option for the more serious artist.
BrainSparkTranslucent Magnetic Blocks: A traveling staple in our house. I’ve had these for 3 years and they have come on every flight and roadtrip with us. My son likes to build towers, garages, rocket ships, you name it. Endless fun with these and it hasn’t slowed down as he gets older. Just more fun now that his sister builds with him too. One of our favorite airplane toys for toddlers and kids!
Reusable Water-Reveal Activity Pads: They come in either a three-pack or as a single, and all you need to do is fill-up the included water pen with a little bit of water. Kids “paint” on the pages to reveal colors and hidden pictures, and once the water dries, the images all white again so they can use be reused as many time as you want. Great for younger kids.
Lovimag 10 Piece Fridge Magnets Men: These little guys are the perfect airplane toy for toddlers! These bright magnet have strong magnets in their hands and feet, so kids can link them together in silly poses or attach them to any metal surface. Great for imaginary play and fun to find all the magnetic surfaces on a plane.They’re small, lightweight, and perfect for keeping little hands busy.
Cupkin Animal Sticker Book Activity for Kids: My older kids love this Animal Habitats sticker book because it lets them get creative with different habitats and landscapes, by making their own scenes with the stickers. It even has some coloring pages in the back which is a bonus! It’s also convinent that it is spiral-bound, which makes it way easier to use in a small space like a tray table. For younger kids, I’d recommend something like “First 100 Animals” – which is more about matching stickers to pictures rather than creating imaginary scenes. Both choices are a great airplane activity for kids!
Pop The Target! Handheld Speed Pushing Game is such a fun, fast-paced toy that keeps my kids engaged without needing a screen. It’s like a mix of a fidget popper and a reaction game—kids push the light-up buttons as fast as they can to match the challenge. It can make noise, but it’s really easy to put into silent mode. (Silent modes are a must for any airplane toys for toddlers!) It also has multiplayer mode so kids can switch back and forth. Just a heads-up—it does require 3 AAA batteries, so be sure to put those in before you take off.
Crayola Bluey Color Wonder Coloring Set: I love that there is no mess with these coloring pads. Amazon has lots of options with other characters to choose from. I find that a new coloring book for a travel day can really go along way!
Yoto Player Mini: You already know I’m packing my kid’s Yoto Mini Player for any trip! It’s the perfect screen-free way to keep kids entertained with audiobooks, music, and stories. You’ll need to pack headphones to plug in to the player or use the ones the plane gives out, but in my opinion they aren’t great for kids. I would pack a few favorites, or bring some new story cards that my kids would excited to listen to. You can order through amazon or my code HaileyOutside10 will get you 10% off if you order directly through Yoto’s website.
You can check out our Favorite Yoto Cards for Toddlers and Favorite Yoto Cards for Preschoolers here!
Busy Board Montessori Sensory Board: This light weight, portable busy board has been great kid activity for long car rides and flights. I would open all the packaging before as it takes a second to unwrap everything and set it up for kid usage. It has a variety of activities at different difficulty levels for a range of ages. I love that it lays flat and is easy to tuck in a backpack. There are a variety of these to choose from on Amazon but this one has been my fav!
Spot it: Spot it is a simple and fun card game that is perfect to travel with. Find the matching symbol between two cards faster than your opponent. It’s an easy airplane games for kids and I love that it’s small enough to fit in a purse or backpack and doesn’t require any setup or difficult instructions. My kids like to play this together so it’s a double win!
Wooden Busy Board Montessori Toys for Toddlers: Great for younger toddlers who love to push buttons and watch things light up. This one is great quality but does need a battery. It’s an awesome travel size and great for practicing fine motor skills.
Wikki Stix for Doodlers: They are fantastic, mess-free creative toy that kids can use to make all sorts of shapes, designs, and pictures. They are like a bendable pipe cleaners except they are made of wax so they stick to each other and to most surfaces without any glue, making them perfect the perfect airplane toy to create things on the tray table. They are reusable but can sometime leave a slight residue on hands, but nothing that can’t be fixed with a baby wipe.
Transformers Bots Academy Mini Bot Racers Converting Robot: both of my kids played with these. The transformations are really simple but still exciting to kids, and held their attention for quite a while. Great for imaginary play!
I hope theses airplane toys for toddlers and activities ideas help make your next flight that much easier for the whole family. With a little prep, you can keep little ones entertained and make travel a lot more enjoyable. For more in-flight tips and tricks check out these other blog post:
