These 20 Travel Activities To Keep Kids Busy are kid-tested (and parent approved) ways to bust boredom when your kids have to sit in one spot during travel. From airplanes to cars to buses kids can get restless being stuck in their seats so check out these ideas on keeping kids busy while you travel…
20 Travel Activities To Keep Kids Busy
- Movies. I know – we so often look for screen-free entertainment for our kids. But during travel – it’s ok to break the rules for a bit right? Airplanes have screens right in the seats. And tablets are easy to back in your bag. Personally, I go the portable dvd route for car rides (more equipment I know – but when the movie is over I can easily say “that’s it”).
- Travel bingo. Engaging. Focused. You can make up your own sheets easily (Word has a FREE Bingo template you can customize)
- Books. As long as your kids don’t get car sick.
- Cookie sheet. Sounds crazy but cookie sheets are great travel desks. Flat. Easy to store.
- Cars. Kids can drive them around the cookie sheets.
- Empty Altoids container and magnets. The magnets will stick to the altoids container. Plus, it’s storage. For older kids, you can get magnet words to make stories.
- Pencil cases. Great for organizing small play stuff (like mini figures).
- Activity ziplock bags. Bring out a different ziplock bag for every hour you travel.
- Colouring pages and markers. see activity ziplock bags – also works with cookie sheet travel desk.
- Foam shapes. Pop them in. Pop them out.
- Drawing boards. not sponsored – my kids love boogie boards and I recommend.
- Slinky. again not sponsored – just a good have-in-your-hands toy
- Puzzle. e.g. rubik’s cube
- Story dice. or picture dice where the kids can invent stories – again works with cookie sheet desk
- Snacks. Because snacks kill time.
- Mini figures. I always have a few in my bag as kid boredom busters.
- Hand puppets. Make your own with socks.
- Music. From Wheels on the Bus to Justin Beiber to DJ Snack and Lil Jon music entertains the masses.
- Eye spy. Gets you looking out the window.
- Animal figures. From dinosaurs to little pets – open play is good for travel.
Related: SCREEN FREE TRAVEL ACTIVITIES
Of these 20 Travel Activities To Keep Kids Busy – I have actually used all 20. So trust me, these will help make family travel easier!
This is an awesome list of activities. Travel bingo always went over well with my boys!
We just went on a huge plane ride and I was totally fine with the screen time. We also played card games!
I love playing I Spy with the kids. We also download trivia apps and play that in the car. It takes time and makes us all think. SOmetimes funny stories are fun, as well
Great ideas. We’ll be taking a trip from Ohio to Florida in August with 4 children ranging in age from 1 to 8 years. I need all the tips I can get!
I am so glad my kids are older, so they don’t need to be entertained as much when we travel. I love the cookie sheet idea!
Snacks and animal figures are a couple of activities my kids can get with. My son loves making animal noises and entertaining his baby sister with them so little animal figures are perfect.
There are so many ways to keep kids busy when traveling and just when they have to wait in general! I usually pack up some paper and also play eye spy with them on long trips!
These are some great ideas. I use a lot of these when traveling as well. Kids can easily get bored, so you want to make sure you have the right stuff with you.
What a great list to have on hand ! Fun ideas !
Those are great ideas! My kids always have a few books and small toys with them when we are traveling.
When the kids were younger we used to play licence plate games. or eye spy. These are great travel activities to keep kids busy.
My kids like to color when they are syuck in the car. It is a fun way to pass the time. I will ave to get some in car games to try.
These are great travel activities for little ones. It is so much easier now to travel with tablets then it used to be with out them.My kids like to watch movies.
Kids can be so difficult on long trips! You have to keep them occupied!
I use a lot of these when traveling as well,for my sanity i have to keep them busy !
Thanks for the tips. I often find it had to entertain the kids when we are on the go I will try a few 🙂
Love these ideas!! We travel a lot with the kids so I am always trying to think of ways to change up their entertainment!
When we took our road trip last year, we depended on travel goodie bags and the DVD player. We also were sure to have plenty of snacks!
I love the idea of magnet play with altoid containers! When I was a kid I would draw for hours and hours on trips. An art kit was a must!
Wow,thats an awesome list of activities
It’s great to have lots of fun activities for the kids so they don’t get bored, magnetic games are a good choice too!!
Awesome suggestions! I love that these are pretty much things I have around my house – no need to go out and spend money!!! 🙂
A great list to help parents travelling with children. It’s not easy keeping them occupied whilst travelling so it’s handy to have some ideas. Thanks for sharing 🙂
When the boys were younger, I used to encourage them to speak to other friendly travellers (always being considerate if others did not want to engage); they used to love to fly because the flight attendants LOVED them. They would ask a lot of questions and were even allowed to enter the cock-pit a few times (before the flight took off and the doors were locked down). The loved to watch movies too…
These ideas are really good I like how easy it is to make these ideas up
As a young parent, I appreciate these suggested activities very much! Keeps my little one occupied during travel!