Best Airplane Activities for Toddlers: 25+ Ideas That Actually Work

One of the biggest worries parents have before flying with a toddler is simple: How am I going to keep this child entertained while we are stuck in an airplane seat?

Toddlers are not exactly known for sitting quietly for several hours. Fortunately, you do not need to fill your carry-on with toys to get through a flight. A handful of carefully chosen activities, combined with snacks, screen time, and a little creativity, can go a long way.

If you are preparing for your first trip, start with our guide to Flying With a Toddler: Everything You Need to Know. You can also use our toddler carry-on packing checklist to make sure you have the essentials with you.

The Secret Is Variety, Not Quantity

The goal is not to bring twenty toys. It is to have several different types of entertainment that you can rotate throughout the flight.

A toddler may lose interest in one activity after ten minutes but become completely fascinated by something different. That is why a small sticker book, a snack, a cartoon, and a favorite stuffed animal can sometimes work better than one large expensive travel toy.

1. Reusable Sticker Books

Sticker books are one of my favorite airplane activities because they are lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to pack.

Reusable stickers are even better because toddlers can move them around instead of using each sticker only once.

2. Water-Reveal Coloring Books

Water-reveal books let children "paint" pictures using a refillable water pen. There are no markers to lose and very little mess.

When the pages dry, many of them can be used again, which makes them especially good for the return flight too.

3. Mess-Free Coloring

Traditional crayons are fine, but they have a habit of rolling underneath airplane seats.

Mess-free markers and coloring systems are much easier to manage in a cramped space.

4. A Small Magnetic Drawing Board

A magnetic drawing board lets toddlers draw and erase over and over again without paper, markers, or crayons.

Look for a small travel-sized version rather than a large one intended for home.

5. Window Clings

If your toddler has the window seat, reusable window clings can provide a surprising amount of entertainment.

Choose simple static-cling decorations designed to peel away cleanly and supervise their use so nothing is left behind.

6. A Few Small Figurines

A couple of favorite characters, animals, cars, or other small toys can turn the tray table into a miniature play area.

The key word is few. A giant bag of tiny pieces is much more difficult to manage.

7. Board Books

Bring one or two small favorite books instead of an entire library.

Books with flaps, textures, pictures to find, or familiar characters tend to hold a toddler's attention longer than plain storybooks.

8. Search-and-Find Books

Simple "find the dog," "where is the red car?" and picture-search books can become interactive games that you play together.

They are especially useful because the parent can make the activity last longer by asking additional questions about each page.

9. Painter's Tape

This sounds almost too simple, but toddlers can be entertained by sticking and peeling small pieces of painter's tape from a tray table or another appropriate smooth surface.

It is lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to remove. Always clean everything up before leaving your seat.

10. Snacks That Take Time to Eat

Food can be entertainment.

Small individual pieces of cereal, crackers, pretzels, or other age-appropriate snacks take longer to eat than handing your toddler one large snack.

Instead of bringing out every snack at once, spread them throughout the trip.

11. Snack Containers With Compartments

Putting several different snacks into a small divided container turns snack time into more of an activity.

Your toddler can choose what to eat next while you avoid opening five separate packages.

12. Downloaded TV Shows

There is nothing wrong with using screen time on an airplane.

This is one of those situations where the usual home routine does not necessarily need to apply. If twenty minutes of a favorite show gives everyone a peaceful stretch of flight, that is a win.

Download shows before leaving home. Do not assume the airplane will have usable Wi-Fi.

13. Downloaded Movies

Older toddlers may sit through much of a familiar movie, particularly if they already know and love it.

A familiar movie is often a better choice than something brand new because you already know it holds your child's attention.

14. Offline Toddler Games

Before the trip, download a few simple games that work without internet access.

Test them in airplane mode at home so you know they actually work offline.

15. Photos and Videos From Home

You do not always need a special app. Many toddlers enjoy scrolling through pictures of themselves, family members, pets, birthdays, or recent activities.

Short family videos can work especially well when your child is tired or missing home.

16. Child-Size Headphones

If you plan to use a tablet, bring headphones your child has already tried at home.

A flight is not a good time to discover that your toddler refuses to wear them.

17. A Favorite Stuffed Animal

A small stuffed animal can be both entertainment and a comfort item.

You can make up stories about where the stuffed animal is traveling, let your toddler show it things outside the window, or use it during pretend play.

18. Finger Puppets

Finger puppets take up almost no room in a carry-on and can create endless little stories.

Even two or three are enough.

19. Simple Fidget Toys

Some toddlers love toys with buttons, switches, buckles, zippers, sliders, or other things they can manipulate repeatedly.

Choose quiet versions that do not have flashing lights and loud electronic sounds.

20. A Small Busy Board

A soft travel busy board with buckles, snaps, zippers, and other activities can occupy a toddler for longer than many traditional toys.

Soft versions also pack flatter than bulky plastic toys.

21. Guess What I See

You do not need to pack anything for this one.

Ask your toddler to find things around the airplane:

• Something blue
• A window
• A person wearing a hat
• A suitcase
• A light
• A cloud

Adjust the difficulty based on your child's age.

22. Look Out the Window

Do not underestimate the entertainment value of the airplane itself.

Watching baggage carts, other airplanes, airport workers, takeoff, clouds, and the ground below can occupy toddlers for quite a while.

23. Make Up Stories

Pick something your child can see and create a story about it.

"Where do you think that airplane is going?" or "What do you think is inside that suitcase?" can become surprisingly long conversations with an imaginative toddler.

24. Songs and Quiet Games

You obviously do not want to start a loud sing-along in the cabin, but quietly singing familiar songs together can help pass the time.

You can also play simple games involving fingers, counting, animal sounds, colors, or facial expressions.

25. Let Your Toddler Help

Toddlers often love doing things adults consider boring.

Let your child:

• Put a snack wrapper into your trash bag.
• Choose the next activity.
• Hold their own water cup.
• Put a toy back into its pouch.
• Look for the flight attendant.
• Help zip the activity bag.

Little responsibilities can become activities themselves.

26. A Brand-New Small Toy

You do not need to buy a collection of new toys for every flight, but one inexpensive surprise can be extremely useful.

Keep it hidden until you really need it.

27. Save Something Special for the Last Hour

If you are taking a longer flight, resist the temptation to use your best activities first.

The final hour can sometimes be harder than the beginning because everyone is tired of sitting down.

Save a favorite snack, new sticker book, small surprise toy, or favorite downloaded show for later.

Activities I Would Avoid on an Airplane

Some perfectly good toys are terrible airplane toys.

I would avoid:

• Toys with dozens of tiny loose pieces
• Loud electronic toys
• Balls
• Slime
• Paint
• Glitter
• Anything that rolls easily
• Large toys that take up most of the tray table
• Anything you would be devastated to lose

If an activity requires you to crawl beneath three rows of seats to retrieve its pieces, it probably belongs at home.

How Many Activities Should You Bring?

For a typical flight, I would rather have five or six good options than twenty random toys.

That gives you several completely different ways to redirect your toddler's attention without carrying an enormous bag.

Rotate Activities Instead of Replacing Them Constantly

If your toddler becomes bored with an activity, put it away instead of leaving everything scattered around the seat.

Sometimes an activity feels new again an hour later.

Keeping only one or two things out at a time also prevents the tray table and seat area from becoming chaotic.

Do Not Try to Entertain Your Toddler Every Second

Parents sometimes put enormous pressure on themselves to provide nonstop entertainment.

You do not need to.

Your toddler may spend ten minutes staring out the window, watching people walk down the aisle, playing with the window shade, or looking at the safety card. If your child is content, there is no reason to interrupt that just because you packed an activity bag.

Final Thoughts

The best airplane activities for toddlers tend to be simple, quiet, compact, and easy to introduce one at a time.

You do not need to turn the flight into an elaborate entertainment program. Bring a few activities you know your child will enjoy, add plenty of snacks and downloaded entertainment, and keep something new in reserve for the difficult moments.

For the rest of your preparation, use our complete toddler carry-on packing checklist and our guide to flying with a toddler.

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