We always pack our baby a few of our favorite baby travel toys any time we travel whether it’s by plane, car or even for the stroller. After several trips with a baby, we’ve learned what will keep a baby’s attention and which baby travel toys aren’t worth packing. While we are certain these 30 baby travel toys will work to keep your baby entertained, we don’t expect you to pack all of them!
Just choose a few of these best toys for traveling with a baby that will easily fit in your carry-on luggage or diaper bag.
When flying with a baby, you want to pack just a few toys to distract your baby and keep her occupied for short spurts of time. For road trips with a baby, you’ll have more space so you can pack a few more. Just make sure your baby toys for car travel are safe to let your baby have in the car seat without any choking hazards.
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Best Baby Travel Toys
The best toys for traveling with a baby and keeping your baby entertained on a flight are sensory toys and will quickly become part of your baby travel essentials. Your baby is discovering the world and will be interested in toys that make noise, feel different or that shake.
Best Baby Toys for Airplanes
Here are our favorite baby toys for bringing on an airplane. These travel toys for babies on planes will keep your baby occupied and don't have any sounds to annoy other passengers.
Just make sure to attach the toys, so you aren't always picking them up off the floor! Babies love to toss toys!
Hello, Baby Animals: A High-Contrast Book
Babies aged 0-6 months will love learning through this sturdy book board that features high contrast black and white illustrations. When you read to your baby, you're helping him or her to focus their vision, improve their vocabulary and work on their listening skills, without compromising on the fun factor.
Reading books is a beautiful way to spend some quality time with your baby. Books are one of our favorite baby toys for plane travel and we are certain they will be yours too!
Indestructibles: Baby, Let's Eat! Book
The best travel toys for babies are "indestructible," and it gets extra points if its a book! "Baby, Let's Eat! Book" is made to survive drooling, chewing, flailing, ripping, crumpling, wringing, pulling, fighting, and more, and needs little more than an occasional wash, wipe and dry in the sink to keep it good as new. It comes in a size small enough to carry on the go too!
The book's colorful artwork is interesting for newborns and toddlers alike, which is why you'll also find it in our list of best travel toys for 1 year olds.
Pros
- The pages are literally indestructible! Even as an adult it is impossible to rip the pages!
- The company makes bilingual books! Each page contains Spanish and English words.
- It folds up like a piece of paper and can travel anywhere with you. It weighs almost nothing!
- They are non-toxic so they are safe for babies to put in their mouth and washable.
Visual Quiet Book for Babies
Whether you are looking for an interactive early education baby travel toy or just a soft, cute book to read to your little one, the "Visual Quiet Book" is perfect. It has lots of activities, contrasting colors, textured pages, and even sounds to capture your 0-12 month old's attention and make reading fun.
LAMAZE Peek-A-Boo Forest Baby Book
One of the best travel toys for babies over 6 months old, this book is a fun way to spend quality time with your baby when they get cranky and bored on those long plane rides.
Rhyming words to sound out, vivid drawings to catch the eye, crinkle pages to keep tiny hands busy, and peek-a-boo flaps and easy-to-turn pages to help develop motor skills make it a great tool for both learning and a good time. The 3D plush owl on the front is a hoot too! Pack this along with your travel toys for babies flight!
Silicone Teething Necklace
It's a great idea to bring along a baby teething necklace when traveling with your little one. If you are spending some time with your baby in the carrier on the flight or even while breastfeeding on the airplane, it gives your baby something to play with. You'll get plenty of use out of it while out sightseeing if you are using a baby carrier instead of a stroller.
The Lofca Teething Necklace features large silicone beads, is super cute and versatile, and has great features like adjustable length and quick release.
Little Bambam Giraffe Teether Toys
A gentle toy to calm a fussy baby, this teether makes one of the best travel toys for 8 month old babies (or any baby over 6 months who's teething!). Its different angles help to soothe baby’s teeth, and the textures are perfect for keeping their gums healthy.
Melissa & Doug K's Kids Take-Along Shape Sorter Baby Toy
Baby travel toys should be small, collapsible, easy to pack and most importantly, be good at keeping your baby entertained. With this shape sorter travel toy, babies will spend time sorting shapes, exploring flaps and crinkly textures, and admiring different colors.
It's simple yet effective, and it's perfect for helping babies improve their hand eye coordination while having a lot of fun. This is one of the best travel toys for 10 month old babies or toddlers.
Nuby Silly Spinwheel with Suction Base
By encouraging imaginative play and better hand-eye coordination, the Nuby Silly Spinwheel promotes cognitive development and a fun time. Attach the suction cup to a high chair tray, stroller tray or plane tray tables and let your baby play. A small tip is to slightly wet the suction cup for keeping it firmly in place.
Infantino Sensory Discover and Play Sensory Ball
With so many different things in one rattle for sensory, discovery and sound play, this toy is a fun way to keep babies entertained while waiting in the airport lounge or during other boring times. We had one just like this and our son would play with it quietly for such a long time!
Brightly colored and noisy, with moving parts and even a mirror, it’s like a tiny activity station that makes it one of the best travel toys for baby.
Another similar option is the HOLA Baby Rattles Activity Ball. Though they take up more space these are great baby travel toys to keep baby entertained!
Lamaze Mortimer The Moose
With soft antlers perfect for teething, crinkly jingle bell feet, hard teething rings and a soft fuzzy body to cuddle with when upset, Mortimer The Moose has everything a baby could wish for. It even has a convenient hook so parents can hang it on a stroller or bag and not worry about losing it or getting it dirty. When it comes to baby toys for airplane rides, it's no doubt that this one will become a family favorite!
Our baby loved the Lamaze giraffe clip-on toy! It made such a great baby travel toy.
The First Years Stack up Cup Toys
If you're going to choose one travel toy for your little one that is going to be perfect for the entire first year of their life and beyond, this is the one to pick. They're light for younger kids and sturdy for older ones. They're tough enough to withstand toddler handling, and have no sharp edges.
Moreover, they are light, compact and easy to travel with, making them perfect for the on-the go parent. We like these as travel toys for the airplane but they are also one of the best baby travel toys for the hotel room.
Fat Brain Toys Original Dimpl Brand Baby Toy
This is the perfect toy for the curious baby who loves to poke things, and is a great way to encourage tracking, reaching, and hand and arm strengthening. There are no lights or sounds, making it versatile and ideal for young ones with sensory issues. It also means less noise for you and your fellow co-passengers, which is good news for everyone!
Nuby Soothing Teething Mitten with Hygienic Travel Bag, Grey, 1 Count
This is an essential baby travel toy for uncoordinated teethers who are still learning how to hold their toys. The soft silicone and the crinkly fabric of this mitten helps little ones comfortably chomp on their hand without hurting themselves, dropping their toy, or losing it.
This is one of the best baby toys for plane rides, since there's much less chance of it ending up on the dirty airplane floor!
Fisher-Price Rattle 'n Rock Maracas
On long trips where you’re traveling with a little one, these soft maracas can come in handy. They aren’t actually loud or noisy, and are good at keeping little ones distracted as they chew on the soft cushioned side. A perfect baby airplane toy!
Baby Buddy Secure-A-Toy Straps
Why are these straps on a best travel baby toys list? Well, because they're the best companions to your baby toys for plane rides. The colorful straps clip together to prevent “accidental” dropping.
The shorter cords prevent choking. And the snaps are placed at various places along the straps, so you can attach different-sized objects easily.
Both practical and economical, they are designed to snap onto any type of suitcase, backpack, diaper bag and airplane travel stroller with ease.
Pros
- Very easy to use and adjust to fit on stroller or a carrier.
- Super helpful to prevent toys dropping on the floor. I used this visiting London with my six month old who can grip now but let’s go a lot and it saved me a lot of cleaning and lost toys while out and about.
- Easy to put on but strong enough popper that it will be a while before she can undo it (my two year old couldn’t undo it yet).
Baby Travel Toys for the Car
Looking for travel toys for babies in cars? Here are our favorite baby car travel toys for a long road trip with a baby:
Taf Toys Toe Time Infant Car Seat Toy
If your child screams bloody murder whenever he has to sit in the car, this is the baby travel toy that’s perfect for you. It's designed to be placed high enough so he can’t grab it yet low enough for him to kick and play with.
This baby travel toy for the car is an ideal baby car seat toy for those long road trips. It even comes with a cute attached mirror that will make your baby's eyes light up!
Melissa & Doug Soft Activity Baby Book - The Wonderful World of Peekaboo!
This cute book for babies is perfect for their first trip out of the house. It's made from different fabrics that highlight different scenes and animals, making it a great travel toy. Babies get to flip through the pages, feel the interesting textures using their mouths and hands, squeeze the squeaker and play peek-a-boo. Plus, it's easily washable.
TOP BRIGHT Soft Cloth Books for Babies
Your baby will thank you for these Top Bright books when you are busy driving them around, and they have something to look at, chew on and play with. The crinkling noises are great distractions in the car, and their small size means they'll fit into the back pocket of your front seat with ease, so you can carry them along with you no matter where you go.
haakaa Palm Teether
For teething babies, 4 months old, and up, look for a high-quality teether that is large, easy to hold onto and can be secured with a strap that helps keep it clean. Or in other words, the Haaka Palm Teether. The teether has no squeakers or holes for drool to pool, ensuring it stays clean and safe, while also including little “fingers” that reach the back of their mouth where molars will come in and textures that soothes achy gums.
Infantino Big Top Discovery Cube Baby Development Toy
Travel toys for babies in cars should be colorful, stimulating and engaging. The Infantino Discovery Cube checks all the boxes with its contrasting spots and stripes in appealing colors, and different activities and things to explore on each side. Babies will spend a lot of time squeezing the cube, playing with its clacker rings and mirror, finding its hidden ball and more!
Baby Einstein Star Bright Symphony Plush Musical Take-Along Toy
This is one of the best car travel toys for babies when you're running errands because it runs for about 15-20 minutes, it's easy to use, and can sometimes even soothe babies into taking a nap! Rambunctious little ones will love shaking it to "wake it up," while younger, sleepier babies will enjoy its calming melodies and lights that shine in patterns.
Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy
The Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy is a great way to introduce your little one to the world of classical music. It has a large, easy to press button that will allow your child to turn it on and off and toggle through 7 different songs. Songs ranging from Mozart to Vivaldi play on this toy MP3, accompanied by bright, colorful visuals that move about on the screen. The best part? It has volume control for parents, making it perfectly suited for travel!
Brica Cruisin' Baby In-Sight Car Mirror
Whether it be nap time or play time, the Brica Cruisin’ Baby In-Sight Entertainment Mirror will be your best friend, because with its two modes, entertaining and soothing, it does it all! Both of these modes have a remote controlled option so you can activate them from the drivers seat.
This will allow you to keep an eye on your baby, even when you are in the car alone with them, and even play with them with the mirror's lights and fun music.
HABA Rainbow Fabric Ball
Exuberant babies of 6 months and older love to play and throw, kick and chew on their baby travel toys, which is why the easy-to-clean HABA Rainbow Fabric Ball really shines. With 8 different interactive sections that delight every one of baby's senses, this washable toy will be endless fun times with your little one.
Nuby Linkables
Nuby links keep baby toys attached to your baby's carrier or infant travel stroller while you are out sightseeing and you won't ever need to worry about losing them again.
They work with multiple age groups, are durable so babies can teeth on them or fling them about. Plus, they are extremely versatile as you can see we've used them on this portable play mat!
Baby Travel Toys for the Stroller
A great travel toy for babies is one that your baby will like to play with no matter where you are. From baby toys for plane or car rids to in the stroller, most of these toys listed are versatile enough for every scenario.
Here we have a few of our favorite travel toys for babies in strollers:
Bright Starts Oball Rattle Easy-Grasp Toy
Designed for small babies, this rattle is easy to grasp and is light and hardy enough to be thrown about safely for a game of catch with parents. It lets little ones play on the move, work on their coordination, and even use if for teething.
We recommend attaching the O-ball to your travel stroller with some links so you aren't constantly picking it up off the sidewalk.
Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether Toy
If you are looking for the best toy for baby that also travels well, this is what you need. It’s super easy to hold onto, shake, and has a pleasing sound to keep your baby easily entertained in their stroller as you walk.
You don't have to worry about it getting squashed under all the items in your backpack diaper bag either because it bounces right back into shape when you pull it out again.
Pros
- Very good for teething / gumming stage as lots do bite
- Easy for them to hold from a young age with so many places to hold. It was one of the first they could hold.
- Easy to clean.
Cons
- Nothing to hook it from.
- Not as much sensory stimulation so kids weren’t interested for as long a time.
Sassy Fishy Fascination Station 2-in-1 Suction Cup High Chair Toy
If your baby is sitting up in your stroller, then this bestseller is perfect for your stroller tray. You can also use it at the table for your baby to play with while sitting in a portable travel high chair.
The different spinning parts will motivate your baby to reach out and explore, the different textures are great for mouthing, and the noises and colors will keep infants happy and calm at meal times. A cool feature is the removable base that lets your child hold and play with it someplace else besides the stroller when you’re moving about.
VTech Peek & Play Baby Book Toy
This book has plenty of things for babies to do, whether they're sitting up in a stroller or not. There are buttons to press, adjustable volumes, lights that light up and play music, fabric-covered openings that they can open to find surprises, and a page with a mirror for babies to admire themselves.
A ring allows you to hook it onto anything, and the music isn't just the same song on repeat, so parents can sigh in relief.
Lamaze Freddie The Firefly
With crinkly wings, rings, a teether and mirror, a squeaker, brightly colored on one side and black-and-white on the other, this clip-on stroller toy will delight you both. Babies can feel, kick, taste, grab, tug, and gaze at it. And who knows, the travel toy might even keep them occupied long enough for you to savor a full cup of coffee!
This his has been a firm favourite for both children and I highly recommend it.
Pros
- Very tactile so my kids don’t get bored with playing with it. There is always a different wing to hold / gum and so neither child grew tired of playing with it.
- Lots of bits to teeth / gum. Both children have really liked this toy when they got to the stage of teething / putting things in their mouth. The rings in particular are great.
- The clip means it’s easy to clip it onto things like a play mat or chair. So very transportable.
Cons
- Not difficult to clean but does take a while to dry.
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Tiger Spiral
Featuring a fuzzy, spiral-shaped, black-and-white body, the Baby Spiral Activity Toy by Manhattan Toys is a unique take on the classic baby mobile.
It has three baby attachments, each with a benefit of its own; the crinkle paper allows babies to explore tactile sensations as well as auditory effects, the teething attachment has smooth and textured teethers to comfort your baby, and the baby rattle attachment comes with a baby-safe discovery mirror.
Babies also love reaching for and pulling on the tiger's tail, which is great for improving their motor skills! It's perfect to wind around the belly bar on your stroller - making it one of our favorite stroller accessories for travel.
Your baby will also be interested in plastic cups, plastic bottles, the seat belt and everything around them (pack some wipes to get it clean first!). The best travel toys for infants are ones that your baby can easily grasp and suck or chew on.
While we know that the plane ride can be the most stressful part of traveling with a baby, just remember that’s it’s a very small part of your trip. You’ve likely planned an amazing trip to one of the best places to travel with a baby, don’t let the flight stress you out.
Read our post on why we don’t recommend handing out goody bags, try to keep your focus on your baby rather than other passengers and don’t overpack!
With any luck you’ll get your baby to sleep on the flight and it will be over before you know it!
We have even more baby travel toys listed in our convenient Baby Travel Toys shopping list on Amazon. There you’ll find everything from play mats for travel for tummy time while traveling and more! You know your baby best, so choose the best travel toys suited for your baby based on age and what will keep your baby occupied the longest!
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This post was written & edited by:
Celine is the owner of Baby Can Travel. Not only does she have years of experience traveling with babies & toddlers, but she's been helping new parents travel with their babies and toddlers for over a decade.
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.