Traveling with small children can be so rewarding, yet many parents get nervous about the prospect of flying with a baby or toddler. I get it… even though I had frequently traveled with my children, I was still nervous before many flights with our small kids. I didn’t want to be one of “those parents” with a crying baby on the flight or having our toddler run up and down the aisles.
Given this natural fear, I get a lot of questions from my readers about how to entertain a baby on a plane and the best airplane activities for a 1 year old or toddler.
You’ve come to the right place. The following recommendations for entertaining a baby on a plane or plane activities for 1 year old, come from my real-life experience flying with our babies and toddlers. Whether it was a short-haul domestic flight, a long haul flight to Europe or an overnight flight to Asia, I’ve been in your shoes before and I am here to help.
In this post, I share my favorite airplane activities for little ones, starting with flying with an infant, working my way up to flying with a toddler. I confidently recommend these plane activities to you as I’ve seen first-hand that they work.
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Are you nervous about your first flight with a baby? I was too! I can help make your travel day easier with my tips for flying with a baby.
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How to Entertain a Baby on a Plane
In this section, I begin with how to entertain a baby on a plane, starting with simple recommendations for flying with an infant, all the way up to activities for a 1 year old on a plane.
Best Infant Travel Toys (0 to 3 Months Old)
In my experience, the best time to start traveling with your children is when they are infants. Traveling with an infant is so easy since they spend most of their time eating and sleeping. Flying with an infant is likely to be one of the easiest flights you’ll take with your baby.
When you fly with an infant who is between 0 to 3 months old, you really don’t need to worry about bringing any infant travel toys or books. Chances are good that your time flying with an infant will be spent cycling between feeding and watching them sleep on the plane.
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Before your trip, check out my best baby gear for travel as well as my best tips for getting your baby to sleep on vacation.
Best Travel Toys for Infants (3 to 6 Months Old)
At 3 to 6 months old, flying with your baby may still (hopefully) mean a lot of sleeping, but your baby may start taking more of an interest in a few simple travel toys as well.
Due to their rapidly expanding curiosity, your baby will likely be entertained enough by everything around her on the plane – the seatbelt, the window, fellow passengers, empty plastic cups, etc. But, just in case, it never hurts to have a few baby plane activities in your carry-on.
1. Colorful Texture Toys
I like Lamaze clip toys for flights because they cannot roll to the back of the plane. Muffin has crinkles, a squeaker and soft antlers so it covers a lot of sensory needs for 3–6 month babies riding on your lap or in a carrier.
- Clips to stroller, car seat or plane bassinet
- Multiple textures, crinkles and a squeaker
- Soft antlers work as an early teether
- Trusted brand
- Bulky compared to flat toys
- Wash/dry before putting in baby’s mouth
This cute developmental bumpy ball engages babies during flights with its vibrant colors, varied textures, and gentle rattle sounds, promoting sensory exploration and motor skill development.
- Designed with high contrast colors
- Easy to hold on a plane seat
- Rattle is quiet enough for travel
- A bit bulky in diaper bags
- Fabric can stain so wipe it after flights
2. Teething Toys or Necklaces
I like a mitten teether for babies who drop everything on the plane. This Socub one is soft silicone, BPA free and shaped so they can chew either side while you hold them.
- Stays on the baby so it does not fall on the floor
- Food grade silicone, BPA and phthalate free
- Sized for 0–6 months so good for very young flyers
- Inexpensive backup toy
- Needs supervising so baby does not keep it on while sleeping
- Single purpose compared to multi-sensory toys
My babies loved my teething necklaces! I like this LittleLamb necklace because it is a single molded piece of food-grade silicone with no beads or small parts, which reduces breakage risk when baby grabs during feeds or on flights. It has an adjustable cord, easy hand wash, and a simple look that works with travel outfits. Use only while you are holding baby.
- One-piece silicone design with no loose beads
- Adjustable length for a better fit when babywearing
- Food-grade silicone that wipes clean quickly
- Not as dressy as bead necklaces
3. Interactive Board Books
I’ve learned that reading to your child is the single best way to keep a baby entertained on a plane.
One of my kids' favorite board books, Where Is Baby's Belly Button? is an interactive lift-the-flap board book that encourages them to discover hidden body parts, promoting both entertainment and learning.
- Very small and travel friendly
- Engaging lift-the-flap format
- Flaps can tear if baby chews on them
The perfect sensory book for your baby's first flight! Amazing Airplane is a touch-and-feel board book that allows them to explore various textures while learning about airplanes.
- Airplane specific which parents love for flights
- Touch-and-feel elements for sensory play
- Short so you can read it before takeoff
- Slightly thicker than a flat board book
- Textures need wiping after flights
Already have these excellent board books? Find a new favorite for your baby on the baby board books best sellers list.
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If you’d like more inspiration for airplane activities for your infant, check out my recommended travel toys for babies.
Best Plane Activities for Babies (6 Months to 1 Year Old)
If you are worried about how to how to entertain a 1 year old on a plane, you can relax as this age is pretty easy. I found when traveling with a baby between 6 months and up to 1 year old, they were mostly interested in playing with all the new & exciting the stuff on the plane.
In all likelihood, your baby will be similar and will be most interested in their surroundings on the plane, like the safety card, the seat buckle and the window shade. Throw in the empty plastic airplane beverage cup and spoon and you’ve just found the best plane activities for your 9 month old without having to pack them!
At this age, other passengers can be pretty exciting too. Most people love babies (yes, even on airplanes), so finding fellow passenger to play peek-a-boo through the seats is a great way to entertain your baby on a plane. When the novelty of this airplane game wears off, take your child for several “walks” down the aisle.
One of my best tips for traveling with a baby is to use snacks as a way to entertain your baby on a plane. I always bring airplane snacks that work on fine motor skills, thus taking a long time to eat, like Cheerios or Gerber Puffs. Spill-proof toddler snack containers are a lifesaver when flying with a baby!
1. Activity Balls
One of my most successful airplane activities for a 1 year old was an activity ball. I loved how this baby toy could hold my baby’s attention on the plane for a long time. It would also make a great travel toy for road trips with a baby. If you have the room in your travel diaper backpack, this activity ball is a great travel toy to entertain your baby on the plane.
- Easy to grasp with both hands
- Quiet rattle suitable for public spaces
- Fridge-safe for teething comfort
- Longtime parent favorite
- Open loops can collect lint if stored loosely
- Light and durable
- Quiet enough for flights
- Multiple textures for grasping
- Budget price point
- Larger than pocket toys
2. Sensory Toys
Similar to the activity balls, these amazing sensory toys are designed to capture your babies attention, all while promoting sensory exploration and fine motor skills development!
- 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
- 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
Bring along a couple of fun travel themed board books and you should be all set with your 1 year old plane activities.
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For even more fun ideas to entertain your baby on the plane, check out my favorite travel toys for 1-year olds.
How to Entertain a Toddler on a Plane
It should come as no surprise that traveling with a toddler on a plane is completely different than traveling with a baby on a plane. The more mobile your little one gets, the more time you’ll spend entertaining your toddler on the plane.
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Hoping your toddler will sleep on the flight? Check out my recommended inflatable airplane travel beds for toddlers.
The key to ‘surviving’ a flight with a toddler is to have a good variety of airplane activities for your toddler to cycle through. I don’t mean that you need to completely fill your carry-on bags with toddler toys, but just make sure you strategize about your airplane activities for your toddler, and make sure they easily accessible during your flight.
In this section, I cover the two main stages of flying with a toddler:
- Activities for a 1 year old on a plane, and
- Airplane activities for an 18 month old.
Best Toddler Airplane Activities (1 Year to 18 Months Old)
Having flown with babies and toddlers of all ages, I can tell you the most intimidating age to fly with a toddler is between 1 year old and 18 months old, especially if it’s a long haul flight.
At 12 – 18 months old, their attention span is still pretty short, yet they are very active. My Flying with a Toddler post has all my best tips for flying with a toddler, including getting your toddler to sleep on the plane.
So how do you keep an 18 month old entertained on a plane? Thankfully, the plane and all the passengers on it are still going to be quite a novelty and will definitely help entertain your toddler on the plane. Taking many trips up and down the aisle and playing with everything around are great airplane activities for 18 month olds.
In my experience, the best travel toys for toddlers on airplanes are simple toys that are going to be easy to put away and take back out because you’ll be doing a lot of that.
1. Snacks Which Require Motor Skills
I’ve found there are two good reasons to feed your toddler plenty of toddler airplane snacks. Not only will snack time provide a time-killing activity, it will also help stave off a hangry toddler during the flight.
The best snacks for toddlers on the plane are ones that take require simple motor skills and longer to eat, like Cheerios served in a spill-proof snack container.
2. Reading to your Toddler
Reading to my children has always been a big part of our family time and we like to make sure it continues when we travel. Books with plenty of pictures that you can talk about are an excellent way to entertain a toddler on a long flight.
- Padded cover for travel durability
- Real photos keep attention
- Compact size for carry-on
- Broad vocabulary for daily items
- Heavier than soft books
3. A Good Selection of Small Travel Toys
Books and snacks are a great way to entertain an 18 month old on a plane, but you’ll also want to pack a healthy selection of small toddler travel toys as well. My recommendations below are based on my actual favorite toddler plane activities from our family flights with kids aged 1 year to 18 months.
- 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)
Finger puppets are tiny, light, and perfect for peekaboo stories in the air. This 10-pack covers classic animals, slips into any pocket, and keeps a 1-year-old smiling without screens or noise.
- Very compact and lightweight
- Multiple animals for simple stories
- Soft texture engages curious hands
- Great value as a set
- Small pieces require supervision
- Fabric can pill with heavy use
- Reusable and residue free
- Perfect for airplane windows
- Compact and lightweight
- Variety of themes available
- Pieces can fall or get lost
- Not ideal on textured surfaces
4. Coloring and Activity Books
One of my all-time favorite toddler travel toys, these mess-free coloring pads keep kids entertained without spills or stains. Each spiral-bound pad includes four reusable pages and a refillable water pen that reveals bright colors with every stroke. Once dry, the pages reset, making this a perfect choice for airplanes, restaurants, and road trips.
- 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
Hands down, My First Big Book of Coloring was the best toddler coloring book we've ever owned. The pictures are big, simple and super fun for toddlers!
- Almost 200 pages for long trips
- Large images suit new colorers
- Low cost and easy to replace
- Pairs well with triangle crayons
- Not mess free like Water Wow
- Heavier than a small pad
It’s the perfect way to prepare your toddler for their first flight while keeping them happily entertained along the journey. Designed by Celine Brewer, from BabyCanTravel.com, a travel-loving parent who knows what works on real trips.
- Eases first flight jitters
- Simple pictures for little hands
- Pairs with crayons and sticker books
- Great gift add-on for trips
- Paper books are not reusable
- Non-roll design is perfect for planes
- Hard plastic resists breaking
- Comes in a travel friendly case
- Age 3 plus per manufacturer
5. Simple Apps
I also like to include very simple apps in my arsenal of toddler airplane activities. I introduced our toddler to a few simple, yet engaging apps between 1 year and 18 months of age.
Like all travel toys for toddlers, these toddler apps don’t hold attention for long but it’s nice to have “easy to pack” distractions to rotate through.
A fun way to learn barn animals, Peekaboo Barn simply requires your toddler to tap (or whack) the screen on your device.
- Simple cause-and-effect play
- Recognizable animal sounds
- No ads and child-friendly
- Pairs well with finger puppets
- Requires supervised use
This long-time favorite lets toddlers tap anywhere to make gentle sounds. If we use it in flight, I keep volume very low so it stays considerate of nearby passengers.
- Tap-anywhere design suits 1-year-olds
- Instant feedback keeps focus
- Works offline once installed
- Very low learning curve
- Screen time still needs limits
Best Airplane Activities for Toddlers (18 Months to 2 Years Old)
When traveling with toddlers between 18 months and 2 years, you’ll find their attention span for watching short cartoons will start to appear. This is good news for flying with a 2-year old as you can get a break every now and then! If you start to give your child some in-flight screen time, don’t forget to pack volume-limiting toddler headphones for flying.
To keep your toddler entertained on the flight, here are the best airplane toys for toddlers aged 18 months to 2 years. I recommend these through experience as they have helped us get through many long-haul flights.
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If you are planning a family road trip, these travel toys for the airplane also make great road trip activities for toddlers.
1. Classic Toddler Toys for Airplanes
Although the development of a typical 18 to 24 month old toddler is remarkably different than a 1 year old, many of the airplane toys I recommended above are still excellent for this age group. I especially recommend buckle toys, finger puppets and Melissa & Doug Water Wow! activity books for toddlers up to 2 years old.
In addition to the classics mentioned above, here are a few fun progressions for 18 to 24 month old plane activities:
- Truly mess free ink
- Built-in storage folder
- Brand trust and easy refills
- Strong character appeal
- Refills use proprietary paper
- Reusable stickers with bright scenes
- Flat and lightweight for suitcases
- Great screen free activity for hotels
- Encourages creativity and storytelling
- Easy cleanup and no mess
- Too large for airplane tray tables
2. Toddler Books
The benefits of reading to your children are countless. The big benefit of reading to your toddler on the flight is that a good book will engage them and keep them occupied for a long period of time. A good trick I’ve used is to bring a selection of their current favorites, and surprise them with some new toddler books.
Like most, my toddlers couldn't get enough of Brown Bear. This is one of the strongest read-alouds for 18 - 24 months. The rhythm keeps wiggly toddlers engaged, the pictures are bold for pointing and labeling, and the board pages hold up in a carry-on. I like it for pre-nap flights because the predictable pattern helps calm little travelers.
- Rhyming pattern encourages participation
- Large high-contrast art for pointing and naming
- Durable board format for travel
- Fits many toddler attention spans
- Repetition may feel long if read many times in a row
Another of our favorites, my toddlers loved lifting the sturdy flaps to reveal each animal. At 18 - 24 months the short sentences, predictable refrain, and simple pictures work beautifully in a cramped seat. I pack it for quick, interactive reading before takeoff and landing.
- Interactive flaps keep little hands busy
- Very short pages suited to quick reads
- Simple art makes naming animals easy
- Beloved classic
- Flaps can tear if a toddler chews or yanks
This is the bedtime classic I still recommend for 18 - 24 months. The gentle rhythm and simple pictures calm wiggly toddlers before takeoff or naps on the go, and the sturdy board format survives carry-ons and hotel nights. I pack it when I want a reliable wind-down read on travel days.
- Calming, predictable rhymes that suit bedtime routines
- Durable board pages for travel bags
- Compact trim size that fits a small pouch
- Beloved classic parents enjoy re-reading
- Repetition can feel long if you read it multiple times in a row
I like this one for flight days because it mirrors what toddlers will actually see at the terminal and on the runway. The labeled pictures and short text are easy to share in a cramped seat, and it helps reduce surprises by walking through airport steps in a friendly way.
- Clear airport scenes that prepare toddlers for real steps
- Short text works for quick reads during boarding
- Classic Scarry style that invites pointing and labeling
- Paperback can bend, so stash it in a slim folder
3. Little Baby Bum Videos
Our kids LOVED the Little Baby Bum videos at this age. With over 47 billion worldwide views on YouTube, it seems they have captivated a few other kids as well.
Little Baby Bum videos are colorful, entertaining and educational, and I found it truly incredible for how long it would hold their attention. There’s a wide selection of Little Baby Bum videos on their YouTube channel, but if you are not a YouTube Premium member, you can still download videos to watch on the plane on Amazon Prime Video .
4. Toddler Friendly Apps for Flights
For each new flight with our toddlers, I would continue to add new toddler-friendly apps to my list of airplane activities. I would always do a test run with them at home prior to our flight to make sure our toddler was capable of playing them and enjoyed them.
Again, no single app held my toddler’s attention for very long, but having several apps allowed my toddler to flip between them.
Some of my favorite apps for entertaining toddlers on a plane were:
Sago Mini apps were my toddlers’ favorite apps of all time. Sago Mini World bundles dozens of gentle, creative games with no ads, simple controls, and lots of pretend play. You can download packs for offline flights and hand over quick, low-stress screen time at the gate or in the air.
- Offline downloads are perfect for flights
- Open ended play that suits short attention spans
- No ads or surprise pop ups
- Great for creative, pretend play on the go
- Subscription required after the trial
I'd let my kids play this super cute little app close to when I wanted them to sleep on the flight. This fun app lets kids say goodnight to all the animals. I found it a perfect transition into sleep time for my toddlers.
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If you don’t love the idea of using apps for a child this young, check out my favorite screen-free travel toys for toddlers! For even more ideas, don’t miss my favorite travel toys for a 2-year old!
Airplane Activities for Kids over 2 Years
As your little toddler begins to transition into a preschooler, they will get much easier to entertain on the plane. Flying with a 3 year old is easier than flying with a 2 year old, as their attention span allows them to watch a movie (or chunks of it at a time).
For some fun ideas on how to entertain a child over 2 years old on a flight, check out my post on my favorite travel toys for a 3-year old.
Toddler Travel Packs
As you can see, there’s a healthy amount of baby and toddler airplane entertainment options. Rather than do all the individual shopping for the above toddler activities, you can make your life easy with KeepEmQuiet activity packs. Each activity pack is a curated selection of screen-free entertainment tailored to a child’s age and interests.
Easy Inflight Entertainment for Parents
I love watching movies to pass the time on flights, but as a new parent, I found it hard to focus on a movie and watch my sleeping infant at the same time. On our family flights, I found that listening to an audio book was the perfect solution to keep me entertained while watching my baby sleep during the flight.
Your upcoming family trip is the ideal time to sign up for a free 30-day trial of Audible Premium Plus. You’ll get a free audiobook which you can keep even if you cancel the free trial after your trip. If you don’t wish to keep Audible, simple cancel your free trial when you get home from your trip!
I hope my personal recommendations for the best airplane activities for babies and toddlers helps make your upcoming flight a lot smoother. You’ve got this!
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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.