Travel activities for toddlers to use in the car, on a plane and eating out, mostly screen-free, with a short pack list for each kind of journey.
On a laptop?
Travel activities for toddlers matter more than a bag full of toys, because a car seat, a plane seat and a restaurant chair all have the same problem: not much room to move. A few reliable tricks you can pull out anywhere beat packing half the toy box for a journey that turns out to need neither.
Below are twelve activities from the Mooshie Moments app for children aged 6 months to 4 years, split across the car, the plane and eating out. Most need little or no equipment, and each comes with the exact words to say to keep it going.
Sit beside your baby’s car seat and balance the cups on your own head, one at a time, then shake your head and let them tumble into your lap. Repeat it, then let your baby knock a cup off your head themselves when you lean in close. Keep spare cups in the footwell rather than loose on the seat.
You’ll need: a set of nesting stacking cups
Pretend you have pulled into a restaurant and your toddler is the waiter. Ask “What can I order?” and let them invent an entirely made-up menu, then deliver your “meal” with sound effects. A silly, sustained game that needs no props at all.
You’ll need: nothing
Spot a letter on a passing number plate and ask your toddler to find a word starting with it. Keep it moving from plate to plate, so there is always a new letter to catch.
You’ll need: nothing
Pack for the car: a set of stacking cups, a clipboard and pen, and nothing else strictly necessary. Most of these games run on nothing but your voice.
You’ll need: a clipboard, paper, a pen
Bring one soft toy your baby already loves. Hand it over in a slow, deliberate ritual, whisper “bunny is here too,” and settle them into your shoulder. A familiar smell and texture can do a lot of the calming work for you at altitude.
You’ll need: one familiar cuddly toy
Whisper-sing your toddler’s favourite songs rather than singing at full volume, then let them choose the next one. Three songs is usually enough for a good stretch of calm, and it keeps the volume friendly to other passengers.
You’ll need: nothing
You’ll need: a small pack of reusable window clings
Set your child a small challenge, “find the cow sticker and put it in the barn”, then peel everything off and start again with a new placement. Three short rounds like this can occupy a surprisingly long stretch of a flight.
Pack for the plane: one familiar soft toy, a small pack of window clings, and a reusable sticker book. All light enough for hand luggage and quiet enough for a shared cabin.
You’ll need: a reusable sticker book with scene pages
Plus one picked for your child every day, matched to their age and how today is going.
Fold a paper napkin in half and let your toddler copy you, then fold again into a small triangle. Open it back out with a “magic!” for the reveal. Simple, quiet, and it uses something already on the table.
You’ll need: one paper napkin
Point at each item on the table in turn, fork, spoon, napkin, glass, and ask “What’s this for?” Build up a little routine of naming and using each one correctly while you wait for food to arrive.
You’ll need: nothing
You’ll need: a paper-wrapped straw, a glass of water
Set small challenges around the placemat’s own pictures, “find the circle, colour it red”, then “find the fish and colour it blue.” See how many they can colour before the food comes out, counting together as they go.
Pack for eating out: a small pack of crayons in your bag. Most restaurants already give you a straw, a napkin and a placemat to work with.
You’ll need: a placemat, crayons
All of the above work without a screen, and they tend to hold attention better than most parents expect once they are given a proper go. That said, sometimes a screen genuinely is the right call, a long-haul flight at 2am, a toddler who is overtired and past the point where any game will land. Using one occasionally on a journey does not undo everything else. It is simply one tool among several, not a failure.
“I used to spend 30 minutes looking for an activity on Pinterest, get overwhelmed, and just turn on the TV. Mooshie takes 5 seconds.”
“Finally, an app that tells me to put my phone away. The activities are actually doable with stuff I have in my junk drawer.”
“As a pediatric OT, I love that these activities build core developmental skills without feeling like ‘homework’ for parents.”
Mooshie Moments picks one activity a day from a library of 5,918 ideas for children aged 6 months to 4 years, all using things already at home, or in your bag.
There is no single right age. Babies under 12 months often travel more easily than toddlers, who are mobile enough to want to move but not yet able to sit still on demand. Either way, a handful of go-to games makes any age easier.
Rotate through a few short games rather than relying on one for the whole trip, and build in stops if you can. Games with a clear structure, such as counting or spotting something specific, tend to hold attention longer than open-ended play.
Yes, occasionally, particularly for very long journeys or overtired toddlers. Screen-free games are a good first reach, but a screen for part of a long flight is a reasonable, practical choice, not something to feel guilty about.
Very little. A small pack of crayons covers most of what you need, since napkins, straws and placemats are usually already on the table.
Keep games short and structured, ideally something with a visible end point, “colour three things before the food comes.” Also try to time meals out around naps and hunger, since tiredness and hunger make sitting still far harder for any toddler.
Mooshie is a play app, not medical advice. If you’re worried about your child’s development, speak to your health visitor or GP.
Your first moment is ready as soon as you tell us their age.
