How to Beat Travel Boredom: 10 Fun Activities to Keep Kids Screen-Free on Planes, Trains, and Cruises!

Parents know how easy it is for kids to disappear into their screens, even on a once-

in-a-lifetime holiday. It seems a shame to miss out on real moments together when

travel offers so many chances for connection, curiosity, and fun.

Travel also often involves long hours in confined spaces that test everyone’s

patience and boredom thresholds. So, if we’re limiting screen time, what’s the

alternative? Luckily, many terrific, fun activities keep children engaged

and entertained without their devices.

In this quick guide, we’ve curated 10 activities that have proven effective for

countless families and travel situations, so let’s get right into it.

Activities For Young Ones (2-7)

1. Fidget Toys

A fidget toy has saved the day on more than one long-haul flight. These simple

playthings require no thought or instruction and serve multiple purposes during long

journeys.

A silent spinning pop-it board or a simple multi-sided fidget cube with clicking

switches keeps hands busy so minds can rest. The toy distracts and entertains or

calms small ones as they observe the world around them.

During periods of heightened anxiety (like take-off or landing) or when waiting in

queues, these items give kids a way to deal with nervous energy.

We recommend choosing a new fidget toy (or two) specifically for the journey. Only

reveal it when you’re in the air or have left the station. As you know, the novelty of

the new helps win interest and appeal.

2. Toy Goodie Bags

Well-planned goodie bags can turn travel time into creative play sessions. Pack a zip

pouch with items to spark creativity and tactile fun. Here's a sample of what to

include:

● Folded colouring sheets/ drawing paper: Mix up colouring themes, like

animals, farm life, fantasy scenes, wild west, holiday motifs.

● Stickers: Reusable vinyl stickers, themed sheets, or even Post-it notes.

● Mini puzzles: Compact jigsaw puzzles (20–30 pieces) or magnetic puzzle

boards that won’t scatter easily.

● Stamping toys: Self-inking stamps with fun shapes like stars, hearts, or

animals.

● Clickable markers and twistable crayons: The idea is not to lose caps or

end up with broken crayons.

● Stencils: To encourage drawing and making different shapes.

You could present the pouch and let your boy or girl choose the activity(s) they

fancy. Alternatively, introduce one or two items at a time, keeping the others for later.

3. Reusable Sticker Scene Books

Reusable sticker books are a go-to staple for longer journeys. They’re a low-prep,

affordable option that keeps enquiring minds entertained for a decent amount of

time. The activity is contained on a flat surface, entirely within a book weighing next

to nothing.

The vinyl clings or gel stickers peel off and stick neatly to the laminated pages of the

book. Don’t be surprised to see them happily immersed in fascinating worlds

(dinosaurs, underwater, space, and much more) for the next hour.

It’s a delight to watch young brows furrow as they decide where that mermaid,

a dinosaur, a princess, or an astronaut belongs in the scene.

And there’s no sticky residue or tiny paper scraps to worry about afterward.

4. Lite Brite Mini Touch

The Lite Brite Mini Touch is very popular with younger ones. This updated version of

the childhood game eliminates small pegs that could get lost during travel, turning

travel time into a mini art show.

Following the design guides provided, kids create glowing, colourful pictures by

pressing a range of buttons.

There is also an animation mode, lighting up the screen with (silent) fireworks and

other displays. Game mode lets them play basic memory and connect-the-dots

games.

True, it’s electronic and has a visual screen. But it’s a world removed from

smartphones with their sound, blue light, and content issues.

Compact and self-contained, the Mini Touch fits easily in a carry-on pocket. It’s

battery powered (3 x AAs), so pack a spare set of batteries, and you’re good to go.

5. Building Brick Projects

Budding engineers don’t need to leave building projects at home. Of course, bringing

the complete set probably isn’t practical. But pack 75 -100 pieces in a zip pouch or

tin, and voila, you have a compact, travel-friendly kit.

Bricks like Lego and Duplo are traditional favorites, but Tomyou's 200-Piece building

discs are also popular among kids.

These colourful interlocking discs click together to form towers, spaceships, animals,

flowers, basically, whatever cool idea your kids dream up.

Since the pieces connect firmly and don’t roll away, this is a viable, fun activity for a plane. Younger children sort the discs by colour, while older kids can take on creative challenges. For instance, “Make a miniature version of the plane we’re flying on," or “Can you make a sea creature from just 20 pieces?”

A larger benefit is that building block/disc projects help to develop STEM and

problem-solving skills, all while being serenely quiet.

Activities for Older Kids (7+)

6. Travel Bingo

Travel Bingo adds a fun, competitive element to the classic "I Spy" game by introducing Bingo gameplay.

Before your trip, create cards with 9 or 16 gridded squares listing familiar sights you’ll expect to see: "Someone wearing sunglasses on their head," "A red bag," "A woman reading a novel," or "A man wearing a fanny pack." Customise the list according to your environment: cruise, plane, or train.

Tip: If you laminate the card and use dry-erase markers, you can repurpose the game for different settings.

Travel Bingo is a fantastic way to pull children’s attention away from restlessness or boredom and onto the external environment. For older kids, make the Bingo rules harder. Instead of just finding an object, they must also note where they saw it to take the square. For example, "Man reading a novel - two rows ahead." 

If you don't have time to make the Bingo cards, you can still play the original “I Spy” game. But add twists. Instead of "I spy with my little eye something green," use categories: "I spy something that rhymes with chair."

7. Pass the Story

One pen, a notebook, and restless imaginations! That’s all you need to embark on a wild narrative in this hilarious storytelling game.

Write an opening sentence - wacky and wonderful is always good: “Once upon a time, a badger in tennis gear found a dusty leather satchel under his seat on a train.” Pass the notebook to the next player. Each person adds just one line before handing it on.

Once everyone’s had a bunch of turns, read the end product out loud. You can bet the story that unfolds will twist in a myriad different directions, reflecting the quirks and interests of your family.

The results are often laugh-out-loud funny and make a great keepsake of your journey. We recommend bringing a small notebook reserved exclusively for these treasured flights of fancy.

8. The Memory Tray Challenge

Test the fam’s powers of observation with a challenge that gets super engaging. Grab a small tray, paper plate, or even an airplane meal tray and place a selection of objects on it.

Use random objects from your travel bag or cabin desk, whatever's handy: a key card, an apple, lip balm, a toy ship, or a seashell. Depending on the kids’ ages, display between 8 and 15 items.

Give everyone 30 seconds to study the objects closely. Then cover the tray and have them write down as many as they can remember. When they hit a limit, they’ll probably want another peak, so uncover the tray for 15 seconds to help them. 

Older kids love the competition, while younger ones can team up with you for encouragement and support.

The game is really adaptable. With a bit of imagination, you can use so many items to keep the tray fresh every time. You can also play a revised round where you remove one item, give everyone a quick look, and ask them to name what’s missing.

9. Journalling and Sketching

If your children enjoy or can be encouraged to journal and record their travels, that's awesome.

Journaling is transformative; it passes the time in a healthy, meaningful way. Your child is actively reflecting on and recording the experience instead of passively passing through. Sketching is also reflective, focused, and imaginative.

Gift the children notebooks or sketchpads, with suitable pens/pencils, before departure, as an open invitation to document their adventure.

En route, encourage a younger child to sketch what they see, write a short diary entry, or complete a postcard. A specific mission helps overcome “artist’s block”. Older kids should need less prompting.

10. Cruise Ship Activities

If you’re fortunate enough to be enjoying an oceanliner adventure like a scenic Panama Canal cruise, there’s usually no shortage of activities to keep the kiddos busy.

From splash pools to supervised hot tubs, there’s aquatic fun for days. Many ships also feature mini golf courses and sports like pickleball for lively outdoor laughs and competition. Fitness centers often host kid-friendly workouts and dance sessions.

For quieter times, or if the weather’s not brilliant, the activities mentioned above come in handy. In addition, card decks, puzzles, and board games provide a welcome change of pace. Easy-to-learn card classics like Go Fish, Crazy Eights, and Snap are perfect for family bonding in lounges or cabins.

Whether outdoors or indoors, cruises deliver a great mix of entertainment and chilling opportunities for young travellers.

More Tips

To add to the suggestions, let me share some practical tips and hacks that help make them work. 

Prep ahead: We know, easier said than done! But if you have time, laminate, prepare “busy/goodie” bags, create bingo cards, and shop for essential toys/books. You want to limit mid-trip fiddling as far as possible.

Compact, contained storage: Use zip pouches or small rigid boxes/ tins for carrying. Keep each activity self-contained so nothing spills, and you can pack everything away smartly.

Rotate activities: Don’t give out too much at once. Introduce 1 or 2 new items every hour or so to keep the novelty fresh.

Encourage quiet solo time: Use puzzles or journaling to let them entertain themselves, giving you a deserved breather.

Small rewards: Consider offering a sticker, a small treat, or “you pick the next activity” when they’ve done a good job on a task or occupied themselves constructively. 

Take advantage of your setting: On cruise decks or train windows, use real scenery as prompts (cloud shapes, sea life, lifeboats, forests, and mountains). Encourage creativity inspired by the glorious surroundings.

In Summary

We hope some of these low-tech activities will work for your family. The options encourage interaction and focus, helping turn travel time into meaningful, memorable experiences.

If cleverly managed, screen time becomes a reward (not a fallback) as you embark on your exciting family adventure.

Happy travels!

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