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

Kim Orlando Avatar
A very young boy sits in a chair on an airplane in flight. He's smiling widely and holding his stuffed plush bear in his lap.
Photo Credit: FamVeld via Shutterstock

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. KOKODI LCD Writing Tablet, Toddler Doodle Board Drawing Tablet

  • 10-inch LCD colorful screen for creative doodling and drawing on the go.
  • Long battery life of 3-6 months with replaceable batteries
  • Safe and child-friendly design
  • Lightweight, shock-and drop-resistant durability
  • Pen is attached, so it won’t easily get lost
  • One-button erase means it can be used over and over again

Unleash your child’s creativity with the KOKODI LCD Writing Tablet. Its vibrant 10-inch screen, long battery life, and child-safe design make it an ideal travel companion. Whether on road trips or plane rides, this educational and mess-free toy provides endless entertainment while fostering artistic development and learning.

3. Large Pack for Girls (Ages 1-3) – Travel Entertainment and Snack Kit

  • Perfect for international journeys, long flights and road trips.
  • Includes 9 entertainment items and 3 healthy vegan-friendly snacks.
  • Comes in a KeepEmQuiet rucksack for convenient portability.

The Large Pack for Girls (Ages 1-3) is the ultimate travel companion, providing entertainment and snacks to keep your child engaged and happy. With a curated selection of 9 entertainment items and 3 healthy vegan-friendly snacks, this pack is designed for long journeys, flights, and holiday adventures. The pack comes in a KeepEmQuiet rucksack, allowing your child to take their goodies wherever they go.

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. MAMMA Kiddie Soft Activity Book – Educational Cloth Book for Babies

  • Engaging cloth books with stimulating features on every page.
  • Covers various themes such as mealtime, toys, animals, colors, and more.
  • Promotes important skills like sensory exploration.
  • Durable and non-toxic, designed to withstand rough toddler handling.

The MAMMA Kiddie Soft Activity Book is an educational cloth book designed to captivate and engage babies. With vibrant colors and interactive features, it stimulates learning and exploration. This soft book allows for bonding moments while promoting essential skills like language development and sensory exploration. Made from durable and safe materials, it withstands the rough play of toddlers and is easy to clean.

7. YowellGo Baby Simple Sensory Toys – Portable Silicone Fidget Toy

  • Features 5 vibrant silicone pieces for sensory delight and fidgeting fun.
  • Made from non-toxic, durable, and BPA-free materials.
  • Compact size suitable for little hands to hold during travel.
  • Attaches easily to strollers or car seats for on-the-go entertainment.
  • Promotes sensory exploration.

The YowellGo Baby Simple Sensory Toys are portable fidget toys designed to entertain and engage babies and toddlers. With vibrant silicone pieces and different textures, they provide sensory delight and stress relief for your 1-year-old.

Made from safe and durable materials, these toys are perfect for travel and can be attached to strollers or car seats. Promote sensory exploration and keep little ones entertained with this convenient and engaging fidget toy.

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. Samoyed Shape Sorter Toys for Toddlers – Montessori Car Stacking Toy

  • Montessori-inspired toy set with 12 silicone space toys and 4 cute animal toys.
  • Encourages shape sorting, color recognition, and problem-solving skills.
  • Safe materials, including food-grade silicone and unfinished beech wood.
  • Perfect gift for toddlers, promoting learning and convenient storage during travel.

Ignite your toddler’s curiosity with this take-along shape sorter. This Montessori car stacking toy fosters cognitive skills, shape recognition, and problem-solving abilities. With its safe materials and compact design, it’s an ideal gift for on-the-go learning and entertainment during travel.

11. BST SHIER Magnetic Puzzles for Kids – Travel-Friendly Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles

  • The set includes two 20-piece wooden jigsaw puzzles with exciting dinosaur scenes.
  • Made from durable and safe wood with round edges for added safety.
  • Easy-to-complete puzzles with color illustrations as a reference, fostering a sense of accomplishment for children.
  • Perfect travel toys for kids, ideal for airplane travel, car rides, restaurants, and quiet time.

The BST SHIER Magnetic Puzzles for Kids are the perfect travel companion. With their durable wooden construction and compact size, these easy-to-complete puzzles offer engaging and educational entertainment for kids on the go. Let your child unleash their creativity, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning skills while enjoying screen-free fun during travel and quiet moments.

12. Dorjee Magnetic Maze Game – Travel-Friendly Toddler Activity

  • Educational magnetic maze game board featuring a space explorer theme.
  • Perfect travel toy for quiet play during road trips, train rides, and flights.
  • Develops concentration, fine motor skills, strategic thinking, and color-matching abilities.
  • Compact size resembling a book easily fits into backpacks or luggage.
  • Durable design with secure nails and plexiglass to prevent bead loss.

The Dorjee Magnetic Maze Game is a must-have travel toy for toddlers. With its engaging space explorer theme and magnetic wand, it keeps children focused while improving concentration, fine motor skills, and strategic thinking. Its compact size and all-in-one design make ensure endless hours of entertainment and learning on the go.

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.

Kim Orlando, founder of SheBuysTravel, is a lifelong traveler, an entrepreneur and a sought-after social media and marketing consultant. She has made hundreds of appearances on TV and in digital and print media, sharing advice and tips built on decades of travel experiences. Hailing from the hills of Kentucky and taking her story to New York, Los Angeles, and beyond, Kim built an online platform, the original TravelingMom, that has reached millions of moms and empowered them to explore the world with their families. Today, TravelingMom has evolved into SheBuysTravel. Kim has been featured on “News Nation,” “Today,” “Good Morning America” and on numerous satellite media tours. She has contributed travel guidance to outlets including The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and more. (Read more about Kim’s media appearances here) Her travel mantra is simple: All travel counts. “You don’t have to go far. Leaving your home is travel,” Kim says. “Wherever you go, even just to the next town over, you can learn something new, see someone and something you haven’t seen before. “It’s good for the brain and good for the soul.” An epiphany in early parenthood started Kim on the journey that led to SheBuysTravel. She’d been a fan of a newsletter for women travelers, and she saw an opportunity. “I thought something like that for moms could be extraordinarily helpful,” she said. “I was traveling for work, traveling for fun, and I was looking for support.” That seed grew into the award-winning website TravelingMom, created as a resource for traveling families of all stripes. Today, TravelingMom has evolved into SheBuysTravel, with an expanded mission to serve women travelers at any stage of life. Millions of readers have visited the site for trip planning help, travel secrets, destination information and gear recommendations. What sets SheBuysTravel’s content apart, Kim says, is its foundation in real-world experience. “Our writers and editors have actually gone out there and done this stuff,” she says. “They’ve booked the flights, tried the tour, tested travel clothing, visited that new hot spot to see if it’s worth the hype. It’s all real.” Memorable Adventures A 2022 tour Kim guided to Bhutan was a particularly standout experience. “Bhutan sounds so exotic, of course,” she said. “But the part where my heart just glows and warms is thinking of the people we met – amazing women doing amazing things in Bhutan.” Their ranks included a former police officer whose ventures into food science helped mitigate food insecurity for residents of Bhutan’s highlands. Top Tips Planning for travel can be daunting, Kim acknowledges. “I always say: Go anyway. No trip is going to be perfect. There’s always going to be something you didn’t expect, something that doesn’t go the way you pictured or planned it. And that something is what’s going to make it a great trip.” And on a practical note: “Go early! Getting to the airport or hitting the road just an hour earlier relieves so much stress.” Kim’s Background Kim, a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, holds degrees in finance and entrepreneurship and has deep experience in developing and running businesses. Her previous work includes developing and running communications workshops and overseeing document management for corporations. SheBuysTravel hits a sweet spot where Kim’s two loves of travel and entrepreneurship meet. “The longer I work in this field, I only want to do more,” she says. “I find the travel world so exciting – not just the trips, but the whole online world of travel. There are still so many opportunities.” The World Awaits “The ‘best trip ever’ probably won’t be the same for an empty-nester or mom of three versus a single woman celebrating a bachelorette party with her friends,” Kim says. “We want to keep it real for traveling women, no matter what their age, life stage, where they came from or where they’re going. “We want to inspire women to travel in any shape or form.” In her free time, Kim enjoys visiting her adult kids, creating trips and traveling with her BFFs to explore the world. Her most recent adventures can be found on InstagramFacebook and LinkedIn.
Read full bio

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *