teddy strapped into an infant car seat - toys for car trips

50+ Unbeatable Road Trip Toys For Long Car Journeys

Taking a family road trip soon? Nobody, not even an adult, can sit in a car for hours on end without SOMETHING fun to do!

Whilst we have dozens of hot tips for road tripping with kids, simply nothing (other than maybe a good supply of snacks!) will help you through long-distance driving quite like a great selection of travel toys for the car.

The best toys for car trips are ideally:

  • Fairly quiet (i.e. won’t distract the driver!)
  • Do not have small parts which can be easily lost (or swallowed)
  • Can easily attach to the car seat (if you are traveling with a baby or toddler)

Electronics such as small tablets, smartphones, or portable DVD players can play a part in your road trip entertainment arsenal, but there are plenty more boredom busters you can pack on your next family road trip that don’t require batteries!.

We have rounded up for you here a selection of the most fun toys for road trips, broken up into age groups so no matter what age your child is, there is something on the list for them!

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Classic Baby and Infant Toys For Car Trips

Babies and infants need surprisingly simple toys to keep them occupied during long car journeys. In fact, from traveling with a newborn through to those toddler years, all they really want is YOU! But when having an adult seated with the baby in the back doesn’t work, try these simple, engaging car toys for babies.

Toe Time Infant Car Seat Toy

Taf Toys Toe Time Infant Car Seat Toy | Kick and Play Activity Center with Music, Lights, Mirror, and Jingling Toys | Fun Travel Baby Toy for Rear Car Seat | Easier Drive with Newborns, Babies

Car seat toys make the perfect travel toys for babies. You can hang them on the back of the seat, and they can play with the soft toys attached to the mat. The great part is, they can’t drop them!

Funky Toy Keys

B. toys – FunKeys Toy – Funky Toy Keys for Toddlers and Babies – Toy Car Keys and Purple Remote with Light and Sounds – Non-Toxic

As you take your road trip, letting the baby play with your real keys isn’t a safe option, but you can give them their own playset of keys. The set has 4 car sounds that come from the purple remote and realistic keys for them to play with.

My First Road Trip Book

Melissa & Doug K’s Kids My First Activity Book 8-Page Soft Book for Babies and Toddlers

An 8-page soft book for babies, this soft activity book from Melissa & Doug will let your little one enjoy the colors and shapes in the book. It’s also great for toddlers, so the book will work for both young and older babies for hours of travel entertainment.

Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether Toy

Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether Toy

Made for tiny hands, this little teether toy is soft and shaped like a maze. Your little one will be mesmerized as they play with the teether and look at the colors of the tubes; it’s always been one of our favorite travel toys.

Plush Elephant Music Toy

Aitbay Plush Elephant Music Baby Toys 0 3 6 9 12 Months, Cute Stuffed Aminal Light Up Baby Toys Newborn Baby Musical Toys for Infant Babies Boys & Girls Toddlers 0 to 36 Months

This cute little elephant is not just cuddly, it lights up and plays music, making it a great toy for babies and younger children and will entertain them as they ride along during a long road trip.

Hanging Rattles Toy

BeeSpring Kid Baby Crib Cot Pram Hanging Rattles Spiral Stroller Car Seat Toy

Attach these rattles to a crib, car seat, or stroller so that your little one can have fun on the go; these are one of the best baby toys for the car.

You can easily transfer this toy to all three so you can take it wherever you go on your family road trip.

Teething Rattles

Baby Toys 0-6 Months Infant Toys Teething Toys for Babies 0-6-12 Months 10PCS Baby Toys 6 to 12 Months 6 Month Old Baby Toys 0-3-6-12-18 Months Baby Teething Toys Newborn Toy Baby Boy Girl Gifts

This fun set of silicone teething rattles makes for one of the best travel toys for infants, keeping them entertained and comforted throughout the trip.

The teethers are made of non-toxic material and have smooth polished edges for safety. Lots of pieces, so if one does get lost or dropped, you’ll always have a backup!

Cloth Books

Cloth Books for Babies (Set of 9) - Color Recognition Series. Soft Books for Babies. Touch and Feel Crinkle Paper. Baby Learning Toys / Educational Toys for 3 Months to 4 Years Old

A fun and educational soft toy for ages 3 months and up, these cloth books are soft in touch and make the crinkle paper sound that babies love.

Your baby can chew, crinkle, and play with the colorful books as you travel, with handy clips for attaching to car seats and strollers.

Pink Glo Worm Stuffed Lullaby Toy

Playskool Pink Glo Worm Stuffed Lullaby Toy for Babies with Soothing Melodies (Amazon Exclusive)

This cute little pink glo worm will sing soothing melodies to your little one as you travel. When his belly is pushed, the glo worm’s face lights up and will sing gentle lullabies, ideal if you need to rock your baby off to sleep in their car seat while you’re on the move.

Soft Silicone Teething Toys

Fu Store 4 Pack Soft Silicone Teething Toys for Toddlers Infant Hammer Wrench Spanner Pliers Tools Shape Baby Teethers Relief Soothe Babies Gums Set (Hammer Set)

Another teething toy set that’s perfect for road trips, these silicone toys are shaped like tools. They also attach to a clip so that you can keep them close no matter where you go.

You can find even more inspiration for baby car toys over here

Top Tip: If your baby’s toys don’t come with a clip, you can still buy these toy teethers to easily attach them to your infant car seat and stop the dropping game once and for all!

Best Road Trip Toys For Toddlers

Your toddler is ready for some more interactive games and activities in the car, but they still need to be safe for your tot to handle unsupervised while your eyes are on the road. All of these road trip toys make great interactive and sensory distractions for toddlers on long drives:

Busy Board Toddler Backpack

Busy Board - Toddler Backpack with Buckles and Learning Activity Toys - Develop Fine Motor Skills and Basic Life Skills - Learn to Tie Shoes - Children's Travel Toy - Ideal Gift for 12 Months+

Your toddler will love playing and manipulating each and every aspect of this fun toddler busy board backpack.

What’s great is they can even fit a few of their other favorite toys inside too for their very own travel bag.

Squishy Drawing Pad

DoodleJamz JellyPics — Squishy Drawing Pads Filled with Non-Toxic Sensory Beads and Gel – No-Mess Fidget Art – ASMR – Re-usable to make Endless Artistic Creations (Green, Orange, Blue Beads)

Filled with sensory beads and non-toxic gel, this drawing pad will allow your young toddlers to make an endless number of creations throughout the trip with just the touch of a finger, no other tools required.

Search and Find Game

Skillmatics Educational Game : Search and Find | Gifts & Preschool Learning for Kids Ages 3 to 6 | Reusable Activity Mats with 2 Dry Erase Markers

While your toddler is enjoying the ride, keep them busy with this fun search-and-find game. The double-sided activity mats will keep your older toddler entertained for hours.

LCD Writing Tablet

ORSEN Colorful 8.5 Inch LCD Writing Tablet for Kids, Electronic Sketch Drawing Pad Doodle Board, Toddler Travel Learning Educational Toys Activity Games Birthday Gifts for 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Year Old Girls

Your toddler can use a fun doodle pad board (aka sketch board) throughout the trip to draw and engage in imaginative play, perfect for small hands gaining dexterity.

Popit Fidget

Nutty Toys Popit Sensory Fidget - Stress & Anxiety Relief Push Pop It Bubble Gadget for Kids & Adults 2022, Unique Teen & Toddler Easter Basket Stuffer Present Idea, Best Tween Boy & Girl Gift

Fidget toys are perfect as toddler travel toys, keeping little hands entertained. Such a simple game, they come in lots of fun shapes and colors, and they take up very little packing space.

Wooden Activity Cube

Wooden Activity Cube for Toddlers 1-3 Year - 6in1 Owl Puzzles Maze 3.15 х 3.15 inch - Sensory Busy Board – Travel Car Plane Handmade Fidget Toys – Baby Kids Montessori Activities

This small wooden activity cube will help keep your toddler’s hands busy for hours. They can move the different pieces and work on various motor skills with the toy.

Smart Teddy

Smart Teddy Bear: Toddler Learning Toy, 28 Fairy Tales, 30+ Daily Routine Activities, Lullabies, Regularly Updating Content for Free, Interactive Educational Best Gift for 3 4 5 6 Years Old Kids

Take this interactive smart teddy with you on your road trip to keep your toddler entertained. The app on your phone can control what’s on the teddy and the kids will have fun listening to stories and other learning activities.

Reusable Sticker Pad

Melissa & Doug On The Go Make-a-Face Reusable Sticker Pad Travel Toy Activity Book – Farm Animals (10 Scenes, 76 Cling Stickers)

Stickers are always a winner with little kids. Your toddler will love giving the farm animals different faces as they play with this reusable sticker book. The pad contains 10 different farm scenes and 76 reusable cling-style stickers to make the face.

Magnetic Maze Puzzle Game

Happy Cocolion Magnetic Maze Puzzle Game, Wooden Magnetic Maze Learning & Education Toys with Marine Animals, Magnetic Maze for Toddlers, Perfect Road Trip Toys for Toddlers

As you are traveling in the car, your toddler can have fun trying to move the ball in the maze with the attached magnetic pen. It has a colorful sea theme to it which will make it easier to hold their attention throughout the trip and an easy carry handle.

Buckle Pillow Toy

beetoy Buckle Pillow Toys for Toddlers, Sensory Learning Activity Toy Travel Toys for Babies 1-3 Develop Fine Motor Skills, Zipper Toy with Button Threading for Learning Alphabet

This cute owl pillow is not only soft and cuddly, but turns him around, and there are several different activities your toddler can play with on your family road trip.

Your toddler will be able to snap, button, and buckle the different items on the pillow, making this buckle toy perfect for problem solving and cognitive skills.

You’ll find even more road trip toy ideas for toddlers over here

Best Road Trip Toys for Preschoolers

Your preschoolers will have more dexterity, and toys can hold their attention span for longer periods of time.

We’d recommend on a long journey you also invest in a car seat travel tray so that your child has a comfortable play space with a play surface they can spread all their toys out on, and handy pockets to stop items rolling away.

Disney Eye Found It Card Game

Ravensburger World of Disney Eye Found It Card Game for Boys & Girls Ages 3 and Up - A Fun Family Game You'll Want to Play Again and Again

As they explore the different Disney scenes when trying to find the character and scene images, your preschooler will not only be working on hand-eye coordination but also counting on the road trip. The perfect educational preschooler toy to pack for a road trip.

Preschool Busy Book

HAN-MM Preschool Montessori Toys with 8 Color Marker Toddler Toys for Kids Learning Toys Busy Board Busy Book Toddler Learning Binder Sturdy for Toddlers Book Activity Educational

This busy book is perfect for entertaining your little one throughout the car ride. It’s a sturdy book, so you can easily take it in the car, and your preschooler will have fun working on the activities while honing their fine motor skills using the erasable marker pens.

Fire HD Tablet

Fire HD 8 Kids tablet, 8" HD display, ages 3-7, 32 GB, Blue Kid-Proof Case

You can’t go wrong with a tablet when it comes to traveling in the car! So much can be done on the tablet and your little one will love watching shows, playing games, and more. Just make sure you’ve downloaded what you need before setting off in case you don’t have wifi!

Color Wonder Mess Free Coloring Pages

Crayola Blippi, Color Wonder Mess Free Coloring Pages & Markers, Blippi Toys Alternative, Gift for Kids, Age 3, 4, 5, 6

A coloring book with a difference! Available in a variety of different designs, as you travel in the car, your little artist can color the sheets of paper without you having to worry about a mess.

Each kit contains 18 Blippi coloring sheets and five magic markers.

Go Fish Alphabet Card Game

School Zone - Go Fish Alphabet Game Cards - Ages 4 and Up, Preschool to First Grade, Uppercase and Lowercase Letters, ABCs, Word-Picture Recognition, Animals, Card Game, Matching, and More

Go Fish is a fun game for any age, and this set helps your preschooler learn the letters of the alphabet, both capitalized and lowercase.

Card games are great travel toys that your younger children can also play with older siblings, helping them out.

Town Maze Magnetic Puzzle

HABA Town Maze Magnetic Puzzle Game - Learning & Education Toys for Preschoolers

Need an activity your child can really focus on? Your preschooler will have great fun trying to get the colored balls in the matching garage with the magnetic pen. This is a great option if you’re seeking a more challenging STEM toy for car travel or anywhere you’re heading on vacation.

Dot to Dot Workbook

School Zone - ABC Dot-to-Dots Workbook - 32 Pages, Ages 3 to 5, Preschool, Kindergarten, Connect the Dots, Alphabet, Letter Puzzles, and More (School Zone Get Ready!™ Activity Book Series)

A quiet but fun road trip activity your preschooler can do throughout the ride, this dot-to-dot workbook is fun and educational.

Ideal for the 3 to 5-year-old age group where critical thinking is involved, and they have a fun coloring page to complete, too once the dot-to-dot is complete.

Travel Memory Game

Melissa & Doug Flip to Win Travel Memory Game - Wooden Game Board, 7 Double-Sided Cards

Seven double-sided cards are included in this memory game. Each card has different images so your preschooler can stay entertained throughout the trip. An ideal car game if you have siblings who want to play along together.

EZDesk Travel Activity Kit

EZDesk Travel Activity Kit, Laptop Style Desk with Writing and Craft Accessories for Children, 64 Piece set, Multicolor

Full of fun activities your preschooler can do while in the car, this activity kit will have them coloring and designing a variety of different things.

With it’s own carry case and handle its the ideal travel toy than can come from car to roadside stop.

Travel Tangram Puzzle

Coogam Travel Tangram Puzzle - Magnetic Pattern Block Book Road Trip Game Jigsaw Shapes Dissection STEM Games with Solution for Kid Adult Challenge - IQ Educational Toy Gift Brain Teasers 360 Patterns

Mix, match, and style the different pieces in this fun travel tangram puzzle.

This is a fun travel game, and it allows children to get creative with shapes, ideal for the older preschooler with magnetic pieces that (shouldn’t!) get lost!

Best Road Trip Toys for Elementary School Age Kids

A wonderful age for road-tripping with kids – though you’ll need plenty of ideas to stave off the chorus of “are we there yet”. Try these wonderful travel toys and educational games, perfect for your slightly older kids on your next family road trip:

Handheld Game Set

Beijue 16 Bit Handheld Games for Kids Adults 3.0'' Large Screen Preloaded 100 HD Classic Retro Video Games USB Rechargeable Seniors Electronic Game Player Birthday Xmas Present (Blue)

This small little game system is a powerful little portable machine that has 100 preloaded classic retro games to play. If you don’t want the expense or arguments of a full-size tablet, this is a wonderful hand-held compromise.

Fashion Design Sketch Portfolio

Fashion Angels Fashion Design Sketch Portfolio for Kids -  Fashion Design Sketch Book for Beginners, Fashion Sketch Pad with Stencils and Stickers for Kids 6 and Up, Brown(Covers May Vary)

If your child loves fashion and creating their own style, they will love this fun fashion sketch pad with stencils and stickers. It comes in plenty of different designs from clothing to bedroom design or even design your own unicorns.

Flashing Cube Memory Game

Winning Fingers Flashing Cube Electronic Memory & Brain Game | 4-in-1 Handheld Game for Kids | STEM Toy for Kids Boys and Girls | Fun Gift Toy for Kids Ages 6-12 Years Old

Even though your child is stuck in the car throughout the road trip, doesn’t mean they can’t have fun! This flashing cube has 4 quick-fingered games that they can learn to master on the ride.

Nintendo Switch Lite

Nintendo Switch Lite - Turquoise

A fun game system for on-the-go, the Nintendo Switch Lite is a popular road trip accessory. On the go, they can play their favorite games as they wait to get to their destination, in a small and lightweight unit (don’t forget a storage case too!)

Secret Decoder Activity Set

Melissa & Doug On the Go Secret Decoder Deluxe Activity Set and Super Sleuth Toy

Kids will love cracking the codes by uncovering hidden clues and secret messages throughout the pages. It’s also a fun way to encourage problem-solving and critical thinking, bound to keep them occupied for many hours while you’re on the road.

Scratch Paper Art

pigipigi Scratch Paper Art for Kids - 59 Pcs Magic Rainbow Scratch Paper Off Set Scratch Crafts Arts Supplies Kits Pads Sheets Boards for Party Games Easter Christmas Birthday Gift

The magic rainbow scratch-off paper kits are fun for kids of all ages, but they work best for your elementary-aged child.

This kit has everything you need for hours of fun, including 50 pieces of scratch paper and 4 stencils to follow, or create your own colorful designs.

Wax Craft Sticks

Purple Ladybug Wax Craft Sticks for Kids: 15 Colors, 2 Lengths - 6 Inch Standard & 12 Inch Super Long, 150 of Each - Bendable Sticky Yarn Stix in Bulk - Fun Art & Crafts Activity for Travel or at Home

Get creative in the car by designing some cool things with wax. This fun set is perfect for road trips and will allow your child to get creative with their hands, even on the go.

No sticky mess, you get over 300 sticks in a set of different lengths so the only limit is your child’s imagination!

Travel Board Tic Tac Toe and Checkers

BSTSHIER 2 in 1 Board Games for Kids Checkers Sets Board Games for Kids Travel Toys Magnetic Travel Games Foam Checker Pieces Young Kids Board Games Family Board Game (Checkers&Tic-Tac-Toe)

This set is perfect for traveling with friends or siblings. The magnetic game board will let your children play checkers and tic tac toe throughout the car ride. Super simple family games that never go out of fashion!

Colorful Tangram Jigsaw Puzzle

USATDD Wooden Puzzles Brain Teasers Toy Russian Tangram Colorful Jigsaw Game Wood Puzzles Montessori Intelligence STEM Educational Gift for Baby Toddlers Kids 3 4 5 6 7 Years Old Boys Girls 40 Pcs

While on the road, children can have fun with this challenging jigsaw game puzzle. The 40-piece game set will keep them busy for hours as they put together the puzzle.

Designed with road trips in mind, they include clues for everything you will likely encounter on your family road trip!

Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game

Briarpatch Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game for Kids, Activities for Family Vacations, Road Trips and Car Rides, Ages 7 and Up

Scavenger hunt games are always fun for kids and this card pack will keep them entertained as they search for the objects found on the cards.

Best Road Trip Toys For Tweens and Teens

Don’t want your older kids simply plugged in for hours on end? Plenty of fun and creative road trip toy ideas are perfect for all those family members 10 years+ who still need busy hands and minds.

Flipslide Handheld Game

Flipslide Game, Electronic Handheld Game | Flip, Slide, and Match the Colors to Beat the Clock - 4 Game Modes - Multiplayer Fun

Flip, slide, and match the cubes as you are timed with this travel game. The game has 4 game modes, each with a different level of challenge, perfect for passing the time on car rides.

Triangle Peg Games

3 Packs Wooden Triangle Peg Games Triangle Wooden Board Game Family Board Game Wooden Strategy Toy Travel Games for Teens and Adults Fun Learning Puzzles

Remember the wooden strategy game we played at some of our favorite restaurants?

These pegboards can be taken anywhere so that your tweens and teens can play anywhere they go. Great for strategizing and stretching the mind.

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy‑Con - HAC-001(-01)

A Nintendo Switch can be a lifesaver when it comes to killing time while your tween or teen is traveling in the car.

They can use the same game system they use at home with portable remote controls that simply clip in to have some fun on their road trip adventure. Don’t forget a carry case to keep their console and game chips safe.

Travel Blurt Game

Educational Insights Travel Blurt! Game

This is a game that siblings can play together, or you can get the whole family involved during the road trip. It’s hilarious and fun to see what kinds of things will be blurted out.

Handheld Magnetic Word Game

The Original Word Spin Handheld Magnetic Word Game Travel Edition with Storage Pouch

A travel edition of our favorite word game. Magnetic toys always make a good road trip toy. This set even includes a travel storage pouch to carry it anywhere. A great brain teaser toy for your tweens and teens looking for road trip activities that engage the brain.

Boredom Buster Activity Pack

Activity Book for Teens: 180 Brain Games and Puzzles for Teenagers | Boredom Busters for Girls and Boys with Sudoku, Mazes, Kakuro, Numbrix, Snakes, Word Searches and more.

This activity book for teens has 180 different brain games and puzzles they can do while in the car. Each brain game is challenging but fun and pitched at your older child.

The Ultimate Magnetic Puzzle Game

TRUEChallenge by TRUEBalance Is The Ultimate Magnetic Puzzle Game- Spin to Solve. Nothing beats the Challenge and exhilaration of solving puzzles. Best coordination and STEM learning toy on the market

Nothing beats the feeling you get when you solve a challenging puzzle. This magnetic puzzle game is an impressive game that can be played in the car for some challenging fun.

Fast Sling Puck Game

Kiditos 22.4" Fast Sling Puck Game Wooden Hockey Game, 3 Levels Challenge 2-4 Players Family Board Game, Tabletop Slingshot Hockey Game, Foosball Winner Game for Kids, Teens and Family Game Night

This fast-sling puck game is a portable hockey game that fits on the table while you are taking a break at a roadside stop. Depending on the room you have in the car, it might be able to fit on their lap while in the car.

Magnetic Board Game Pack

Gamie Small Magnetic Board Travel Game Set - Includes 12 Retro Fun Games - 5 Inch Compact Design - Individually Boxed - Teaches Strategy and Focus - Road Trip, Travel, Camping for Kids 6+

This pack includes 12 different retro fun games that your tween or teen can take on any family vacation. It’s great for elementary-aged children as well, but we like it more for tweens.

World’s Largest Word Search Book

The World's Largest Themed Word Search Book - Vol. 1: 1,111 Puzzles for Adults & Seniors

If your child enjoys doing word search puzzles, they will love working on this activity book while on a road trip.

With over 1,000 puzzles, your teen or tween will have plenty of puzzles to help them pass the miles.

We hope you’ve managed to find something in this road trip toy selection to suit every member of your family.

Other Ways To Pass Time In The Car

In addition to all the incredible games we’ve covered in this guide (yes, over 50 road trip toy ideas!) you may also want to prepare for your next family trip:

  • Download some audiobooks that all the family can listen to together or a podcast series suitable to your age group.
  • Family singalong. I know, I know, the 17,000th rendition of their favorite nursery rhyme might be driving you around the bend, but little kids love nothing more than mom and dad joining in. Change the words, and sing in a funny voice; it’s bound to get some giggles from the back. (Psst, there’s quite possibly an age limit on this one though, you don’t want your tweens and teens disowning you at the next roadside stop)
  • Easy word games. You don’t need a fancy toy to keep the kids entertained all the time. Plenty of imaginative games in the car can be played verbally without any props. Try “would you rather” questions, alphabet listing games, or good old I-spy!

What are your go-to toys and games for a family road trip?

© Family Road Trip 2024

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