12 Best Travel Activities for Kids; our Family Favourites
Travelling with children can feel overwhelming, particularly on longer journeys, but one thing I've learnt over the years is that you don't need to pack endless toys and activities to keep everyone happy.
A handful of well-chosen activities that are easy to carry, suitable for different ages and genuinely engaging will take you much further than an overstuffed backpack of forgotten toys. These are the activities we genuinely pack, use and recommend time and time again—from babies right through to older children.
Travel Activities for Babies (0–12 Months)
A Favourite Pulling or Sensory Toy
Simple pulling toys with different textures and moving parts have always been a hit with our children as babies. They're easy to attach to a pram, car seat or carrier and provide just enough stimulation without becoming overwhelming.
Interactive books
Interactive lift-the-flap sections and different textures are perfect for travelling. They're lightweight, silent and impossible to lose pieces from—ideal for flights and long transfers. We loved this series as they have a mirror at the back of each one which babies love.
Suction Spinners
I have lost several of these and keep replacing as they are so good! They stick to aeroplane windows, tray tables, restaurant tables and high chairs, keeping tiny hands busy while taking up almost no room in your bag.
A Favourite Comforter
Not technically an activity, but arguably the most important thing to pack. A familiar comforter, muslin or favourite toy can make naps, flights and unfamiliar environments feel much easier.
Travel Activities for Toddlers & Younger Children (1–5 Years)
A Yoto Mini
If I could only pack one thing for travelling with children, it would probably be our Yoto Mini.
Stories, music and audiobooks have saved countless journeys for us—whether we're on a flight, in the car or winding down in the hotel room before bed. It's one of the few products that genuinely works from toddlerhood right through to older children.
Top tip: don't forget a headphone splitter adaptor. It allows two children to listen together from one device and has been an absolute game changer for us. No arguments over whose turn it is, and siblings can enjoy the same stories or playlists together.
Usborne Sticker Books
These are the activities that consistently keep my children entertained. We love both the larger books and the mini versions, but the smaller ones are much easier to carry and fit perfectly into hand luggage and little backpacks.
Water Magic Books
We never travel without these. The reusable water pens mean there's no mess, no lost felt tips and endless opportunities for colouring. They're particularly brilliant for flights, restaurants and younger toddlers.
Busy Books
Busy books have been one of our most-used travel activities over the years. Matching games, zips, buckles and simple puzzles encourage independent play and can easily occupy toddlers for long stretches of a journey.
LCD Drawing Tablets
These have completely replaced the traditional Magna Doodle for us. They're lightweight, reusable and completely mess-free, making them perfect for planes, trains and long car journeys. We particularly love this Kidywolf one.
Small Toy Figures
On our last flight, I packed a handful of miniature My Little Pony figures and the girls spent ages making up stories and adventures with them. They took up almost no space but provided far more entertainment than many larger toys. Small animals, cars and favourite characters all work brilliantly too.
Travel Magnetic Tiles
One of our family favourites. A small travel set of magnetic tiles encourages imaginative play and works surprisingly well in restaurants, airports and hotel rooms
Travel Activities for Children Aged 5+
Of course, many of the activities above still work brilliantly for older children too. My girls use their yoto mini a lot and still happily reach for sticker books, magnetic tiles and drawing activities, but these are some additional favourites.
Colouring and Activity Pads
Dot-to-dot books, mazes, colouring pages and activity books are always a winner in our house. They're inexpensive, easy to pack and something children can dip in and out of throughout a journey.
A Simple Notepad and Crayons
Sometimes the simplest activities work best. My eldest can happily spend hours drawing, writing stories and making lists, so we never travel without a small notebook and a handful of crayons or pencils.
Travel Games
Travel-sized games are brilliant once children are a little older and work just as well in hotel rooms as they do during the journey itself.
Some of our favourites include: ( is it possible to link for each of the text of these?)
Connect 4 Grab & Go
Orchard Toys Mini Games
Uno Junior
Top Trumps
Snap
Dobble
Happy Families
They're compact, encourage family time and provide screen-free entertainment wherever you are.
Our Best Family Travel Tips
The Surprise Bag Trick
For longer journeys, I always pack one or two small activities that the children haven't seen before. Introducing something new every hour or so works wonders and often buys far more time than bringing twenty different toys from home.
Pack Favourite Snacks for the Journey Home
Top tip: add a few of your children's favourite cereal bars, dried snacks or familiar treats to your main luggage before you travel. We've found it's often much harder to find the brands they love abroad, and having them waiting for the return journey makes everything feel much easier.
Less Is More
The biggest mistake we used to make was overpacking activities.
Children don't need twenty different options—they need five or six brilliant things, introduced at the right moments. We now focus on a handful of versatile, screen-free activities that work in airports, on planes, in restaurants and back at the hotel, and travelling feels far calmer because of it
Happy Travels!!!
