10 Christmas travel gifts for kids

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If your kids are like mine, they certainly do not need any new toys at Christmas! From the time my 3-year old, Harrison, gets his hands on the Toys R Us Christmas catalog and goes to town circling everything he would like, it’s a fight to remind him how many toys he already has without taking away his excitement for new things on Christmas morning. I

t can also be hard to remind family members of the overflowing toy chests and cluttered playrooms when they ask for gift suggestions; you want to be able to suggest something you know your child will love, but something more useful than a toy they’ll probably lose interest in before the New Year.

If your kids love to travel, or you’re shopping for a child whose family is always off on new adventures, then take a look at these awesome ideas for Christmas travel gifts for kids!

Make sure you also check out my Christmas Gift Guide for stocking stuffers for kids who love to travel, all under $10!

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase an item after clicking on the link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. This is at no extra cost to you, and as always, all opinions and recommendations are my own.

10 Christmas travel gifts for kids

1. Their own suitcase

also has wheels, so not only can you roll it through the airport, your kids can ride on it too! This has saved us in a long security line, when Harrison was able to sit down on his Trunki and wait. Another great choice for a child-size suitcase is the Skip Hop Rolling Luggage Bag, which come in really cute designs.

Harrison loves feeling grown up by carrying his own bag, and gets so excited to pack it with the things he wants to take on a trip with him. Plus if they are carrying their own bag – that’s one less bag for you to carry! Score!

We love this Trunki so much that it is in our very own Travel Shop, where we list the products that we use when we travel with the kids, and its among my list of the best carry on for kids for plane travel.

Find the Trunki here and the Skip Hop Rolling Luggage Bag here. 

2. Globe

This was one of Harrison’s favorite Christmas gifts a few years ago, and he still has it in his room. When he was younger, he loved looking at it and asking questions about the different countries and where everything was – he especially loved it when I showed him all the places that we’ve visited over the years. Now he’s a little older he uses it for school, but still loves to ask questions about the different countries.

You can find the Illuminated World Globe that we own here.

3. Camera

I am one of those people who constantly takes photos of everything; we have hundreds of albums, thousands of photos, and when we travel, I can usually be found behind a camera. Harrison has started asking to take photos, and a child-friendly camera is a great idea for a kid who loves to travel. For young children, a basic digital camera would be perfect; something that will take good quality photos, but is also durable because let’s face it, it will be dropped over and over. For an older child, a Polaroid-style camera would be really cool; photos that print right from the camera for instant gratification!

Take a look at this V-Tech kid-proof camera, and this Fujifilm instant camera.

4. Headphones

For a kid who flies a lot, their own headphones are a must. Not only are these a necessity for them to keep themselves occupied with movies and games, but they can help eliminate the noise from the cabin that can sometimes be overwhelming for a child. Planes are noisy places, and a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones can tune all of that hustle and bustle out, making it easier for a child to relax and enjoy the ride.

These LilGadgets headphonesare the ones we have, and we never board a plane without them.

5. Jigsaw puzzles

I absolutely love jigsaw puzzles, and I’m super happy that Harrison seems to be following suit; this past year he has really gotten into them, and there will definitely be a few on his Christmas list this year. I love puzzles with pictures of the different countries or states, where we can talk about places as we complete the puzzle together. Puzzles with planes, boats, cities, and animals are also fun to do as we talk about new places to visit and things we might see.

Melissa and Doug make the best kids jigsaw puzzles including a World Map puzzle, a US states puzzle, and a this one about children from different cultures.

6. Travel journal

On pretty much every trip I take, if you asked me what I did on any given day, I’d have to go back through my photos to actually remember – I suffer from trip amnesia! This year I’ve started keeping trip journals that I update at the end of each day while on the trip, so I can remember what we did, where we went, and any funny or cute things that happened that I might forget later. I’ve decided this might be a fun gift for Harrison too. A trip journal is not only something that will keep him occupied while on the trip, but will be something he can keep as a souvenir to look back on. There are some great travel journals out there geared towards kids of all ages with places to write (or draw) memories, put photos, and even games and puzzles for entertainment.

I think this toddler travel journal would be great for for younger kids whose writing ability is limited, and this kids travel journal would be great for an older child who might have more to say.

7. Travel pillow or blanket

Comfort is key on a long trip, and a travel pillow or blanket is a great gift for a child who takes long car or plane trips. Airplanes often get cold, and the blankets they give you on a plane – if they give you one at all! – are usually thin and pretty useless. A cozy blanket can be used to snuggle up under to keep warm! On a night flight, a pillow and blanket ensures that a child can get a few hours sleep, which is great for them and for you!

We have a Disney pillow pet, which is a stuffed animal that doubles up as a soft pillow to sleep on. I also love this Lug travel blanket/pillow combo that folds up nice and small to easily fit into a carry-on bag.

8. Activity kits

Any parent used to traveling with young kids will tell you that, among the items to pack in your child’s carry-on bag, activity books are a must. Putting together an activity pack for kids who love to travel is easy; add in things like coloring books, stickers, quiet activities like Wikki Stix or Play Foam, and put it in a carry case for them (take a look at my list of toddler plane activities for more ideas!)

If you don’t want to put something like this together yourself, look into Keep ‘Em Quiet, a company who creates custom made activity packs for kids of all ages (so good in fact that they were used to keep the kids busy at the Royal wedding in 2018!)

9. Travel books

I am a firm believer that kids can never have enough books, and books on travel are some of my favorite books to buy for them. We love books where you can learn about different countries and cultures, especially when we are going to visit a new place for the first time. I am a huge fan of the Good Night books; these books feature different cities, states, and countries, and show all of the most popular things to do in those places. I buy the books before we go on a trip to get ideas for things to do when we visit, and Harrison has always loved looking at the pictures of what we might see. After we return, it’s fun to read the books together and point out the things that we did on the trip and the memories we made – as well as plan what we will do on our next visit!

Visit the Good Night books website to see all of the locations available, and read through my review of Good Night books and why we love them so much.

10. Little Passports subscription

This will be in Harrison’s stocking this year! Little Passports is a subscription box service that encourages children to learn about the world through crafts, games, and fun activities. There are different subscription plans based on your child’s age and interests, such as Early Explorers, World Edition, and USA Edition, and each box has a different theme. I know Harrison will be excited to get this in the mail each month, and eager to open up the kit to see what there is to do.

Check out the Little Passports Collection here.

What are your favorite Christmas travel gifts for kids?