Traveling with a toddler is the most difficult age for entertaining kids. That being said, we never postpone a trip because we have a toddler, we just have to prepare.
I flew once or twice with my oldest but really started flying a lot when my second was 8 months old. She flew a couple of times a month through her toddler years. My 3rd child flew 100s of times through her toddler years. Now my youngest (4th baby) is 16 months old. She has been on 46 flights already in her life, including to Paris. She is an active, busy, curious, passionate kid. Flying with a toddler can be challenging, especially since I have 3 other kids to help, too! But traveling with a toddler doesn’t have to be difficult.
The good news is that toddlers can be entertained without spending a thing. Most of these items are already laying around your house. Just throw them in the diaper bag and you’ll be ready to entertain the littlest one for hours on end.
If this isn’t enough ideas, read 50 Toddler Travel Toys
1. Puffballs in a disposable container
This is always my go-to toddler toy. Cut a circular hole in a lid. I like the see-through container, but it doesn’t have to be. Fill with craft pompom balls. Empty and repeat. My kids do this for at least 15 minutes in a row!
2. Bandages
Have the kid help you open the package and then stick on any ‘owie’ on their body or clothing.
3. Stickers
Use on the seatback tray or window or seat. stick on your face, hands or clothing. Your child will delight in unsticking them from you.
4. Clothespins
Pin clothespin on your child’s clothing or on your own, as well as in locations on the plane or hotel room. They will love to pull them off and attempt to clip them on themselves.
5. Toothpicks in holder
Dump toothpicks out of the holder. Babies will develop fine motor skills as they try to put the toothpicks back into the hole. Flat toothpicks are safer than the sharp round kind.
6. Milk lids
This is the same concept as the craft pompom container, but the different shape gives kids a new challenge. Cut a rectangular slit in the lid of a container. Save milk jug lids until you have a variety. Let toddler practice turning the lid just right to slide it in the hole. 
7. Find the binky
My babies love their binky. Even if your baby doesn’t, any toddler can enjoy chewing or sucking on a binky on a plane to ease ear discomfort and appease their oral sensory needs. Hide the binky (or any treasured small item) in the free sickness bag provided in the seatback pocket. Wrap it up and let your child find it.
8. Headphones and music
My baby won’t keep headphones on long, but for a minute or two she will smile and laugh at the tunes. It’s enough to change the constant white noise of the plane.
9. Paperback books from kids meals
I don’t travel with big bulky board books, but the lightweight paperback you get at Chick-fil-a or sonic are perfect for travel times. Read each page slowly and point to everything you can see. This is a perfect time to take things slow with your toddler.
10. Phone
Load some toddler-friendly games onto your phone for easy entertainment. Taking selfies or showing old photos are a favorite activity for my kids.
11. Egg carton
Put a snack in each compartment of an egg carton. Opening and closing the lid can be wildly entertaining (especially if you can sneak the food out so it looks like it disappeared. If you have an older toddler, they can sort puff balls or goldfish by color in the compartment.
12. Stacking cups with snacks
Bring a stack of little dixie cups. Put a goldfish or raisin in each cup and stack them up. Let baby discover each snack one at a time.
13. Water play in Bathroom
We usually take a break on the plane to play in the water (i.e wash our hands) in the bathroom when traveling with a toddler. The sink, faucet, and plug are bound to entertain baby for a little while.
14. Bubbles
Tiny bubbles in a little bottle that you get as birthday party favors are perfect to blow in an airport while waiting. Bubbles are so easy to do and so entertaining. 
15. Ice
After you finish your drink, let your toddler play with the ice, moving it from cup to cup. This keeps their hands cleaned and busy! If they drop one, no worries it will just melt away!
16. Zippers 
Can your baby’s outfit be entertaining? My baby unzipped and zipped herself for 10 minutes in this romper. Try the zippers on the backpack, diaper bag, busy book or jackets.
17. Jewelry
Any Jewelry you are wearing can also be used for its entertainment value. All my babies played with my husband’s wedding ring. They love when he would hide it in his hands and make them guess where it is.
If need more ideas for how to entertain a toddler read 50 Toddler Travel Toys.
How else do you amuse your little one inexpensively while you are traveling with a toddler? Please share any go-to toys in the comments below. Good luck on your trip!
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20 Comments
These are all great ideas! It’s funny how the simplest things can keep small children entertained for hours. A favorite DIY travel toy that our children loved was an empty parmesan cheese container filled with short pieces of multi-color pipe cleaners. My toddlers would play with that for hours. They could shake it, they could pour it out and feed the pipe cleaners back through the shaker holes, or they could bend/mold the pipe cleaners.
oh!! Im making that today! Great idea!
Those are some great suggestions and some new ones that I have not heard of before. And holy moly – 46 flights at 16 months old!! What lucky children to travel the world!!
haha these are so great. Puff balls and find the binky are my faves
I have a one year old, and I can see her enjoying many of these!
What a great list for filling those emergency moments. I have passed this stage but I’m definitely going to pass this list on to my SIL.
My daughter would love the bubbles and the stickers!
LOL, parents have to get creative! Kids are like cats — anything can turn into a toy 🙂
Such simple yet awesome ideas! It shows that you can find inexpensive ways to entertain kids.
What fun ideas! As a childless traveler, I thank you for keeping your little one happy and busy. Everyone on the plane has a better experience when the kids are content. 🙂
This looks like so much fun for kids!
I will be traveling with two toddlers this year so I will definitely be using your suggestions.
Toddlers are so easy to entertain! I love how they can make a toy out of almost everything!
Love your ideas! Sometimes it is the simplest of things that keep a little one occupied, and I think you’ve found just about all of them.
I love super cheap baby and toddler toys. Word to the wise: toothpicks can be great fun for super little ones but please supervise them extra closely if that’s their toy of choice! One of my kids discovered as a toddler that shoving things in their ears was a riot.
oh wow! My kids have never done that! Good tip!
This would have been a great list to have when my kids were toddlers! Luckily you don’t have to spend a bunch of money to entertain toddlers. Not so much when their teens and tweens, like mine. 🙂
Love the pom pom and milk carton lid ideas! So simple and easy, but great for little hands to hold, carry, and play with.
My kids always loved boxes. Any boxes. Small. Big. Who cares. They were fascinated. And my keys. Just be sure you’re not anywhere you might have to go diving for them when they inevitably throw them off a dock in Maine. That may have happened. 😐
oh no! That would totally happen to me! Sometimes I hand them anything to keep them happy! I was sure my husband would lose his wedding ring! A small box might be perfect on a plane!