The best airplane toys for 2 year olds

This ultra-light foam panel packs zippers, clips, and snaps that challenge little fingers without hogging much space. It’s soft enough to squeeze into a carry-on bag, yet sturdy enough to survive a long journey. Toddlers practice hand-eye coordination and color matching. We have one we keep in our car!

I've seen DIY versions of this but in this case I'd just grab it from Amazon! This is a nice *quiet* toy that will keep your kiddo busy for a while.

A chunky dinosaur stamper dispenses reusable stickers onto thick pages—no tearing, no sticky seats. They'll want to play again on the return flight!

Another busy board option! This felt board adds shoe-tying and buckle variations—ideal for older toddlers ready for “big-kid” tasks. Clip a carabiner through the handle and dangle it from the seat-back pocket so it’s reachable but not on the floor.

Each scene nests inside a slim tin that closes tight. These puzzles are ideal for developing hand-eye coordination, visual perception, shape recognition, and color recognition. May be a bit challenging for a younger 2 year old.

PVC cling-style stickers peel off and re-stick endlessly. Pro tip: give your kid the plastic backing sheet as a staging zone so the cabin crew doesn’t inherit a Safari scene on the window.

Includes an LCD writing tablet, suction fidget spinner, and a color-sorting dropper toy that uses pom-poms. We save this pack for the moment our little traveler needs a bit of a calm down.

The OG magnetic brand shrunk their tiles so they weigh almost nothing. With bold colors, they stay put on a metal lunchbox lid, making them perfect travel toys on long-haul flights and restaurant tables once you land.

Twelve-, sixteen-, and twenty-piece puzzles grow with your child; swap the easiest one in for takeoff, then level up mid-flight when they ask for “new toys.”

Yes, the articulated slug looks odd, but its wiggle action keeps older children and adults occupied, too. Great when your toddler refuses to nap but can’t have screen time due to low battery.

The magnetic wand and tiny wooden balls keep young children quietly concentrating. The acrylic cover means no loose parts, and the town artwork sparks creative play (“Where’s the grocery store?” becomes a fun game).

Pull-back motion is gold for little kids discovering cause-and-effect. These tiny planes scoot across the floor and are perfect for staying occupied in the boarding area. Keep half in your diaper bag and half in your checked luggage so everything still feels fresh on the trip home.

We got one of these toys for our longest road trip and it was a HIT! At 1.5 The just liked pulling the pieces out but now at 2 he's working on putting the silicone "strings" back in as well.

Four rolls of easy-tear tape plus illustrated scenes. Tape rips quietly (key on plane rides) and peels off seats without residue. Use leftover “roads” to guide Micro Cars across the tray table

Thirty-nine pieces, snap-shut board, and themes that match our travel vibe. Pull it out on a long time tarmac wait—place magnets on the picture of an airport and chat about what’s happening outside the plane window.

Plush pages + Velcro shapes = zero-mess different activities. Flip it open during taxi; close it in five seconds when the seat-belt sign dings.

Wood sounds heavy, but this one’s pint-sized and fits in a quart bag. Sort the pegs by color or poke them into the holes like “nails.” We have two different sets and keep one in the car and one at home. Theo was playing with these at less than 1 year old.

Press them on the plane window for a view upgrade that doubles as a quick fine motor skills workout. They fold flat in a zip bag, weigh practically nothing, and are a huge hit with seat-mates (instant toddler ice-breaker = better social skills).

Strong enough to stick to the airplane’s plastic armrest or the hotel shower wall. Spin them forward, count rotations—hello, sneaky math lesson.

Punch-out cardboard cards + chunky rainbow laces. Great for developing hand-eye coordination while the seatbelt sign is still on.