Tried and True Travel Activites

All the sitting and waiting involved in travel, whether it’s by car, plane or train, can be a lot for little ones. In this post I’ll share some tried and true travel activities.

Don't underestimate the entertainment provided

Less is more with travel activities. The novelty of travel will catch their attention and I find that the more I try to entertain, the less content my children are. Children love to look out the windows and talk about the different parts of the plane. We love this book about plane travel!

Upon entering the aircraft of a domestic US flight, we've had great luck with asking to see the cockpit. The pilots are usually so kind and if they have time, might even give the kids a brief tour.

Our kids like to look at the safety pamphlets for longer than I would expect! And there’s no shame in turning on that in-flight screen. Sometimes that’s all we can do to keep our sanity, especially on those long haul flights.

But if you're looking for screen-free activities, keep reading!

Yoto

Our Yoto Mini has been on so many adventures with us. If I could only bring one activity, it would be our Yoto player and a few cards. We love this starter card pack, this card, and this pack.

Make sure to have children’s headphones that have child safe volume control, like these.

Notebook and markers

I like having small notebooks for my children so that ideally all the paper stays inside the notebook instead of going everywhere. I like blank notebook paper like these ones because it encourages endless creativity.

If you're looking for more directed travel activities, this Travel Games Pad is fun for children around 6+.

Drawing tablet

This drawing tablet has provided endless hours of entertainment. Both my children (aged 2 and 4) love it. I think because it’s something unique and I only bring it out for travel, it keeps it’s novelty. I also love that it’s super thin and doesn’t take up much room in my travel backpack.

Play dough

Play dough is such a great sensory regulating activity for those over stimulating flights. I throw in a few cutters and stamps and we’re good to go! I love this playdough set because of the variety!

Stickers

Stickers are a great activity for fine motor skills and keep a young toddler engaged for a while trying to peel and stick. These reusable stickers are fun for airplane windows. This airport sticker book is a fave while traveling and the Dot It! activity here is great for toddlers!

Lacing and sewing

We’ve taken a lot of variations of these activities on trips. When they were little, big lacing beads and a long shoe lace like this one were a hit. I didn't bring the whole set I just threw severel into a small drawstring bag. I’ve also DIYd a lacing set with pipe cleaners and beads.

For preschool aged children, bring a beginner sewing set or embroidery. I like the one in this kit and you can replace the fabric with burlap for more options.

Travel tray table

If you’re going to be spending lots of time in a car, this travel tray gives your child that surface to eat and do their activities on.

I hope your children find these activities helpful and fun during your travels! Remember that there might still be hard things and big emotions since traveling can be stressful and overstimulating. Adjust your expentations, hold space for the emotions, and enjoy your trip!