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Toddlers and plane rides aren’t exactly the perfect combination. In fact, it’s more of a perfect storm—enclosed space, tons of strangers in close proximity, pressure changes, etc. You get the picture and have also likely experienced traveling with your toddler first hand, so you know it can be quite a daunting experience. There are tons of articles dedicated to traveling with toddlers, including packing lists, advice and tips. Of course, you’re going to want to bring tons of snacks and perhaps a tablet, but there are also lots of fun, engaging plane toys that are easy to pack.
We’ve rounded up 12 of the best plane toys for toddlers that are not only super entertaining but will also spark their imagination, help them develop fine motor skills and even help them learn a thing or two about STEM.
Traveling as a family is undoubtedly rewarding. It’s a great chance for you to bond, discover new things together, and take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, so please don’t let the thought of traveling with a fussy toddler stop you from taking a trip. . Whether you’re taking a long-haul flight or a short one to two hour trip, flying on a plane with a toddler requires more than a set of headphones and a neck pillow, so we’ve rounded up toys for boys and girls that are easy to pack, fun and educational. Read on and happy travels!
Best STEM Toy: Learning Resources 100 Piece Deluxe Building Set
Best Coloring Book: Crayola Color Wonder Baby Shark Coloring Pages
Best Educational Toy: LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book
Best Doll Toy:Playskool Classic Dressy Kids Dolls
Best Puzzle: Janod Happy Garden Magneto Puzzle
Best Musical Toy: Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube
Best Activity Book: Melissa & Doug K’S Kids My First Activity Book
Best Imaginative Toy: Farm In a Tin Novelty Set
Best Sticker Book: I Can Do That: Stickers: Super Simple (and Smart!) Sticker Activities
Best Lego Duplo Toy: LEGO DUPLO My First Number Train
Best Craft Toy: Alex Little Hands Paper Bag Monsters Kids Toddler Art and Craft Activity
Best Water Toy: Melissa & Doug Water Wow! Coloring Books
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Best STEM Toy
Learning Resources 100 Piece Deluxe Building Set
Throw these interconnecting gear set pieces into a sandwich bag, and you are ready to board that plane. The toy supports STEM by introducing toddlers to sorting, grouping, counting, designing, constructing, and putting physics into play with spinning gear movement. Guaranteed to keep little ones busy for a long time.
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Best Coloring Book
Crayola Color Wonder Baby Shark Coloring Pages
This mess-free coloring book is the perfect travel companion. All toddlers need is one clear marker that will only work when used on the special coloring pages. It won’t draw on tray tables or seats, so no worries if you turn your head for a minute.
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Best Educational Toy
LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book
Introduce more than 100 age-appropriate words to your toddler while 30,000 feet in the air. Word categories include: pets, animals, food, mealtime, colors, activities, opposites, outside, vehicles, clothes, my body and fruit.When toddlers touch the words on the pages, the book plays the words, exciting sound effects and fun facts.
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Best Doll Toy
Playskool Classic Dressy Kids Dolls
Toddlers can learn to button, snap, zip and tie with this awesome plush toy by Playskool. This toy is great for practicing fine motor skills and also makes a fun travel buddy.
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Best Puzzle
Janod Happy Garden Magneto Puzzle
Puzzles? On a plane? If you’re worried about losing puzzle pieces under or between the seats, there’s no need because this puzzle has a magnetic base that ensures the pieces are secure. Toddlers will work on matching the right garden creature with the shadow for an entertaining time.
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Best Musical Toy
Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube
Musical toys are great for keeping kids entertained, but not so great for the adults who have to listen to them play over and over again. This Mozart Magic Cube is actually soothing and encourages toddlers to put together sounds and music to create their own masterpiece. There is even a low volume setting perfect for plane rides.
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Best Activity Book
Melissa & Doug K’S Kids My First Activity Book
This cloth activity book has built-in handles and includes fun first activities like buttoning, buckling, peek-a-boo, counting, matching and telling time. The soft material makes it easy to pack in a carry on or toddler backpack.
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Best Imaginative Toy
Farm In a Tin Novelty Set
If your toddler loves imaginative play, this Farm In a Tin set is great. It comes with several different farm animal figurines as well as a tractor and a handy tin for storage.
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Best Sticker Book
I Can Do That: Stickers: Super Simple (and Smart!) Sticker Activities
It’s no secret that toddlers love stickers, so this sticker activity book is a no brainer. It’s designed to help preschool children hone fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial relations all while having fun. The book includes mazes, counting games, pictures and more.
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Best Lego Duplo Toy
LEGO DUPLO My First Number Train
This Lego Duplo toy is not only fun to put together, but also helps toddlers learn to count. The set includes a buildable locomotive and three wagons, bricks decorated with the numbers zero through nine, two child LEGO DUPLO figures and a cat figure.
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Best Craft Toy
Alex Little Hands Paper Bag Monsters Kids Toddler Art and Craft Activity
If your child loves arts and crafts, this is a great activity set to bring on a plane. It includes five paper bag monsters each with its own set of directions and decorations. It also comes with 225 stickers, paper shapes and a glue stick.
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Best Water Toy
Melissa & Doug Water Wow Books
These popular coloring books include four reusable pages and a refillable water pen that stores in the cover, making it a great take along activity for travel. This three-pack includes Farm, Safari, and Under the Sea books for hours of fun.
