Keeping a baby entertained while traveling doesn't require a suitcase full of toys. A few simple toys, opportunities to move and explore, familiar routines, and plenty of time to take in the world around them can keep babies surprisingly entertained on airplanes, road trips, in airports, and in hotel rooms.
In fact, one of the best things about traveling with a baby is that almost everything around them is new.
Whether you're traveling by airplane, taking a road trip, staying in a hotel, or heading out on an outdoor adventure, here are some of the things that have worked best for our family.
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Remember: The World Is Entertainment
Sometimes we forget that for babies, everything is new. This is one of my favorite things about traveling with babies because you get to watch them experience somewhere new.
To us, walking through a new city or sitting in an airport might not seem particularly exciting.
To a baby, there is so much to see. This is true for little kids too. Read my thoughts on turning travel stress into family memories.
This might require a bit of a mindset shift, but instead of immediately handing your baby a toy or device to keep them occupied, put them in a stroller or carrier where they can look around and narrate what you're seeing—even when they're really little.
If you're hiking, let them take in the view from a hiking backpack.
Narrating doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple as:
"Look at that bird."
"Do you see that big building over there?"
"Can you hear the waterfall?"
You don't have to constantly put something in front of your baby to entertain them.
Give them time to experience what's already around them.
Pack a Few Simple Travel Toys
When I choose toys for traveling with a baby, I look for things that are:
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Small and easy to pack
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Easy to clean
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Useful in multiple ways
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Interesting enough to keep little hands busy
Nesting or stacking cups are one of my favorites because babies can play with them in a hotel room, use them in the bath, or bring them outside to the beach or playground for building sandcastles.
Board books, a favorite stuffed animal, and small toys that can attach to a stroller, carrier, or play mat are other easy options.
I also like to bring at least one familiar favorite and one or two things that feel new.
They don't actually have to be new. Hide a toy for a few weeks before your trip and suddenly it feels new and interesting again.
For more ideas on what to bring—and what you probably don't need—check out my Ultimate Guide to Traveling with a Baby with practical tips for packing, airports, hotel stays, baby travel gear, routines, and more.
Give Your Baby Time to Move
This might be my biggest tip for keeping a baby happy while traveling:
Let them move.
Think about how much time babies spend contained on a travel day.
They're strapped into a car seat.
They're sitting in the stroller.
They're in a carrier.
They're being held.
Then they're sitting on your lap or otherwise settled in for the flight.
Whenever you have the opportunity, give your baby a chance to stretch, roll, wiggle, reach, crawl, or play on the floor.
If you're on a road trip, build movement into your stops. Find a park or playground along the way. Even if your baby is too young for the playground equipment, they can get out of the car seat, move their body, and watch the other kids.
At the airport, look for children's play areas. They are gold!
And when there isn't a designated baby play space, having your own portable place for floor time can be incredibly helpful.
This is one of the reasons my husband and I invented the Lay & Play Adventure Mat, a lightweight travel baby play mat that packs small enough to bring along on family trips. We were frustrated that there weren't good options for putting our baby down to play while traveling that didn't keep her contained.
The Lay & Play gives babies a familiar (and clean!) place to stretch, reach, roll, and play while you're waiting at the airport, hanging out in a hotel room, visiting grandparents, or wherever your travels take you.
Let Your Baby Explore the Destination
If you're on an outdoor adventure, you don't necessarily need to bring entertainment with you.
It's already there.
Give your baby time to sit down and explore when it's appropriate for their age.
Let them feel the dirt.
Splash their hands in a creek.
Touch the sand.
Look at flowers.
Explore leaves, rocks, sticks, and other pieces of the natural world with close supervision and age-appropriate precautions.
These things seem ordinary to adults.
They're fascinating when you're experiencing them for the first time.
Giving your baby time to explore the destination can help you slow down and experience it differently too.
And if you bring anything? A simple shovel and bucket for scooping, collecting, and digging can be perfect.
How Do You Keep a Baby Entertained at the Airport?
Airports involve a lot of waiting, so don't feel like your baby needs to spend all of that time strapped into the stroller.
Walk around.
Watch the airplanes.
Look out the windows.
Find a children's play area if the airport has one.
And give your baby some time to move before boarding.
A portable travel baby play mat can be especially useful at the airport because it creates a familiar place for babies to stretch and play while you wait for your flight.
Then you can pack it up when it's time to board.
I've written more specifically about this in What to Do With a Baby at the Airport, including why I think movement before a flight can make such a difference.
How Do You Keep a Baby Entertained on an Airplane?
Keeping a baby entertained on an airplane can definitely be one of the more daunting parts of traveling with a baby.
Start before you even get on the plane.
Give your baby as many opportunities as possible to move around before boarding. If they've had time to stretch, wiggle, crawl, or walk before the flight, you're starting from a much better place than if they've already been sitting in a stroller for two hours.
Ideally, your baby will sleep for at least part of the flight.
But you can't guarantee that.
So it's better to be prepared for them to be awake.
This is where novelty really helps.
Depending on your child's age, simple things like stickers, Band-Aids, reusable window clings, Wikki Stix, finger puppets, or small magnetic building toys can provide lots of different ways to play. Always choose toys that are appropriate for your child's age and development, especially when small pieces are involved.
I particularly like toys that can become more than one thing.
Finger puppets can put on a show, make up a story, talk to your baby, play peekaboo, or become silly characters.
Reusable window clings can go on and come off an airplane window over and over again.
You don't necessarily need more toys.
You need a few things you can use in more than one way.
A Few Practical Airplane Tips
Takeoff and landing can be uncomfortable for babies because of changes in cabin pressure. Feeding, nursing, or offering a pacifier during takeoff and especially descent encourages swallowing, which may help babies handle those pressure changes.
And here's something I learned the hard way:
Pack an extra shirt for yourself. And for Grandma if she's sitting next to you. IYKYK. :)
You're probably already bringing an extra outfit for the baby, but spills, spit-up, and diaper blowouts don't always stay on the baby.
Keep at least one clean shirt for yourself and ideally another adult traveling with you in your carry-on.
I also love keeping a small wet bag in my carry-on. When something inevitably gets wet, dirty, or messy, it gives you somewhere to put it until you can deal with the laundry later.
I organize the rest of my carry-on into smaller bags too, so I'm not digging through one giant bag while holding a baby on an airplane.
How Do You Keep a Baby Entertained on a Road Trip?
The toys that work on an airplane can work in the car too, but on a road trip I think your stops matter just as much as what you pack.
When everyone needs a break, look for somewhere that lets your baby move.
Instead of always stopping at a gas station or restaurant, see if there's a park or playground nearby.
Even a baby who is too young to use the playground equipment can enjoy getting out of the car seat, stretching, looking around, and watching other children play.
The goal isn't necessarily to entertain your baby every minute you're in the car.
It's to break up those long stretches of sitting.
How Do You Entertain a Baby in a Hotel Room?
Hotel rooms can feel especially challenging because you have limited space and very few of the toys and familiar things your baby has at home.
But again, you don't need to recreate your playroom.
Pack a few small toys and books.
Create a place where your baby can move and play.
Look around the room and use what's available.
And don't underestimate how interesting a new environment can be to a baby.
This is another reason we invented the Lay & Play Adventure Mat. Instead of bringing a bulky traditional play gym, we could pack our travel baby play mat and create a familiar little play space once we arrived.
Bonus points: It's machine washable if the hotel floor feels gross.
It gave our baby somewhere to play while we unpacked, got dressed, made breakfast, or simply sat down for a few minutes.
Can you even imagine?
Keep Some Familiar Routines
Travel is full of new experiences, which is wonderful.
But a little familiarity can help too.
If you normally wake up and spend some time playing together on the floor before breakfast, try doing that in the hotel.
If you read three books every night before bed, pack three books and read them before bed.
You don't have to follow your schedule perfectly.
Just look for the familiar rhythms of home that you can bring with you.
Sometimes those routines are as comforting and entertaining to your baby as anything you could buy.
You Don't Have to Entertain Your Baby Every Minute
This might be the most important thing to remember.
You are not responsible for creating nonstop entertainment throughout your trip.
Babies are naturally curious.
Give them a few simple toys.
Give them time and a place to move.
Let them look around.
Talk to them about what you're seeing.
Let them safely touch and explore the world around them.
Keep a few familiar pieces of home in your routine.
And then enjoy watching them experience somewhere new.
Traveling with a baby doesn't have to mean hauling an entire playroom along with you.
Sometimes the best entertainment is simply the adventure itself.