20 Cheap Travel Toy Picks (All Under $20)

This quiet, self-contained activity boosts hand-eye coordination and concentration as your child weaves the "worm" through the holes. It’s perfect for travel, we even keep this set in the glovebox of our car.

This tape is easy to tear and leaves no sticky mess. Kids can peel, stick, and restick it to tray tables and windows to practice their pincer grasp and make designs.

The special markers only color on the provided paper, which means no stains on the airplane tray or rental car seats! We use them even when we go out to eat at places that might not be as child-friendly.

Just fill the pen with water and color! The images magically appear, then dry and fade so they can be used again and again. It's a miracle for flights and completely mess-free.

Note: With the change in cabin pressure on airplanes, be sure it's not too full, and make sure the tip is pointed down in whatever bag it's packed in if you have water in it.

These sticker pads come with a background scenes and decal stickers that barely take up any space and are reusable to no end. They promote storytelling and fine motor skills. We also keep one of these in our glovebox at all times.

These simple, colorful plastic tubes pop, click, stretch, and connect. They're incredibly satisfying and excellent for engaging hands, building, and making fun, quiet noises.

The satisfying, tactile popping sound is a perfect distraction for small hands. Bonus, they also spin which can mean they attach to the window on the plane or possibly the tray table. Ours normally end up on the sliding glass door at home, or on the fridge for more fun!

Another go-to in the car for us... an interactive book! Note, it's a bit large and the pop noises are a bit loud, so it's better for the car than the plane.

Ditch the paper and crayons (which inevitable roll under a seat somewhere).This battery-powered screen lets your child draw, scribble, and practice letters, then instantly erase with the push of a button. Great for quiet, creativity. Note: This is currently under $20... there are also great deals around the holidays.

These tiny tins hold a card game that requires sharp focus and quick pattern recognition. It’s perfect for the small tray table space and can be played in short bursts between destinations and probably once you're there as well!

A great new level from the Pop It sensory toys, here you can make designs and calm down. I love the 3D element too!

These wax-coated yarn pieces can be bent, twisted, and stuck to form figures, letters, or shapes—all without any glue or mess. They are a fantastic, quiet creative outlet for building engineering skills.

Instead of coloring, kids match small colored foam or paper stickers to numbered squares to reveal a detailed picture. It’s a quiet, engaging puzzle that requires concentration and precision.

These small, vibrant magnetic tiles snap together easily to build 3D structures right on the tray table. They encourage spatial reasoning and open-ended engineering, packing flat for easy storage.

A classic tool that challenges sequencing, pattern recognition, and focus. Learning to solve these offers a deep, long-lasting travel activity that is totally self-contained.

These small books are a hilarious way to pass time, reinforce parts of speech (Mad Libs), and encourage communication and reading comprehension in a fun, non-screen way.

This set includes seven geometric magnetic shapes and a booklet of challenges to create hundreds of different figures. It’s an excellent way to boost spatial awareness and critical thinking.

A compact magnetic game board is perfect for teaching strategy, patience, and planning. Because the pieces are magnetic, you don't have to worry about turbulence or bumps sending them flying.

This small case holds 200+ spatial reasoning puzzles that require kids to fit colored pieces onto a grid. It's a fantastic brain workout that keeps them independently engaged for a long time. One of my all-time favorites (even as an adult).

A variation on the classic (see above).