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 a little one is with you. But please don’t 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

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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 triply 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.

Playgro Super Shaker

(4)

0 - 24 months

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2. Oodles of fun with the Super Shaker:

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 Super Shaker by Playgro. There are multiple features, colours, textures and shapes to explore. It’s the ultimate, versatile toy to stimulate your little ones senses and keep them entertained the whole trip.

They can seamlessly move between shaking the rattle, chewing on the teether, and scrunching the crinkle material without you having to delve into your bag every 10 minutes!

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Sis

(12)

6 months - 3 years

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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, your little one will be providing all the DJ entertainment for your road trip!

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

0 - 12 months

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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.

Early Learning Centre Grey Baby Bunny Soft Toy

0 months - 3 years

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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 for your baby. The bunny has 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 children, they don’t need to be. There are so many toys on offer to assist you and support your child’s development.

Paw Patrol Pup-tacular Colour Doodle Drawing Board

3 - 6 years

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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. No batteries required!

The drawing board allows your toddler the freedom to be inspired by their surroundings.

They’re not limited to just drawing either. With this toy, they can practice spelling, numbers and shapes too. There are hours and hours of fun to be had!

2. Travel to infinity and beyond with the Toy Story 4 Pop-Up Game:

Add this sturdy, classic board game to liven up your road trip! Have fun to infinity and beyond with the pop-up game inspired by Disney Pixar’s Toy Story 4.

Simply pop up the game on a plane table or on your lap in the car. Toddlers can whizz around the board and pass their favourite characters.

With 16 pieces to move, these accessories provide a colourful experience and can help with their cognitive understanding and visual perception.

Early Learning Centre Wooden Activity Cube

(2)

12 months - 3 years

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3. The dependable Activity Cube:

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!

Do you need a toy that you can depend on for those kinds of days?

Then the Early Learning Centre Mini Wooden Activity Cube is perfect for you and your toddler.

In a compact size and made of sustainably sourced wood, toddlers can enjoy shape sorting, movable clock hands, sliding shapes, turning cogs and a bead maze which will stimulate all their senses and keep them occupied during long journeys.

Your toddler can develop their fine motor skills, problem-solving and hand-eye coordination all in one toy.

And your plane neighbours will love you as this toy has low noise levels.

Early Learning Centre Discovery Triangle

6 months - 3 years

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4. Keep discovering with Discovery Triangle:

Like the Activity Cube, 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 are 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 ideal 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. 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!

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