Traveling with toddlers can be a delightful adventure, but keeping them entertained on the go requires some strategic planning especially if you want to avoid screen time. This post will explore a curated selection of activities and travel toys designed specifically for 2-3 year olds. These engaging and compact options are perfect for various destinations and can be reused for every trip, making your travel experiences smoother and more enjoyable.
1. Why do you need travel activities and toys for toddlers?
When traveling with toddlers, it is important to encourage your child to first use their environment for entertainment. Only after the environment has nothing else to offer a toddler and everything else fails, you can rely on your travel activity set. Having a few travel toys can provide a much-needed break and ensure a smoother travel experience for everyone involved.
A travel activity set is not only a great way to entertain them during waiting times on vacation, but it also comes in handy when you want to go to dinner at a friend’s house (especially when there are no other kids) or at a restaurant. You can keep a bag full of activities (others call it a busy bag) and choose a subset of items when you have to go to a restaurant. It is important to keep things simple and compact. You need to find a few tried and true items that you can keep refreshing for each long travel and adapt as your child grows.
2. How to Keep Travel Toys Interesting
Maintaining the effectiveness of travel toys requires a few simple tricks. Here is a list of the top tips:
- Use travel toys exclusively during trips and keep them out of sight until is time to travel again.
- For longer trips, rotate the toys from one day to the next to avoid your toddler getting used to it.
- Refresh your activity with a few inexpensive purchases at the dollar store. Buy new things like new stickers, a new set of crayons, a new mini notepad, toy cars, and switch playdough colors and cutters at minimal extra cost.
- Add a pair of toddler-appropriate scissors
3. How do you create the perfect travel toy set?
There are five main categories when it comes to toys that aid in childhood development: 1) learning, 2) building, 3) pretending, 4) creating, and 5) moving (credit to Katy Wells). The idea is to have toys and activities that cover each of these five areas to involve all the developmental areas and maximize the interest of your child. Let’s see more in detail what toys (not only travel toys) are covered under each area:
a) LEARNING category
(target cognitive development and fine motor skill for little hands): Flashcards, Listen & Read Books, Shape Sorters, Puzzles, Blocks, Touch and Feel Toys, Kitchen Toys, Board Games, Brainteasers, Activity Cubes, Numbers
b) BUILDING category
Target fine motor development: Nesting cups, Magna-Tiles, Duplo blocks, Legos, Lincoln Logs, Wooden blocks
c) PRETENDING category
Target social and emotional development: Toys based on real-life objects such as play kitchens and workbenches, play utensils and dollhouses, dolls, dress-up clothes, and stuffed animals
d) CREATING category
Target imagination: Sidewalk chalk, kinetic sand, play dough, crayons and coloring books, art supplies and easel, craft supplies, stencils, tracing
e) MOVING category
Target gross motor development: Bicycles, tricycles, scooters, bubbles, trampolines, hoola hoops, balls, t-ball stands and sports equipment
Some of these categories are a little harder than others to cover during traveling, like pretending and moving, while there are plenty of options to cover learning, building, and creating. In the next section, you will find one example of a well-balanced set of activities and toys targeted to toddlers that can fit in one relatively compact bag.
4. Sample Travel Activity and Toys Bag
The selection of great travel activities and toys below is one good example of a balanced and compact travel set recommended for every family trip. You can use it as a starting point and customize it based on your toddler’s developmental stage and interest.
Foldable Magnetic Puzzles (learning category)
Ideal for travel, a set of three foldable magnetic puzzles caters to different difficulty levels and themes (see one of many options here). Each of the three puzzles has pieces of different sizes so to the left is the easier puzzle and to the right is the harder puzzle so it can keep challenging your kid even when he/she gets a little older. There are several themes you can choose from on Amazon from farm animals to dinosaurs, unicorns, and princesses. Their compact design and magnetic features ensure easy portability, and the increased level of difficulty makes it such that can be enjoyed individually or with older siblings. This toy is ideal for airplane flights, restaurants, hotels, and Airbnb.
Ooly Water Amaze (creating category)
For a unique painting experience, consider Ooly Water Amaze which are reusable sheets that you can paint with water. If your kid would like a change from the classic water books like water wow books, these sheets offer vibrant colors and allow kids to use a real brush, giving them a sense of being a real painter. Each sheet also includes a hidden animal, adding an element of surprise. Switching themes for each trip, such as sea creatures or farm animals, keeps the activity fresh and exciting.
Tiny Red Cups (learning/creating)
Versatile and inexpensive, mini 2oz red cups are a must-have travel item. These cups can be used for various games, such as hiding objects underneath and letting the child guess which cup the object is in. They can also be used for water painting, stacking, beach sand shaping, or attaching pins. The possibilities are endless, and they take up minimal space in your travel bag.
Mini Magnetic Tiles (building category)
Although not specifically for travel, mini magnetic tiles are perfect for staying at the Airbnb accommodation or hotel room. These magnetic building tiles provide endless opportunities for imaginative play and creativity. They can be easily packed and provide hours of entertainment for little ones.
Mini Play-Dough with Shapes and Accessories (creating category)
Mini Play-Dough starter sets are always convenient for travel. Introduce shapes like circles, squares, and triangles to help your 2-year-old recognize and build shapes. Use a sheet of paper with drawn shapes and have your child place the corresponding play dough shape on the right spot. Include different cutting tools such as pizza rollers, plastic knives, plastic scissors, and stamping tools. This activity promotes fine motor skills and shape recognition.
Quiet Books for Kids
Always a hit with toddlers, quiet books or busy books are a perfect choice for a car ride and long flight. There are so many options on Amazon or Etsy. However, the crowd and Amazon favorites is the quite book from this brand. Another option is to use small busy board like this one which include a buckle toy and more.
Watercolor Fun (creating category)
There are several compact options to choose from if your child likes watercolor painting. Favorites include a 1) compact kit set that include colors, brush with water enclosed in the brush for a mess-free experience, and pad to dry the brush tip or 2) color sheets that can be used with a brush and water. This second option is the most compact but can get messier as you have your water to hold, while the first option offers a bit more control as the water is enclosed in the brush.
Reusable Sticker Books
One of the best airplane activities, reusable stickers books are a great idea for young kids. Some of teh books include tic-tac-toe or other activities suited for older kids.
Additional Travel Essentials (moving category, and others..)
- Washi tape, stickers or dot stickers, and mini clothespins can be used for various creative activities on the go.
- Consider bringing 2-4 empty balloons to inflate at the airport for some sensory fun.
- A mini notepad with blank sheets serves as a versatile tool for drawing, doodling, or practicing writing skills.
- Ziplock bags are handy for organizing small items or collecting treasures during outings or simply let your toddler exercise closing and opening the bag.
- Favorite stuffies.
- Favorite Picture books. I love this picture book for toddlers to prepare them for their first flight.
Lastly, you need the perfect bag size for the travel toys. This option from Amazon is inexpensive and versatile offering several plastic zip bags of different dimensions, so you will be able to find the one with the perfect size for your travel needs.
5. Mini Backup Activity Kit
When kids are stuck waiting with limited entertainment because you have left your travel activity bag in the car, a mini backup kit of activities proves handy during travels. Always tucked away in a bag or purse, it’s a compact lifesaver for combating boredom. This mini kit is a convenient option when there’s nothing to do. There are many ways to compose this mini-kit but one great combo includes the following
- Activity Cards with activity ideas. You will love this relatively inexpensive option that provides 52 things to do on an airplane or 52 things to do in the car but can be used for any occasion. The coolest thing is that nothing is needed for this activity just some kids and their brain.
- Thin pieces of chalk. On some occasions having a couple of pieces of chalk can helps to entertaining the kids while waiting in the street or at the restaurant. You can easily create the basis for a fun game such as obstacle courses, hopscotch, or street chalk craft. It is recommend to have one chalk piece per child.
- Two deflated colored balloons. It can work wonders at the gate while waiting for the plane but really can be so helpful in many other situations. They can exercise at catching the ball, kicking it, chase it to see who gets it first.
- Lollipops. You don’t have to use them but they could get handy in so many ways.
If you are interested in the best travel toys and activities for older children, go to this post (ADD LINK).
6. Additional Travel Tips
If this is the first time travelling with a small children consider the following tips for travel days:
- give a bottle at take off or when starting the descent to relieve ear pressure
- keep the child close to the airplane window so he/she can use the window for additional play ideas
- use snacks like raisins, and cereals to entertain your busy toddler for longer periods of time.
- buy a tray to contain toys inside airplane tray table
Conclusion:
Traveling with a 2-year-old doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By incorporating these reusable travel activities into your trips, you can keep your child engaged, stimulated, and entertained.
Feel free to try these suggestions and share your experiences with us! As usual, please share your favorite travel activities for the whole community of working parents to enjoy. Happy travels!
