Airplane games for Toddlers and Older Kids too!
In this day and age it is very easy to remind your kids to grab their iPods, iPads, etc and think they will be good to go for a long trip. My three boys think their iPhones are the best things to ever happen to them, but it inevitably happens that halfway through a trip they start complaining of being bored. As great as these little devices are, they are not the only option for long car rides or plane trips.
I have a small bag of travel games and toddler travel toys that goes from the car to the closet and back! (Or closet to airplane and back.) That way I have something novel to pull out when boredom or fighting begins. All of these items have been in this bag over the years and have been popular with all of my boys.
As they have gotten older the items in the bag have changed, but they all still look forward to the travel bag of goodies.
All the items below would also make great stocking stuffers!
Here are my family’s favorite travel games for the journey or the destination:
Best toys for airplane travel with toddler
Washable Markers and Paper Set
- 65 PIECE PIP-SQUEAKS MARKER SET: Includes 25 Pip-Squeaks Washable Markers and 40 sheets of high-quality paper in a durable art case, perfect for kids' creative...
- MINI MARKERS FOR KIDS: Smaller marker barrels fit comfortably in little hands, making them easier for younger kids to use.
- WASHABLE MARKERS: These mini markers wash easily from skin and most washable clothing, providing stress-free cleanup for parents and teachers.
This compact and lightweight set is a favorite to tuck into little backpacks or the back of a seat pocket. The Crayola Markers are washable which means they come out of clothes and car seats! (I can attest to this!)
WikkiStix
- Inside the Traveler you will find 144 Wikki Stix in 16 Colors, plus 12 Page Activity Book of awesome games and arts and crafts activities. The Traveler also...
- Arts And Crafts Fun In Handy Carrying Case For Kids’ Travel Activities, Scrapbooking, And Saving Prized Work! With I.D. Sticker To Personalize The Case.
- The top travel essential for kids whether in the car for a long road trip or an airplane ride across the country the Traveler is a clean, quiet, travel toy that...
I put these in the age group of under 6, but really all my kids still play with them when I get them out. WikkiStix are wax covered threads that bend and mold and make all kinds of fun shapes. This kit also has a number of pictures that your kids can use as guides to inspire their play.
Spirograph
- FUN, STEAM ACTIVITY – Spirograph uses a perfect combination of art and mathematics to create beautiful designs!
- TAKE IT ANYWHERE – Travel Spirograph is made for on-the-go designing!
- ENDLESS FUN – With so many ways to design using Spirograph, the possibilities are endless!
This awesome toy from your youth is back in travel size and can buy you 20 -30 minutes of blissful, peaceful quiet! The kit comes with it’s own perfectly sized sheets of paper, 2 pens and 6 wheels. Your artistic kids will love it.
Magna Doodle
If you have been a parent for any length of time, odds are you have a Magna Doodle, but do you have a set for travel? Rather than dig through your kids toys every time you set off an a road trip or flight, keep a small one in your travel stuff and be ready at a moment’s notice.
Sewing cheese block
- Montessori Learning Toys: Engage your child’s curiosity with this wooden montessori toys. Designed for Montessori learning, these toys help improve fine motor...
- Encourages Fine Motor Skill Development: These lacing cards for kids ages 3-5 provide a great way to develop motor skills. The threading activity encourages...
- Perfect for On-the-Go Entertainment: Lightweight and compact, these restaurant toys for toddlers 1-3 are perfect for keeping your little ones entertained during...
This fabulous piece of honey cheese gives your little ones lots of opportunities to sew practice sewing and hand eye coordination. My kids particularly enjoyed this when they were younger and we took it to church, in the car, to the doctor’s office, and whenever we travelled. To say it was a beloved toy is an understatement. Get your own for hours of sewing fun!
Car Seat Tray
- 🧡 SPILL-PROOF | FOOD, DRINK, DROOL … Clean up the mess in one swipe of the waterproof, BPA free surface (instead of all over the floor). Your carpets &...
- 🧡 ANTI-SAG WALLS THICK ZIPPER … Many kids car organizer tend to sag & dump items onto the floor. The 3” tall reinforced walls are sturdy still flexible...
- 🧡 CONTAINED PORTABLE ENTERTAINMENT … Engage toddlers with all their favorite toy without creating a massive clean up job. They get all of the access...
If you have room in your car for one of these, they are a great asset for little colorers, crafters, and car eaters. They slide right over a standard car seat and contain a lot of mess. Plus the table top is heavy duty enough to keep games and art sturdy. Plus these have a built in iPad sleeve to prevent slipping and messes.
Best Travel Games for Kids 6-11
Scratch Art
- 🌈RAINBOW SCRATCH KIT - 20 black scratch sheets, 4 wooden styluses and 4 drawing stencils and 1 gift box. The spiral bound of the scratch off notebook is easy...
- 📒HIGH QUALITY - No odd flavor, toxin free powder. Pigipigi kids craft supplies kit made of premium paper and nature wooden stylus. The stencils of art...
- 🎁BEST KIDS GIFT - The kids arts and crafts is an best gift for kids Birthday, holiday parties, Children's day, Valentine's Day, New Year's Day, Mother's Day,...
I love products that allow my kids to be artistic without the mess that usually come with it. This 2 pack of scratch art will keep even the most avid artist busy for hours. Plus it is slim and lightweight in case your travel bag is getting loaded down.
100 Printable Pages of Road Trip Games
IQ game
- This puzzle is perfect for kids and adults alike.
- SmartGames is the worldwide leader in multi-level logic family games.
- It’s so fun to play, you’ll forget they’re learning!
This game isn’t much bigger than a phone and has hundreds of ways to play. This is a great game for your budding mathematicians and puzzlers. Plus it is light and portable.
License Plate Game
- Kappa Map Group (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 1 Page - 02/03/2012 (Publication Date) - Kappa Map Group (Publisher)
This is another travel game that lived in the back seat pocket of our minivan for years. The kids loved looking for license plates from all over the country and flipping over each one as they found it. I prefer this to other styles of license plate games because the map helped the boys learn where all the states were on the map.
Mad Libs
- Put the laws of motion to the test with our patented Q-BA-MAZE 2
- 0 Stunt Sets
- The ingenious pieces interlock in endless configurations, while double-exit cubes keep you guessing which way the marbles will go
Mad Libs are hysterical to play at any age, but the sweet spot is elementary school kids. They love making up funny stories and I love that they learn the difference between nouns, verbs, adverbs, and prepositions. But I warn you to prepare for endless stories about poop and boogers.
National Geographic Road Trip
- Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas
- Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas
- National Geographic Maps
Do you have a child who asks a million questions as soon as they buckle up? We had one and it seemed that the car became his opportunity to ask us about everything we passed. We finally bought him some kids road atlases and he loved them! This book has so much information about major cities, monuments, and oddities that your curious child will love.
Games the whole family will enjoy
Travel Bingo
- Easy-Read Bingo Cards: This set contains 2 each of Interstate Highway and Auto games, featuring 4 bingo cards measuring 6-3/4 inches by 6-1/2 inches with...
- Slide into Fun with a Flick of a Finger: That's the magic of bingo set, where the sliders glide with such ease, making the game enjoyable for kids testing their...
- Bingo on the Go: Whether it's a spontaneous family gathering, a joyous reunion, or a road trip; this bingo cards reusable is your ticket to fun. This...
If you have a competitive family this game is for you. It is small and doesn’t have chips like normal Bingo, instead it has sliding doors on each spot. Keep your eyes peeled for license plates, road signs and more.
Games on the Go
- FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: Turn family road trips and moments of in-between time into great family fun. Games on the Go is a collection of 50 games and activities...
- ENDLESS QUESTIONS: This travel games collection includes silly guessing games, perplexing word games, mind bending memory challenges, wacky trivia questions,...
- COMPACT: Games on the Go is a portable game collection that can be clipped to a purse, bag, or stored in the car and be played in the car, at the dinner table,...
This package of games includes games like I spy, trivia, guessing games plus tons that were new to me. Best of all, you don’t need anything but the cards to play making it a game even the driver can play.
RubberNeckers
- Lore, Matthew (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 68 Pages - 02/01/1999 (Publication Date) - Chronicle Books (Publisher)
This game may seem simple at first and geared toward younger kids, but after the first card everyone will be hooked. Each card you pull has a list of things to look for, and compete to see who can complete their card fastest. We all really enjoy this game and spend a lot of time laughing at the ridiculous things you can find on an ordinary road trip.
Travel Games for Airline Travel
Activity Book about Planes
- Alexander, Heather (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 64 Pages - 03/12/2019 (Publication Date) - Ivy Kids (Publisher)
This activity book about Planes has puzzles, stickers, spot the difference, and I spy type games to keep your kids happy on the plane. This is a great activity for kids from 3-7 and it will teach them about how a plane works.
Foldable Airplane Tray
- Child-safe Multi-purpose Play Space for Airplane Travel
- Folds and Unfolds in Seconds: Have Your Little One Playing in No Time
- Durable and Machine Washable: Clean Up Any Spills Quickly, Wash at the End of the Trip!
This 4 walled tray attaches to the airplane tray table allowing your kids to play without everything sliding off. You can bring legos, cars, art supplies and more without fear of them falling all over the place. Plus this foldable tray folds flat to fit in your carry on and weighs almost nothing. Highly recommended.
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Last update on 2025-07-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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