What makes a great travel toy for a 2 year old?
Toddlers are unpredictable; thatโs why travelling with them is a challenge. You need to factor in lots of snacks, naps, and of course, toys.
But you canโt just throw your little oneโs favourite playthings in a suitcase and call it a day. Instead, you need to choose toys that are transportable. That means items that are affordable, small, lightweight, and durable.
While offering endless screen time is tempting, there are many more creative (and educational!) ways for your kid to pass the time while youโre on the move. So, whether you’re journeying by plane, train, or car, here are some awesome travel-friendly toddler toys to choose from.
This post is part of our tried and tested products series – don’t forget to also check out our family flying advice home page
This is a guest post by Samara Kamenecka. This page contains affiliate links.
If you are travelling with a slightly younger toddler, we suggest you check out our perfect travel toys for a 1-year-old, or for older toddlers, check out terrific travel toys to pack for your 3-year-old
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TL;DR โ Summary of the Best Toddler Travel Toys for a 2-year-old
Type/Brand | Capacity & Features | Dimensions | Pricing | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Melissa & Doug On the Go Felt Friends Craft Activity Set | 142 felt sticker shapes 46 printed felt feature stickers Made from felt | 0.4 x 6 x 10 inches | $- Check Latest Price Here | |
Sticker Activity ABC | Over 100 Stickers with Coloring Pages 20 pages Recommended age is 2 - 3 years | 7.72 x 0.2 x 7.8 inches | $- Check Latest Price Here | |
Battat โ Hide & Seek Alphabet Pop-Up | 50 Shapes Colors Letters Numbers Phthalates & BPA Free Recommended age is 36 months - 8 years | 13 x 1.5 x 11.63 inches | $- Check Latest Price Here | |
deMoca Travel Quiet Book Montessori Toys | Made from fabric Machine washable No losing parts Recommended age is 1 - 3 years | 10 x 7.72 x 2.09 inches | $- Check Latest Price Here | |
BrainUpToys Busy Activity Cube | 7-in-1 Cognitive toy Recommended age is 12 months and up | 2 x 2.2 x 2.2 inches | $- Check Latest Price Here | |
Play-Doh | 10-Pack Case of Colors 2 oz cans Non-Toxic Assorted Recommended age is 2 years - up | 6.14 x 10.63 x 2.68 inches | $- Check Latest Price Here | |
Melissa & Doug K's Kids Take-Along Shape Sorter | 2 activity sides 9 textured blocks in 9 colors and various shapes Includes crinkly flaps Recommended age is 9 months - 3 years | 14 x 10 x 4 inches | $- Check Latest Price Here | |
Melissa & Doug Puffy Sticker Play Set | 52 Reusable Stickers 2 Fold-Out Scenes Animal Theme | 0.2 x 8.2 x 11 inches | $- Check Latest Price Here | |
Pockets of Learning Personalized Right at Home Quiet Book | Animal Theme Free embroidery with your child's name Zippered enclosure Recommended age is 18 months - 6 years | 9 x 3 x 10 inches | $- Check Latest Price Here | |
Amazon Fire HD 10" Kids tablet | 1080p Full HD 32 GB 1 year subscription of Amazon Kids+ Bluetooth Keyboard Bundle with backpack & charger Kid proof case | 10 inches | $- Check Latest Price Here |
Best travel toys for 2-year-olds: Felt Craft Kit
Your toddler will love creating new friends with this easy-to-assemble felt craft kit. The 46 felt stickers, 4 background scenes, and the idea book are all packaged together in one case.
To get started, kids can follow step-by-step instructions, and then they can let loose and create their own imaginative creatures. This toddler travel toy is super lightweight and fits nicely in a child-sized backpack.
Whatโs more, itโs definitely affordable and makes a great toy to use at home too.!
Best travel toys for 2-year-olds: Vibrant activity book
Stickers are timeless entertainment and a great way for your littles to work on hand-eye coordination. With that in mind, itโs hard not to get excited about this vibrant activity book with over 100 stickers when shopping for great travel toys.
Your little one will be too busy pairing the stickers with the outlined illustrations to focus on the tedious travel time on long trips. Parents will appreciate how this workbook familiarizes kids with the alphabet and a variety of animals making it a great travel gift.
Best travel toys for 2-year-olds: Hide-And-Seek Alphabet Pop Up
The very best travel toys for toddlers are so thoroughly entertaining that children donโt realize theyโre learning while theyโre playing. This Hide-And-Seek Alphabet Pop-Up is as much of a learning tool as a game, the perfect toy for a road trip.
There are 50 buttons to push and flaps to open to reveal upper and lowercase letters and corresponding illustrations. Made from sturdy BPA-free plastic with a convenient handle, this is ideal for carrying around airports or wherever your adventure takes you.
Best travel toys for 2-year-olds: Montessori Activity Quiet Book
When traveling, itโs easy to lose track of things. With the Montessori Activity Quiet Book, thereโs no need to worry about any missing parts or pieces because theyโre all sewn together into one soft fabric book – making this quiet book a great toy for travel.
Busy books, or quiet books as they’re often referred to, engage young minds with attractive colors and various activities like matching, zipping, snapping, and tying that all aid with hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
This special busy book is small enough to fit in a childโs backpack and machine washable; really, thereโs no reason not to have it on hand at all times when you want a compact toy to keep little ones still and quiet!
Best travel toys for mature 2-year-olds: BrainUp Busy Cube
The BrainUp Busy Cube is like a bunch of toys all in one, perfect for developing those fine-motor skills. This sensory cube is designed for little fingers and involves different activities including a spinner, sifter, gears, wooden beads, laces, a latch and a bell.
The carefully constructed toy is perfect for travel because all the moving parts are securely fastened to natural, non-toxic wood, weighing less than one pound. Your young traveler will be engrossed in the various activities that support motor skills and focus for long stretches of time whilst not taking up too much space in your luggage.
Best travel toys for 2-year-olds: Play-Doh
Thereโs a reason why certain classic toys, like Play-Doh, will never go out of style; the bright colors and pliable texture is irresistible!
Travel-size cans of Play-Doh fit into any bag and can be easily molded, flattened, and shaped while riding in any vehicle, from long car rides to long haul flights – though it works best if they have a flat surfaces like a tray table or car seat travel tray.
Parents will appreciate that Play-Doh is made with non-toxic ingredients and stored in recycled containers, making them ideal for your younger children, in fact, kids of all ages can still enjoy some Play Doh time!
Best travel toys for 2-year-olds: Take-Along Shape Sorter
Take-Along Shape Sorter by Melissa & Doug is a fun way for your little one to learn about different shapes and recognize certain everyday items and has long been one of our favorite travel toys.
The soft case holds 9 colorful, plastic shapes and offer two activities (sorting and identifying pictures). With an easy-to-grip handle, even the smallest hands can carry this around without any assistance at all making it a superb toddler travel toy.
Best Travel Toys for A 2-year-old: Puffy sticker play set
A puffy sticker play set is sure to keep little hands busy while traveling and makes the perfect travel toy. With 52 farm-themed reusable stickers and 2 barnyard background scenes, there are countless opportunities for creative storytelling and imaginative play.
When your child is finished, the set closes up and can easily be stashed inside a diaper bag or suitcase.
Best Travel Toys for a 2-year-old: Right at Home Quiet Book
A soft, lightweight activity book is a must-have travel toy. The Right at Home Quiet Book will entertain your small traveler with adorable, recognizable illustrations and words and things to manipulate on each of its 8 pages (excellent for eye-hand coordination!).
The theme of โhomeโ is comforting to young kids and the personalization on the front cover makes the book even more of a stand-out, superb to give as a travel gift.
Perfect Travel Toys for a 2-year-old Toddler tablet
We’ve kept everything screen-free so far, but a toddler tablet can still be a good investment for a long flight (especially on budget airlines that may not have screen-back entertainment).
Look for something with good battery life and a durable case – and remember to pre-load your favourite toddler apps!
Just bear in mind the WHO guidelines for toddler screen time.
More tips for toddler travel
Like so many aspects of parenting, travelling with your toddler requires preparation and patience. Among other things, youโll need to consider ways to keep your youngest traveler occupied while youโre on the move.
No doubt, there are loads of excellent travel toys; certainly, deciding what to pack can be confusing. Not all toys were created equal. The best toddler toys to play with at home might not be the best things to take on your trip.
Equally, what works great in the car or in the close confines of flying on a plane, may not work so well outdoors. We like to pack special toddler camping toys when we’re taking a camping trip or heading to the beach. See these tips on selecting the best toddler beach toys.
So, do yourself a favour and use our guide to help you narrow down the choices. When your kiddo is happily occupied on the longest leg of your journey, youโll be glad you prepped ahead.
Further Reading: Don’t make these 10 Toddler Flying Mistakes that we did!
About our guest blogger
Samara Kamenecka is a VA specializing in SEO and content creation. She lives in Madrid with her boyfriend, their two kids, and their dog. When sheโs not hanging with her family, she blogs over at www.tinyfry.com.
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We thank Samara for her guest contribution. Learn more about guest opportunities on the Globetrotters Blog here.
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Great post! We’ve loved most of these over the years. The lighter, the better too!
Light, not noisy and not the end of the world if it gets lost or broken!! A tough remit to fill!!!
Your blog is just so fun! Another great post!
Thanks so much, appreciate it x