Do the words “travel activities for kids” invoke images of packing your entire playroom or bringing along an entire carry-on full of junk to entertain your toddler or pre-schooler? Does the thought of traveling with kids invoke a feeling of happiness or stress? Don’t let the idea of containing and entertaining your sweet little hellion make you doubt traveling or rethink your trip in its entirety! The good news is you don’t need to stress! Traveling with kids can be a fun adventure that doesn’t entail bringing your entire playroom with you. The key to making your road trip or flight more fun than stressful is to be prepared!

No matter if you are traveling with a toddler or 5-year old, you must always make sure that you have entertainment at the ready, snacks to keep the hunger monsters at bay, and accessories to help clean up the messes that are bound to happen. Whether you are looking for travel activities for toddlers or travel activities for preschoolers, we have ideas to help entertain young children of any age during your upcoming travels.

Travel Activities for Kids: Fun and Entertaining Ideas

Ipad/Tablet with Kid Headphones

I am not a proponent of children having their own iPad/tablet or using that iPad/ tablet as a babysitting or entertainment tool; however, when it comes to traveling this is the one time that we do embrace our iPad as an entertainment device for our daughter. With that being said, we are conscientious of the apps available for her to play with. Here are a few that we love:

• Movies Anywhere – This app allows us to download any of the Disney movies that we own digital rights to. Once the movies are downloaded to your iPad, your child will not need WiFi to watch them. Note: If you have Amazon Prime Video linked to Movies Anywhere you can just use your Amazon Prime Video app.
• Tiny Hands App – Most of their apps are for 2-4 years old. They are all education apps that once downloaded do not need WiFi to function. We bought the bundle of apps for around $25. This was cheaper than buying all of their various apps individually. The apps teach your children about colors, shapes, matching, etc. through a multitude of games.
• Kindle App – Instead of hauling books on your trip, you can just download them to your iPad/tablet. If you don’t own any digital books, don’t worry! Amazon has quite a few children’s books that you can rent for free (up to 10 at a time).  You will not need WiFi to access them once the books are downloaded onto your iPad/tablet,

Tip: Make sure to purchase a pair of kid headphones. The kid headphones will stay on your child’s head better than earbuds and they often are designed to regulate the max volume allowed so that you do not have to worry about your child turning up the volume loud enough that it could damage their hearing. 

Melissa and Doug Water Wow Pads 

These great pads have designs and features that only become visible once your child has painted the page with the water brush. This is a low to no mess activity. The only messy part is your child could get a little water on themselves if they squeeze the brush too tight. The Water Wow pads come in a multitude of designs ranging from princesses to dinosaurs, so you are sure to find a couple to fit your child’s interest.

Tip: If you are flying, make sure NOT to fill up the water pin prior to going through security!

Spot It! Card Game

This fun and compact card game will help keep both you and your child entertained during your travels. This game has several versions including a Spot It! Jr. for young kids, as well as, a Frozen Alphabet version, a Finding Dory version, and an older kids version.

Uno Card Game

Uno is another fun card game that the whole family can play. For young children, you can introduce the game by playing with open hands (cards visible to everyone) to help your child learn the rules of the game. Once your child understands the game, then you can play as per the rules.

Stickers

Our daughter is OBSESSED with stickers. If your child feels the same way, grab a 5×7 or smaller artist sketchbook or notebook and a bunch of sheets of stickers (check the Target dollar section or a Dollar Store) and let them have at it. Our daughter can occupy endless amounts of time filling her notebook with stickers. Make sure to always have a variety of stickers on hand to prevent boredom!

Small Coloring Book and Crayons

If your child loves to color, look at purchasing a small coloring book and a small box of crayons to help keep them entertained during your travels. Often times small coloring books the size of a 4×6 photo or smaller can be found in the Target dollar section. These coloring books typically have fun character designs to keep your child entertained or if your child likes to create their own design, purchase a small artist sketchbook or notebook for your child to draw in, until their heart is content.

Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Coloring

Think mess-free coloring with markers! The markers will only color on the special paper provided. You can purchase Crayola Color Wonder kits that come with the markers, coloring sheets, and a carrying case or you can purchase individual packs of coloring sheets with almost any cartoon character your child could desire. These sets can be found at Target and Walmart or for a more extensive selection look online at Amazon.

Tip: Consider bringing along a clipboard to attach the coloring pages too. This will make it easier for your child to color and they will be less likely to get frustrated and give up if they have a solid surface to color on.

Lacing Cards

Lacing cards can be a lot of fun and they can help develop your child’s hand-eye coordination, as well as, their motor function skills. You can find lacing cards in all different designs and styles to suit your child’s interest.

Tip: If the cards and laces don’t come in a plastic carrying case, place them in a ziplock for easy storage/transportation.

Play-Doh 

If you are ok with a little bit of mess, consider packing a couple of small containers of play-doh. Don’t feel like you need to bring your entire Play-Doh set with tools. All you really need is a couple of colors of play-doh and a clipboard or solid surface for your child to build their creation on!

Scratch Art Papers or Books

This is another fun arts and crafts activity! You can purchase scratch art in individual sheets or as a bound book. I personally like the books as you don’t end up with random sheets of paper everywhere. This activity will be slightly messy as you will have dust from the black coating that is scratched off; however, it is easy to dust off or clean up with a wet wipe.

Pack New Toys or Surprises

Hit up the Dollar Store or the Target dollar section to find a few small new toys or surprises that you can give your child if they start getting restless. To make things even more fun for your child, wrap the new toys or surprises in wrapping paper or tissue paper. Do make sure to cut off any plastic ties, remove hard to open packaging and install any necessary batteries prior to wrapping the toys.

Travel Activities for Kids: Additional Tips and Guidance

Comforts of Home

Make sure to let your child bring a stuffed animal, blanket and/or pacifier (if needed) for nap time. If they have a few comforts from home then oftentimes, nap time will go smoother and will happen more naturally.

Schedules

If your child is on a structured eating or sleep schedule, try to stay as close to that schedule as possible during your travel and vacation. Make sure to plan out your trip accordingly and plan extra stops or pack snacks/food as needed.

Planning Your Trip

Start your road trip or your flight very early in the morning while it is still dark. Your child is more likely to go back to sleep if you are road tripping in the dark. This will give you a couple of sweet hours of silence and will shorten the duration of time that entertainment is required. If you are flying, morning flights are less likely to be delayed. Additionally, they will often times turn the cabin lights off for those that need rest.

Kids Clubs

For overseas flights, check your carrier to see if they offer a kids club. Lufthansa has a wonderful kids club called Jet Friends.  If you sign up (it’s free), your child will receive kid-friendly meals and access to quite a few kid movies and games.  Additionally, a Lufthansa staff member will bring around a tray of games, toys, and activities that your child can choose from (for free) during the flight. Other airlines have similar programs, so make sure to check into them. Often times all you have to do is sign-up!

Parks and Play Areas

Whether flying or driving, check into parks or play areas along your route. Some airports now have play areas for kids, you just have to know where to find them! If you are driving, make sure to plan time during your drive to stop and let your kids get out and run. Using Google maps, you can search for “parks near me” to locate a park on/near your route. A 15-20 minute break to run and play will make the biggest difference for your child and it will give you an opportunity to get out and stretch your legs as well.

For more information, guidance and tips for traveling with kids, make sure to check out my post Tips for Traveling with Kids. For information on trips we’ve personally taken with our daughters both within the United States, as well as, abroad check-out the various travel blogs located under on our Family Travel page.