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.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 2026-06-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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