The Best Travel Gifts for Kids That Inspire Adventure, Curiosity, and Wonder

Family travel is one of the most powerful educational experiences on the planet. Long before our boys, Cohen and Dylan, ever stepped foot on our first glacier in Iceland or learned to barter in a Peruvian market, their curiosity started with something simple. A gift. A globe that lit up their bedroom like a tiny universe and a travel-themed puzzle that led to questions I never expected from a toddler.

Over the years, we’ve explored more than 40 countries as a family. Throughout it all, Christina and I have learned that the right travel gift can spark a child’s imagination long before they board a plane or pack their bag for a road trip. And the best ones stay with them long after the trip ends.

If you are looking for travel gifts for kids that do more than entertain, this list is for you. These are the products we use, recommend, and often pack ourselves. They encourage exploration, creativity, and independence, and they remind kids that the world is far bigger and more fascinating than what they see in their own backyard.

Whether you are raising the next great adventurer, a quiet dreamer, or a child who simply loves discovering new things, these gifts help them learn, grow, and embrace the immersive, off-the-beaten-path style of travel that we live for.

These gifts help make travel fun for kids. They help keep the inspiration alive long after the clothes have been put away and spark that flame of curiosity for your next adventure.

Why Travel-Themed Gifts Matter

When our first child, Cohen, was born back in 2011, our friends and family assumed that Christina and I would put the brakes on our travel adventures, settle down, and retire gently into domestic life. Instead, our adventures got bigger, wilder, and more meaningful. We started with journeys through Mexico and Portugal before embarking on epic travels through countries like Jordan, Egypt, and the Philippines.

We learned quickly that kids rise to the stories we tell them. Give a child a map, and they want to follow it. Hand them a pair of binoculars, and suddenly they want to see everything. Present them with a travel journal, and you witness their worldview unfolding one scribble at a time.

Travel gifts are not just toys. They are transformative tools.

They build anticipation before a trip, nurture confidence during it, and spark reflection long after the journey ends.

More importantly, these gifts remind children that travel is not a luxury. Travel is education. It is a journey in empathy. It is stepping beyond comfort zones as a family and learning from every challenge, culture, and landscape that welcomes you.

I’ve carefully picked these kids’ gift ideas to include a travel theme. So if your family is as passionate about travel as we are, read on and be inspired. Some of these links may have an affiliate partnership in which we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more in our disclosure.

If you’re shopping for more than just the kids, you can also check out my ultimate guide to family travel gear. That article focuses on travel gear for everyone.

The Best Travel Gifts for Kids: 18 Ideas That Inspire Adventure

Below are 18 carefully chosen travel gifts for kids. All are available on Amazon and recommended by our own family or trusted travel families we know well.

1. World Map Puzzle

When the boys were little, maps like this were their first introduction to “Where in the world are we actually going?” Big, chunky pieces mean even younger kids can help build the world, one country at a time. It’s a simple way to slip geography into playtime and start those “Where is Iceland?” conversations long before you hit the airport.

• A fun, hands-on way for kids to learn world geography.
• Large puzzle pieces make it easy for younger travelers to help.
• Bright illustrations spark curiosity about countries and cultures.

2. National Geographic Kids Almanac

Our carry-on bags always seem to collect at least one Nat Geo Kids book. The Almanac is packed with animals, odd facts, and bite-sized info that kids love to quote at completely random moments. It’s perfect pre-trip reading for kids who like to know a little bit about everywhere, and it keeps them happily occupied on long flights or slow mornings.

• Incredible photos
• Tons of fun facts and activities
• Exclusive National Geographic Explorer interviews

3. Kids’ Travel Journal

A travel journal turns kids from passengers into storytellers. This one is extra special because it was created by my friend and fellow family-travel expert Rob Taylor, the creator behind 2 Travel Dads, the original LGBTQ family travel blog. In it are simple questions about the day: best memory, weirdest food, funniest moment. It helps them process what they’re experiencing and gives you a record of the trip that is far more honest than anything an adult writes.

• Divided into four sections, each created to record one trip, this journal will keep kids entertained.
• Guided prompts encourage kids to write about their hopes for the trip.
•  Engaging activities like word searches, scavenger hunts, and crossword puzzles.

4. Kid-Friendly Travel Camera

Cameras aren’t just for adults. Capturing photos from your adventures can be something that kids get really passionate about. When our boys were little, we started with a simple, kid-friendly camera like the VTech KidiZoom — it survived all of our sand, water, and dropped standards.

As they grew and began to capture wildlife in Ecuador or on safari in Tanzania, we moved them up to something like the Olympus TG-6. It’s waterproof and travel-ready. This is a small, easy-to-use point-and-shoot that actually delivers images you’ll want to print, not just store in a folder.

• Turns kids into active explorers, not passengers.
• Builds confidence and independence.
• Strengthens curiosity and storytelling.

5. Scratch-Off World Map for Kids

Our travel map hangs in Cohen’s room and gets updated after every big adventure. The ritual of coming home, talking about the trip, and marking off a new country is a moment in itself. It makes travel feel cumulative, like the world is slowly revealing itself piece by piece. Scratch-off travel maps are a fun and engaging way to keep the adventure going after you get home.

6. Compact Kids Binoculars

From spotting wildlife in Ecuador to watching birds on a quiet Canadian lake, kid-sized binoculars have become a staple in our daypacks. They’re lightweight enough for younger travelers and tough enough for the usual knocks and drops. More importantly, they encourage kids to slow down and actually look at the landscapes and animals around them.

Here’s a quick tip from experience. Unless your kids are toddlers, don’t get them cheap, cartoon-themed binoculars. They tend to have terrible optics that will make kids frustrated. A pair of genuine binoculars looks authentic, has better optics, and will make kids feel like they’ve been given responsibility.

7. Noise-Canceling Headphones for Kids

I love my kids, but I also love not listening to the same cartoon theme song for eight hours. A good pair of kids’ headphones keeps everyone sane on long flights and road trips. They protect young ears with volume limits, cut down on the drone of engines, and give kids a bit of calm when the journey gets overwhelming.

Every year, I update my guide to the best portable headphones for kids. You can check this year’s list here or just hop straight to my current pick, the Pure 2200S.

8. Kids’ Travel Backpack

There’s something powerful about the moment your child carries their own pack onto a plane. A well-fitted kids’ backpack gives them responsibility for a few key items: a favorite toy, a book, snacks, and a sweater. It helps them feel like part of the adventure team instead of freight being moved from one place to another.

We have used countless backpacks with our kids over the years. Now that they’re older, they carry adult-sized backpacks with them. But I still review kids’ backpacks every year. This year, my top pick is the Osprey Jet 28L.

• Excellent first pack for young adventurers.
• Built using 100% recycled fabrics. Ideal for kids ages 5-13.
• Hydration Compatible – Features a hose clip and reservoir sleeve sized to accommodate a Hydraulics 1.5 L reservoir (sold separately).
• Adjustable sternum strap with safety whistle.

9. Reusable Filtered Water Bottle with Adventure Stickers

We talk a lot about sustainability with our boys, and a sturdy, reusable water bottle is an easy daily lesson. One thing our kids love is to personalize their water bottles with stickers. Adventure stickers or map designs make it feel like part of their “kit,” and it saves you from constantly hunting down plastic bottles. From desert hikes to city wandering, it’s one of those small items that gets used every single day.

You can check out my in-depth guide to the best filtered water bottles over here, or you can pick up my current favorite, the Grayl Geopress.

10. On-the-Go Travel Activity Kits

There is a special place in my heart for anything that keeps kids busy without a screen during a four-hour flight delay. Small magnetic games, reusable sticker scenes, and compact building kits slide into a carry-on and come out whenever boredom starts to melt into chaos. They’re light, reusable, and far more engaging than yet another episode of whatever’s on the in-flight screen.

• Plenty of supplies for various fun and engaging crafts.
• Innovative laptop-style for ease of use
• Store everything in our sturdy polyester canvas zip-close carry case.
• Designed for Travel.

11. Kids Travel Pillow and Blanket Set

Sleep is the difference between a great travel day and a complete write-off. Our boys have been traveling with their own personal blanket since they were babies. You can go back through our adventures and spot how many photos include them!

A soft travel pillow and blanket set, sized for kids, makes planes and trains far more comfortable. Our boys like having their own “sleep kit,” and it makes those red-eye flights at least slightly less exhausting for everyone. This set from EverSnug is a great starting place.

12. Portable Travel Hammock for Kids

We’ve strung hammocks between trees in places that feel like the edge of the world. A lightweight travel hammock is pure magic for kids: a reading nook in the jungle, a swinging seat by the beach, or a place to flop after a long hike. It packs down tiny, sets up in minutes, and turns almost any destination into a playground. This one from Wise Owl is top-rated and very easy to use.

• Parachute-grade Breathable Nylon Weave 210t.
• Roomy and Comfortable for Two.
• Holds Strong Without Sagging.

12. Kids Headlamp or Adventure Flashlight

If your travels involve camping, caves, or sunrise starts, a child’s headlamp is one of those small items that makes a big difference. It gives them independence, makes nighttime bathroom runs less dramatic, and adds just enough “expedition” energy to keep spirits high. We’ve used them everywhere from Canadian campgrounds to early-morning desert departures.

Like the binoculars, you might be tempted to get a child-themed one, but I’ll be honest, a proper headlamp will work better, last longer, and make your child feel special and grown up.

12. On-the-Go Snack Container

There are few things that are more important to a family travel experience than snacks. Leakproof, divided snack containers keep food fresh and accessible during travel. They help kids manage their own snacks while reducing the need for constant restocking. Great for flights, road trips, and day excursions.

13. Kids Travel Toiletry Kit

A colorful pouch filled with travel-sized personal items — toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, and soap — gives kids a sense of ownership and routine. It’s a great way to teach them responsibility for their own belongings

Travel-Themed Board Games

There is perhaps no kid’s gift that we use more right now than board games. We have picked up some amazing travel-themed board games for kids that we play all the time. Some of them are perfect for taking with us on road trips, while others are better for the home. Here are a few of our favorites.

Trekking The World

Trekking the World is an awesome travel gift for kids. This easy yet fun board game is perfect for the whole family. It doesn’t take too long to play, and it will teach you and your kids about some of the most famous monuments and destinations around the world. You can find that here.

Ticket To Ride

Ticket To Ride lets players compete to create railways across North America. This is a super fun game that we picked up when we stayed in a caboose Airbnb in Ontario. If you’re looking for this game with a European focus, you can find Ticket to Ride Europe here.

Flags Around The World

Flags Around the World is a fun, fact-based board game that is great for kids 8+ and fun for the whole family. It features multiple-choice questions about flags, countries, and capital cities.

Globes And Maps

When we bought our kids their first globe, I thought it was going to be a fun decoration. I had no idea just how many times the boys would reference it and ask questions about one destination or the next. These maps and globes make amazing travel gifts for kids.

World and Country Scratch-Off Maps

Scratch-off maps are a super fun way for kids to track their travels both domestically and around the world. This world scratch-off map is perfect to mount on a wall, while this United States scratch-off map makes a fun travel gift for kids exploring national parks.

Globe

Globes are great travel gifts for kids. And they come in all sorts of different styles depending on what your child loves. You can get a classic globe like this one, ones that light up, and globes that are completely interactive with an app.

Travel Journals

Travel journals are a fun and engaging way for children to track their travel experiences. These make for an exciting way for children to relive and write down all the amazing things that they’ve learned throughout their travels.

Travel Headphones

My children are obsessed with audiobooks. One of the great treats of international plane travel with kids is when they hunker down into their seats, punch up their favorite audiobook, and get lost in their own imagination.

These excellent kids’ headphones make for great gift ideas for travel loving kids. Our absolute favorites are the J-Labs ones. They aren’t super cheap, but they are ultra-durable, foldable, and have good volume limits so as not to damage little ears.

Reusable Water Bottles

I just can’t stress enough how important it is to limit the amount of garbage we introduce to the world. One of the easiest ways to limit our footprint is by using reusable water bottles.

I’ve written about my favorite filtered water bottles for travel before. But most trips don’t need anything so involved. A nice, small, portable water bottle will give children access to some high-quality H^₂O whenever they need it.

Digital Tablet

We are a very digital family. While we do limit screen time for the kids, we don’t limit it while we’re in transit. Plane, train, and bus travel is stressful enough, so we let the kids find their favorite escapes during the tough times.

Whether they’re listening to audiobooks, competing against each other in Minecraft, snapping photos of each other, or just sitting back and enjoying their favorite travel movies, tablets give them so many opportunities to stay entertained and informed. Our kids rock their iPads wherever they go, but if you’re an Android family, there are great opportunities as well. And the Amazon Firebook is a great budget option if you aren’t married to either platform.

Cameras

Whenever I’m interviewed about travelling with children, I always push the idea of letting kids be the photographers (or at least part of the travel photography experience). It’s a such a fun an easy way to empower them while getting kids to stretch their creativity while learning a new skill.

Choosing a great camera for kids travel gifts means taking into consideration a few things. How careful is your child? What is your budget? And how easily can their fingers fit around a camera body.

GoPros are a great option because they are rugged, waterproof, and can go pretty much anywhere without too much worry. But they are very limited in the type of photos that they take. But, nowadays there are more tough, waterproof cameras available than ever before. And they have everything from video to zoom, and fun filters for kids to enjoy.

Travel Backpacks

Backpacks are a huge part of our travel inventory. They are usually the first things that we jam full. They act as our carry-on for plane travel and our day packs while we are touring the incredible travel destinations that we love to explore.

For young kids, I highly recommend this Deuter Kikki backpack that I wrote about. It’s adorable, fun, rugged, tough, and just the right size for younger children. As kids age, their packs should keep up with them in terms of size and comfort.

Their Own Suitcase

Ok, you may not want to pay for another check-in luggage for your family. But letting your kids have their own carry-on luggage is a great idea! It teaches them responsibility while lightening their parent or guardian’s loads at the same time. A carry-on luggage makes for amazing kid’s gift ideas.

Look for something hardshell with four wheels so that there are no problems moving them around the airport. Avoid ones that are too fancy, though, because odd shapes don’t stack well. For really young kids, these Melissa and Doug Trunkies are great. But they are only really good for a year or two before kids grow out of them.

Games For On-The-Go

Travel games are a fun way to kill time either in the car, on the bus, or in the airport when there is nothing else to do but wait and stare at each other. These games are small, light, and be enjoyed just about anywhere.

Games like UNO and Highway Bingo are always a blast. But there are more road trip games that make for great travel gifts for kids as well. And if you run out of ideas, you can always check out some of these hysterical (and clean) travel jokes.

Do You Love Family Travel?

If you’re passionate about family travel, head on over to our Family Travel Support Group on Facebook. It’s a fantastic community of parents who love travel. We share experiences, knowledge, and the lessons learned along the way. You can also sign up for our newsletter to keep in the loop about new family travel adventures.

Do you have amazing ideas for great travel gifts for kids? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Or swing over to our Facebook page and say hello!

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