Ways to Play While on Your Way

Let's Prepare

Before the trip, help your child get ready by sharing photos or short videos of the place you're visiting. If it's somewhere familiar, look back at pictures from past visits and talk about what you'll do again this time.

Visual cues can help children feel calm and confident before a change in routine. The Springboard is a great way to show what's ahead with tiles like "Vacation," "Car Ride," and "Airplane." Seeing the day laid out helps them understand what's coming next and makes transitions easier.

When it's time to pack, make it a team effort. Toddlers can hand you shoes or tuck favorite toys inside their bags, while older kids can create their own short packing list or predict what items they'll use most. Giving children ownership over packing helps build excitement and confidence before the trip begins.

Let's Pretend

A little imagination goes a long way on travel days. Finger puppets, small animal figures, or dolls can become "travel buddies" who go through security, share snacks, or get their own boarding passes.

For older kids, pretend play can turn into storytelling. Encourage them to invent characters for each stop along the journey or write postcards describing their "adventures" so far, real or imagined. Keeping a small pouch of props or stationery handy makes it easy to bring a story to life mid-flight or between connections.

Let's Play

Movement and games keep energy up when everyone's feeling confined. Try a seated version of Freeze Dance using a family playlist, or call out challenges like "hands up high" or "touch your nose." A few minutes of laughter can reset the whole family.

Moving through the airport can be a game of its own. Challenge your child to walk like different animals, count suitcases of a certain color, or spot signs and landmarks along the way. Kids love having a purpose, and simple games can help make long walks feel shorter.

When everyone's seated again, mix in something new. Visual bingo cards, "I Spy," or family trivia help pass time for all ages. Older kids might enjoy making their own scavenger hunts, spotting things like matching suitcases, funny signs, or a snack they've never seen before.

Let's Build

For hands-on fun, small magnetic blocks or stackable toys are easy to bring along. A tray table or a hardcover book becomes the perfect building base. Ask your child to build something they see around them like a plane, a coffee cup, or even your hotel room.

Let's Create

Quiet stretches on planes or in hotel rooms are perfect for a little creativity. Create Kits are filled with beautiful materials that inspire open-ended play without screens or instructions, so kids can make art inspired by where they're going or what they've seen along the way.

Simple supplies work too: crayons, washi tape, pipe cleaners, or a sketchbook. Younger children can create and guess ("I made something that flies"), while older ones might enjoy drawing what's outside the window, mapping the route, or writing about the day's highlights.

Ready to Go

When children take part in both the planning and the play, travel shifts from something to get through to something everyone can enjoy.