As a parent, traveling with the kids is always a struggle and a challenge. Toddlers, especially one-year-olds, are one of the most challenging stages for parents. It is the age where the child learns to be curious and appreciate the things around them.
Other than the baby travel essentials, you also need to pack the best travel toys for 1-year-old with you to keep your little one entertained for the duration of the trip. And it isn’t just any toys. These toys must be durable enough not to break when thrown, and not too small so they can’t swallow them.
If you are a first-time parent and have no idea about baby travel toys, this buying guide is for you.
Best Travel Toy for 1-Year-Old Reviews 2023
1. Buckle Toy Buster Square
This buckle toy is one of the best plane toys for 1-year olds. Aside from keeping the baby entertained with its vibrant colors, this is helpful for early child development. It is an excellent way for them to learn colors and numbers, as well as hand-eye coordination.
I like this toy because it is made of a soft cushion that is safe for our child, buckles with different clasp styles, and a zipper for closing. Thus, you can attach these Buckle Toys Squares to a stroller, diaper bags, car seat, or a high chair in the restaurant so it will not get lost easily.
It comes with six brightly colored and attractive buckles of red, orange, yellow, green, purple, and blue. The square has embroidered numbers and shapes on them with different colors that catch the child’s attention.
The buckle toy is small and compact, making it easy for our little ones to hold and hug. I love it also because I can put other baby items inside it like some snacks or small toys like Legos. Unfastening the buckles and buckling them back is fun and a challenge for them, which keeps them interested.
- Help kids learn colors and numbers, as well as hand-eye coordination
- A soft cushion for kid’s safe playtime
- Come with six brightly colored and attractive buckles and one zipper
- Easy to pack and carry
- Use as storage for snacks and small toys
- Can attach to a stroller, diaper bags, car seat, or a high chair, …
- A little pricey for its size
2. CHUCHIK Magnetic Drawing Board Set
Kids like to draw and doodle on any piece of material they can find. So, they will indeed find much fun in playing with this Chuchick Magnetic Drawing Board.
This toy can help develop your child’s writing and drawing skills while having fun with the different colors it provides. This magnetic drawing set is the best toy to get if you want your child to develop their creative impulses without ink or crayons just yet.
I like to carry it around when we travel because it keeps my child busy anywhere we go. I just gave him the magnetic board, the stencils, and the stamps, then boom! He’s in his own little world where he gets to write and draw whatever comes to his mind.
You don’t have to worry about losing the accessories because they are attached to the board by magnets to keep them secure and connected all the time.
One fantastic thing about this toy is the extra-long string on the pen, making it easy for left-handed children to use.
The set comes with one large board and four mini-size boards of different colors to fit in your bags when traveling. Your child has four stamps, four stickers, and six stamps to choose from, so it’s enjoyable for them.
The board and the accessories are bright colors and made with a double layer of durable plastic so it will not easily break when it falls or when your child slams it.
- Develop small kids’ drawing and writing without the mess of crayons
- Has small boards for outdoor use
- Come with an extra-long string on the pen for left-handed kids
- Magnetic board and accessories to keep everything connected
- Colorful accessories with different styles and design
- Requires parents to erase the boards for their kids
3. deMoca Quiet Book for Toddlers
It’s awesome! My reaction when I saw this toy online. The deMoca Quiet Books for Toddlers is the most creative toy I’ve ever seen.
This item is not like your typical child toy that teaches about colors and shapes. It does more than that. This activity book is a fun way for the child to learn essential life skills like telling time, buttoning clothes, tying shoes, zipping dresses, and buckling belts.
I think this is one of the perfect toys for car rides that take hours. Your child will never get bored with this one as the 9 Quiet Time activities are exciting, and the pieces inside are pleasant to the baby’s eyes. All the pieces are attached to the activity book to not worry about losing some parts.
Notably, the material is soft and has a washable bag to keep it clean and safe for your child. Such an item is well-made and durable; it can be used as a pillow.
It’s funny because I am enjoying the toy as much as my child! It is made of non-toxic materials, proven and tested safe for kids.
- Teach kids to tell time, button clothes, tie shoes, zip dresses, and buckle belts
- Includes 9 exciting Quiet Time activities
- Each piece are attached to the book
- Safe materials for babies
- Washable and durable, it can last for years
- Works best for older children
4. HAN-MM Busy Board Montessori Toys
The perfect gift for our toddlers! This toy is an ideal travel toy for 18-month-old babies and older. It is challenging for our little ones to play this but just enough to keep her interested without getting frustrated.
This foldable activity board is educational and is a great interactive toy that can teach your child essential things like zippers, buckles, buttons, shoelaces, clips, drawstrings, and how they work. It is very lightweight, compact, and foldable so that you can tuck it anywhere.
This busy board is one of my favorite road trip toys for 18-month-old babies. It keeps my little toddler busy by playing with the various accessories. She gets so curious about it that she can’t get her hands off it.
The excellent toy is of good size, and it can fit on a diaper bag. The bag is made of felted wool that is soft to touch, and the board has no hard corners, so it is safe for babies. All materials used are non-toxic.
- Can teach your child essential skills like dressing up
- Includes zippers, buckles, buttons, shoelaces, clips, and drawstrings
- Flexible and very light like a book, it can fit in any bag
- Perfect-size toys for 18-month old kids
- The bag material is soft, and the toy is non-toxic and without hard corners
- It isn’t easy to undo some buckles at first, but it gets better over time
5. Buckle Toy Blu Whale
This one is the cutest toy for your child. It’s like a whale stuffed toy but has six colorful buckles with different clasp styles that are very engaging to our kids.
This buckle toy is a learning activity toy that helps toddlers develop motor skills, color recognition, counting numbers, and problem-solving. It has an easy glide zipper that forms a whale’s mouth when opened, where a child loves to put their hands inside.
The material is plush and soft and is very safe for babies to play with, yet its stitches are durable enough to survive a lot of throwing. Also, the size is fit for the child to hold and hug while traveling. This item can be a fantastic baby toy for airplane travel because your child will love to embrace this whale-like pillow.
Aside from the entertainment it provides, this buckle toy can also be used as storage for small toys or snacks for babies. It can fit on a diaper bag, carry on or luggage during long travel. The toy can also be attached to a stroller, shopping cart, or car seat when you go to malls or restaurants so it will not get lost along the way.
- Has bright, bold colors that attract the child’s attention
- Develops and strengthens fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
- Perfect size for holding and hugging
- Can store snacks and other small toys for baby
- Easily attaches to stroller or shopping cart, car seat
- Soft and safe material with durable stitches
- Some buckles are somewhat hard to unbuckle
6. Coogam Wooden Watermelon Toys
If you are looking for car travel toys for 1-year old that will catch your child’s attention at first glance, then this threading toy is perfect for you. With a shape like sliced watermelon, red color, and a lot of holes, this toy is eye-catching for the kids.
This wooden threading toy is an excellent skill-building toy for toddlers. It is very educational and helps develop the child’s early motor skills like hand-eye coordination and critical thinking because it is like solving a puzzle.
The 30 inches long thread is light and easy to thread around the holes. Your child will surely enjoy threading the caterpillar into the holes while you travel. The rope is attached to the bottom of the watermelon not to get lost during the trip.
My kid absolutely loved gliding the caterpillar into the holes that she can’t put the toy down. It also helps with her ability to focus as she needs it to untangle the threads.
This toy is made of high-quality wood, so it is durable and wear-resistant. The colors are non-toxic water paints with no chemical smell, so it’s safe for our babies. It is not so big, just the perfect size for the baby’s hand to grasp.
- Helps develop early motor skills, critical thinking, and focus
- 30-inch string is easy to thread and unthread through big holes
- Sturdy and easy to grip for kids’ small hands
- Durable and water-resistant toy
- Vibrant colors that are captivating for the kids
- The label on the box is of a foreign language; it is not readable.
7. Esjay Busy Board for Toddlers
I got this toy for my 1-year old baby girl. She is into buckles and busy boards, so I immediately purchased this when I saw it was on sale. This busy board has much better functionality than many other boards available as it promotes 15 fun activities.
Your toddler can enjoy hook and loop tape, belts, snaps, buckles, shoelaces, buttons, and a set of hook and loop letters and numbers. My one-year-old had fun playing while developing her imagination and cognitive skills.
I love this toy because it is a perfect bonding moment for my child and me. I can teach her to count and be familiar with the alphabet without making her feel that she is studying. She loves it, so she brings it everywhere we go.
This toy helps with the motor sensors and keeps our child busy while learning a useful function. It trains her tiny hands to maneuver his buttons, belts, and zippers. She knows how to zip her after a day of playing.
Another thing I love about this is the soft and toxic-free material used. It is also durable, ensuring no tearing no matter how many times it was thrown when the child gets frustrated. Besides, you can fold it in half to fit in a smaller bag when you travel.
- Promotes 15 fun activities with hook and loop tape, belts, snaps, buckles, etc
- Offers much fun and chances to develop kids’ imagination and cognitive skills
- Made of soft fabrics that are toxic-free
- The ideal size of buckles and bells for little kids
- Foldable and compact set to fit in a small bag when traveling
- Costs more than a one-piece toy
8. VATOS Toddler Learning Tablet
My child always grabs my phone when I’m using it while she’s around. I’m okay with letting her borrow it, but my gadgets aren’t safe since some contents are not child-friendly. I’m so happy I got this tablet for her.
This interactive learning tablet is a musical toy that develops the kid’s sensory development and imagination. My toddler enjoyed pressing the question button that asks what animal makes this sound, and the child will push the animal button for the answer.
I like how the tablet instructs her to play some fun music, developing her music awareness. TOther than playing do, re, mi, it turns on flashing lights for the kids to interact with it more while learning the alphabet.
Those buttons are small enough and comfortable for the child, the melodies are interactive, and the music sound is clear. My child repeats them quickly, and she already knows the name of the animals after a week of playing with the toy.
After seeing my kid playing with it, I deem this a very entertaining and highly recommended travel toy for toddlers.
- Teaches the kids to learn about animals, alphabet, animal sounds
- Has sound effects, lights, and designs that stimulate your baby’s curiosity
- Plays a range of songs to help baby develop musical awareness
- Has a question button that asks what animal make this sound
- The alpha key will say the letter with a flashing light when pressing
- Runs on 3 AAA batteries not included in the package
9. AiTuiTui Magnetic Drawing Board
I bought this as a Christmas gift for my nieces, and they love it as much as I did! Before purchasing, I already checked if the materials contain any toxic chemicals or smells; luckily, there is none. So, this broad can be a safe toy for kids as small as 1-year-old.
This magnetic drawing board brings fun to your little ones. My niece loves the three stamps that formed the heart, circle, and flower. Unlike the typical drawing board, this one has four zones with different colors- blue, red, yellow, and green. The colorful effect of the drawing helps the child explore imagination and develop creativity.
This item is easy enough for your little kid to draw with a smooth and small-size pen and easy-slider for deleting. It can be a quick alternative for crayons containing weird smells and making a mess while traveling.
This toy is affordable and a very cost-effective medium for your child’s creativity. It has a wide drawing screen that is easy to clean, a magnetic writing pen, and an easy slide eraser.
- No toxic smell and material
- Comes with four color zones that present endless creativity
- A non-messy and convenient crayon alternatives for scribbles
- The pen is small enough, and the slider is smooth and erases quickly
- An affordable toy for a small kid
- The stamps are not attached; they can get lost
10. Buckle Toy Buddy Backpack
This Buddy Backpack is a toy and a bag in one! I bought this last minute before our flight to my mother-in-law in the UK. I saw this and was surprised how he loves fastening and unfastening the buckles.
The bag is super cute, incredibly soft, and has ten colorful buckles that capture the curious baby’s attention. The front design with a smiling face is baby-friendly. You can also adjust the backpack strap to fit your child’s size.
Besides, the opening on top is zippered, so items inside are safe. I’m surprised how the bag’s interior can fit a lot of baby things like some toys, his tablet, some snacks, and a couple of diapers. It was more spacious than I imagined.
This is one of the best toys for airplane rides for a 1-year old. My son is obsessed with it, and he carries it on his back all the time. The colors of the buckles are bright and cheerful, and the stitching is strong.
The straps are pleasant to touch, and they have fun shapes and numbers embroidered to improve counting skills and identifying shapes.
- A super cute smiling-face bag with ten colorful buckles
- A soft bag that is adjustable to the child’s size
- Comes with a zipper and ample storage space
- The stitches are durable enough
- Fun shapes and numbers to develop counting skills and identifying shapes
- A little pricey compared to other toys on this list
11. BYONEBYE School Bus Style
My toddler and I love to go on long drives, and this school bus-style busy board is doing a perfect job entertaining him while I drive.
This busy board is excellent for working fine motor skills like buckling, zipping, tying shoelaces, buttons, velcro, and snaps. I love the strap that clips on each side, which is perfect for attaching to the child’s tray so it cannot be tossed around and get lost.
One thing that I like about this busy board is how soft and lightweight it is. Most other activity boards are made of wood, plastic, or even metal which is risky for children. The felted wool eliminates all those risks! This is proven safe for babies at age one.
The school bus design is a big plus of this activity board. Its color is so bright to attract my kid’s attention right away. It even has a removable carry strap if your kids want to wear it or just put it on your luggage.
- Teaches fine motor skills like buckling, zipping, tying shoelaces, and more
- Safe, soft, and lightweight fabric for toys
- Vibrant colored materials that attract babies’ attention
- Features a removable carry strap for the kid to wear to attach to the luggage
- Features multiple difficult levels of buckle styles
- Some activities like the buckles and buttons are challenging for super tiny hands
12. BrainUpToys Busy Activity Cube
This one is the first activity cube I bought for my child. Honestly, the first thing that attracts me is the carved wooden circle. Such a thought-out design is so beautiful that I love the toy as much as my kid does.
This activity cube is constructed out of high-quality and carefully handmade wood for durability. It is well-polished in all angles, and it doesn’t have any edges. Thus, you don’t have to worry much about your child getting hurt by it. But I recommend you monitor the kid playing as it includes tiny beads that might be swallowed.
Like other activity boards, this cube also helps develop motor skills and daily needed skills like wheels, beads, bell, shoelaces, handles, and locks. Your child will have a feast fidgeting over the different parts of this toy. Those activities will keep your little one engaged while you focus on driving.
- A beautiful cube piece with a well-thought-out design
- Made of high-quality and carefully handmade wood for durability
- Well-polished angles not to hurt small kids
- Teaches the toddler fine motor skills
- Has seven exciting activities to keep your child entertained
- Very lightweight and portable, your kid can bring it anywhere
- It contains small beads, so monitoring small kids playing is advisable
13. Svance Magnetic Doodle Board
Our go-to travel toy! This toy saved me the struggles during plane rides, car travel, restaurant visits, or even groceries. My toddler loves it and is obsessed with the piece.
This doodle board has a perfect size and is portable; it can be carried by your child anywhere. It is a simple board that allows my toddler to doodle anything he wants and the best thing about this is it erases easily without leaving ugly marks.
My child loves the four-color zones of blue, red, yellow, and blue on the drawing board. The multiple colors help him create more with his imagination. Yet, those colors are not that bright and vivid as expected.
The magnetic pen has rounded corners to protect your kids, and it is attached to the board to avoid losing. Furthermore, this board is made of high-quality plastic, so it is durable to survive falls and throwing.
- Portable toy for painting and drawing, perfect for long travel
- Features 4 color zones to create colorful doodles
- Erases easily without leaving ugly marks
- Attached magnetic pen with rounded corners to protect kids
- Very durable, it doesn’t break when thrown
- Operates without battery and irritating noise
- The colors are not that bright and vivid
14. KAKIBLIN Cubic Activity Learning Toy
Most babies love vibrant colors, soft to touch, and something that satisfies their curiosity. Those qualities can be found in this cubic activity learning toy. I bought this activity toy for my nine-month-old daughter, and she loved it.
I bought this toy because I can see that it is durable; it can survive much throwing and stumping. The material is lightweight and tough so that you can clean it now and then. Just be careful when you wash it because some seams may come apart.
At first, she did not care about the buckles, the zippers, the buttons, and other stuff that this toy offers. However, as she grows older, she developed an interest in putting this activity toy to good use instead of just throwing it around.
Aside from its eye-catching design, this toy is beneficial for developing a baby’s hand flexibility as it involves a lot of fidgeting and handwork. In detail, it enhances basic life skills like zipping up, unfastening buckles, tying shoelaces, sticking velcro, and buttoning.
- Helps strengthen hand-eye coordination, color and shape recognition
- A lightweight yet durable toy
- Allows your child to practice daily routines: tie a shoelace, zip up and down, etc
- Comes with colorful shapes, numbers, and patterns that attract a child’s attention
- Some seams are pretty loose; it will open out when you wash it too harsh
What to Look for When Buying Travel Toys for 1-Year-Olds
Many toys have been developed for toddlers and parents get overwhelmed sometimes. It is important to know how to choose the best travel toys for 1-year-old that will give your child learning and fun at the same time. So, here are some of the things to consider in selecting toys that will grow, challenge, and nurture your child’s overall development.
Multi-purpose toys – Choose toys that can be played in various ways so that your child will not get bored with them.
Toys that grow with the child – When you buy a toy, you invest your money in it. It is just right that you choose the kind of toy that he can enjoy for a long time and not just for a few weeks.
Safe for your baby – This is the priority in buying a toy. Make sure you know everything about the components, the parts, and the materials used to ensure your child’s safety.
Encourage creativity and imagination – A perfect example of this would be coloring books, drawing boards, blocks, or activity boards.
Provide a multi-sensory experience – An attractive toy that lightens up and has music is one of the best toys to get your child entertained. Toddlers are more fun than learning, so toys that can make their eyes lit up are fun for them.
Conclusion
There are many choices when choosing the best travel toys for 1-year-old that you can find. It is important to always think about what it can do for your baby, aside from the fun and entertainment that it provides. You should make sure it is not harmful and put your little ones in danger. After all, we only want what’s best for our babies.
If these weren’t enough, check out some other picks from Amazon also:
- ✍️【Educational Learning Toy】ZMLM's 10-inch LCD writing tablet isn't just a screen—it's a canvas for genius! It's like a secret weapon for...
- ✍️【Replaceable Batteries】Imagine a canvas that never says "finished"! With the power to handle more doodles than you can count (120,000 uses...
- ✍️【Wielding a Magic Wand】Its pressure-sensitive technology lets you create fine lines with a light touch and bold strokes with a bit more...
- ✍️【A Superhero for your Eyes】No radiation, No glare and No pesky blue light—just pure protection! And that waterproof, shockproof case?...
- 🎁【Awesome Gift idea】ZMLM's multi-functional LCD writing tablet is a perfect gift choice for kids of all age groups. It can serve as an...
- No-Mess Sensory Play - The fully enclosed kids magnetic balls and a built-in stylus pen provide hours of imaginative fun without any clean up. It's...
- Maximize Potential - Magnets stimulate curiosity and introduce scientific discovery. Your child's pencil grasp develops while gripping the stylus. And...
- Travel Ready - Measuring only 8.8" x 7", our magnetic drawing board is perfect for your on-the-go life. Sketch in the car, restaurants, doctor's...
- Never a Mistake - The magnetic stylus is your pen, the board your paper, and your finger is the eraser. Mistakes disappear as quickly as they appear...
- Worry-Free Playtime - Made of the highest quality ABS plastic with fully contained magnetic beads for kids. Our drawing board is completely safe,...
- A beautiful keep-their-attention toy; features 5 vibrant Silicone Bubbles built into a plastic frame
- Simple yet brilliant; push and pop them, Poke and grab them; a perfect, portable sensory delight
- Great for babies and toddlers ages 10 months+; BPA-free; Bubbles made of 100% food-grade silicone
- Engages the senses; Encourages fine motor skills, sensory exploration, cause-and-effect learning
- High quality; Measures 5.5 x 5 x 1 inches; Frustration-Free packaging
- 1 TOY WITH 100 SHAPES: Create with this snake fidget toy over 100 different figures like a dog, cat or elephant. This fidget snake cube fascinates...
- TRAVEL GAMES FOR KIDS: The snake puzzle is one piece, has no small parts and keeps kids busy for hours. The perfect kids travel activity for car or...
- GREAT GIFT FOR KIDS: Our magic snake fidget toy is an exciting gift for the birthday, christmas, easter or stocking stuffer. For many kid’s it...
- KEEPS THEM FOCUSED: This fidget snake cube twist puzzle for kids is amazing for all children, but especially those with extra energy ADHD, autism or...
- KEEPS THEM ENTERTAINED: Kids love to play on their own and together. This fidget toys for kids will be used as universal toy to create and play. Gives...
- The perfect toy for building on-the-go! Whether in the car, plane, the diaper bag, the purse, or at the restaurant; now you can "thinker" wherever you...
- Brilliantly simple and premium heirloom-quality toy that will last for generations
- Curiously attractive and perfect for those seeking toys supporting open-ended and unscripted play
- Naturally safe: no lead, no plastic, non-toxic, water-based lacquer finish, no small parts
- Tegu support a child’s development over time through play: enhanced fine motor skills, pattern recognition, balance, sense of scale, imaginative...
- Reusable puffy sticker play set
- English (Publication Language)
- - MORE ACTIVITY; MORE FUN: The Toe Time infant car seat toy comes with toes that twinkle and gentle music that plays with every kick from your cutie...
- - THOUGHTFULNESS IN DESIGN: Unlike other rear facing car seat toys that your baby can’t reach or block the view of your backseat mirror, our travel...
- - GREAT LEARNING TOOL: Through all the giggle-sparking kicking, tugging, and playing, your little one will develop their fine motor skills, have their...
- - UNIQUE GIFT IDEA: Shopping around for the best baby shower gift to surprise that mom or dad? This car seat travel toy will be a guaranteed hit! It...
- - BUY RISK FREE: We’ve got your back with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Not happy with your car seat activity toy? Just reach out to us and we’ll...
- [Imaginative Creative Play] Pop, Crinkle, Pull, Stretch! Stimulate your child’s imagination and explore endless creative ways to play with our Pop...
- [Endless Fun for the Whole Family] We understand that nothing is more important than family, so we wanted to create a sensory toy that is designed for...
- [Sensory & Learning] Pop Tubes make learning fun - the way it should be! These sensory toys provide tactile and auditory stimulation, as well as...
- [Why You'll Love Them] These wildly fun, addictive, durable, versatile, colorful, third-party tested Pop Tubes are the perfect fidget toys for kids!...
- [Unmatched Quality] With over 2 million Pop Tubes sold, BunMo is the leading brand in sensory toys. Designed with you in mind using high-quality...
- ENHANCED VERSION BUSY BOOKS：Busy Book Learning Toys is Double Thickening Treatment, Strong and Durable, Prevent Small Hand Injury Caused By Too Thin...
- KIDS FAVORITE DESIGN：We Designed 12 Themes for Toddler Learning Activities Ages 2-4, Including Colors, Letters, Numbers, Rainbow, Shapes, Dinosaur,...
- PRESCHOOL ACTIVITY BOOKS：This Busy Book Preschool Learning Toys Helps Create The Link Between Learning and Playing, Allowing Kids To Learn To...
- SECURITY EDUCATIONAL TOY：Our Preschool Activity Binder Use The Highest Quality Safety Materials, A Good Educational Toy for Preschool Teaching Aids,...
- GREAT TRAVEL TOY CHOICE：Ideal for Long Car Journey & Plane Ride Activities Travel Toys for Toddlers To Keep Your Kid Busy. Toddler Travel...