50+ Best Travel Gifts for Kids of All Ages

So you need a gift for kids who love to travel, or who are about to embark on a big trip with their parents? Maybe they’re family or friends and you’re looking for the perfect kids travel gift that they’ll actually find useful or be excited about, or maybe they’re your own kids and you want to give a gift to inspire a love of travel or instil a bit of the wanderlust spirit you have yourself.

Whichever one it is, I have over 50 ideas for the best travel gifts for kids, so you’re sure to find something just right in this list!

The list of present ideas is divided into sections to help you choose what kind of kids travel gift you’re after, including practical items, tech gifts, or travel-themed items for when they’re at home, plus some options for travel gifts for teenagers or older kids too.

So here goes!

Practical items

If you’re looking for a gift that will be useful for kids travelling then you can’t go wrong with the below items. Of course, there are big-ticket items like a suitcase or backpack which you might want to get for your own children or check with parents to see what’s needed, but there are also lower-cost cute kids travel gifts like luggage tags or a flashlight.

Travel bag

What kind of luggage a child needs to travel will depend a lot on their age and the type of trip they’re taking. Do they actually need a big suitcase or will carry on size be more suitable? Are they big enough to carry their own backpack, whether it’s a big one or just a small one for some of their toys and snacks?
There are lots of cool travel suitcases for kids or travel backpacks, but here are a few we think you should consider:

Trunki – These super popular ride-on suitcases have won over 100 awards for their unique design, and are hard to beat.
Zinc-Flight Kids Luggage Scooter – Bigger kids might like this one!
Skip Hop Kids Luggage – Cute animal designs
Yodo Zoo 3 Way Toddler Backpack with Wheels – A great option thanks to the multiple ways to use it as a backpack or pull luggage
JetKids by Stokke bedbox – Doubles as a footrest/seat extender on planes and trains, to help with sleep.

Packing cubes

I am a total packing cube convert. They are SO amazing for travelling with kids because it means if you’re packing more than one person’s things in the same case (like we do with our baby’s clothes and stuff) then you can separate them with the packing cubes and it’s so much easier to find things at your destination. Kids who have their own bag can also keep it more organised with packing cubes, especially if they’re all different sizes and colours to help them do so. My favourite ones are these PRO Packing Cubes, but I also like the Amazon Basics ones too.

Luggage tags

This is something I always forget, but luggage tags are actually great to have. It helps if your bag is misplaced and it identify it on a luggage carousel at the airport. There are some really cute kids luggage tags as well. Go for their favourite characters or colours they like.

Reusable water bottle

A great addition to anyone’s travel bag, and an opportunity to teach kids about using less plastic and the environment. There are lots of different options for reusable water bottles for kids, including fold-up water bottles, or stainless steel with funky patterns.

Travel Pillow

Travel pillows are a bit of a personal choice with adults, but I’ve found most kids seem to love them. Their smaller size means they can often curl up in a plane seat much easier than we can and then having a pillow is actually useful! There are also special travel pillows to support their chin as kids tend to sleep with their head forward.

Binoculars

This may seem like a bit of a random idea for a kids travel gift, and location dependent. However, there are plenty of times when binoculars can keep kids amused! Especially if you’re going anywhere with views or any kind of wildlife. Check out these shockproof ones!

Lap desk/Smart Travel Tray

Children may not be big enough to reach the tray table on a plane comfortably, or you may not have a lot of table space at your accommodation. This lap desk makes a great activity centre while they’re travelling.

Flashlight

Especially good for kids when camping! And to be honest, I loved playing games with my flashlight at home when I was young too. I had one of that transformed into a lantern as well and I loved it! I couldn’t find a similar one but this design is cute for kids!

Eyemask

There are some really cute eye masks that will appeal to kids who love travel, and be useful on the plane or when sleeping in a new place. I like these animal ones.

Travel Towel

I was a bit sceptical about travel towels, to begin with, but now I’m a convert! As a travel gift for kids, they help keep luggage light, they dry quickly, and you can now get ones that don’t have sand and everything stick to them so they make great towels for the beach! Check out these ones or these ones.

Toiletry Bag

A practical but also cute travel gift for kids! A toiletry bag an essential item on any trip, so you know they’ll get great use out of it and you can choose something that suits them, like these cute patterns!

Kids hiking boots

This may be one you need to check with parents about if you’re not buying for your own child. If the kids are off on a trip that involves hiking though, their footwear is just as important as yours. The last thing parents need is kids who don’t want to walk any further thanks to blisters or sore feet! This also goes for places where there may be a lot of walking involved that isn’t necessarily hiking, like cities in Europe, so think about shoes that might be great for kids there too. Check out all the different types of hiking boots available for kids.

Mac in a Sac

A Mac in a Sac is especially handy for those locations where the weather is changeable and you’re not sure if it will rain or not. No need for a large coat that takes up space! Plus they’re a bit of a novelty for kids. Although they might need help packing it in again!

Sunglasses

Age-dependent, because my child will definitely not keep sunglasses on his face! But for kids who are old enough, kids sunglasses are a great gift. While it’s tempting to buy something cheap since the chance of breakage or loss is high, it’s also worth spending money on lenses that will help to protect their eyes 100% from UVA and UVB rays, like these.

Clip-on book light

For children who love to read, a clip-on book light is a great gift for travel (and home!). Travelling often means sharing a room and a book light allows older children to continue reading while younger ones go to sleep.

Books

Books are always a great gift for kids, and kids who travel are no exception. Here are some travel book ideas for kids.

Travel journal

I was given my first travel journal when I was 7 years old, and I filled it with all sorts of memories of our trip to Australia. Journals are great travel presents for children, and there are some fabulous ones that can prompt them to fill out the things they’ve seen, and save bits and pieces from the trip. This one is specially designed for kids and has space for 4 trips.

Travel novels for kids

If the child you’re buying for loves to read, why not get them excited about travel with some travel-related novels for kids?

Here are a few to get you started:

Other travel books for kids

There are also some fantastic travel books in general for kids that can be useful while they’re on a trip or as something to have at home. Here’s just a few:

Technology

On the more high-end of kids travel gifts are tech items, like the below.

Kindle

For the child that really loves to read and who would be lost without a few different books for their holiday.

Tablets can be an educational and entertainment tool for travelling kids, but they are one to check with the parents and are age-dependent. TheKindle Fire for Kids brings together content specifically made for kids including books, movies, audiobooks, and educational sheets.

Headphones

I had no idea there were special kid-sized headphones until I started looking! And there are actually tiny earmuffs for babies who might be in loud spaces too! These make a great little gift for children old enough to listen to their own music or watch something quietly.

Kids camera

I think giving kids a camera and asking them to document what they want from the trip is such a fun idea. You’ll get to see what things are important to them, and it’ll be cool to look back on in years to come. Plus it keeps them occupied! However, handing over your DSLR or even your phone may not be the best idea, so why not get them a camera of their own? You can even get a waterproof one! There are plenty of different options to choose from, with cheaper kids cameras or even drones for kids!

Games

Of course, games are an awesome gift for travelling kids, whether it’s pocket-sized travel games or outdoor games, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Travel-size games and cards

There are card and miniature versions of many games, designed to be played on the road. We had these when I was a kid and I loved being able to play a game with my brother in the backseat of the car on a road trip! Think tiny checkers, chess, connect four, UNO, Monopoly Deal etc. Here are a few options.

Outdoor games

If you know the kids are going camping or somewhere they can play outdoor games, then this is a great option. Beach toys for younger kids are a cute travel present idea and you can even get foldable buckets! Or look for a kite or frisbee.

Crayola light up tracing pad

Basically exactly what it says it is! The Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad is super thin and portable. You place whatever you want to trace on the pad and then a blank sheet over top. Helps kids learn to draw and colour in their own choice of detailed scenes.

Etch-a-Sketch

A classic magnetic drawing board! I actually had a similar one as a child that had a pen instead. I have no idea what it was called but you can buy options like this too!

Roll-up colouring pencils

Forever losing colouring pens or pencils? This roll-up colouring pencil organiser helps keep them organised and in place!

Travel-themed gifts for home

If you’re looking for a present for a kid who loves to travel but not one that’s for a trip, then these are some great ideas for kids travel gifts for the home.

Globe

I love stuff with maps on it, and one of these days I’m going to have a fancy office with a globe on it. But you can start them young! Get them a globe to trace their adventures and help them to become curious about all the other places in the world.

Scratch map

Some adults (ahem) have these too, but they can be especially fun for kids! Help them learn a bit of geography and get excited about future trips by getting them a scratch map like this. There are ones for different areas now like the 50 States, or Europe, as well as the whole world.

Atlas

In the same way a globe can inspire curiosity, so can an atlas like this. I remember leafing through the pages of the one on my bookshelf as a child and wondering about all these other lands. I bet the borders of many have changed since… Pretty sure it had the USSR in it!

My Family Travel Map

The Lonely Planet My Family Travel Map is a fold-out map that comes with stickers so kids can personalise it based on their own family travels.

Bedroom furnishings

Travel-themed bed covers, cushions, or even rugs are a nice idea for kids who like to travel and want to have a bit of the world in their room at home.

Lego

There are plenty of travel-themed lego options for kids who are into it, from different kinds of transportation too cityscapes and landmark buildings around the world. I’ve listed this under home given you may not want to take it too far as little pieces are easily lost!

Gift experiences

Gift experiences are one of my favourite presents to give and receive. Some websites offer gift experiences for kids, which means you can pick something tailored specifically to their likes. Doing something cool can be the best thing to give! Check out Buyagift if you’re in the UK (or travelling there!).

Older kids travel gift ideas

Some of the present ideas for kids on this list will also apply to teenagers or older kids, but there are a few extra things you could consider too.

Clip-on lenses for phones
Portable battery pack for charging electronics on the go
Portable speaker (waterproof)
Travel wallet
Subscriptions like Spotify or Amazon Music

And there you have it! Over 50 travel present ideas for kids! If you have any other awesome ideas for travel gifts for kids then let me know, and I’ll add that in too.

Sonja x

If you liked it, pin it!