The best travel activities for kids of all ages

Last updated on July 22, 2026

With all the travelling we do, we’ve had plenty of time to work out which travel activities are genuinely useful, and which ones simply take up valuable space in the hand luggage.

When the boys were little, our bags were filled with reusable stickers, Water Wow books and tiny toy cars. These days, we’re more likely to pack sketch books, card games and Plus-Plus. Some things have been a hit for only a year or two, while others have grown with them and still come on practically every trip.

We use these activities on planes, trains and road trips, but also in restaurants, at airports and during those little pockets of downtime that are part of any family holiday.

From toddler-friendly sticker books to games the whole family can enjoy, these are the best travel activities for kids of different ages, including plenty of screen-free ideas.

Our favourite travel activities for kids

If you just want the quick answer, these are the travel activities we’ve found most useful over the years:

• Plus-Plus
• LCD drawing tablets
• Sticker and activity books
• Search-and-find books
• How-to-draw books
• Card games like Dobble, Uno and Sushi Go
• Yoto Mini
• Felt-tip pens on a ring
• Go Find It cards
• Kids’ cameras
• Travel journals
• A new comic or magazine

The best options depend a little on the age of your child and the type of journey, so I’ve included more detailed ideas below.

Travel activities that work for almost every age

These are the activities with the most staying power. While a toddler and a ten-year-old might use them differently, they work across a broad range of ages and are useful for all sorts of trips.

LCD drawing tablet

An LCD drawing tablet is perfect for travel, especially on road trips or flights. The mess-free, reusable screen lets kids draw, doodle and erase everything with the touch of a button, without the worry of losing crayons or marker lids.

They’re lightweight, slim and easy to carry, but can provide a surprising amount of entertainment. Younger children can scribble and practise letters, while older kids can play noughts and crosses, hangman or drawing games.

Look for one with an attached stylus – otherwise I can almost guarantee it will disappear.

Best for: Planes, road trips, trains and restaurants

Suggested age: 3+

Sketchbook and pens

A simple sketchbook and set of pens is a must for us. Kids can use them for drawing, games, journalling, making lists or creating little books and comics. Or for something more guided, get a colouring-in book (I love these cute ones!).

Ideally choose a compact sketchbook with a sturdy cover, along with a small set of pens or pencils. Felt-tip pens attached to a ring are particularly useful for travel as the lids stay together and you’re less likely to lose them beneath a plane seat. All that said, we don’t tend to follow this advice and our eldest always brings a heavy sketchbook and this entire set of acrylic markers. The thing is, those paint pens are beautiful and they’ve gotten used to us bringing them to restaurants etc when in Bristol – I think the variety and quality keeps them engaged for longer.

Best for: Flights, trains, restaurants and holiday downtime

Suggested age: 3+

Plus-Plus

If I had to recommend just one toy for keeping kids entertained in cafés and restaurants, it’d be Plus-Plus. The little building blocks keep our kids entertained for ages. And because they’re so small, they’re ideal for travel and won’t take up much space in your bag.

You can buy tubes and sets with instructions for specific things to build, but our kids tend to go freeform.

The only downside is that the pieces are small, so I’d keep them in a zipped pouch and think twice before tipping a whole tube onto a plane tray table!

Best for: Restaurants, airports and holiday downtime

Suggested age: 5+

Card games

Compact card games like Uno, Dobble and Eye Found It are perfect for family fun on the road. Playing together is one of my favourite parts of travelling!

We always bring a few card games with us to restaurants and cafés, even when we’re just at home in Bristol. Dobble is probably the best option for mixed ages as the rounds are quick and adults can genuinely enjoy it too.

Top Trumps is another good choice for older kids, especially if you can find a pack linked to something they already love.

I’ve also written a separate guide to our favourite travel card games.

Best for: Trains, airports, restaurants and rainy days

Suggested age: 5+

Search-and-find books

Search-and-find books like the classic Where’s Wally? or newer options like Where’s Bluey? are excellent for keeping kids engaged. Plus, they’re fun for adults too, so they become a good family activity rather than something you simply hand over.

They’re ideal for road trips if your kids don’t get car sick, as well as downtime at the airport or while waiting for food at a restaurant. Travel-sized versions are particularly useful as some of the full-sized books are fairly cumbersome.

Some of our kids’ favourites include: Where’s the Space Poo?, Pokémon Ultimate Search and Find, LEGO Everything is Awesome search-and-find, and Where’s the Sloth? (there are lots of variations on this one).

Best for: Flights, trains, restaurants and airports

Suggested age: 3+

Travel activity books

There are soooo many kids’ activity books to choose from, and they’re a great way to keep children entertained. Packed with puzzles, mazes, games and colouring pages, they often combine fun with a little bit of learning. I particularly like the Usborne travel activity books.

Try to match the book to your child rather than relying entirely on the age printed on the cover. A book that feels too much like schoolwork doesn’t work for our kids, while something too easy will be finished before take-off.

Best for: Flights, trains and airports

Suggested age: 4+

Magnetic play sets

Magnetic play sets give younger children the freedom of small-world play without quite so many pieces rolling onto the floor. There are sets for dressing characters, creating faces and building different scenes, often contained within a metal tin that doubles as the play surface. These cute scene-building ones are great for younger kids.

You can also get mini versions of the classic magna-tiles, which are great for many ages. And these little magnetic blocks are always a big hit with our kids – the ones that come in a tin are particularly handy for travel.

Best for: Trains, restaurants and planes

Suggested age: 3+ – check individual sets for small-parts warnings

Comics and magazines

It’s a tradition for us to buy the kids a new comic or magazine in the airport – although we sometimes go for an activity book instead as they last longer. That said, the kids do love some of the magazines like Lego and Nat Geo. We also have a subscription for The Phoenix and The Week Junior, so tend to bring the latest editions of those.

Best for: Every type of journey

Suggested age: 6+

Yoto Mini and audiobooks

The Yoto is one of our kids’ favourite possessions. Otis has the big one and Arlo has the Yoto Mini, which is the one we take when we travel.

They’re essentially portable speakers that play stories, podcasts and music using physical cards. You can buy cards with books preloaded or create your own, and we’re big fans of the Yoto Daily podcast too.

For travel, download everything onto the player before leaving home and bring headphones if you’ll be using it in public. Traditional audiobooks and story podcasts downloaded to a phone work just as well, particularly for older kids.

Best for: Road trips, flights, bedtime and quiet time

Suggested age: 3+

Kids’ camera

A kids’ camera is a really great way to encourage both creativity and curiosity while travelling. Otis started asking for a camera when he was about three, and even from that age he began experimenting with photography.

It also turns the destination into an activity. You could give kids a list of things to photograph, let them make a visual holiday diary or challenge them to capture different colours, signs or animals.

Younger children will enjoy a robust digital camera, while older kids might prefer an instant camera or an old family camera or phone. If you’re trying to avoid screen time, be aware that some come with games. You might prefer a simpler option like the VTech Kidizoom.

Best for: Exploring the destination

Suggested age: 3+

Binoculars

Our kids are obsessed with their binoculars, and they’re great for encouraging curiosity. Whether they’re spotting wildlife on a hike, watching surfers at the beach or looking at a city from a viewpoint, kids love the sense of exploration.

They’re also one of the few things you pack to entertain them on the journey that remains genuinely useful throughout the holiday. Choose a compact, sturdy pair that’s easy for little hands to adjust. We recommend these ones.

Best for: Safaris, nature holidays, hikes and city viewpoints

Suggested age: 3+

Travel activities for toddlers and preschoolers

For younger kids, I’d prioritise things that are simple, sturdy and can be used without too much help.

Sticker books

One of the most obvious and effective ways of keeping younger kids entertained is with stickers. Reusable sticker scenes are particularly good for travel as children can peel them off and start again rather than finishing the entire book in ten minutes.

Reusable window stickers can also be fun on planes and trains, but check that they come away cleanly! Post-it notes are another surprisingly entertaining thing for little kids on planes!

Older kids might also like the more complicated ‘colour by stickers’ books.

Best for: Flights, trains and restaurants

Suggested age: 2–6

Water-reveal activity books

Water-reveal books such as Magic Water were a big hit when our children were younger. You fill the chunky pen with water, brush it across the pages and watch the colours and hidden pictures appear. Once the page dries, it can be used all over again.

They’re nice and mess-free, although it’s worth filling the pen before you get settled – especially if you’re travelling by car and can’t easily reach the kids. Some versions have a tethered pen, which is definitely preferable for travel.

Best for: Planes, road trips and restaurants

Suggested age: 2–5

Mess-free colouring

Colouring is a travel classic, but keeping track of pen lids can be a nightmare!

Mess-free colouring sets use pens that only show up on the special paper, making them ideal for younger children in cars, planes and holiday rentals.

Another option is a set of felt-tip pens attached to a ring. These are a big sanity saver, avoiding lost lids and dried-out marker pens. The clever design keeps the colours neat, accessible and together in one place.

Best for: Anywhere you’d rather not risk marker-pen stains

Suggested age: 3+

Small familiar toys

Toddlers don’t always need a clever new travel product. A few small cars, animals or favourite figures can provide lots of imaginative play, especially if you add a roll of washi tape to make roads and enclosures on a tray table. My boys love these style of figurines.

Like with many of our travel toys, I store everything in a small zipped pouch, and just bring a small selection for each trip.

Best for: Planes, trains and holiday accommodation

Suggested age: 2+

Travel activities for school kids

At school-age (around 5+) children can start using more involved activity books and games independently, but they’ll often still enjoy simple things like stickers and drawing. It’s also when family card games get more interesting.

These are some of the ideas that have worked best for us.

How-to-draw books

Otis is obsessed with how-to-draw books, especially the Draw with Rob series. They’re an excellent way to keep kids entertained while encouraging their artistic skills.

With step-by-step instructions, the books teach them how to draw everything from animals to favourite characters in a way that feels achievable.

There are loads of these available. Our kids love the Pokémon characters one and this huge ‘How to draw anything’ book, which admittedly isn’t ideal as it’s so big, but sometimes they insist upon it! We also picked up this cute one in France.

Best for: Flights, trains, restaurants and quiet afternoons

Suggested age: 4+

Scratch-art books

Scratch-art books are satisfying and surprisingly absorbing. Kids use a wooden stylus to scratch through the dark coating and reveal colours or holographic patterns beneath.

Some have outlines to follow while others include blank pages for their own designs. They’re compact and don’t require pens, but they can create a little residue, so I’d save them for a table or tray rather than using them in bed or somewhere particularly pristine.

Best for: Planes, trains and restaurants

Suggested age: 5+

Wax craft sticks

Wax craft sticks are essentially bendy strands of wax-covered yarn that children can shape into letters, animals, jewellery and all sorts of little creations. They’re lightweight, reusable and stick to each other without glue.

While some kids will immediately start creating, others might need a few prompts, so suggest a challenge: make a pair of glasses, spell your name or create an animal from the destination you’re visiting. Our kids adore these – but I kind of hate how they feel!

Best for: Flights, restaurants and creative downtime

Suggested age: 3+

Go Find It cards

The Go Find It cards are a fantastic way to engage kids during travel and nature walks. Each card challenges them to find something with a particular quality – perhaps something bumpy, tiny or noisy – turning a walk or wait into an interactive scavenger hunt.

They’re especially useful because the activity is based on the world around you rather than another thing to stare at. We use them for outdoor adventures and exploring new places.

Best for: Walks, parks, airports and exploring a destination

Suggested age: 3+

Retro water games

Do you remember the little water games where you pressed buttons to propel hoops onto pegs? They still exist, and today’s kids find them just as compelling.

There are no loose pieces, no sound effects and no internet connection required – just a deceptively difficult challenge that makes you want to try one more time. I get hooked on these too!

Best for: Road trips, flights and waiting rooms

Suggested age: 4+

One-player logic games

Pocket-sized logic games such as Kanoodle and IQ Gears are ideal for older children, around 7+. They come with a series of challenges that become progressively harder, so they last much longer than a single-use activity book.

They’re also useful when siblings don’t feel like playing together. Look for a set with a lid or case that holds all the pieces securely.

Best for: Flights, trains and independent downtime

Suggested age: 7+

Puzzle books

As kids who enjoy puzzles get older, you can look beyond general activity books to things like sudoku, word searches, crosswords, logic puzzles and code-breaking challenges.

Choose a level that gives them a sense of achievement without becoming frustrating. Puzzle magazines can be a good, fairly inexpensive option and have the added appeal of being something new for the journey. We also love the ‘Clever Kids’ series.

Best for: Flights, trains and quiet time

Suggested age: 7+

Travel journal or scrapbook

A travel journal is an excellent way for kids to document their experiences on the road (I loved these as a kid!). You could go freestyle with a classic scrapbook, some scissors and a glue stick, or buy a guided journal with prompts for drawing, writing and reflecting.

I used to make books like this as a child and they’re amazing keepsakes to have. Bring an envelope or zipped wallet for ticket stubs, postcards and other bits they collect along the way, then do the cutting and sticking once you reach your accommodation.

Lonely Planet have some really nice ones, like this scrapbook and this journal.

Best for: Documenting the whole holiday

Suggested age: 6+

Origami and friendship bracelets

Origami paper weighs practically nothing and gives older children a project to concentrate on. Print or download a few instructions before leaving home, or bring a small book of designs. Our eldest loves doing this.

Friendship-bracelet thread is another good option for older kids, especially on longer trips. It’s much more practical than loose beads, which I wouldn’t recommend anywhere near a plane seat or moving car.

Best for: Trains, flights and holiday downtime

Suggested age: 8+

Kindle

While I’ll never forsake proper books for a Kindle full-time, there’s no denying they’re convenient for travel. A Kindle is lightweight and can store hundreds of books, so it’s a fantastic option for a bookworm – and much better than carrying a small library in your hand luggage. We bought one of these for Otis at age 5 as he reads voraciously and we couldn’t bring enough books for a two-week trip!

Best for: Every type of journey

Suggested age: 6+

Travel games you can play for free

Some of the best travel activities don’t require packing anything at all. Family games are especially handy on road trips, in airport queues and when you’re waiting for food.

Our favourites include:

• Twenty Questions
• Would You Rather?
• I Spy
• The alphabet game
• Categories
• Collaborative storytelling, where everyone adds one sentence
• Guess the animal or character
• Memory games based on what you packed or saw that day

You can also buy packs of conversation starters and travel-game cards, but it’s easy to make your own list and save it on your phone. Adjust the questions and difficulty so everyone can join in.

The best activities for different types of travel

What to pack for a flight

For planes, choose quiet, compact activities that can be used on a small tray table. Avoid anything noisy or anything with dozens of loose pieces.

For each child, I’d normally pack:

• An activity or drawing book
• An LCD drawing tablet
• A search-and-find book
• A small building toy or puzzle
• Headphones and downloaded audio
• A familiar card game
• A book or Kindle
• One new surprise activity

Keep at least one thing hidden rather than revealing the entire selection before take-off. On a long-haul flight, rationing the novelty can be as important as the activities themselves.

What to pack for a road trip

For road trips, think carefully about travel sickness. Reading, drawing and puzzles are perfect for some children and a terrible idea for others (I would love to be someone who could read in the car, but I feel sick immediately!).

Audiobooks, Yoto cards, family word games, travel bingo and spotting challenges work well because kids can keep looking out of the window. An LCD tablet or magnetic game can be useful for children who are happy looking down.

What to bring to restaurants

We always have a few compact activities in our bag for restaurants. Plus-Plus, mini magna-tiles and drawing tablets are great for independent play, but for family time we love card games.

I’d avoid bringing anything that takes over the whole table or has lots of pieces to clear away when the food arrives. A zipped pouch for each activity makes packing everything up much easier.

What to pack for the destination

When on a trip, the best activities/toys help them engage more deeply with the place you’re visiting. We like binoculars, cameras, Go Find It cards, travel journals and destination-inspired books. You could also make a simple scavenger hunt, learn a few words in the local language or give older kids a small amount of holiday money to budget themselves.

Tell me your favourite travel activities!

What are the travel activities your kids always come back to? Let me know in the comments as I’m always looking for new ideas to add to our bags.