The number one rule when traveling with kids is to be prepared. In order to help you out, we’ve rounded up loads of our favorite small travel toys ready to pack into your carry on and bring on board—all affordable, and some for as little as $4. You’ll find toddler toys, picks perfect for bigger kids, and cheap fidget toys, all made for on-the-go fun. Now, put your tray table up and prepare for take off!
Foil Art Sticker Pack
$5 BUY NOWThese foil art pictures will be a blast to make and a fun memory to hang up when you get home from your travels.
Dinosaur Crayons
$10 BUY NOWBring along these dual-purpose dinosaur crayons on your next trip! They can color their next masterpiece and play with the dinos too.
Polly Pocket Micro Compact Playset
$10 BUY NOWThis Polly Pocket Compact Playset is the perfect compact set to bring along on a flight. Your kiddo won't lose the pieces to this toy!
Glow in the Dark Tic Tac Toe Set
$10 BUY NOWThis Glow in the Dark Tic Tac Toe game will entertain for hours! It is such a fun game to play with others, and the glow means they can keep playing even if you have a late night flight.
Lite Brite Mini
$8 BUY NOWMake all sorts of wonderful designs with this Lite Brite Mini! Your little one can use inspiration from their travels for endless designs.
Scratch Art Color Reveal Pad
$7 BUY NOWThis On the Go Scratch Art notebook is a fun way to bring art supplies on a plane. By scratching away at the black-coated pages with a wooden stylus, kids uncover pictures full of sea life. The bright colors and the addition of facts on each page makes it an artsy and educational choice.
Globbles
$6 BUY NOWThink of Crayola's new Globbles as a combination between a sticky hand and a stress ball - but without the icky residue sticky hands leave behind. They'll keep kids busy with squishy, mushy fun. Bonus: you can rinse these fidget toys off, so they'll be clean and ready for the plane ride home.
LEGO Super Mario Propeller Collectible
$10 BUY NOWThis toy will entertain your child for hours in an airport. How fun to fly just like a plane!
DOS
$6 BUY NOWThis card game will keep your family entertained for hours! DOS is just like UNO, but with some fun twists. DOS will make that long layover fly by.
Handcrafted Wooden Mini Vehicles
$10 BUY NOWThese handcrafted wooden vehicles are an adorable option for the airport. Your kiddo will be seeing so many vehicles around them already, it will make this toy that much more fun.
Playfoam Squashformers Robots
$5 BUY NOWKids can build rad robots with the aid of the two molds that come in the Playfoam Squashformers Robots package. Playfoam is squishy, moldable, and no mess—these little magical foam bits won't stick to clothes or airplane seats. It's an on-the-go creative toy for your mini makers.
LEGO Harry Potter & Fantastic Beasts Minifigures
$4 BUY NOWEven Slytherins and Gryffindors agree: LEGO's Harry Potter mini figures are magical. In surprise packs, this limited edition series includes favorite characters like Luna Lovegood, Dobby, and a couple of versions of Harry himself. It's the next best thing to a trip to Honeydukes.
Itty Bitty Rainbow Squish Ball
$7 BUY NOWFlying can be scary and this dough-y stress ball can help calm down any stressed out kiddos on the flight. It's also super fun!
Reusable Sticker Pad
$7 BUY NOWThis sticker pad is reusable, which means they can create all sorts of fun over and over, no matter how long the flight is!
Plus Plus Mini Maker Tube Unicorn
$8 BUY NOWStep-by-step instructions make it easy for airplane travelers to make the featured animal, or they can use the plastic bricks to make unique creations of their own.
Blaze and the Monster Machines
$5 BUY NOWThese trucks will keep your kiddo entertained whether they're buckled in their seat or not.
On the Go Color By Number
$7 BUY NOWColoring by numbers is a classic and fun way to spend time. Your child will love this and it will be a great activity for quiet time on the plane.
Lunar Landing Quick Sticker Kit
$5 BUY NOWWith this Lunar Landing Sticker Kit, kids can land on the moon, go on a moon walk, and explore outer space, all from the comfort of their airplane seat. The glow-in-the-dark stickers are ready to light up the night, and the fold-out moon scene makes for quick set-up and take down. If your kid has opted out of the space race, you can pick up a similar sticker kit with rainbow ponies or trains instead.
LEGO Blue Bricks Building Starter Kit
$5 BUY NOWYour child will enjoy building and playing with this blue LEGO set. They can use their creativity and follow the instructions or build whatever they want.
Toy Boarders Skate Series
$6 BUY NOWPick up a pack of AJ's Toy Boarders in the Snowboard or Skate Series, and you'll have many little green riders ready to catch air off the armrest. You'll get a bunch of cool parent points, and you'll have a happy, busy travel companion for the duration of your flight.
Crayola Color Wonder Stampers & Markers
$10 BUY NOWWe love that this Crayola Color Wonder kit includes loads of artsy fun without the mess. With five fruit-scented markers, blank paper, five stampers and a chocolate-scented ink pad, little ones will be kept busy coloring and creating.
—Taylor Clifton & Oz Spies
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Feature photo: courtesy rawpixel.com