The best travel toys for toddlers are small and quiet. Travel is the one time I break my own toy rotation rules.
Pack lots of different options, and lean heavily on your child’s favorite toys. Cue me filling an entire carry-on with LEGOs.
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If you’re looking for the best airplane toys for a one-year-old, you’ve come to the right place. I recently took an overseas flight with my one- and three-year-old boys.
In addition to our long-haul flight, we’ve also taken several domestic flights. So I know firsthand the challenges that come with keeping little ones entertained on those seemingly endless flights.
But fear not, because I’m here to share my experience and insights with you!
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How Many Toys Do I Need?
If it’s your first flight, you’ll want to pack at least 2 toys per hour of flight, plus 2-3 extras (in case you get stuck on the tarmac, or get re-routed like I did ?).
If your child gets bored easily you might want to pack 3 per hour of flight.
If you’re a seasoned traveler, you’ll have a better idea of how many toys your little one needs.
Carry-Bags, Diaper Bags, and Backpacks
If you’re wondering how to pack for your one-year-old on the plane, here’s how I did it:
- I used the diaper bag as a backpack/personal item for my 1-year-old.
- I took out most of the diapers and changing accessories and put them either in my personal item bag or in the carry-on.
- Once you get to your destination, you can take the toys out and use the diaper bag for its intended purpose.
- I packed everything my baby would need in the diaper bag: clothes, toys, a few diapers, wipes, a small tube of Vaseline (great multi-purpose cream), food, comfort items, etc.
Pro-Tip: Children’s backpacks are adorable, don’t get me wrong. But they are small. If you’re allowed a personal item, grab an adult-sized bag so that you can fit more toys. I tried cramming everything in a kiddie bag once, and I will never do it again. Just taking one toy out felt like a human game of Tetris.
Toiletries Bag for Airplane Toys Hack
I recently saw the most genius hack for traveling with kids on an airplane that I think I’ve ever seen (too bad it was after my long-haul flight ?). Take a toiletries bag and pack all of the toys in there.
You can hang the bag from the back of the tray table and easily access everything you need for your little one. Fill one of these up with toys and craft supplies, then pop it in your personal item or carry-on bag so can easily take out and organize all of your toys.
BAGSMART Toiletry Bag Hanging Travel Makeup Organizer with TSA Approved Transparent Cosmetic Bag Makeup Bag for Full Sized Toiletries, Medium-Black
Considerations for Airplane Toys for 1-Year-Olds
For more ideas for airplane toys for 1-year-olds, see my best toys for 1-year-olds. Your airplane toys for toddlers need to be:
- Compact: You’ve got a limited amount of space; you need to maximize it.
- Lightweight: Some airlines have weight limits for carry-on items now. Grab one of these hand-held baggage scales to make sure your pile of toys doesn’t send you over the limit!
- Quiet: Why does every toy have sound effects?!
- Multipurpose: As much as you can, pack toys that can be played with in more than one way.
- Mess-Free*: I’m putting an asterisk here because I have a couple of suggestions that aren’t exactly mess-free. That being said, you don’t want to bring sand or glue that is going to go everywhere or can make a permanent mess.
- Variety: Even if your little one is obsessed with blocks, you’ll want to pack lots of other types of toys. Try packing toys from each of the categories below!
Busy Boards, Busy Books, Buckle Toys, and Fidget Toys
Busy Boards
A busy board is great for engaging your child with different activities and textures. They also promote fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Melissa & Doug offer great options.
Fisher-Price Wood Montessori Dressing Board Busy Activity
Busy boards are great for learning life skills like zippers, and the sensory satisfaction of snaps and buckles.
- u200bMontessori toy that helps foster fine motor skills, practical dressing skills, self-confidence and independence for preschool kids ages 3 years and older
- u200b9 busy activities! Includes buttons, shoelaces, snaps, buckles, and a zipper for kids to practice
- u200bExclusive tip card! Includes guided play tips from the child development experts at the Fisher-Price Play Lab
- Made with wood from Forest Stewardship Council-certified sources (FSC-N004566) and decorated with non-toxic, water-based paints
- Includes 1 wooden board with 9 dressing activities
- u200bAwarded the AMS Montessori Seal of Excellence by the American Montessori Society in 2025
Busy Books
Busy books are just like busy boards, except each page is a new adventure. They encourage problem-solving skills and keep babies engaged on long flights. It’s a great idea for little kids who might get overwhelmed with a whole busy board. The best part is that the books are smaller so they are the perfect size for little hands and easy to carry in a diaper bag.
Melissa & Doug K’s Kids My First Activity Book
A cute book to take and toss in your bag. Has lots of sensory input like a busy board, just for babies!
- Play, Learn & Explore: Turn soft pages, lift peekaboo flaps, button & buckle, move clock hands, & role-play with puppets during tummy time, stroller rides and travel, for screen-free learning activities
- Whatu2019s Inside: 8-page cloth book with removable hand puppet, 2 finger puppets, crinkling surprise panel, movable-hand clock, button and buckle activities, built-in handles, and a clear tote for easy storage
Fidget Toys
You might think fidget toys are just for older kids, but they are the perfect travel toys for young kids and babies too. They are quiet and have all different textures, shapes, and sensory feedback options.
Fat Brain PipSquigz
We never owned this jumbo baby version, but my kiddos LOVED the regular Squigz, and these provide so much sensory input for babies, they had to make the list.
- FUN LITTLE SUCKERS! – Fat Brain Squigz toys are innovative suction toys that stick to each other and most flat surfaces, then pull apart with a POP. Sized for tots, this 6-piece pipSquigz set is a larger, chunkier version, each with fun shapes, textures, and bold colors.
- SAFELY DESIGNED – BPA-free silicone baby toys are easy for little hands to grasp, encouraging creative play. Dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning, they won't leave residue on your tables or windows, and make soothing teething toys.
- BABY FIDGET TOY SENSORY STIMULATION – Fat Brain baby toys encourage the development of motor skills, hand-eye coordination, visual thinking, and concentration. Featuring cool, textured surfaces, the unique pieces rattle when shaken.
- VERSATILE AND PORTABLE – Fun baby bath toys, pipSquigz are also a great baby high chair toy, handy baby airplane travel accessories, and an amusing car window toy. Each baby toy stores neatly in the included zippered case.
- AWARD-WINNING GIFT IDEA – An ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Award winner, this pipSquigz combo makes an awesome birthday, holiday or baby shower present for ages 6 months and up.
The First Years Stacking Cups
Playtime, bathtime, you name it, my babies loved these! Stack them, build them, and knock them over!
- This set of stacking toys features 8 brightly colored cups that stack together with unique holes in the bottom for pouring and water play at bath time
- Montessori Stacking Toys
- Made without BPA for toddlers and kids ages 9 months and up
Reusable Sticker Books, Water Wow Books, Window Clings and Magic Coloring
Reusable Sticker Books
A reusable sticker book is a great toy for small children who like stickers. Stickers are one of our favorite fine motor toys for the plane.
They provide entertainment without the mess of traditional stickers. There are lots of different themes and sets to keep kids interested. Reusable stickers (usually) stick to the windows of the plane too.
Melissa & Doug PAW Patrol Restickable Puffy Stickers 3-Pack – Adventure Bay, Jake’s Mountain, Jungle
Water Wow Books
If your child likes to paint, but you’re worried about the mess, Water Wow books are my favorite mess-free art supplies for travel.
They are a great way to introduce different colors and shapes to one-year-olds. They are suitable for both older and younger children during travel. The best part is that the pens never dry out. You need about a tablespoon of water (which you can get from the bathroom tap!).
Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow! Farm Coloring Book
We (still!) love to take these to restaurants with us. They are great travel activities because they only use water! Kids can color pictures, trace, follow mazes, and once the pages dry they go back to white to start again.
- Water WOW! Reveal Coloring Fun u2013 Use the chunky refillable water pen to bring 4 farm animal-themed reusable pages to life with vibrant colorsu2014no ink, no paint, no mess, just water!
- Designed for Toddlers & Preschoolers: The easy-to-hold water pen encourages independent play and stores neatly inside the compact activity book; ideal for travel, restaurants, or quiet time at home
- Supports Early Learning: Helps build fine motor skills, color recognition, early writing and reading development, creativity, and storytelling through screen-free, hands-on play
Sticker Wow Books
Melissa & Doug Sticker Wow! PAW Patrol Marshall Stamper Toy
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Window Clings
You can often find window clings in seasonal decorations (like the Target Dollar Spot or Dollar Store). Kids really love them! My only cautions are:
- They get dirty (they pick up all of the dirt and dust around them).
- They look tasty (my son tried to eat them!).
Pro Tip: If you have space, consider packing a few different toys in your checked luggage. These toys can be surprises for the plane ride home. Having different toys for each direction ensures they won’t get bored with the same things.
Electronics
You might be firmly against screen time for your little one on a regular day, but travel days are a whole other beast, and I’m here to tell you it’s ok to rely on a tablet or phone for a few minutes of peace.
Parent-to-Parent: I will warn you, though: I thought my son would be obsessed with screens on our flight (since we never allow them at home for him). He couldn’t have been less interested. So don’t put all of your eggs in this basket; definitely have an assortment of tools for the trip.
Tablets
If you don’t have a kid’s tablet, you might want to invest. They aren’t expensive, and they can hold all of your kids’ games and media in one place. You don’t have to worry about them destroying your $800 iPad.
Headphones
Babies don’t typically like wearing headphones; that being said, I have two options for you. Personally, I had the most success with the headband, but every baby is different.
Music Player
If you haven’t had a chance to check out my article on the Best Screen-Free Music Players for Toddlers, you definitely should! I think every parent should have a music player that their baby can interact with. My top pick for traveling would be the Yoto Mini player.
Yoto Mini
I could go on and on about how much we love Yoto players at my house, and I do in my full Yoto review! These are a part of our daily routine, and come with us wherever we go.
- SMALL SPEAKER FOR BIG ADVENTURES: Yoto Mini lets kids explore their imaginations as they explore the world. Fill road trips, car rides, flights, long journeys & play dates with inspiring audio!
- EASY TO SET UP & USE: Children from 3-12+ use physical cards to explore the best audio content on the move. Simply pop an audio card into the Mini to play & remove to stop. Adjust volume or tracks with the dials. Alternatively, control the Mini via the free app!
- KID-FRIENDLY WITH PARENTAL CONTROL: Enjoy up to 14 hours of safe & screen-free entertainment per charge. No cameras. No mics. No ads.
- MULTI-PURPOSE: Features a pixel display to bring the audio to life, play sleep sounds, use as bedtime storyteller, an OK-to-wake clock, a portable audio speaker or use with headphones!
- CONTENT THAT GROWS WITH KIDS' MINDS: Explore 1000+ cards of bestselling audiobooks, music, educational activities, free podcasts, radio, soundscapes, timers or even create content with a Make Your Own card!
LCD Writing Tablets and Magnetic Toys
LCD Writing Tablet
LCD writing tablets are a win for parents and babies. Your baby will feel like they are playing with a “tablet,” or something “grown up,” but you know that your little artist is getting creative without screen time. Bonus: they take up very little space in the diaper bag or carry-on, and they are virtually indestructible!
Crayola Light Up Drawing Pad
We love this board for the lights sounds, and easy creations using just your fingers. Plus it lights up and glows in the dark!
- CRAYOLA TODDLER DOODLE BOARD: The Crayola Toddler Touch Lights Musical Doodle Board comes with 6 Songs, 12 Light Up Colors, and 1 Instruction Sheet. Requires 3 AA batteries (not included).
- MESS FREE PAINTING PAD: Enjoy mess free finger painting right on the self-contained gel surface for stress-free playtime.
- TODDLER SENSORY TOY: This sensory board stimulates tiny fingertips with textures and colors, making it a great educational and learning toy for toddlers!
- 6 SONGS: Toddlers can hum along to 6 tunes that stir creativity while doodling!
Magnetic Toys
There are lots of different designs of magnetic toys. They are fun and interactive toys with bright colors and different shapes. They are an easy way to engage kids during long journeys without using too much space. They are also convenient because the pieces stick together, and multipurpose because you can stick them on the armrests, etc.
Classic Magna-Tiles
My kids have had the same 2 or 3 sets of Magna-Tiles since they were 3, and they look and work just as well today as the day they came out of the box.
- 32 translucent geometric shapes in 6 different colors
- This set includes Squares (2 Large, 14 Small) and Triangles (8 Equilateral, 4 Right, 4 Isosceles)
- Developmental: Certified STEAM toy, per Dr. Gummeru2019s Good Play Guide, in partnership with The Toy Association, for aiding in the development of fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, cognitive skills, executive functioning, creativity and more!
- Safety Guaranteed: All MAGNA-TILES pieces are built to withstand countless hours of playtime. Our signature lattice prevents cracking, while fastening rivets keep magnets safe and secure.
Melissa & Doug PAW Patrol Take-Along Magnetic Jigsaw Puzzles (2 15-Piece Puzzles) – FSC Certified
Board books
Board books are a great quiet book option. They don’t have bells or whistles. They are perfect for unwinding, trying to go to sleep, or just flipping pages and gnawing on the corners.
DK Books Baby Touch and Feel Animals
We must have 2 dozen touch-and-feel books from DK. They are great quality and have a lot of different textures (where some brands have the same textures in every book).
- Touch and feel books help children who are not interested in books engage in books
- The sensory experience of seeing a picture, hearing you read the words, and feeling the texture is perfect for early development
Babies Love Lift-a-Flap Boxed Set
We love lift-a-flap books at my house! As your baby gets older, they can practice lifting on each page too.
- 6 chunky and sturdy flaps are extra strong so your little one can open and close again and again.
- Surprise and delight baby with bright artwork and special treats under each flap.
- Perfectly sized for little hands and fingers to open and close the flaps.
Crafts and Craft Supplies
Post-It Notes
Grab them from your desk drawer! Post-It Notes are a hit with babies. Stick them all around you on the plane, and let your little one do the fun part of ripping them off. Use them over and over.
Painters Tape
Same idea as the Post-it Notes, but a little more challenging. Use painter’s tape if your child can easily pinch things.
ScotchBlue Original Multi-Surface Painters Tape
Painter's tape can be used to make "roads and racetracks," on your carpet or floors, used as a sensory toy for kids (peeling and sticking), or for art projects. Painter's tape might be the only craft supply I couldn't live without.
- BLUE PAINTER'S TAPE: Includes One 1.88 in x 60 yd roll of ScotchBlue Original Painter's Tape, a blue masking tape for painting that helps protect surfaces by preventing paint bleed
- CLEAN REMOVAL FOR UP TO 14 DAYS: The wall safe tape removes cleanly for up to 14 days with no sticky residue or surface damage, letting you paint at your own pace without worrying about repairs
Bonus: Use painter’s tape for–literally–everything when you get to your destination. Hang up blackout curtains, make roads on the floor for toy cars, seal containers so they don’t leak, etc.
Crafts
These activities can be done on the tray table. They can get a little messy, but it is a reasonable mess and easy to clean.
Play-Doh Starter Set
This was the exact first set I bought, and it's still in circulation 6 years later! Granted the play-doh itself has long been dried up, mashed together, and stuck to my carpet… But the tools and case remain!
- Reusable storage is bas great for storage and to take Play-Doh on the go
- 9 tools & 4 cans of doh
- Rigorously tested for quality, Play-Doh compound is made primarily with flour, salt, and water, making it a great choice for arts and crafts for kids who love modeling clay (contains wheat)
Water Paint Pages
I’m sure you remember these from when you were a kid. All you need is a bottle-cap amount of water (seriously, don’t use any more than that for fear of spilling everywhere on the plane), and a paintbrush or fingers.
Melissa & Doug My First Paint with Water Animals Books
These pages are pre-filled with pigment that just need a little water to blend together. Even my oldest still enjoys these pages from time to time.
- 24 painting pages, each featuring kid-favorite animals like a horse, elephant, cat, dog, dolphin, bear, and hippo
- Simply wet the paintbrush, use it to blend a patterned area, and watch the colors combine
- Perforated pages tear out cleanly for painting and display
- Helps teach color recognition and promotes fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
Melissa & Doug Paint With Water Ocean Book
We love these books for on-the-go and rainy day activities. Each page has a strip of water-activated paint that you can use to color the page. It's relatively mess-free. Pro Tip: Use Q-Tips for zero cleanup.
- An ideal introduction to painting!
- Simply wet the paintbrush, moisten the paint palette and fill in the pictures!
- 20 painting pages, each with its own paint pallete
- Perforated pages tear out cleanly for painting and display.
- Helps teach color recognition and promotes the use of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Simply wet the paintbrush, moisten the paint palette and fill in the pictures!
WikkiStix Travel Fun Board
I wouldn’t expect a masterpiece from these… But they are a mess-free craft that involves shapes, colors, and sensory feel. You can stick the wax on the travel board, or on the windows or tray table!
Wikki Stix Doodler Wax Sticks
These wax sticks let kids feel like they are modeling with clay, with no mess!
- STICKS WITH NO GLUE & NO MESS u2013 Wikki Stix are made from non-toxic wax and hand-knitting yarn that stick together and to smooth surfaces using only fingertip pressure. Easy to peel up, reposition, and reuse again and again with no cleanup, sticky residue, markers, or crayons.
- GREAT FOR SENSORY PLAY & FIDGETY FINGERS u2013 The soft, bendable texture provides satisfying tactile play that encourages focus, creativity, and calm engagement. A quiet sensory toy alternative for screen-free play at home or on the go.
- MADE IN THE USA & SAFETY TESTED u2013 Includes 24 colorful 6-inch Wikki Stix in neon and primary colors for ages 3+. CPSIA compliant, regularly safety tested, and loved by parents, teachers, therapists, and homeschool families as a fun travel toy, stocking stuffer, party favor, or rainy-day activity.
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Blocks
Just put a few from your favorite set in a Ziploc bag. I love to grab a few characters and some wheels so they can “play” with their creation after.
LEGO DUPLO Classic Cars and Trucks Brick Box 10439
Even though we've graduated to regular LEGO at my house, my kids still love playing with Duplo!
- Educational STEM toy for vehicle-loving preschoolers aged 18 months and up u2013 The Cars and Trucks Brick Box playset comes with an assortment of bricks and pieces to set toddlersu2019 creative cogs in motion
- Car toy playset with lots in the box u2013 Firing toddlersu2019 imaginations to create fun 4-wheeled adventures, this creative toy includes 3 wheelbases, 1-2-3 bricks, 2 child figures and a bee figure
LEGO Classic Medium Creative Brick Box 10696
We chose this kit specifically for all of the wheels it came with! Who doesn't like building moving things?!
- Endless Builds – This creative toy for boys and girls includes windows, toy eyes, 18 tires and toy wheel rims that can be placed on a green baseplate for kids to role-play; plus the container can be used as toy storage
- Imaginative Play – Kids can use their imagination, picking an assortment of bricks to bring to life any building toy they want with these colorful toys, fostering kids' playtime and building creativity throughout the process
Melissa & Doug Blockables Dinosaur Wooden Building Block Toy Set
These are new toys since my kids were at the right age, but we've gifted tons of these to friends and the love them! The blocks are easy to snap together and they make great pretend play scenes or let you mix and match to create new characters.
- Dinosaur Play Set Includes 33 blocks, 29 connectors, 5 felt pieces with built-in connectors, 2 arm connectors, and illustrated instructions for putting together a T-rex, apatosaurus, pterodactyl, plesiosaurus, triceratops, stegosaurus, a volcano, and more
- Like all Melissa & Doug toys, Blockables are designed to promote and support important developmental benefits for kids: They encourage fine motor, problem-solving, and matching skills, introduce storytelling, and help build self-esteem as kids build and create their own toys again and again
Melissa & Doug Blockables Farm & Farm Friends 2-Pack Bundle Set
We've gifted tons of Melissa & Doug Blockables and our friends have nothing but glowing reviews! Create the scenes on the box, or use your own imagination!
- This 2-pack Blockables bundle includes the 57-piece Farm Play Set and the 16-piece Farm Friends Play Set, each with solid wood blocks, connectors, felt pieces, play figures, and illustrated instructions; build animals, equipment, unique creations
- Blockables are designed to promote and support important developmental benefits: They encourage fine motor, problem-solving, and matching skills, introduce storytelling, and help build self-esteem as kids build and create their own toys again and again
Melissa & Doug Blockables Rescue City Wooden Building Toy Set
I really wish these were around when my kids were smaller, I think they would have loved them! They are super interactive (moreso than traditional building blocks) and let you make the scenes on the box or create your own. Everyone we've gifted them to loves them!
- Blockables City Deluxe Play Set includes sturdy storage bin with reversible play lid, 51 wooden blocks, 58 connectors, felt traffic arm and felt car wash flaps with built-in connectors, 4 play figures, 12 wheels, recycle truck arm, fire engine ladder, and illustrated instructions for 9 builds
- Like all Melissa & Doug toys, Blockables are designed to promote and support important developmental benefits for kids: Fine motor, problem-solving, matching skills, storytelling, and self-esteem as kids build and create their own toys again and again
Clixo Itsy Pack
This is a new toy that we've had limited experience playing with (we're already invested heavily in Duplo, LEGO, K'Nex, and MagnaTiles). But has a super-cool premise: build three-dimensional shapes using magnetic discs.
- SPARK IMAGINATION & CREATIVITY: Flexible shapes and secure magnetic connections, kids can click, snap, fold, and flex their way to endless creative builds.
- BUILD MORE WITH LESS
- PORTABLE & TRAVEL-FRIENDLY
- FUN LEARNING THROUGH STEAM: Introducing core STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) concepts, Clixo fosters fine motor skills, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving through open-ended play.
Teethers, Pacifiers, and Toy Tethers
For a 2-year-old, the best toys for 2-year-olds list has more small, packable picks.
You can’t predict when those teeth are going to come through, so it’s best to pack a few teethers to have on hand. They also help relieve air pressure (chewing) for take-off and landing.
Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys
These teething keys were perfect for our little ones to soothe sore gums during teething. You can put them in the freezer (or fridge if the freezer is too intense) for some relief.
- BABY TEETHING TOYS: Our teething toys are perfect for soothing sore gums during every stage of baby teething; Place in refrigerator to provide a soothing, cooling sensation for your little one
- SAFETY FIRST: Parents can feel safe knowing Nuby baby products are developed, researched, and manufactured to exceed all government safety regulations and standards
Nuby Teethe N' Pop Sensory Play Teether
Our babies loved the feel of Nuby teething toys. This turtle has different textures for them to explore with their teeth and gums. It also practices hand-eye coordination.
- TURTLE TEETHING TOY FOR 3+ MONTHS: Playful Teethe N' Pop Turtle soothes your little one's discomfort and assists in the emergence of teeth
- SUPER SOFT BABY TEETHER: This teether toy is made of 100% soft silicone for sensitive, tender mouths, which provides teething relief without being rough on sore gums
- COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT: Multiple textures and fun turtle shape captivate baby's attention and help stimulate sensory development; Fun Pop Center assists in the development of fine motor skills
- MADE FOR SENSORY PLAY: This teething toy is thoughtfully designed to encourage sensory play
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