On-the-Go Fun: The 12 Best Travel Toys for 1-Year-Olds

When it comes to family travel, keeping your 1-year-old entertained and engaged is key. With the best baby travel toys in your arsenal, airplane travel, long car rides and hotel room stays can become exciting adventures.

Say goodbye to excessive screen time and hello to interactive and stimulating play! These carefully selected baby and toddler travel toys will captivate their attention, foster learning, and spark their imagination.

Let the excitement begin!

1. Melissa & Doug Flip to Win Travel Memory Game

• Portable wooden travel memory game with 25 flaps and sliding scorekeepers.
• Durable bungee-hinge design for enhanced durability and ease of use.
• Features 7 double-sided, laminated game cards with colorful illustrations.
• Melissa & Doug is a trusted brand known for high-quality, imaginative play products.

The Melissa & Doug Flip to Win Travel Memory Game is a great travel toy thanks to its durable wooden design and easy-to-use features. It will provide hours of memory-building fun during travel. Compact and portable, it’s an essential road trip companion. Let your child enhance their memory skills and enjoy screen-free play with this engaging game from Melissa & Doug, a trusted brand in childhood play.

2. EooCoo Kids LCD Writing Tablet

• 8.5 inch LCD screen for doodling and drawing on the go
• Weighs only about 93 grams
• Replaceable battery that lasts for months
• One button erase so it can be used over and over
• Mess free with no paper or markers to pack

Unleash your child’s creativity with the EooCoo Kids LCD Writing Tablet. It is light enough to slip into my diaper bag, and the one button erase means my little one can scribble, wipe and start again for an entire flight. It is a mess free toy that keeps tiny hands busy without a pile of crayons rolling under the seat.

3. Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow! Farm

• Reusable pages reveal colors with just water
• Chunky refillable water pen stores inside the book
• No ink, paint or mess
• Spiral bound and compact for travel

The Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow! Farm book is one of my go to toys for flights and restaurants. Little ones paint the pages with the chunky water pen and colorful farm scenes appear. Once the pages dry, they can do it all over again. There is no ink or paint, so I never worry about stains on clothes or the airplane seat.

4. Buckle Toys – Buster Square – Learning Activity Toy

• Mom-approved learning toy for colors, numbers, counting, and more.
• Sensory stuffed toy with zipper pocket, numbers, shapes, and colorful buckles.
• Perfect quiet travel fidget toy, easily attachable to strollers, high chairs, and car seats.
• Develops fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities.

The Buckle Toys Buster Square is a sensory stuffed toy designed to engage and educate. With its interactive features, including a zipper pocket, numbers, shapes, and colorful buckles, it promotes learning and development. This travel-friendly toy keeps little ones entertained on the go. Enhance your child’s fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities with this engaging learning activity toy from Buckle Toys.

5. Lusso Gear Kids Travel Tray for Car Seat – Essential Travel Accessory

• Convenient travel tray for kids’ car seats, providing entertainment and organization.
• Made from sturdy and kid-safe materials, ensuring durability and longevity.
• Features a no-drop tablet holder, safety strap, mesh pockets, and cup holder.
• Ideal for road trips, airplanes, trains, and other forms of transportation.
• Lusso Gear Promise: Dedicated customer service and satisfaction guaranteed.

The Lusso Gear Kids Travel Tray is the perfect companion for traveling with young children. It includes a secure tablet holder, a safety strap, and convenient storage pockets. Whether on a road trip or an airplane journey, this travel tray keeps kids entertained and organized.  

6. Melissa & Doug Soft Activity Baby Book: The Wonderful World of Peekaboo

• Lift the flap peekaboo animals in every scene
• Crinkly flaps with lots of textures
• Soft and lightweight for packing
• Machine washable

The Melissa & Doug Soft Activity Baby Book is a cloth book made for little hands. Every scene has peekaboo animals hiding under crinkly, textured flaps, which keeps my baby busy and giggling. It is soft enough to toss in the diaper bag, and it is machine washable, which is a big plus after a messy travel day.

7. Baby Airplane Travel Toy, Silicone Pull String Sensory Toy

• Pull string sensory play for babies and toddlers
• Food grade silicone with no BPA
• Safe to chew, so it doubles as a teether
• Small and easy to carry

This Silicone Pull String Sensory Toy keeps babies busy for a surprisingly long time. Little ones pull the colorful strings in and out, which is great for fine motor skills. It is made from food grade silicone, so it is safe to chew, and it is small enough to keep in my bag for flights, car rides and restaurant waits.

8. Fish Baby Books Toys – Interactive Cloth Book with Teething Toy

• Engaging cloth book with lift-the-flap, peek-a-boo, and touch-and-feel features.
• Introduces basic themes and stimulates language, imagination, and sensory skills.
• Safe and durable materials for baby’s exploration and teething.
• Perfect for 1 to 2-year-olds
• Portable design with a flexible teether ring for on-the-go entertainment.

The Fish Baby Books Toys offer an interactive and educational experience for babies and toddlers. With its captivating features and vibrant illustrations, this machine-washable cloth book encourages exploration and discovery.

It introduces basic themes and enhances language development, imagination, and sensory skills. Its portable design, along with the flexible teether ring, makes it ideal for on-the-go entertainment. Foster your child’s curiosity and learning with this engaging and travel-friendly cloth book.

9. RIY 10Pcs Story Time Finger Puppets

• Set of 10 adorable finger puppets featuring characters from the beloved nursery rhyme “Old MacDonald Had A Farm.”
• Made of durable soft velvet cloth for a comfortable and long-lasting playtime experience.
• Perfect for interactive storytelling, engaging puppet shows, and imaginative play.
• Compact and portable, making them ideal for travel, road trips, and on-the-go entertainment.

Bring the beloved characters of “Old MacDonald Had A Farm” to life with the RIY 10Pcs Story Time Finger Puppets. Made of soft velvet, these durable and portable puppets provide endless entertainment for little ones on the go. Spark their imagination, engage in interactive storytelling, and create memories with these charming finger puppets that are perfect for air travel and road trips.

10. GOPO TOYS Wooden Shape Sorter and Stacking Puzzle

• Montessori inspired shape sorting and stacking
• Chunky wooden shapes are easy for little hands
• Natural wood with water based paint
• Builds shape and color recognition

Ignite your toddler’s curiosity with the GOPO TOYS Wooden Shape Sorter and Stacking Puzzle. The chunky wooden shapes are easy for little hands to grab, and sorting them by shape and color builds problem solving skills. I like packing it for longer stays at hotels or with family, since it gives my toddler something quiet and familiar to play with.

11. 3 in 1 Princess and Mermaid Magnetic Puzzles

• Three magnetic puzzles in one travel friendly set
• Strong soft magnets help keep pieces in place
• Princess, mermaid and fairy scenes
• Great for car rides, flights and quiet time

These 3 in 1 Princess and Mermaid Magnetic Puzzles are a great screen free option for tray tables and car seats, since the magnets help keep pieces from sliding around. With 20 to 30 pieces per puzzle, this set is best for older toddlers, so it is one that can grow with your little one or keep an older sibling busy too.

12. Busy Board Travel Toys, Magnetic Color and Number Maze

• Magnetic pen guides colorful beads along the maze
• 55 magnetic beads in 10 colors
• Builds counting, color recognition and fine motor skills
• Natural wood with non toxic water based paint
• Compact enough for road trips and flights

This Magnetic Color and Number Maze Busy Board is a must have travel toy for toddlers. Kids use the magnetic pen to guide colorful beads along the track into the matching dinosaur eggs. It keeps my little one focused while working on counting, color matching and fine motor skills.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I keep my 1-year-old entertained on a plane?

To keep your 1-year-old entertained on a plane, consider these tips:

• Pack reusable toys like stacking cups or nesting dolls for endless play.
• Use baby travel toys with sensory features to engage your little one.
• Bring busy board books with flaps and textures for interactive reading.
• Create a carry-on bag filled with favorite toys, snacks, and comfort items.

What do you need to travel with a 1-year-old?

When traveling with a 1-year-old, it’s important to be prepared with a few travel essential items to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey for both you and your little one.

• Diaper Bag: A well-stocked diaper bag is crucial. Pack an ample supply of diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, changing pads, and disposable bags for soiled items.
• Favorite Travel Toys: Bring along your child’s favorite toys to provide comfort and familiarity during the trip. These can be plush toys, small dolls, or interactive toys that your child enjoys playing with. A spinner toy can be a great distraction for young toddlers. Keep in mind that young toddlers have short attention spans. Pack a variety of toys to cater to their changing interests and avoid meltdowns. Interactive toys with buttons, lights, or sounds can capture their attention for longer periods.
• Toys with Suction Cup: Consider packing toys with suction cups that can be attached to tray tables or other smooth surfaces. These toys can help keep your child entertained while seated.
• Other Travel Essentials: Apart from toys, there are other essential items to bring along. These include extra clothes, bibs, burp cloths, snacks, baby food, formula or breast milk, bottles, pacifiers, and a blanket for comfort.