24 Products From Amazon That Reviewers Say Kept Their Kids Busy On Long Travel Days
We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
The days are long and the attention spans are short. Try these products to help the time tick a little more joyfully.
1.
A set of travel magnetic tiles for a little screen-free entertainment. It’s everything they love about magnetic tiles, but smaller and easier to store. Honestly, a no-lose situation for anyone.
amazon.com
Promising review: “Out of a haul of toys we purchased to keep our two very active young boys busy on a flight, this was hands-down the most loved. They are satisfyingly tactile shapes. The pieces fit neatly back into the tin, and it is so easy and compact to slip into a backpack pocket! Would absolutely recommend — awesome toy.” —Alexis P
Price:Â $19.97
2. A scavenger hunt card game that’ll make long car rides a bit more interesting for the whole family. If you want to make things extra interesting, team up and offer a prize to the winning team. They’ll put that device down in no time.Â
Promising review: “I bought this for our road trip, desperate for something to keep our kids entertained. This was super fun! My husband, I, and our 5-year-old had fun playing it together. My 3-year-old was trying, but is a little bit too young for it. The pictures are fun and engaging. I honestly had a great time and would recommend this to other parents looking for something to keep their kids busy!” —Heather
Price:Â $8.13
3.
A technology mount so they can watch something on a phone or tablet without getting sticky apple juice fingers all over the screen. And since this holder can attach to a seat back or sit independently, entertainment during a layover has never been so easy.
amazon.com, amazon.com
Promising review: “I love this thing! Not only is it great for holding your phone/iPad on flights, car rides, or anywhere, it also makes for a great toy for kids. My son used it has a ‘hill’ for his car for half the flight. He also would park his cars underneath it. It provided a lot of entertainment and the possibilities for what you can use it for are endless. The best part about it is it doesn’t slide around since it’s made out of a rubber/silicone-like material.” —Shelby Hartzler
Price: $14.99+ (available in three versions)
4.
A travel activity tray that’s great for car seats or any stop you might make. This tray has a dry erasable bottom, dry erase markers, a tablet stand, and pouches for snacks and toys. You serenely enjoying travel for a few minutes is included free-of-charge.
amazon.com
Promising review: “Bought this to keep my toddler entertained during a seven-hour road trip AND IT WORKED. Easy to set up quickly, stores away flat, great size, and convenient pockets to hold the dry-erase pens and eraser (included). We did lots of coloring but also used it as a stable table to play with other toys and eat snacks. Definitely recommend getting one!” —Chloe Young
Price:Â $27.99+Â (available in 11 designs and in a two-pack)
5.
An LCD doodle pad to give your kid something to do without having to keep track of 47 crayons, 12 markers, and tons of wasted paper. This thing will make reaching for a crayon only to see it roll into the depths of your car a thing of the past.
amazon.com
Promising review: “Bought three of these for a road trip for my 2-year-old, 3-year-old, and 10-year-old — should have bought five, cause man oh man were they a hit. My 1-year-old and 13-year-old kept fighting the other kids to take turns. They are super lightweight and amazing to use. The erase feature is awesome — kids treat it like magic. Was way more fun for them to draw with this than normal paper and crayons and white boards are just no fun. They came with an extra battery for the erase feature also, which is so convenient! Will be buying more of these as gifts!!!” —Allison Rangel
Price:Â $13.99+ (available in two sizes and four colors)
6.
A set of magnetic people for staking, imagining, or just plain exploring. And since they’re magnetic rather than suction like similar fidgets, you’re not going to annoy the people in the surrounding rows with a constant “POP POP POP.”
amazon.com
Promising review: “I got this for a road trip. Both my 5- and 2-year-old love them. It kept them entertained for a decent time. Strong magnets.” —Joel
Price: $6.99 for a five-pack (also available in a 10-pack)
7.
A sensory activity board that uses silicone strings to create art or just pass time by popping them in and out. Not only is it a sensory-friendly activity, it’s quiet and reviewers say it’s actually engaging!
amazon.com
Promising review: “I was skeptical of this product given the claim of it being good for a toddler or adult. However, I was wrong! This handy sensory toy keeps our 3-year-old entertained and was a great addition to a recent airplane trip. It stimulates his brain and keeps him occupied for a while. And, it’s fun for adults to work on too.” —H. Coleman
Price:Â $11.98
8.
A four-pack of fidgets for keeping your littles AND bigs occupied during a long flight or a long car ride. These fidgets have many functions — clicking, posing, and spinning to name a few — that’ll keep them engaged far longer than your average spinner. They’re also great for theme park vacations to give them something tech-free to do in line.
amazon.com
Promising review: “I bought these as an additional item to keep my kids busy on our long car ride this past summer. They were a hit with our 9-, 12-, and 16-year-olds. I’m not ashamed to admit my husband and I also both enjoyed tinkering with them. There are so many movable parts, they aren’t terribly noisy when you move them either, which is good for quiet, enclosed spaces. For me, personally, I struggle with small noises, so these little fidgets were great.” —Shelby B
Price:Â $9.98+ (available in various colors and pack sizes)
9.
A set of tangrams — aka the puzzle that’s been popular for literally hundreds of years. And thanks to magnets and a handy idea guide, the possibilities are both mess free and endless.
amazon.com
Promising review: “My boys have used this while traveling since they were 4. We have used it for long-distance air travel, car travel, and everywhere. It is lightweight and small enough to pack, the magnets allow everything to stay together so nothing is ever sliding off. This is the second one we have bought as a gift, and will continue to do so!” —Jessica Armstrong
Price:Â $13.99
10.
A mess-free finger painting activity that takes the beloved Color Wonder books and ditches the markers altogether. Mess-free finger painting that also avoids falling and rolling pens all over the airplane/car/airport floor? An absolute stroke of pure genius.
amazon.com
Each set includes a five-color ink pad and a 27-page book.
Promising review: “This was a great purchase for the airplane to entertain my 3-year-old daughter. It kept her busy and did not need to worry about any mess while she was being creative.” —Abbey
Price:Â $15.49
11.
A tub of Stickikubes for building and creating with some sticky sensory fun. These small cubes stack, stick, and inspire creative play — and with 125 cubes in each tub, the possibilities for play are endless. When they’re done they can just go back in the tub or be wiped down and stored again for the next leg of the trip.
amazon.com
Promising review: “Bought these for air travel and they did not disappoint. My son loved building towers with them and sticking them to the window of the airplane. They go back into the container easily, and you really can just rinse them with water, and they are clean and still sticky.” —Suzy E.
Price:Â $19.99 (available in three color options)
12.
A TikTok famous Kanoodle brain teaser puzzle that allows them to solve 200 puzzles in one small package. This is a great boredom buster for long trips, a fun challenge for puzzle-lovers, and an activity that’ll get those strategy skills flowing without beeps, buzzes, or crashes.
amazon.com
Promising review: “Fun little game for travel! Kept the kids (and me) entertained on a long road trip. There’s plenty of puzzles to do and lots of different levels of difficulty to keep my kids (8 and 11) entertained, and even some that stumped me!” —CanyonG
Price:Â $10.97
13.
A magnetic jigsaw puzzle to finally be able to complete a puzzle without worrying about bumpy skies or back roads. Each set comes with two puzzles and at 15-pieces, they’re perfect for the toddler crowd.
Amazon
Promising review: “Bought this for our 2-year-old who loves puzzles as we were going on a four-hour plane ride and spending a week in a vacation rental with minimal toys. The best feature is that the magnetic pieces stick onto the flaps of the puzzle. You can spread all the pieces out so you can see/pick without losing them in the car or plane. Our toddler liked spreading them all out and then rebuilding the puzzle over and over. An added fun feature is that you get two puzzles in a slim set up that takes up minimal space in a carry-on. Pieces are small, but after building a couple of times with mom and dad, she was able to master it herself, but the magnetic feature kept her interest.” —Jake Hosler
Price:Â $11.99 (available in three versions)
14.
A travel-size Simon because this epic game still delivers. Kids and teens can both enjoy matching the light patterns — the perfect distraction for a road trip or a layover.
amazon.com
Promising review: “Got it for a long car trip and it was fantastic. Excellent size for traveling and different ages had a great time using it.” —Amazon Customer
Price:Â $9.84
15.
A hidden picture card game that’s great for Disney-lovers and anyone who loves “I Spy.” Each card gives them a hidden object to find in a popular Disney scene and your kiddos can play together or split the cards between them and switch. Don’t be surprised if you’re looking over their shoulder to quietly find that hidden teapot, too.
amazon.com
Promising review: “I originally bought this because I was going on a few hours-long bus trip with my 4-year-old and wanted to have some new toys packed in case she got bored on the bus. When I showed her the options, this is the first one she chose to play with. When I purchased this, I thought it was as simple as finding the hidden object on the back of the card, somewhere on the front of the same card. But after reading the enclosed directions, I learned you’re looking for a hidden picture amongst five separate cards, so it involves a little more skill and competition that entertained my daughter for a good portion of our trip. Now that we’re home, she still chooses this frequently to play on family game night!” —Tyla S.
Price:Â $9.99
16.
A memory game for any kiddo who loves playing “Memory” without having to balance a ton of cards on a tray table. With a total of 12 games, things will stay interesting for a while. Plus they can play together or test their own memory skills and even pass it back and forth easily. With them happily engaged, that audiobook you’ve been desperate to listen to is calling.
amazon.com
Promising review: “Bought this game to distract my daughter on an eight-hour plane ride. We both love playing it. Even after the trip, we still play it. It’s easy to change the sheets and start a new game. I recommend. She’s 5-years-old.” —Elen Ray
Price:Â $12.59
17.
A set of small markers that’s perfect for a little travel-time artwork. Each travel-size set contains 24 markers and paper, making it a quick and easy creative toy to pull out anytime.
amazon.com
Promising review: This was perfect for a mini family road trip with my 6-year-old. It was nice to see her take a break from the tablet and let her imagination go wild. They were easy to wash off my seats since some of them lost their lids. Luckily, they still clicked into the case even without the lids.” —Asia
Price:Â $12.97
18.
A magnetic bead board for creating mess-free pictures while enjoying that oh-so-satisfying *pop* of picking up a magnet. While youngins’ will just enjoy the fun of picking up the beads, older kids can try their hand at making some actual ~art~.
amazon.com
Promising review: “Over the course of the summer we did three major road trips, each lasting minimum eight hours and I wanted to have toys/games that weren’t just on my girls’ tablets. When I found these, I was very excited. The size is that of an Amazon Fire tablet — maybe a bit larger, but great slim design. It was super easy to use and engaging for both my 3-year-old and my 6-year-old. Great gift for kids in families who travel a lot, or if you’re doing flights or boat trips. It’s perfect because it won’t roll around or have a bunch of extra pieces. Worth the money. I have two and love them.” —Dominic Grecki
Price:Â $15.98 (available in three colors)
19.
A dry-erase activity pad with 17 different games that can be played in pairs or solo. This is great for kids who already know how to write and who are already unimpressed by the free entertainment options offered. đź«
Amazon
Promising reviews: “Very fun! My 7-year-old has loved using this during long car rides. We haven’t done all of the games yet, mostly because he liked the first two he tried and just keeps going back to them! But I’m sure they’re all great. The games are interesting enough that my 13-year-old daughter will play them with him. Granted, she’s also very kind and helpful with her younger siblings, but the games aren’t terrible — even in her view! It’s a good size, easy to wipe off, strong enough to write on, the markers stay in their holder, and I love that it comes with two colors so you can play the two-player games. The design was definitely thought through very well — just like everything else from Melissa & Doug!” —AdaliaMusic
Price:Â $8.99
20.
A busy board to keep them both busy AND working on those motor skills at the same time. Busy boards are great for adding some novelty to a long wait, but can be entertaining anywhere. And who doesn’t love a supremely satisfying gear click, zipper pull, or buckle clasp?
amazon.com
Promising review: “My 15-month-old loves this. This is the second one I purchased from this company. I bought it for many reasons, but we went on a 14-hour road trip, and she would sit and play in the car seat for almost 45 minutes to an hour with this with me — handing me pieces and putting them back on. I recommend this to anyone. Especially if their kid(s) aren’t good in the car. This was the BEST distraction. I highly recommend.” —Madds
Price:Â $16.09+ (available in seven designs)
21.
A magnetic puzzle toy/block combo that’ll challenge their brains a bit without crashing down every time you hit a bump. With a guidebook with 108 puzzle ideas or just using them as blocks — all ages can enjoy a little risk-free building activity.
amazon.com
Promising review: “Both my kids love this. They are seven years apart and rarely like the same things for long, but this has had them both excited and playing together. It was great for our road trip and just a simple game at home.” —Kay
Price:Â $15.99 (available in two colors)
22.
A travel checkers and tic-tac-toe board for a little friendly competition in the skies or on the open road. With two fan-favorite games at their fingertips, the play can go on for rematch after rematch.
Amazon
Promising review: “We bought this for a very long car trip, and it was a great addition. It kept the kids busy in the car, and because it was magnetic, there weren’t pieces all over the car. Also, the perfect size for small hands.” —rngirl
Price:Â $14.99 (also available in seven other games)
23.
A four-pack of classic Highlights Hidden Pictures books because they are just as fun now as when you were a kid. And since these come in a three-pack, there’s no reason you can’t keep one for your own inner child.
amazon.com
My family are HUGE fans of these books — especially my 5-year-old. These are the exact same hidden pictures pages from the Highlights you’d find at the dentist’s office when you were a kid, but some other kid hasn’t already circled them before you could get your hands on it. If that sense of relief wasn’t enough already, kids actually love these just as much today. My daughter can’t find her shoes when they’re two feet away, but she will spend a surprisingly long time searching for the hidden pictures in these books. I can only hope those seek-and-find skills will one day transfer to the real world and she’ll actually find her shoes one of these days.Â
Promising review: “Kids had a blast on the road trip — something other than technology!” —Bash
Price:Â $15.99+ for four books (available in three versions and a version for younger kids)
24.
A reusable puffy sticker play pad for some imaginative play and sticker fun combined. Kids will love peeling off the stickers and creating their own farm scene and you’ll love not having to peel stubborn stickers off of wherever else they decided to stick them.
amazon.com
My kids are particularly fond of the fashion dress-up version of this book, and they have gotten literal years of play. They love creating new outfits and scenes in their books, and I love how low-stakes the stickers are — and I am an outspoken sticker-hater.
Promising review: “My 2-year-old daughter loves this! Perfect for long road trips or airplane rides! The adhesive is great and long-lasting.” —brooke ewbank
Price:Â $8.99Â
Reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.
