13 of the Best Travel Toys for Kids
Are you travelling with kids this summer? Here is our pick of the best travel toys to keep the little ones entertained! Whether you're travelling by car, train, boat or plane these travel toys are sure to keep boredom at bay!
Whether you are going on a long car journey, taking a flight or travelling by boat with kids things are more likely to go smoothly if you have some carefully chosen, compact travel toys on hand! Whilst tablets are often the solution of choice when travelling there are so many screen-free travel toy options that will capture kids' attention and build important early childhood skills at the same time.
We've done a fair few long journeys as a family over the past few years and amassed quite a few toys that I've especially chosen for our travels. Here are some of our favourites, as well as some other popular choices that I've come across recently that are also perfect for on the go.
Magneti' Books
Magnetic toys like these make perfect sense when travelling as it's so much easier to keep track of all the little bits! Janod make a brilliant range of what they call 'magneti' books. Some are education-based, including a letter set and a shape set and others are just for fun. Most of them come with a set of pictures to copy which is great for developing observation skills. And they all come in a handy box perfect for travelling. Suitable for 3 years and up.
Sticker Books
Sticker books are a fail safe way of keeping little ones entertained. If you're travelling by plane this sticker book is a must! And even if you're not, Usborne do a fantastic selection of sticker books for a range of ages. I always buy one each for my girls when we head on holiday.
Town Maze Magnetic Game
Another fab magnetic toy- this time by Haba. The idea is to get the balls back to their matching colour building. Everything is safely sealed inside the maze so the balls can't get lost. This toy is also a great fine motor challenge!
Water Wow books
These books are a great low-mess alternative to painting that are perfect for on the go. You fill the pen with water and then use it to reveal the picture underneath. Once the page is completed just wait for it to dry and it can be used again and again! These are a brilliant travel toy for toddlers and preschoolers.
My Big Day Activity Book
This gorgeous activity book is a favourite with my girls and makes a brilliant travel toy. There are 10 fun and challenging pages that work on a range of important skills including fine motor skills, number recognition and telling the time. This is one of the more expensive toys on our list but the detail is amazing and there is so much that will be of interest to little ones. Suitable from 3 years-old.
Wikki Stix
These are a popular construction toy that we've recently discovered. The special wax-coating enables them to be stuck to each other, as well as a most surfaces, in order to construct all sorts of models. They are great fun to use at home but are really popular as a travel toy as they don't create any mess. You can now buy them in a handy travel kit, perfect for keeping all the bits together when on the go. Suitable for ages 3 and up.
Travel Tray
We don't have one of these but they are certainly on my wish-list! Travel trays provide a surface that kids can draw on, play games on and handily store all their travel toys in an accessible way. This one folds up for easy storage too.
Scratch Art
This scratch art doodle pad from Melissa & Doug is a great creative activity for on the go. It contains 16 blank spiral-bound pages ready for kids to design their own pictures by scratching off the coating to reveal the colourful background. Melissa & Doug are one of our favourite brands and make a whole host of creative and educational toys perfect for kids. Age 4+
Dobble
Dobble is such a great game for on the go. It's brilliant for the airpot, plane or train and universally loved by kids and adults alike. Dobble now has a number of versions- some with fewer pictures more suited to younger kids. All their games are compact and come in a handy tin. The original Dobble is recommended from 6 years-old. Check out Dobble Kids for a version suitable from 4 years-old.
Mini Octons
Based on the popular 'First Octons' this minature set has been designed especially for travelling. Octons are a fabulous, well-loved construction toy. This set comes with 72 pieces and a step by step guide to building models to get you started. Recommended for ages 4 and up.
Audio Books
I'm always amazed at how audio books capture my kids attention, especially stories that they are familiar with. We often listen to their favourite Julia Donaldson stories on loop when travelling! Maintaining attention whilst listening to an audio story is an important skill to develop with young children, not to mention the benefits to their language and their imagination.
A subscription to Audible gives you access to a huge library of children's audio books (as well hundreds of grown up ones too!) And Amazon are currently offering a free trial! So if you're heading on holiday soon, now might be the time to give it a go!
My Busy Bots Busy Bags
My Busy Bots are a UK based company making a whole host of fantastic busy bags designed to keep children entertained on the go. They are low-mess activities, fun and educational at the same time! My Busy Bots make a range of busy bags suitable from 18 months to 8 years-old. To find out more read our Busy Bots Review here.
Orchard Toys Travel Games
Orchard Toys is our favourite brand for puzzles and games. They have a huge selection covering so many interests and aspects of learning! They also make these brilliant 'mini games' that are designed to be space-saving and perfect for travelling. We own a few and always take them on holiday.
