Toys For the Road: Keeping Toddlers and Babies Entertained While Travelling

Awaiting a long-haul flight or being stuck in a traffic jam can bubble up some nerves when you have a young child with you but there’s no need to dread these journeys. There are plenty of helpful, fun, and educational toys just waiting to keep them happily entertained, allowing you some precious moments of peace and quiet. Don’t optimistically wish for a smooth journey – make it happen yourself.

Preparation is key! Get inspiration from the toys discussed below and curate a brilliant, fool-proof selection of travel toys for your little one. Read on to discover some of the best toys for travelling with toddlers and babies to ensure a hiccup-free travel day.

The Best Travel Toys for Babies

Early Learning Centre Sensory Discovery Balls

6 months - 3 years

View Details

1. Rattle and chime your way to your destination:

Looking out the window is not always enough to keep your baby entertained. They will most likely require additional visual stimulation, even for the shortest journeys.

Early Learning Centre Sensory Discovery Balls are a brilliant option to keep them occupied. With three in a pack and all with different features, you can keep them trebly entertained in the car.

With a rattle in one, a chime in another, and a mirror featured on the third, these Discovery Balls provide the perfect toys for their self-discovery and development in fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and imaginative play.

Early Learning Centre Sensory Shakers

6 months - 3 years

View Details

2. Oodles of fun with the Sensory Shakers:

Sometimes one toy isn’t enough to hold your baby’s attention for a long period of time, and when travelling, luggage space is precious.

Your baby will be delighted by the Sensory Shakers by Early Learning Centre. This easy to hold shaker features tactile handles and is filled with colourful beads. Each of the sections can also be disconnected to form three separate shakers, each with a different sound to hear and with multiple features, colours and textures to explore.

Perfect for auditory development, it’s the ultimate versatile toy to stimulate your little one’s senses and keep them entertained the whole trip.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Sis

(12)

6 months - 3 years

View Details

3. Learn and grow with Smart Stages Sis Puppy:

The sweet Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Sis Puppy!

Doubling up as cuddly and educational, your baby will be delighted with all this puppy can offer. Featuring Smart Stages technology and over 50+ sing-along songs, melodies, and phrases, they’ll soon be providing DJ entertainment along the way.

It’s a brilliant toy to educate your baby, teaching them numbers, colours and the alphabet.

And with three different levels, the Smart Stages Sis can grow as your child’s developmental requirements change, extending the life of the toy.

Little Lot Activity Time Elephant Sensory Pram Toy

0 months - 3 years

View Details

4. Stay entertained with the Activity Time Elephant:

Are you rushing through the airport trying to catch your flight with a pram in tow? It’s tricky to juggle bags, prams, a closing gate, and a baby who needs attention!

That’s why the Activity Time Elephant from Little Lot is great for those manic-running-through-the-airport scenes. Simple yet innovative, this handy elephant clips onto prams and car seats easily to keep your baby engaged.

With plenty on offer, from teether ears and a spinning ball, to crinkle fabric and a self-discovery mirror, your baby won’t be short of entertainment as they whizz through the airport or on the plane.

5. The perfect road-trip cuddly companion:

On those long journeys, it’s the perfect time to bring along a calming and cuddly plush to soothe your little explorer.

The sweetest Baby Bunny from Early Learning Centre makes the perfect road-trip companion with its long silky ears and a fluffy tail, as well as velvet-soft fur providing luxurious support when in their car seat.

Not only will your baby be pampered by Baby Bunny, but it’s designed to develop their sensory stimulation with the gentle jingle noise it makes as they play.

Dr Liji Thomas discusses how sensory stimulation is crucial for newborns to aid in their normal development. It occurs when one or more of your senses are activated and helps your child to understand how to communicate with others and learn about the world around them (Thomas, 2022).

The Best Travel Toys for Toddlers

While travel days can be challenging with toddlers, they don’t need to be. There are so many toys on offer to assist you and support your child’s development.

Nickelodeon Paw Patrol Pup-tacular Colour Doodle Drawing Board

3 - 6 years

View Details

1. Mess-free drawing with the Paw Patrol gang:

The Paw Patrol Drawing Board is the perfect travel companion to draw endless colourful doodles alongside their favourite Paw Patrol characters!

Not only is this a no-mess toy – simply swipe the cleaning mechanism for a blank canvas – but with an easy carry handle and magnetic accessories that you can glide through the airport with ease, it makes carrying it about a breeze, plus… no batteries required!

The drawing board allows your toddler the freedom to be inspired by their surroundings, and they’re not limited to just drawing either. With this toy, they can practice spelling, numbers and shapes too for are hours and hours of educational fun.

2. Travel in style with a Travel Game:

Keep children aged 4 years plus entertained for hours during even the longest of car rides with the Snakes & Ladders On the Go Travel Game by Addo.

The aim of the game is to climb the board whilst avoiding the slithery snakes in your path. Players can move their pieces up the game board and fit them neatly into the holes in the board, ensuring pieces aren’t disturbed during transit.

This compact version of the classic game even includes a travel case that doubles up as both a game board and a storage case to keep everything tidy for on-the-go play, making it perfect for lots of family fun.

3. The dependable Activity Cube:

An all in one-play centre that keeps everything contained, the Early Learning Centre Cube Activity Toy is ideal for providing plenty of entertainment opportunities in one easy to carry toy.

Lift the lid to reveal a colourful bead maze or spin the tiles with numbers and corresponding images. Name the animals featured on the back or place the bright shapes through the correct holes.  Great for developing hand eye coordination and problem-solving skills,

There are lots of opportunities to lose parts of a toy – under the car seat, down the plane aisle, and in the check-in queue, to name a few. Or even worse, the battery light starts flashing!

4. Keep discovering with Discovery Triangle:

Like the above activity toy, this Early Learning Centre Discovery Triangle is great at keeping your toddler entertained and continually learning.

As a self-contained toy, there’s no need to worry about parts going missing.

They will be mesmerised by the colourful beads that flow down the spirals, the wheel they can spin, the mirror to peer at themselves in and the array of shapes to push and pull. The variety and fun are endless.

With several textures and patterns, this Discovery Triangle supports your toddler’s hand-eye coordination development and is great for visual and tactile stimulation.

What Makes a Great Travel Toy?

Read below for some key features of toys great for travelling-

• Quiet: Your neighbours will love you and your child will be entertained. It’s a win-win! There are so many toys available with little to no noise that will help keep your little one occupied while travelling.
• Minimal Parts: The last thing you want to be worried about when travelling is missing pieces or too many pieces to store. It’s unpractical and a hassle. Toys with minimal parts are the bee’s knees, and with an abundance of fun, educational and multi-purpose toys available, your travel days will begin looking a lot smoother.
• Compact: Similarly, it’s best to avoid anything too bulky. Not only do you have to carry it around with you, but it needs to fit comfortably somewhere, whether sitting on a plane or in the car (as children are unlikely to want to hold them the whole time). Toys that can be folded, can fit in seat pockets or easily in a backpack will probably be your best option.
• Mess Free: Having a selection of mess-free toys is great for those travel days. You don’t want to add any unnecessary complexities when travelling so keeping your child’s play tidy is crucial. Leave the arts and crafts, playdough, and sand kits at home, and concentrate on packing toys that make your life easier.
• Lightweight: Keep it practical with lightweight toys. There’s nothing worse than arms and bags being weighed down by heavy toys while travelling after your child gets bored. Your little one can play comfortably in their car seat or on the plane, and parents can happily look after the toys when needed. Lightweight toys are easier all around!

Travelling should be fun and hassle-free! Take the time to engage in your child’s development whilst exploring new toys and experiences.

Having a variety of toys or activities to choose from, depending on whether you’re in a car, plane or even a boat, will help your child stay occupied, you’ll feel more relaxed, and you can start to enjoy your travels together as a family.

To read our disclaimers, please click here.