What Toys to Pack in Your Busy Bag
Whether you are flying or driving, you'll want to bring along a few travel toys to keep your kids busy. You'll want to pack a few for your destination as well. Don't bring too many though, part of the fun is letting the kids shop for some special new toys at your destination. Make sure you have a mix of old favorites & new toys. A good rule of thumb is one toy per hour that we expect our child to be awake on the flight.
For a little extra fun, try wrapping each toy. Not only will it build excitement for your kids, but unwrapping them will take a bit of time up on the flight.
Our favorite travel toys by age
Infant and baby travel toys (newborn to 1 year)
Toddler travel toys (1 year to 2 year)
Preschool travel toys (2 years to 4 years)
School age kids travel toys (5 years to 8 years)
How to Choose The Best Travel Toys
In general, the best travel toys are quiet, open ended, and do not have a lot of parts that can get lost or scattered under airplane seats. They are also compact. You don't need to spend a fortune. Crafts and other low cost toys can be a lot of fun. We also bring several books (and look for more on the road. It can be fun to look for wordless books in an international bookstore), and an iPod loaded with music.