Flying with a baby or toddler is never guaranteed to go smoothly, but showing up with the right toys makes a real difference. After two kids, countless flights, and more than a few airport meltdowns, I've learned that the best plane toys are quiet, contained, and novel enough to hold attention for longer than 30 seconds.
Below, you'll find the toys that have actually worked for us, organized by age so you can pack exactly what you need.
Quick tip: Before you pack, run each toy through this mental checklist:
- Lightweight and carry-on friendly
- Mess-free (or close to it)
- Won't disappear under the seat if dropped
- Not obnoxiously loud
- Safe to take through security (avoid water-filled items)
Before you fly: As tempting as it is to save these as a surprise, it's worth giving each toy a "test flight" at home first. You might not realize how noisy, frustrating, or underwhelming something is until your kid is actually playing with it, and it's better to find that out on your living room floor than at 30,000 feet.
Survive Your Next Flight with the Best Travel Toys for Babies and Toddlers
Shop all recommended travel toys on ShopMy →
Baby travel toys: 0–6 months
Lamaze Clip & Go Freddie the Firefly
A bright, crinkly, squeaky sensory toy with a peek-a-boo mirror, teether, and a clip that keeps it attached to your diaper bag or stroller. That clip is the key feature — it means you're not fishing it off the airplane floor every five minutes. 0+ months. Find it at Target.
Indestructible Books
I was skeptical the first time someone handed me one of these — until I bent, crumpled, and tried to rip a page. These lightweight books survive everything a baby can dish out, and they're chewable and washable too. There are tons of cute stories to choose from. 0+ months. Find them at Target.
Sassy Photo Album
Fill this album with photos of your family, pets, or even cut-out images from magazines — and keep a few extras in each sleeve so you can "reinvent" the book mid-flight when interest starts to wane. If you'd prefer a fully custom option, Chatbooks makes great soft-cover photo books. 3+ months.
Baby travel toys: 6–12 months
Busy Book
An oversized quiet book with lots of interactive pages — ribbons, zippers, felt, buttons, and more. Easy to carry and machine washable, which is a big deal after a long travel day. 6+ months. Find it at Target.
Fun Baby Tissue Box (Reusable Cloth Version)
If your baby has ever gone absolutely feral on a tissue box, this reusable cloth version was made for them. It's compact and endlessly entertaining for this age. 6+ months.
Fat Brain Toys Dimpl
Think of this as the infant version of a Pop It. The brightly colored silicone buttons are 100% food-grade and completely safe to chew. 6+ months. Find it at Target.
Fat Brain Toys PipSquigz Loops
A sensory teether rattle with suction cups that stick to any non-porous surface — including your tray table. The rattle rings are safe to chew and fun to grab. 6+ months. Find it at Target.
Toddler travel toys: 12–24 months
Fat Brain Toys MiniSpinny
Three colorful propellers spin down a corkscrew pole and can't fall off thanks to stoppers on each end. Flip it over and do it again. A great self-contained toy for this age. 12+ months. Find it at Target or Fat Brain Toys.
Buckle Toys
These come in various shapes, but they all include buckles that can be clipped and unclipped — a surprisingly engaging activity that also builds fine motor skills. Know your kid here: there's a fine line between focused and frustrated with toys like these. 12+ months.
Mobi Zippee
A silicone activity toy with textured cords that make a satisfying (not-too-loud) sound when pulled side to side. It feels slightly destructive, which this age group absolutely loves. 12+ months. Find it at Macy's.
Toddler travel toys: 2–4 years
My First Crayola Double Doodle Board
One side has a gel surface for mess-free tactile doodling; the other has a reusable drawing surface with washable crayons included. A great alternative to lugging an entire coloring book collection. 2+ years. Find it at Target.
Amazon Fire Kids Tablet
If you're okay with screen time, download a few favorite videos on this sturdy tablet ahead of time and pair it with headphones. Two great starter apps: Peekaboo Barn and Baby's Musical Hands. 2+ years.
Safe Volume Headphones
A simple, affordable pair of kid-specific headphones that cover all the bases. The volume caps at 85dB to protect growing ears and the 4 ft. 3.5mm cord connects to just about any device you're traveling with. Find them at Target.
Genuine Fred Match UP Memory Snack Tray
A snack container that doubles as a memory match game — honestly, a stroke of genius. Older toddlers will love making a game out of snack time, and it might actually make the food last longer than 90 seconds. If you'd rather have a straight snack container, the melii Snackle Box is our go-to. 3+ years.
Water Wow Books
Fill the "paintbrush" with water and reveal the hidden pictures underneath – no mess, reusable, and available in lots of themes. 3+ years. Find them at Target.
Window Clings
Grab some themed window clings and let your kid go to town on the airplane window (you'll need to give them the window seat). Use them to make up different scenes and stories to mix things up. 3+ years.
Sticker Books
Sticker books are a reliable hit across a wide age range. We like the Melissa & Doug options because the books are compact and the sticker pages let kids create different scenes. Just keep an eye out — those stickers have a way of ending up on nearby passengers. 4+ years. Find them at Target.
Painter's Tape and Post-it Notes
A cheap, easy hack for toddlers who are really into peeling things (you know the type). Both are great for stick-and-go activities. Just supervise closely — eating a ball of tape on a transatlantic flight is a story nobody wants to tell — and make sure everything is cleaned up before you land so the flight crew doesn't have to deal with it.
Shop all recommended travel toys on ShopMy →
Ready for takeoff
Most parents would probably agree that flying with busy babies isn’t for the faint of heart. However, coming prepared with novel activities, toys and snacks is a great way to stave off hunger and boredom, which we all know is a no bueno combo at the best of times.
With your Mary Poppins bag full of tricks and the universe on your side, you may just luck out and have your baby fall asleep after takeoff, but just in case you don’t, you can consider yourself ready to take on the skies.
Also check out: Tips for Flying with a Baby (Free Packing Checklist)
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through my links I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Pregnant Chicken – it keeps the lights on and supports our free content. Updated May 2026.
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