Perhaps you are already dreading being stuck on an airplane for hours with a 1 year old. I’m going to be completely honest, I found this to be one of the most challenging ages to fly with. That being said, being prepared and having some travel toys for 1 year olds will go a long way.
The thing is, young toddlers who are around 12 to 18 months old are mobile and want to explore EVERYTHING! Not exactly conducive to being confined to a seat on an airplane. I don’t say this to scare you, but rather to prepare you for flying with toddlers.
I’ve always said that some practical tips and setting expectations will make flying with a 1 year old much easier. Plan to be entertaining your toddler the entire time. Plan to be skipping from activity to activity. And most importantly, be prepared with a multitude of activities and ways to entertain your 1 year old on the plane.
This includes packing some of my recommended airplane travel toys, having plenty of snacks and even having a few age appropriate iPad games to play.
At this age, your toddler may struggle to pick up very small objects, but larger blocks, switches, knobs and buttons will be very interesting. Also scribbling and painting is a good way to occupy your toddler for small amounts of time.
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It can be very intimidating flying with a one year old. I have plenty of experience with this and have shared all my best tips for flying with a toddler.
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Why Do I Need Travel Toys for my 1 Year Old?
Before we get into my list of the best travel toys for 1 year olds, let’s look at why you should have at least a few options with you on your family flight…
If your toddler isn’t the best behaved on your family flight, don’t let yourself get too stressed about other passengers. Toddlers are not developmentally capable of sitting in silence or engaging in activities like coloring, drawing or reading for very long durations. They are wired to want to explore and touch everything, which is why we recommend choosing a few favorite travel toys for one year olds.
You can expect your toddler to be more interested in the things around them like plastic cups, bottles, airplane seat belts and tray tables – and only for really short periods too.
After all that playing, hopefully your toddler will settle into a comfy toddler airplane bed for a rest and you’ll get some downtime too!
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If your family trip involves a long flight, I highly recommend getting a toddler airplane bed. They are one of my all-time favorite toddler travel essentials. I’ve tried many models and have shared my recommended toddler airplane beds.
When it is time to play, the best travel toys for one year olds are mess-free, lightweight, and easily-packable into your backpack diaper bag or your toddlers travel backpack.
My Recommended Travel Toys for 1 year olds
In this post, I’ll go over some of the best toys for travel with 1 year olds. Based on my real-life experiences flying with a toddler, these are toys which will keep your child busy during a long flight or car ride. In the subsequent section, I’ll conclude with some of my favorite books for 1 year olds that are perfect for on-the-go reading.
- Bright colors and soft design appeal to little ones
- Six buckle styles build fine-motor skills
- Clips to bags, car seats, or strollers for on-the-go play
- Durable stitching and quality fabric stand up to travel
- Some buckles may be challenging for younger toddlers
- Surface clean only (no machine wash)
- Reusable pages extend play
- Easy to pack
- Great for planes restaurants and hotel downtime
- Widely available themes and bundles
- Pages need drying time between uses
- Water pen can be misplaced without supervision
Feeding a 1-year old a snack which requires fine motor skills (Cheerios, etc.) is one of the best & easiest ways to entertain toddlers on airplanes! Plus, a well-fed toddler is more likely to be a happy toddler.
- Keeps snacks contained without spills
- Encourages fine motor skills while eating
- Fits most stroller and car seat cup holders
- Top rack dishwasher safe for easy cleanup
- Budget friendly 2 pack
- Not leakproof for liquids
- Flaps can collect crumbs if not cleaned promptly
- Compact and durable for carry-ons
- Food-grade silicone bubbles
- No batteries or noise on flights
- Easy to wipe between connections
- Single activity may bore older toddlers
- Zip case contains pieces
- Quiet tactile play
- Durable fabrics
- Several pieces to track
These silicone spinners stick to plane windows, tray tables, or high chairs and spin smoothly for a long, quiet fidget. They provide 1-year olds with captivating visual and tactile stimulation during flights.
- Strong suction on smooth surfaces
- Quiet spin for flights
- BPA-free silicone
- Easy to clean between uses
- Suction weakens on textured plastics
- Bulky compared to flat fidgets
One of our first family travel traditions was buying our little ones a new DUPLO set for each trip.
This Classic DUPLO train was one of the best - it comes with 10 number bricks that toddlers can load, stack, and sort. Great for quiet hotel play and learning colors and counting after a long travel day.
- Large pieces for little hands
- Educational counting and colors
- Durable and long lasting
- Recognizable brand
- Not ideal for airplane seats due to loose pieces
- Takes more bag space than flat toys
I love versatile 1-year old travel toys which pack down nice and small. Toddlers can choose to stack the brightly colored cups, turn them over and hide things underneath them or find their own creative way to play with them.
- Food-grade silicone and BPA-free
- Nest to save space in carry-ons
- Work for water play in hotels
- Wipe clean quickly
- Not magnetic or self-contained
Your 1-year old will love playing with this cute little hedgehog. With 6 different gadgets to spin, twist and more, your toddler will love working on her fine motor skills!
- Fine-motor practice without noise
- Pieces store inside the shell
- Multiple versions for variety
- Durable classroom-grade plastic
- Not ideal for flights with very small trays
- Loose quills can drop under seats
These ring-bound flash cards are sturdy, colorful, and quiet for airplanes. I clip them to a bag so my toddler can flip and name pictures while we wait or ride.
- Sturdy cards on a ring
- Quiet and screen-free
- Easy to share between siblings
- Compact for diaper bags
- Cards can bend if packed loose
- Not wipe-clean like plastic cards
I use these fold-and-go sticker scenes for quiet time in hotels and restaurants. The stickers are reusable on the glossy scenes and the carry handle makes it easy to pack in a day bag.
- Reusable stickers reduce waste
- Built-in handle for travel
- Multiple themes for rotation
- Encourages storytelling play
- Sticker edges can crease over time
Create endless entertainment for your child with these cute animal finger puppets. This interactive play will not only entertain your 1-year old during your flight, but it also fosters creativity and fine motor skills.
- Durable, washable fabrics
- Adult fit for parent-led stories
- Strong brand trust and support
- Multiple themed sets to rotate
- Larger than tiny finger puppets
- Bulkier in a purse or small sling
These 1-year old travel toys are perfect for entertaining little ones on a flight. Simply sit your child next to the window and let them stick these reusable, flexible gel clings to the window, then pull them off again!
- Reusable and mess-free on smooth glass
- Great for fine motor placement
- Entertains during taxi and cruise
- Packs flat in a zip bag
- Parent supervision required due to mouthing
- Can lose stick if dusty or oily
Toddler Books for Travel
Most parents want something to help toddlers feel relaxed, safe, and comforted during long flights and while on vacation, nothing beats a book for this! A familiar book can help maintain your toddler’s naptime and bedtime routines even in challenging places like airplanes, (because let’s face it, getting toddlers to sleep on a plane is no joke)!
Just get your toddler into pj’s, grab a good book and you’ll be ready to start mastering the technique of coaxing your toddler to sleep no matter where you are. Reading to toddlers also helps them develop better vocabulary, listening skills and communication skills among many other benefits, so there is no reason not to continue this on your travels!
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Reading is an important strategy for bedtime on a plane. Don’t miss the rest of my tips for getting toddlers to sleep on a plane.
Listed below are some fun books for 1 year olds to help get your toddler book library going and make excellent companions to your airplane travel toys for your 1 year old.
I like Indestructibles for flights because they weigh almost nothing, survive chewing and spills, and wipe clean fast. This edition introduces colors in simple, high-contrast art that works for one-year-olds during takeoff, hotels and bedtime routines on the go.
- Ultra light and packable
- Child safe materials and washable
- Chew proof and rip proof
- Great for quick airplane reads
- No flaps or moving parts
- Shorter read for older toddlers
The First 100 Words book was a huge hit in our house! I can't overstate the role it had in our kids learning their first words.
- Padded cover for travel durability
- Real photos keep attention
- Compact size for carry-on
- Broad vocabulary for daily items
- Heavier than soft books
For quiet time on planes and in restaurants, I value washable cloth books with simple tasks. This one lets toddlers help Dolly pick outfits and the removable doll doubles as a tiny soft toy so you get two activities in one travel-friendly package.
- Machine washable for easy cleanup
- Removable doll adds replay value
- Soft and quiet for flights
- Simple fine-motor practice
- Bulkier than paperbacks
- Fewer pages than board books
I like this one for travel days because the tethered bee will not get lost under airplane seats and the 7-inch square size fits a diaper bag. The sensory textures and peek-through holes give 1 year olds something to touch during waits without loud pieces.
- Tethered toy avoids drops on planes
- Sensory textures for busy hands
- Travel-friendly 7 x 7 inch size
- Surface clean only
- Shorter storyline
Travel Toys For Other Age Groups
As there is often overlap between age groups, I encourage you to take a read through my posts on the best baby travel toys and best travel toys for 2 year olds, as you might find some of these are also well suited to your 1 year old. You also will find some of our screen-free toddler travel toys make perfect travel toys for one year olds.
Finally, if you want some suggestions for apps for young toddlers, we’ve shared our favorites in our airplane activities for toddlers and don’t forget to practice using toddler headphones before the flight!
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This post was written & edited by:
Celine Brewer is the owner of Baby Can Travel. Not only does she have years of experience traveling with babies & toddlers, but she's helped millions of new parents travel with their babies and toddlers for over a decade. In addition to writing on her baby travel blog, she has shared her expertise on traveling with a baby or toddler by contributing to articles about traveling with a baby with the Washington Post, USA Today, the Lonely Planet magazine and Pregnancy & Newborn magazine.
Celine also writes about family travel on the site FamilyCanTravel.com, which she co-owns with her husband. Being from the Canadian Rockies, she shares her passion about her home and travel to Banff National Park and area on their site TravelBanffCanada.com.