We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A Fat Brain Toys Dimpl with five vibrant silicone bubbles for little ones to push and pop. By the end of your trip, you'll wonder if it has secret superpowers because it'll inexplicably capture their attention right from the get-go.
Promising review: "Perfect toy for a traveling 15-month-old. I bought this toy for a long-haul plane ride (12 hours) with a 15-month-old child. It was the perfect toy as there were no parts to lose, and she loved it! It was just challenging enough to keep her occupied for small chunks of time. When we arrived at our destination, she continued to play with it. It's great for restaurants and at home. Once she pushed all the 'dimples' through to one side, she would turn it over and start again. It's also small enough to pop into a pocket or bag for transport. Excellent toy!" —EK
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $12.95.
2. A Crayola Epic Book of Awesome, which just like the title suggests is pretty darn epic. It contains 288 coloring pages — yes, it's actually JUMBO — and two stickers sheets teeming with magical creatures like unicorns, cats, and llamas. Basically the answer to any bored child's prayers.
Promising review: "Bought this for entertaining my kids on a long road trip. This is just what I was looking for!!! It’s just coloring pages...no puzzles, etc., that are too complex for my 3-year-old. Every page has one full-size coloring picture. There are two full pages of stickers too. The book is quite thick... I didn’t realize it was going to have so many pages, but that is definitely not a bad thing! I also love that the coloring pages are fairly gender neutral for the most part. I would definitely recommend this product." —SUPERmom3
Get it from Amazon for $5.69.
3. A set of games for the road that'll cut down on screentime while traveling and prevent nonstop cries of "Are we there yet?"
Promising review: "For a quick and convenient game that can literally be taken anywhere, this game is perfect! The cost was great and the games are fun, quick, and can be played by kids and adults of all ages. I would love to see families pulling these cards out while waiting for dinner at a restaurant or while sitting in the subway together rather than everyone pulling out their iPhones! These fun interactive games will get the whole family talking and playing together. Love it! I did notice that on a couple of the cards my daughter, who’s 8 years old, had to read the card a couple of times or hand it to me to explain to her, but once I read the directions she was good to go. Overall a great purchase!" —Julie
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
4. A done-for-you Airplane Busy Kit packed with surprise after surprise including 15 games, mess-free crafts, and sensory toys that'll keep your kiddos calm and happy from take-off to landing.
Recommended for ages 3–8 years. Please provide your child's age in the personalization box so the owner can include an age-appropriate card game and puzzle. You also have the option to select a gift wrap design and personalized card.
Craft and Boogie is a small biz based in Portland, Oregon, owned by a mom, who specializes in making festive crafts and activity kits for kids.
Promising review: "THESE KITS ARE AMAZING!!!!! They kept both my kids, 2 and 5, busy for three hours on the plane ride and many hours later on the vacation!!!! I gave the business cards to two other moms on the flight, and I can’t say enough how great these are!!!!" —Amy Carson
Get it from Craft and Boogie on Etsy for $29.95+.
5. A Tomy Toomies Hide & Squeak Eggs little ones will be so ~egg-cited~ about — between cracking open eggs to reveal little chicks to practicing matching and sorting — that they just might forget they're on a long haul flight.
Promising Review: "I bought this toy for my 18-month-old son because we were heading on a 23-hour car journey. I searched high and low for toys that were compact and would provide maximum enjoyment. I bought approximately 10 different toys for him to play with throughout the trip. This being one of them. I can honestly say that this toy was the best of all the toys I purchased. He absolutely loves it! There is so much for little hands to figure out with the toy. My little guy loves to put things together and take apart, so this was perfect for him. I don't have a negative thing to say about it!" —Mrs. S. Hepburn
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
6. A Melissa & Doug reusable puffy sticker activity book with princesses and mermaids galore that'll keep them enchanted for hours — whether decorating a castle or styling an under-the-sea outfit (the world is their creative oyster).
The set includes three reusable puffy sticker activity books with dress-up, princess, and mermaid themes. Each book comes with 65+ reusable puffy stickers.
Promising review: "Genius carry-on toy. Bought this as a way to keep my 2- and 4 year-olds busy on the airplane. Perfect for the carry on: not at all bulky, diverse ways to play, didn’t have to worry about dropping anything and it rolling around the plane because obviously it was all sticky. Kids were excited to play with them again on the return flight. Stranger behind me said, 'Those stickers are genius.' If I could go back, I’d do it again exactly the same." —Stephanie
Get a set from Amazon for $10.39.
7. A pack of ingenious Melissa & Doug Reusable Water Wow! coloring books, aka a *godsend* in a car, plane, or restaurant. Just fill the pen with water and watch the kiddos "paint" over the pictures to have them magically appear. Once the page dries, they can start all over again. (No need to worry about messy markers or lost crayons!)
Promising review: "My family and I went on a 27-hour road trip for the Christmas holiday. Needless to say I was a bit anxious over the idea of traveling with a 4-, 2-, and 1-year-old. These things were a lifesaver! I had bought quite a few other activities for them to do, but they kept returning to these. I love that there is no cleanup and they are reusable. I also thought the pen storage was a really nifty idea. The pages are a thick chipboard-like material so that there is no water leakage between pages. We still use these. Sometimes I pull them out while I'm getting dinner ready, and it keeps them occupied. All in all, a great buy, and Amazon had the best deal on them." —Dina
Get a pack of three from Amazon for $19.69.
8. A classic Boggle in a teeny travel case so you can finally introduce your fave childhood game to your kids. This game will provide so many hours of ~mind-boggling~ fun, they won't even suspect it's building their vocabulary.
Promising review: "Such a fun game. Bought Boggle for my family to play while we camp (which we do a lot year round). This game provides hours of fun while also challenging our brains to think. Great for adults and kids!" —Justin Gann
Get it from Amazon for $9.97.
9. A Montessori busy board boasting plenty of zippers, buttons, laces, and buckles for toddlers to tinker with. It also folds up conveniently with handles — making it easy to carry on the go.
Promising review: "Absolutely love this busy board! We bought this to keep our 1-year-old distracted on a 3.5-hour airplane ride. She absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop playing with it. We tied it to the seat tray so it didn’t slide all over. It is easy to carry, fits into a backpack no issue, and I love that it is all one piece —no tiny pieces to misplace!"—LEG 585
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
10. An LCD writing tablet that'll keep future Einsteins busy practicing their numbers and letters whether they're in a car or plane. They might even consider trading their iPad for this cool gadget.
Promising review: "We bought this pad to take on a long car trip with our 4-year- old granddaughter. She is usually traveling with her nose stuck to an iPad, I was looking for something to get her out of watching iPad all trip. This did the trick! She drew all kinds of things, practiced her numbers and letters, and played games with me. It was great to have something that didn’t need to be charged." —Trudie Paschetag
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
11. A pack of ingenious collapsible pails because these will take up literally ZERO space in your luggage. You'll thank me later when you don't need to shell out $$ on an overpriced set at the hotel gift shop.
12. Or a Sand Baking Play Set complete with a shell-shaped measuring cup, octopus whisk, crab mixing spoon, mixing bowl, and turtle lid sifter — to keep them occupied for HOURS pretending to "bake" all kinds of treats at the beach.
These thick and durable toys are an AWESOME alternative to traditional beach toys. I cannot tell you how many children have befriended my toddler in the sandpit after this play set caught their attention. Not to mention, *countless* mamas have approached me at the park asking where I bought this. You won't regret buying this!
Promising review: "Super cute set for the beach...my daughter loves it!! It's kind of hard to get 'creative' when it comes for stuff for the beach so the second I saw this on Amazon, I had to get it. She was awestruck when I showed her what I bought! We took it to the beach in Hawaii for our trip last week, and she played with this mostly while leaving the other sets of buckets, rakes, shovels, and molds I purchased off to the side. This is definitely worth the money, especially for kids who like playing with sand but are sick of the usual beach 'stuff,' especially if your child really likes cooking or pretending to cook. They will throw seashells and rocks in their simulated 'soup' they are making right on the beach while you can relax and read a book for once! :-)." —Monica Main
Get it from Amazon for $11.99.
13. A value pack of reusable 500+ puffy stickers that won't leave a residue on car or plane windows and will keep your toddler engaged for hours, which is nothing short of a miracle, TBH. Plus, they're easy for little ones to peel, stick...and restick all by themselves.
The stickers feature letters, numbers, vehicles, butterflies, deep-sea life, animals, fish, dinosaurs, and more.
Promising review: "These are great little stickers. Good quality and great value. There are a ton in the package and they provide hours of fun. I bought them along with a little notepad for my 2-year-old son to use on a long plane ride and he really enjoyed pulling them off the backing and sticking them onto the notebook pages. They're thick enough for little fingers to grasp and and they stick very well but can also be peeled up and moved to a different surface." —NA Costa
Get a pack of 20 sheets from Amazon for $7.99.
14. A sensory I Spy bag filled with 20 treasures and trinkets hidden inside the rice. It comes with an attached laminated card with pictures and words showing what to look for. It'll keep little hands busy manipulating the bag so the objects appear at the surface of the clear vinyl window.
Joyful Bundles is a small biz based in Pompton Plains, New Jersey, that specializes in hand-sewn products for kids and adults.
Warning: Choking hazard, small parts inside. Supervision recommend for children under 3.
Promising review: "A really sweet toy. My daughters loved these on our cross-country trip. We got two; they had different items inside, which was fun because they could play with both. Thank you as well for quick shipping so we had them in time." —Amy Bixler
Get it from Joyful Bundles on Etsy for $14.99.
15. And for older kids, a scavenger hunt card game for parents who wanna take "I Spy" to the next level. This comes with 54 cards that'll keep little ones sooo intently on the lookout, you'll wonder where the time on the road went.
The goal of the game is to find the objects on your cards. To play, each player takes five cards and tries to locate various roadside objects. Every time a player finds an object, they yell it out and show the card to the other players. If everyone agrees the object has been found, the player places the card into their discard pile and selects another card from the top of the deck. The first player to discard 10 cards wins. Recommended for two or more players, ages 7+.
Promising review: "This game is SO MUCH FUN! My 8-year-old used to complain about being bored in the car. After we get tired of telling her to look out the window, we usually hand her the iPad to keep herself entertained. But now we have this awesome game! We keep it in the back seat and play any time our car trips last more than 30 minutes or so. We usually pair up so the driver can play too. We all end up laughing and being silly...it truly creates some wonderful family memories. Even my 17-year-old enjoys playing! I wish there was an expansion pack." —MommaKess
Get it from Amazon for $5.99.
16. A Grab and Go Connect 4 because who wouldn't love battling their kiddos in this miniature version of the classic game? Besides, it's as portable as a passport.
Promising review: "Perfect travel game! My son loves playing Connect 4, so this was the perfect travel toy for us to play on the plane. I took it out of the box and put it into a ziplock bag. A zip-top bag is a must because the little discs fall out of the holder when tossed into a carry-on bag. It worked perfectly and we played this game numerous times. The little slide on the bottom releases the discs. Sometimes the discs would get backed up and not fall out of the rows. If this happens, you just wiggle it a bit or pull it down and they will fall down. Highly recommend for anyone who loves to travel and loves Connect 4." —soccer mom
Get it from Amazon for $5.99.
17. A necklace activity set in a convenient carrying case so mini style mavens can mix and match colorful beads and charms to create their own chic bling en route to their destination. The best part? It's under $15.
Promising review: "This activity kit was perfect for my 3- and 6-year-old. The beads were easy to thread through the rubbery string pieces. We used the case like a tray to contain the beads. Bought this to bring on the plane with us and both girls had a wonderful time. They wore their necklaces immediately and other passengers seated nearby complimented how cute they looked." —mama
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in 13 styles).
18. A Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza card game perfect for some fabulous family bonding time during vacay. It'll have the whole squad in tears from *belly laughing* so hard.
Pass out all the cards to the players and keep all the stacks face down. Everyone takes a turn putting a card down in the middle while saying "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," and "pizza," in that order. If the picture on your card matches the word that's said, everyone races against each other to slap their hand on the central pile of cards. Whoever is last must take the pile of cards and add them to their stack, and the person who runs out of cards first wins!
Promising review: "It took about three minutes to learn the game, and we started playing. We laughed the whole time, had a great time, and played a total of five times in one day! It has now been moved to our 'always travels with us card games' box. It is fun, fast-paced, and one of the best card games that we have played as a family. If you like simple family games that pack tons of fun, this is a must-buy game. Our 6-year-old, 9-year-old, and 11-year-old absolutely loved it and did not want to stop playing." —Erik
Get it from Amazon for $9.84.
19. A folding car mat that comes with an attached zipper pouch *garage* to store their Hot Wheels on the go. No matter where you are, your kiddos can unfold the mat to kick off ~fast and furious~ races around the beautifully illustrated city.
Dainty Bean is a small biz based in Spokane, Washington that specializes in handmade wallet clutches, toddler backpacks, and car mats.
Promising review: "This car mat is ADORABLE and my two boys absolutely love it. I bought it for an upcoming trip and my 4-year-old cannot wait to get on the airplane with it. The mat is so well constructed and the perfect size. Will try to post a photo from our trip later." —localgirlcreations
Get it from Dainty Bean on Etsy for $34.
20. A magnetic travel tangram puzzle you can take anywhere to challenge your child's imagination while they attempt to recreate up to 360 patterns using the seven foam shapes.
Promising review: "My boys have used this while traveling since they were 4. We have used this for long-distance air travel, car, everywhere. It is lightweight and small enough to pack, the magnets allow everything to stay together so nothing is ever sliding off. This is the second one we have bought as a gift, and will continue to do so!" —Jessica Armstrong
Promising review: "Fantastic activity for traveling. Ordered this before a 10-hour car ride for my 3-year-old and she loved using it. The magnets are easy to use, but also stick securely to the board so they aren't easily lost. Endless opportunities for imaginative play!" —Grace Kerrigan
Get it from Amazon for $13.99.
21. And a wooden puzzle equivalent to playing Tetris but in tactile form that'll ~exercise their brain~ without any screentime.
Reviewer's say this is a great toy for all ages — from 3 to 12.
Promising review: "I was looking for stuff that will keep my kids entertained without electronics and this is one of the things I got them. From my 5-year-old to my 10-year-old, they’ve all sat down and played around with it. It’ll be a great road trip game as well. Small. Compact. Has a bag to carry the game." —MGS
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
22. A set of Crayola Pip Squeaks Washable Markers because it'll not only fit little hands perfectly, but also snap into the durable travel case so they don't get lost during a trip. Win-win.
The set includes 25 washable mini markers and 40 sheets of paper in a travel case.
Promising review: "Airplane sanity saver. Perfect size for a child-size backpack. We used this to keep our 5-year-old occupied on a flight. She used it for 1.5 hours straight both flights. The markers snap into place and we used the 'lock' for the airplane seat tray to hold it in place. Great buy." —MiyazakiFan
Promising review: "I'm pretty sure I've bought this set at LEAST three times for my different kids. Part of me hates that I'm too lazy to just be that Pinterest mom who throws together markers we already own and paper in a cute way, but let's be real, if I'm prepping for a trip with three kids that is exactly the last thing I feel like doing. This is easy, premade, at just the right just-slightly-overpriced price point, and convenient. It has a good variety of marker colors, in perfectly tiny-hand sizes, and stores them securely in place in a way you couldn't easily engineer your PinterestFail into doing. The case has a handle for carrying and snaps to keep it closed. It's sturdy but light weight, and flat enough not to take up your entire carry-on bag. Honestly, I price shopped 'travel'-type pencil boxes for other activities: They are not cheap, and they are a lot thicker. Even with a Michael's 40% coupon, by the time you throw your own set together, you're going to be right around the same price. Always a great throw-in for a trip to keep little people occupied; guess that's how I always end up buying more." —koyangi
Get a set from Amazon for $9.99.
23. A pack of brightly colored stacking cups that'll nest within each other taking up minimal luggage space and keep little babes enthralled with open-ended possibilities. It has 70,000 5-star (!!!) reviews for a reason.
Bonus: These have holes in the bottom for water play and come with a cute star ring to keep them together so they don't get lost during travel.
Promising review: "Of all of the expensive toys around our house, this is my baby's favorite. We recently took these cups on a week long beach vacation and they kept my 13-month-old (and a 2-year-old she made friends with) busy all day for seven days! They're perfect for playing with in the water or on dry land. These are a classic for a reason!" —Michael D Eisenman
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $8.
24. A portable pegboard complete with 11 different games that can be played solo, OR siblings can challenge each other — offering so many possibilities for fun on the go.
Kiwi Co offers craft subscription boxes and one-off boxes with all the materials and instructions included to make it easy for parents to pull off enriching science and art projects with their children.
Promising review: "Was a great addition to our road trip game box. My kids really liked it. I even enjoyed the different games." —Lynzie
Get it from Kiwi Co for $24.95.
25. An eight-piece Tegu magnetic wooden block set in a travel-friendly felt pouch that'll entice the kids to put down the iPad and build things. The best part? The blocks have no lead, no plastic, and a nontoxic, water-based lacquer finish.
Promising review: "Perfect for restaurants and travel. I was hesitant to buy these, since they seemed so pricey for such small toys. I finally bought it to help entertain my 2-year-old in restaurants on vacation, and I'm so glad that I did. They are really fun little magnet toys, and they are the perfect size to travel with and to keep in a backpack or diaper bag. I did some research on the company, and the highish price is due to the fact that they actually pay a fair wage and do community building. That's the kind of company I don't mind supporting. This toy will be a big help on our upcoming plane flight. (It's also been an addictive game for the grown-ups to fiddle with. We might need to buy another set.)" —Teacher Lady
Get it from Amazon for $33.23.
26. A scratch paper art set so mini Picassos can create vibrant rainbow art anywhere by scratching on the surface to reveal the colors underneath.
Promising review: "Super cute. Got this for my 4-year-old niece while she was visiting and she LOVED it. Great for travel. Perfect for vacations, car rides, plane rides, etc. A little messy with the black shavings but an easy cleanup!" —Astral Quest
Get it from Amazon for $12.54.
27. An animal card game, a ~wildly fun~ road trip activity that'll challenge kids to ask up to 10 questions to guess the animal on the card. Psst, they'll memorize all the fun facts on the cards to win (but hey, who's complaining?).
Promising review: "This was an easy game (boredom buster) for my 6- & 10-yr-old in long car ride. They knew all the animals so it could have been a little more diff but we have a more knowledge of animals than some others. I would recommend this, especially for road trips. Turn off the electronics!!!!" —jules1976
Get it from Amazon for $14.97 (available in 14 styles).
28. A pack of stretchy fidget noodles they can twist, pull, and twirl to their heart's content when they get bored and fidgety on a looong journey.
Promising review: "I purchased these for our 10-year-old son with ADD. He absolutely loves them and definitely recommend them!" —Connie McElwain
Promising review: "Very durable, lasts a long time. My 10-year-old uses it for her anxiety and it really helps." —Holli Ciresoli
Get a pack of five from Amazon for $9.99.
29. A pocket-sized version of Jenga ideal for some stacking-and-toppling fun on the go.
The box comes with 18 mini Jenga blocks. Recommended for ages 6+.
Promising review: "I bought this as a stocking stuffer for my daughter and it was just perfect for the occasion. She, and her college mates, have it handy in their dorm room now. Great little gift." —Kevin Wilson
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
30. A Road Trip Box with 60 activity ideas and fun discussion questions to grab at a moment's notice when you run out of ideas for entertaining the kiddos.
The Idea Box Kids is a small biz based in Wilsonville, Oregon, that specializes in kid-powered, secretly educational activities.
Recommended for ages 3+.
Get it from The Idea Box Kids on Etsy for $24.99.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
Looking for the perfect gift for any occasion? Check out all of BuzzFeed’s gift guides!
