No-buy ways to entertain a baby or toddler on a plane
- Amanda Harrington
- May 11
- 5 min read
Flying with a baby or toddler can feel overwhelming…especially when you’re trapped on a plane for hours trying to keep a tiny human entertained without a meltdown.
And if you’ve searched “how to entertain a toddler on a plane,” you’ve probably seen endless lists telling you to buy a bunch of expensive new toys.
But honestly? You probably already own enough. (I’m sure you’re already spending enough on the trip as it is, ya know?)
These are my favorite no-buy toddler flight hacks and cheap entertainment ideas for babies and toddlers on airplanes — including travel tricks we actually use. And if you DO feel the need to grab a few new things, I am sharing my favorite bang-for-your-buck items.
Keep reading for details on entertaining babies and toddlers on flights with:
edible entertainment
videos of themselves
hidden toys from home
sticker books
eye spy with books
standing play breaks
Hack 1: How to entertain a toddler on a plane with books
My number one go-to to entertain infants and toddlers on a flight is a book. But not just any book, a book with detailed pages where you can do more than just read the story. You could play eye spy on each page or for younger children just ask them to point to a specific object. You can also count items on each page- “How many flowers do you see? Let’s count them.” “Can you point to Mickey Mouse?” “Can you find the umbrella in the picture? What color is it?”
One book that would take 2 minutes to read can take much longer! It is still difficult to pack several chunky board books so if you are worried about a thinner and lighter book getting torn, check out these tear-proof books on Amazon.
Hack 2: A different type of screen time
While I do think flying with a toddler is an understandable reason to have extra screen time, an overstimulated kid is always gonna be a grumpy kid. So I like to use my phone for a different kind of screen time- looking at videos and photos of my daughter. I don’t think it is just my kid that absolutely loves to watch videos of themselves! This has been a go-to when my daughter starts to get fussy on a plane but also while in a waiting room, long car ride, grocery store checkout line, etc. This is a super simple way of entertaining your baby or toddler while traveling that doesn’t cost a thing.
Hack 3: Screen-free flight entertainment for toddlers
In the weeks leading up to the trip, sneakily take away a couple of small toys and stash them for your flight. Obviously, don’t take a favorite toy that will be missed, but do try to choose something your child enjoys enough that they will be excited to play with it on the plane. I’ve done this with small animal toys, toy food, and dolls.
Hack 4: Bring the right type of toys from home
The best type of toys for flights are ones that can be played with in many ways. Think dolls, action figures, animals. Anything that can involve imaginative play in multiple ways. Puppets are a great compact, multi-use toys. We have these character ones and these are another great option. And the best way to play…
Hack 5: An easy switch to entertain a toddler or preschooler on a plane
When that seatbelt sign turns off, let your kiddo free! If your child is more in the toddler or preschooler age range, you can take them out of their seat, have them stand on the floor, and use their seat as a spot to play. This lets them stretch a bit and offers a small change of scenery. Every little bit of novelty counts when it comes to entertaining a small child! Now it may be difficult to get them to get strapped back into their seat, but that is when I utilize the next hack.
Hack 6: Snack hacks for flying with toddlers
Snacks are probably the most important thing to remember to pack for a flight with a baby or toddler. And make sure some are packed for mom and dad too! Hanger is infinitely worse when traveling! And snacks can absolutely keep an infant or toddler entertained for a bit too. The only reason we made it through a long security line in Seattle when my daughter was 16 months old is because I handed her a Gerber cookie every time she would start to fuss and try to escape her stroller. Her slowly gnawing on those saved our sanity. And they were something I never bought at home so they were also a novel snack. Things like puffs or yogurt bites in a snack cup take focus and coordination, so they keep little kids entertained longer. Pouches can also help with ear pressure on ascent or descent. They just don’t last as long.
Hack 7: How to stop babies and toddlers from throwing toys on airplanes
All babies seem to love the game “throw things on the ground for grownups to pick up.” But a plane is not the spot for that game! Prevent losing a toy by looping a pacifier or toy strap through it. Obviously, this won’t work for all toys but for those it can, I recommend securing them. I also recommend NOT packing toys that roll! Someone 6 rows away from you may end up with that toy by their feet.
Bonus “hack”:
Now this isn’t really a hack but it is important to say: remember to give yourself grace! No travel day will go perfectly. Even when no children are involved! We have entertained someone else’s crying baby with our daughter’s hand puppets and had another child stop our daughter from crying by making their stuffed animal dance and talk to her. I believe flying takes a village! If you feel like someone is judging you, they are the problem. Your child is just being a child. An adult should act like an adult…
If traveling with a young child makes you nervous, make sure you are following me over on Instagram and grab my free Safe & Simple Packing List for family travel below. This list will help you pack just what you need, with a focus on safety.
And if you still feel you need to grab a few things to help entertain your child on the plane, here are a few things I recommend.
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