DISCLOSURE: Some of the links in this post contain affiliate links, which come at no cost to you. You may also see products from Alex Brands, of which I am a consultant. These opinions are my own as a mother, not from my company or as an employer. Know that I only promote products I personally use and stand behind. To learn more about my affiliates, please review my disclosure policy here.

Planning a long trip soon that requires some airplane travel and need some ideas to entertain your kids? Check out this list that showcases what I included in airplane travel bags for kids! From snacks, to books or little games, get an idea what you can add to your airplane travel bag for a 2.5 and 4.5 year old!

We recently took our girls to Disney World then a few days in Jupiter visiting family. This was Hailey’s first airplane ride and the first one Brielle could remember so it was exciting for them both!  I made sure to pack them both a bag with an assortment of activities to keep the entertained on the 2 hour trips plus time at the hotel or restaurants.

Here’s what I included in this cute kitty airplane travel bag for my 2.5 year old:

• Gel Window Clings – great for any age if you have a window seat! This was Hailey’s favorite activity that she did most of the way there and the way back!
• Play packs – Both my girls love these themed packs full of crayons, stickers and an activity book so these are usually my pick for something to bring for restaurants. You can find them at the Dollar Store, Walmart, Target, craft stores and also online in tons of different themes.
• Mini books – We were previously gifted subscriptions to Highlights Hello magazine and Ranger Rick Cub magazine and both the girls love them! They’re small and lightweight but made of a plastic type material which don’t rip and can be wiped off if anything accidentally gets on them. It helped to have a few book options to read before bed each night that weren’t too heavy in our luggage.

• Stickers 
• Coloring Book – For a younger age, I look more for coloring sheets style than one that includes activities. This is where she stuck all the stickers!
• Mini puzzles – The dollar store has a large assortment of these which are small enough to fit in their little backpack. I gave each girl a little one as part of their Disney World reveal!
• Mini craft kit – I’m showing the photo of the box here so you can see how cute these POPS crafts are but I took it out of the box and bagged it up for more compact travel. Each box includes a few little projects which are still entertaining while being a great price point.
• Water Bottle – Empty of course as we filled it up after going through security
• Snacks – Because… kids. Pack more than you think you need!

Here are some additional things I added in the airplane travel bag for my 4.5 year old:

• Hidden Picture book – I will be working on a Favorite Products for a 4 year old post all year and this will definitely be on it! Brielle has really gotten into “I spy” concepts including hidden picture type activities like this book. Make sure to include a pencil to complete this!
• Sticker puzzle book (similar) – Brielle’s been working on learning her numbers lately so this can entertain and educate! She did these during the 2 hour car ride to our second destination on our trip!

• Mini books – Pete the Cat is popular in her preschool class so I picked up 2 of the early reader style books at the last book fair. She was SO excited about these!
• Mini crafts kit – Again I am showing you the Pops box here but I bagged them up for travel.

• Amazon Fire – Santa brought her this tablet (a first for our family) just a few months ago and we’ve been loading educational apps and a few movies as a last resort. We have never downloaded any games on our phones so she’s never really lived the digital world yet but with the kid proof case and 2 year warranty, we’re giving this a go as a special privilege item. Check out this follow up post of our favorite educational apps she plays on it!
  

Besides the above items, I also threw in a few other items in case we hit a rainy day and needed some entertainment at the hotel or as things I can put in their airplane travel bags for the flight home. Most of these are just 2 pieces of full kits we own at home.

• Tape Activity Book – rolls of tape and a book to stick them on. Brielle LOVED this for the flight home. My only complaint is there’s no way to store the rolls of tape after you open it so make sure to include a little baggie to contain them.
• My First Mosaic – Both my girls can work on this kit since they both know shapes and colors can it can be something they can work on just a little bit at a time or all at once, depending on their mood/attention span.
• Paper Weaving – Weave paper strips in and out.
• My Tissue Art – This is a great no mess project. You just peel the adhesive covering from an area, crumple up the little tissue paper squares and add them to the sticky area. Again bring an extra baggie for the left over pieces as it’s to hard to get them back into the bag they come with.

What else are you MUST HAVES for your kids’ airplane travel bags?