Are you on the lookout for cool gifts for kids who travel this holiday season? I am happy to help save you lots of time (and money)!
But first of all, let us define what are in fact the best gifts for young travelers. I personally believe the greatest gifts for kids who travel are the ones that are useful, educational AND make a child’s face light up when he or she unwraps that present on Christmas morning. I am not saying that kids who travel do not need good hiking shoes or weatherproof jackets but getting, say, a box with Keen sandals from Santa is not exactly a hoot one is hoping for.
As a travelling mom myself I am very interested in this topic and I am always on the lookout for best gifts for kids who travel, that encourage them to learn more about the wondrous world around them and go out and seek their next adventure. So I picked out the best items available on the market this season and created a list which I am very happy to share with you. Our family owns most of the items on this list and our kids absolutely love them all.
For your convenience I separated the list in four categories: Games, Gadgets, Books, and Luggage.
Gifts for kids who travel: GAMES
The best games for kids who travel are games about travel. Our favorites are the following:
Magnetic Fun – Cars Planes and Trains
This is a great game for the young travelers ages 3+. It consists of a carry on tin case with travel scenes pictured on it and 55 magnets. It is a great game to take on a car or plane ride that could entertain a toddler for quite some time.
Scrambled States of America Game
As you may have guessed, this game teaches kids about the U.S. geography. Players learn the names, capitals, nicknames, shapes and positions of the states in a fun and engaging way. Ages 8+
Continent Race Geography for Kids Card Game
If you would like your kids to expand your horizons and learn about the entire world then this is the game to get. It teachers players about continents, countries and flags. The game was created by a child for children and it won 2019 Creative Child Game of the Year Award. Ages 7+
Trekking The National Parks: The Family Board Game (Second Edition)
This game is all about U.S. National Parks. So if your kids are nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts they are bound to love it. It is a fun game of strategy for ages 8+. Trekking the National Parks is the winner of Mensa and Parent’s Choice awards.
This game is unlike any other. It encourages players to use their imagination and create and tell stories. There are actually several games under “Rory Story Cubes” brand currently. Rory Story Cubes Voyages is specifically designed for creating stories about travel and it is packable too. The box is pocket size but you don’t even need the box, just put the 9 cubes in a Ziploc bag and they won’t take any space at all in your luggage. You can play it anywhere, any time. The game maker rates it as suitable for ages 8 and up but my younger son started playing it at the age of five. As long as the child loves imagining and telling stories then he or she can play this game at any age.
This is a game about travel to an imaginary land. Your team is on a mission to rescue 4 treasures from the Forbidden Island which is quickly sinking under water. I love this game because it is cooperative rather than competitive and the whole team needs to devise best strategies to get the treasures as soon as possible and escape by helicopter until it is too late. Manufacturer’s recommended age is 10+ but my six year old plays well with me and my twelve year old son
Gifts for kids who travel: GADGETS
Cameras for kids who travel
For the youngest travelers there are several sturdy, almost unbreakable cameras on the market appropriate for ages 3+ Don’t expect phenomenal photo quality because, let’s face it, these cameras are primarily designed to function as toys not advanced photographic equipment but with good lighting and a sturdy hand a child can capture some cool travel memories and even use some editing features.
For children ages 6+ I suggest an adult version of a digital camera which makes good quality pictures but won’t break a bank and small enough for children to handle. Canon PowerShot is just the thing you are looking for. We had the earlier model of this camera for over ten years now and it always served us well.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 180 Digital Camera w/Image Stabilization and Smart AUTO Mode
For kids who have a cell phone and prefer using phone camera in everyday life, an underwater camera is a perfect gift, especially if the family is planning beach vacation(s). Below is an example of a highly rated AND affordable underwater camera that I love:
Other gadgets for kids who travel
One gadget we find extremely helpful gift for kids who travel is a good binoculars. We use it pretty much everywhere we go: for birding in nature reserves; for dolphins, whales and other marine life viewing at the beach and on boat tours; for wildlife watching anywhere, really (once we spotted mountain goats on top of the mountain range in Alaska only thanks to our binoculars as the animals were not visible to naked eye)
One other gift for kids who travel that is a personal favorite of ours is a pocket microscope. It is literally small enough to fit in your pocket and offers endless opportunities to have a close look at your discoveries when you are exploring the nature. This is a perfect gadget to take to a state or national park where nature exploration opportunities are abundant.
Carson MicroBrite Plus 60x-120x LED Lighted Pocket Microscope
Gifts for kids who travel: BOOKS
For toddlers, the perfect travel book is a sticker book about travel, which can easily be packed for travelling and provide a fun activity for a child on a plane, on a road trip, etc.
Ultimate Sticker Book: Train: More Than 60 Reusable Full-Color Stickers
Non-fiction books
For kids who travel in the U.S., ages 4-6, The 50 States: Activity Book is a must have. It is fun and educational and also great to take with you while travelling.
The 50 States: Activity Book: Maps of the 50 States of the USA
National Parks of the USA, Ages 6-9, is an excellent book for travelers and nature lovers.
National Geographic Almanac is an exciting and educational book for curious minds of world travelers, ages 5+. Both, my 6 and 12 year old sons equally enjoy it.
National Geographic Kids Almanac 2020
Fiction books
The author who inspired my wanderlust when I was a child was Jules Vern – the greatest travel writer of all times. His classic stories of adventure never get old. My two absolutely favorite travel books of his are:
Forget Disney movie with the same name that you might have seen. The original story, the author’s humor, the exciting world of adventure is so much more than what was captured on silver screen.
This book may not be as famous in the U.S. as some of other Jules Verne’s books but to me it is one of the best of his literary works. It is a captivating story of a partially destroyed SOS message in a bottle and a subsequent plight of two kids to find and save their father who is apparently held hostage by “savages” somewhere on the 37th parallel.
For a young traveler who likes to observe and note down his or her observations and travel experiences there is no better gift than a travel journal.
Kids’ Travel Journal (Vacation Diary, Trip Notebook)
Gifts for kids who travel: LUGGAGE
When my then toddler son was about 2,5 years old he wanted his own carry-on piece of luggage when we traveled. A backpack was too big for him so we got him… a lunch bag that looked like a small suitcase. It had airplanes pictured all over it and he couldn’t be happier. He still carries it with him at 6 years of age 🙂 Ha puts his small toys and books in there and it has just enough space for his favorites but not too much space for loads of stuff that otherwise would make it heavy.
This specific bag has over a dozen of various designs on Amazon and costs under $15!
Older kids would find a good comfortable backpack invaluable for travel. My older son, who is 11, is a big fan of Tilami backpacks with wheels. This backpack is available on Amazon in multiple colors
Tilami Rolling Backpack 16 Inch School College Travel Carry-on Backpack Boys Girls
BOUNS
Is you child (tween or teen) into stickers? Big Moods company produces super cool high quality waterproof stickers that can be applied to water bottles, laptops, luggage, etc. They have a neat collection of stickers for travelers that are pretty inexpensive and shipping for purchases over $9 is FREE of charge. Below is my personal 20% discount coupon that you can use to purchase these fun stickers that serve as great stocking fillers:
If you found this information about gifts for kids who travel useful, please do me a little favor and share this information with others, for there’s a good chance that it will help them with their travel plans. 🙂 Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram where I post many more cool photos and videos about our trips than I could include in a blog post and organize some nice giveaways!
If you are looking for gifts for adults who love travelling, check out my article Gifts of Friends Going Travelling.
