Top 10 Toys to Keep Your Toddler Entertained on the Plane
- andrew
- Feb 21
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 13
Keeping your toddler entertained on the plane is no easy feat. Often, they are either restless, tired, uncomfortable, or just excited about being on holiday. While the walking-up-and-down-the-aisle is maybe inevitable, doing it for an entire flight, whether long-haul or short-haul, is tiring to say the least, so having some engaging toys onboard the plane is a great way to keep your little one entertained and stimulated. Our 2-year-old has been to 12 different countries so far and some of these things have been essential to keeping her entertained on our travels both near and far.
When considering what toys to bring I like to factor in compactness, messiness and repeat play value. You’ll likely have your hand luggage full of other essentials, so you want to keep toys to a minimum (check out our post on Packing Tips). Any toys with multiple loose parts arean immediate red flag for me as speaking from experience, you don’t want to spend a whole plane journey trying to fish out a piece of plastic from in between the airplane seats!
Here are the top toys we’ve found which keep our little one entertained.
Busy Book
Light, compact and with plenty of sensory/interactive elements, our daughter would easily get lost in the clips, buttons and puzzles which was great for developing her hand-eye co-ordination. Made of felt and with small handles, it can be easily squeezed into bags or clipped onto your rucksack for easy access.
Sticker Books
Sticker books are always a favourite and my daughter loves being able to create her own masterpieces in them. We will buy a new sticker book for each trip and tend to choose one with characters she is familiar with as she finds them more exciting!
Here are a couple that we have used in the past:
Mini Magnetic Writing Board
These mini magnetic writing boards are a great option for our daughter to draw, doodle and scribble on. They are compact, mess-free and you can have endless fun on them – we’ve even used it for Pictionary when she’s been sleeping!
Colouring Books
Our daughter loves colouring, so we always bring a couple of colouring books and some pens/crayons when we travel. If you don't want to spend ages picking up pen lids and crayons from the floor, then water pen colouring books are a great alternative. These are reusable and uses a pen filled with water to magically reveal the images on the page. Guaranteed mess free!
Scratch Book
Another good alternative to normal colouring books is a scratch drawing book with trace along white lines that turn rainbow-coloured when you scratch them off. The wooden stylus is attached to the book by a string, so you won't have to search for loose parts!
Fidget Toys
There are several fidget toys you can find; however, a personal favourite is the bubble fidget toy. These come as single colourful sheets which are compact, reasonably quiet and have no loose parts which could get lost. With the satisfying pop they’re great for kids and adults alike!
Play-Doh
Whilst Play-Doh fits into my above criteria of compact there is no doubt that it can be messy so be prepared to lose fragments of Play-Doh here and there. Despite that we’ll bring it as my daughter loves Play-Doh and will independently play with it for ages. My recommendation would be to bring 1 or 2 small tubs (bring the same colour to minimise mixing!) and leave the accessories at home. Note: we’ve taken Play-Doh through airport security with no issues in the past.
2-in-1 Travel Pillow & Cuddly Toy
My daughter was gifted a little unicorn cuddly toy which converts into a comfortable travel pillow and it’s a great idea! The pillow folds in on itself to become a soft plush which she can play with or cuddle and if she wants to sleep, we can simply convert it back to the pillow for her to sleep on. Instead of risking losing their favourite cuddly toy on holiday you can choose from one of the many different animal designs which will double up as a convenient travel pillow.
Reading Books
Our daughter loves a good story, and bringing some of her favourite books is a great way to keep her entertained, both on the flight and during the holiday. We usually bring the paperback or pocket size versions of books she likes for space efficiency. If you're travelling with younger toddlers/babies, then interactive flap books are a good option.
Tablet
We try to as much as possible to entertain our daughter with toys, games and looking out the window but it’s inevitable that during the long-haul flights we use our tried and tested last resort – a tablet for screentime! On the educational theme we tend to have some Miss Rachel downloaded along with cartoons such as Bluey and Peppa Pig.
Don’t forget a strong shockproof case (go for one which has handles and stand so it’s easier to use) and remember the headphones so no one else has to hear what they are watching!
Too much to pack? Here's a bonus tip!
If you feel like it's too much to bring all of these toys individually and you want an easier option, then I'd recommend the Keep Em Quiet Bags. Used by the British Royal Family to keep the kids entertained at a Royal Wedding, we figured if it's good enough for them, then it's good enough for our little queen!
In the bag your child will receive a bumper pack of goodies to keep them busy, including reading books, activity/sticker books and a range of small toys. You can choose bags for ages 1-3 yrs, 3-5 yrs and 5 yrs+. We found them to be really convenient and my daughter enjoyed the different surprises available!
The activity tray is a sturdy flat surface which helps keep things mess-free and the plastic top is wipable so your toddler can draw directly on it, or it can double up as an on-the-go eating table. You can organise toys and pens in the pockets and there's a handy pouch at the front where your tablet can slot into. We've tried it on planes, trains, boats and cars and it's kept her very entertained! Use the link below and enter "VIP" into discount codes for an exclusive 10% off your order.
Honourable Mentions
LittleLife Toddler Backpack with Safety Reins
These are comfortable little backpacks with a chest buckle and secure reins which available in several cute designs. It was particularly handy in the airport as she could walk around in a busy environment, and we would be able to keep her safely nearby. We would fill it with her favourite toys and a few snacks so when she was on the plane we could relax! You can remove the reins and continue using it however in true Nordic spirit she was gifted the fantastic Fjällräven mini rucksack which we’ll be able to use for years!
Baby Ear Defenders
We used these when our daughter was a baby on flights but no longer need them for flying - however we know some parents who still use these on flights as their children really struggle with the noise and pressure. The Alpine Muffy Baby Ear Defenders aren’t cheap, but we found them to be excellent value because they fit very well with easily adjustable bands, have excellent noise reduction and they are suitable up to 36 months. Whilst we don’t use them on flights any longer the headphones still feature at parties, festivals and weddings – for this alone it has been a worthwhile investment to get in several hours more dancing!
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