Skip to Content

Best Road Trip Toys for Toddlers

I’ve always found road trips with toddlers simpler and less stressful than flying with toddlers. I really like not having to worry about carrying everything on to an airplane (meaning we have way more space to pack all our favorite road trip toys for toddlers!) and we can stop if we need to.

Even better, we don’t have to worry about other passengers when our toddler is having a tantrum plus making those quick stops when traveling with a potty training toddler are easy too!

We still need to do some planning to keep our toddler entertained in the car. With short attention spans, quick bursts of energy, and the drive to constantly bounce about and explore everything around, getting a toddler to sit still in one spot for longer than 5 minutes can feel impossible. Trust us, we know!!

In fact, it’s for these exact reasons that our cute toddlers are considerably harder to handle during trips than newborns! But that doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause either. It just means we need to carry along the right toddler travel essentials, like snacks (lots of snacks!), a sippy cup and, of course, toddler car travel toys! We also LOVE audio books and music on long car rides with toddlers.

toddler playing with car travel toys and holding sippy cup in car seat on road trip
Our toddler on a road trip in Norway playing with a white noise machine.

When looking for the best toddler car travel toys, you’re going to want to make sure they check all the right boxes. They need to be lightweight and compact; quiet, so they don’t bother you while you drive; easy to pack up, with no small parts, because I think I speak for everyone when I say no one wants lost toys under their seats!

However, what’s most important is that car travel toys be safe and not have any sharp edges or small parts that might pose a choking hazard. And brownie points if the toys are educational, too! 

best toddler snacks for in the car.
Our toddler enjoying a snack in the car in Mexico.

If you aren’t sure about where to start, then you’ve come to the right place. Our list of toddler travel toys for the car will make your trip more fun, organized, quiet and memorable! Keep reading to learn all about the best toddler toys for car travel to keep your energetic little ones entertained and engaged for long bouts of time.

toddler holding snack cup on road trip with toddlers
Our toddler with his snack cup during our road trip in Norway.

This post contains compensated links.

Travel Toys for Toddlers in the Car

chirp magazines to entertain toddler in car seat on road trip.
Our toddler “reading” a chirp magazine in the car in Mexico.

Where to Travel with Toddlers

More Toddler Travel Resources

Pin It For Later!

Best Car Travel Toys for Toddlers

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.