Travel activities for kids

Good road trip activities are ones kids can do in a car seat, with little mess and no small pieces to lose. Car games like I Spy or license plate spotting, a clipboard with mazes and word searches, coloring pages, and audiobooks all work well. Spread them across the trip rather than handing everything over at the start.

A good travel activity kit is small, flat, and mess-free. Try a folder or clipboard with a few printed activity pages, a pouch of colored pencils or crayons, a small notebook, and one favorite activity book. Skip markers and anything wet: they’re easy to spill and can bleed through thin paper. Our FAQs explain which coloring materials work best in our books.

On a plane, a mix of short, quiet activities usually works better than one big one. Pack a few printed pages, a small notebook for drawing, and a simple game you can play together, and bring them out one at a time. Tray tables are small, so a clipboard or a sturdy folder makes coloring and puzzles much easier.

For restaurants and waiting rooms, keep a small, ready-to-go pouch in your bag so you’re never starting from scratch. A couple of folded activity pages, a few crayons, and a drawing game like “finish my doodle” can fill a surprising amount of time. Keep the pouch separate from everyday toys so it still feels special when you need it.