25 Best Toddler Toys for Road Trips
We’ve all been there. In the car. With a screaming toddler. 20 minutes from home. It’s the start of all good horror movies. Don’t worry because this post is all about the best toddler toys for road trips.
Car rides can either make or break a toddler and it may feel like it’s more break than make! That is only if you aren’t prepared though! We were so scared before our first long road trip with Oliver, but thanks to a little preparation, a lot of research, and some great travel toys, it was so much easier than we thought it would be. We’ve spent many road trips since then testing out the best travel toys for younger and older toddlers to see which ones travel well and we have narrowed our list to 20 of the best travel toys!
We’ve also used a lot of these best toddler travel toys and different activities for shorter car rides too. Our son never gets in the car now without packing his little backpack with at least one toy he chooses and one we help him choose (that we know may keep his attention longer). I’m here to share what we learned and the best travel toys we use to make both long trips with kids and short car rides bearable and dare I say enjoyable. Yes. I dare. This post is all about the best toddler toys for road trips.
Best Toddler Toys for Road Trips
One of the most important things to remember when prepping for a long road trip with kids and toddlers is to make sure that you have a good balance. A balance of old toys and new toys, and passive and active things. When I say passive and active, it’s like the difference between watching a movie and doing a puzzle. With one, your mind isn’t as engaged as with the other. Toddlers need a good balance of this.
It’s also a bonus when you can have some great toys that help our kids learn! There are so many toys out there that help teach your child hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and problem-solving skills.
Travel Tray / Car Seat Organizer
When you’re on a long car ride with your toddler, keeping them entertained is key to a smooth journey. That’s where the car seat organizer travel tray comes in handy! It’s like a little play station right in their seat. With pockets for snacks and toys, it keeps everything within reach, saving you from constant reaching back.
The best travel toys are the ones that keep their attention for longer stretches, and this tray does just that. Your little one can color, play with small toys, or even have a snack without making a mess all over the car. Plus, it helps them feel comfortable and settled in their seat, making the journey more enjoyable for everyone. All you need to do is strip it in around your toddler and you can say goodbye to fussy car rides and hello to happy travels with this nifty organizer!
After a lot of research, we found a great travel tray that works well for road trips. It’s not too bulky, it fits perfectly over a car seat and has enough room for our son to play with his favorite toys.
Busy Boards and Busy Books
On those long car rides with your little co-pilot, keeping those younger toddlers engaged is paramount. Enter the busy boards and busy books, a lifesaver among the best travel toys! They are like a treasure trove of activities, perfectly designed to captivate those tiny attention spans. With their interactive pages, they are a surefire way to keep those little hands busy and those imaginative gears turning.
The best part is that beyond the entertainment, busy boards and busy books are stealthily working those fine motor skills, priming those pint-sized fingers for future feats. So, while you’re navigating those highways, your little one is mastering skills and working on their hand-eye coordination without even realizing it. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, making those long car rides not just bearable, but downright enjoyable! Say hello to happy travels and skilled hands with the trusty companions that are the busy boards and busy books.
Melissa and Doug Magnetic Puzzle
Melissa & Doug’s Magnetic Puzzles are the best travel toys for sparking creativity during long road trips. We love bringing a magnetic puzzle or two with us when we travel. With different designs to choose from, they’re perfect for engaging little hands and honing fine motor skills. Though they may be best for older toddlers, it never hurts to get young toddlers started on these! As your little ones solve each puzzle, they’re not just having fun; they’re also enhancing their hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. These puzzles are the best thing for keeping little minds busy during those long car rides or plane trips.
Sticky Hands
Sticky hands are a great option for keeping young children entertained during long journeys. They are mess-free and so silly that young toddlers are bound to have a great time with them. They are perfect for those long car trips or even plane rides. Plus, they’re small enough to stash in your bag for those long car rides.
Toniebox Audio Player or Yoto Player
Whether you are Team Toniebox or Team Yoto Player (or are just hearing about these for the first time?) they are the best toddler travel toys for long trips, offering hours of screen-free entertainment! With so many different stories and songs to choose from, they captivate young minds while developing listening skills. These audio players are perfect for older toddlers and young kids, providing a great option for long car rides or flights without relying on screen time. It’s the perfect road trip toy for keeping little ones engaged and entertained for hours on end.
Travel Toy Cars
Travel Toy Cars are a must-have for long car trips, offering endless fun and imaginative play for little ones. These small toys are perfect for keeping young children entertained during long road trips. We especially love that these cars come in a little bag that can be opened up to be a small car track. With different designs and colors to choose from, they’re the perfect toy to keep little fingers busy while on the go.
Magnetic Tiles
Magnetic Tiles are the perfect travel companion for young children during long car rides or even if you are taking a long flight. These versatile toys offer endless building possibilities, allowing little ones to unleash their creativity and problem-solving skills. With them being magnetic, the pieces tend to stick together while on the move, making them a great option for long trips. Ollie is still not quite to the point of building on his own, but we’ve seen definite improvement as we’ve had him play with magnetic tiles more and more.
Magnetic Drawing Board
The Magnetic Drawing Board is a lifesaver if you are taking a busy toddler on long car rides or plane trips. This screen-free travel toy provides endless doodling fun without the mess of traditional coloring books and crayons. With its magnetic pen and eraser, it’s the perfect toy for keeping toddlers engaged while on the go. Plus, it offers a quiet and mess-free way for little ones to unleash their creativity during those long journeys. Ollie is still not super into drawing (scribbling), but he is starting to get the hang of it and this is such a good way for him to do that.
Interlocking Large Puzzle Blocks
Interlocking Large Puzzle Blocks are the best way to keep young children entertained during long road trips. These oversized blocks offer endless building possibilities, perfect for sparking imagination and creativity. With their interlocking design, they’re easy for little hands to grasp and assemble, making them a great option for developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Plus, they’re a quiet and mess-free way to keep little ones engaged during those long car rides or plane rides.
LeapFrog 2-in-1 LeapTop Touch
The LeapFrog 2-in-1 LeapTop Touch is the perfect road trip toy for older toddlers, offering hours of interactive learning fun during long journeys. Josh’s grandma got this for Ollie last Christmas and he loves that it looks like his own laptop. He can “work” with us and loves taking it in the car and hearing all of the fun animal sound effects. With its built-in activities, it’s a great option for developing fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities. Plus, it provides a screen-time alternative that engages young minds while on the move. Whether in the car seat or on a plane ride, this toy is sure to keep little ones entertained and learning for hours on end. They also come in a lot of different colors!
Melissa & Doug Water Wow Water Activity Pad
Melissa & Doug’s Water Wow Water Activity Pad is the ultimate travel toy for young children on long trips. If you haven’t heard of these Water Wow books, you are missing out! Ollie loves them. Each Water Wow book has a little pen that you can fill with water. All your toddler has to do is use it to color in the book and the picture and colors will reveal! Once the water dries, the colors and images go away and they can do it all over again.
With its mess-free water pen and reusable pages, it offers endless coloring fun without the need for crayons or markers. This screen-free toy is perfect for developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while keeping little ones entertained during long car rides or plane rides. Plus, it’s compact and portable, making it the perfect companion for hotel rooms or quiet moments on the go. They are also really sturdy. We’ve had Melissa & Doug water pads for a few years and they are still going strong.
Maze Magnetic Puzzle Game
The Maze Magnetic Puzzle Game is a must-have for busy toddlers during long car trips or plane rides. With its magnetic wand and maze challenges, it offers hours of entertainment while developing fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities. This screen-free toy is perfect for keeping little ones engaged and focused during those long journeys. Plus, it’s compact and portable, making it the perfect travel companion for young children on the move.
Reusable Sticker Books
Reusable Sticker Books are the perfect travel toy for little ones on long journeys. With their reusable stickers and different scenes to decorate, they offer hours of creative fun without the mess of traditional stickers. These books are perfect for keeping little ones entertained during long car rides or plane rides. Plus, they’re a quiet and mess-free way to keep little fingers busy and minds engaged on the go. There are hundreds of reusable sticker books out there with a massive selection of reusable stickers. However, some of our favorites tend to be the Melissa & Dough reusable sticker pads.
Quiet Book
A Quiet Book is the perfect companion for long car trips or plane rides with young children, especially if you need some quiet. Filled with interactive activities like zippers, buttons, and Velcro, it offers endless entertainment without the need for screens or noise. This screen-free, buckle toy is perfect for developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while keeping little ones engaged and focused during those long journeys. Plus, it’s compact and portable, making it perfect for hotel rooms or quiet moments on the go.
Coloring Book and Crayons
A Coloring Book and Crayons are essential for keeping young children entertained during long car rides or plane trips. Try to get toddler coloring books though to make sure that the pictures and activities are better suited for little minds. With their endless pages to color and vibrant crayons to use, they offer hours of creative fun and artistic expression. Plus, it’s a quiet and mess-free way to keep little fingers busy and minds occupied on the go.
Color Wonder Mess Free Fingerpainting
Color Wonder Mess Free Fingerpainting is the ultimate travel toy for young artists on long trips. I don’t know how they do it (magic probably) but it’s mess-free fingerpaint and special paper that offers endless creative fun without the worry of stains or spills. I was a skeptic at first, but I found that it truly was a mess-free activity that offered a lot of entertainment for a young toddler. It’s also helpful that it is not too bulky, which makes traveling with it easy.
Color Wonder Coloring Pages
Color Wonder Coloring Pages are the perfect travel toy for young children on long trips. Similar to the Color Wonder Mess-Free Fingerprinting, the coloring pages are low maintenance. With their special color wonder markers and special color wonder paper, they offer hours of mess-free coloring fun without the need for crayons or markers. This screen-free toy is perfect for keeping little ones entertained during long car rides. We also love compact toys on road trips, making the color wonder pages a great option!
Suction Cup Fidget Spinners
Suction Cup Fidget Spinners are a great option for keeping young children entertained during long car rides. With their suction cups and fidget spinner design, they offer hours of tactile stimulation and sensory exploration. But don’t tell your kids that! They just think that the fidget spinners are fun to spin and look at! These fidget toys are perfect for providing a quiet and mess-free way to keep little ones occupied on the go. Also, we love a compact toy!
Suction Toys
Suction Toys are the perfect travel toy for young children on long car trips or plane rides. With their sticky suction cup design, they offer hours of fun and creativity. These toys are perfect for developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination in addition to keeping young toddlers entertained and engaged during those long journeys. Ollie loves to see where he can suction these toys to, including his face!
Wood Puzzles
Wood Puzzles are a timeless option for keeping young children entertained during long car trips or plane rides. They are made of durable wooden pieces and there are different designs to choose from. They offer hours of problem-solving fun! Especially for younger toddlers who are still trying to learn how to do puzzles. We love these puzzles especially because they come with a carrying bag to keep the puzzles and puzzle pieces safe. There is nothing worse than losing a puzzle piece!
Toddler Camera
A toddler camera is a great addition to add to your toddler travel kit. These cameras are basically indestructible and allow your toddler to feel like they are a part of the action. Not to mention how fun it is to go through all of their pictures to see life through their perspective. The toddler travel camera is great for creativity and one of the best toddler toys for road trips.
LCD Writing Tablet
The LCD Writing Tablet is the perfect travel toy for young children on long car rides or plane trips. The screen and stylus pen are perfect for endless scribbling fun without the need for paper or crayons. This screen-free toy is perfect for engaging little brains and encouraging creativity without all of the need for a stream of paper and pencils. We love that the writing tablet is small and light for travel.
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Felt Board
Felt boards are always fun! I always thought it was so magical to be able to stick things to felt boards and have them stay! As a parent, it definitely makes the clean-up easier. We found this cute little board from Amazon with all these fun shapes. Ollie is definitely a fan of the cars.
Best Travel Toys // Simple and Homemade
Homemade Busy Book – letter tracing, coloring books, etc
When I was younger, I LOVED bringing a binder full of fun little things to do on road trips. We called it my busy book. We decided to make one for our son and it was a hit! We made this busy book by using a 3-ring binder, and it is full of coloring pages, blank sheets of paper, traceable letters, and sticker charts… you name it! We put this together with Ollie’s help and he’s loved it! He requests it now on short rides which must mean it’s working! We even attached a little crayon with hot glue to a little string that he could use for these short rides to draw or color. It is so much better than him requesting screen time for short car rides, which is a win!
Here are some other blog posts with awesome printable content for you to use in your toddler’s activity binder!
Straws in a Bottle
Putting straws in a bottle is a great toy, especially for younger toddlers. It’s also pretty inexpensive to make which is a bonus. You just get an empty bottle, but some straws or pipe cleaners in there and that’s it! Watch your toddler’s little hands try to get the straws in and out with their cute little fingers. If you want to make it more challenging for them, you can cut a hole in the bottle a little to give them a smaller opening to push the straws through. You can also use pipe cleaners instead of straws.
Calculators
These magical contraptions are super fascinating for toddlers! The number is there and then it’s not and now there are a lot of numbers… it has kept Ollie’s attention for up to 20 minutes once! We love having one for him to play with on road trips.
Sticky Notes/Tape/Stickers
Similar to the felt board, anything sticky can be super entertaining for kids! Unlike the felt board, these sticky items can stick to almost anything! We like to get a new sticker book from the dollar store before each road trip for Oliver to play with. It’s always fun to find stickers in the car for weeks after a road trip. It means he played hard!
Easter eggs/containers with New Dollar Store or Target toys
You’ve heard it before and I will say it again, new Dollar Store toys will save your sanity! Or the Dollar Spot at Target. We love putting the smaller items, like tiny cars, in little Easter eggs for Ollie to find. During the road trip or car ride, we will give him one every now and then throughout the car ride. We also wrap some of the bigger ones for him to open up. It’s like Christmas!
Magnets in a Tin Lunch Box
I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it was the cutest thing! Instead of getting a cookie sheet to put the magnets on, get a cute little metal lunch box! It is still just as fun, but with a container to house all the cute little magnets that you get. Here are some fun magnets!
Audiobooks
We’ve recently started listening to audiobooks on Spotify, and it’s been kind of fun! It’s funny watching Ollie go to our phones to look for the picture or the movie when we listen to audiobooks for Disney movies that he’s watched. It’s also so fun to hear “what’s that noooise?” in his cute guttural way when he hears sound effects from the audiobook. If you want to use this one, I recommend starting out your toddler on the audiobooks before a big road trip so they know what to expect and aren’t overwhelmed or disinterested because they don’t understand it. Here is the link to the Disney audiobooks. They are short and so cute.
Podcasts
Similar to audiobooks, there are some fun and cute kid-friendly podcasts that you can have your toddler listen to.
Story Pirates
But Why
Storytime with Philip and Mommy
Books
Clearly, books are always a good option! We love the flip-the-flap books because it’s more than just pictures and tend to keep his attention just a smidge longer. “I Spy” books are also fun because there is so much on one page that can keep their attention.
Well, that’s a wrap on 20 of the best toddler toys for road trips! Oh and some bonus road trip activities for kids as well! Now when you want to go on a long road trip with toddlers, you don’t need to ask yourself, “How to entertain a child on a long car ride?” Instead, just ask yourself, “Which of these travel toys should I bring?” Happy travels!
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