15 Best Travel Gift Ideas for Kids

Here are the travel gifts your kids will absolutely love unwrapping. Even better, they're all under $75.

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October 06, 2021

It's that time of year again. As in, time to start thinking about holiday gifts for the travel-loving kids in your life. Whether you have toddlers or teens or kids in-between, we've got you covered. We pulled together the top travel finds that will wow your kids and gear them up for your next family adventure. From kid-friendly tablets to durable daypacks, even waterproof digital cameras, read on for the must-have children's travel gifts of the season.

$15

Engage children in learning about geography and state facts, like capitals, flags, landmarks and national parks, with this extra-large scratch-off U.S. map. Kids can scratch off each state they've visited and read up on animal stats from 50 learning cards. This gift idea is way more than a simple scratch-off map. It's a first-rate learning tool for the whole family. It's also a fun way to research and plan out where to go next for a family vacation.

$199.99 $140
On Sale!

Sometimes you just need to let littles entertain themselves with electronics, like when you're on a long car ride and you've already played all the fun road trip games (twice). Enter Amazon's Fire HD 10 Kids' Tablet. It's got a kid-proof plastic case, a built-in stand and up to 12 hours of battery life. As a bonus, this durable tablet comes with one year of Amazon Kids+, a massive library of kid-friendly content, like books, movies, apps and games. Little ones will burst with excitement knowing that they have their very own tablet.

$21.99

Headphones are a must-have for kids on vacations and road trips. Since many small children do not like earbuds — they don't fit in their ears, they fall out, they're not comfortable — opt for a pair of on-ear headphones. These on-ear headphones for kids from Noot Products are rated as Best Overall on Amazon with an average 4.7-star rating from more than 27,000 reviewers. These colorful headphones are easy to fold (and easy to pack) and have soft, padded cushions, making them super comfy for little ones with little ears.

$37.45

Kids will feel all grown up when they carry their own daypack on hiking adventures and day trips with Mom and Dad. This pint-size pack from Osprey is big enough for kids to carry a water bottle, snacks, a cell phone and sunscreen, but small enough to keep kids nimble when they move. This daypack is also durable, so it won't fall apart after only a few family hikes.

All of a sudden, fanny packs from the '80s are in again. Even celebs, like Beyonce and Cardi B, have been snapped sporting fanny packs. It's not hard to see why given they keep everything you need, like your phone and wallet, within easy reach. They're great for kids, too, allowing them to comfortably (and fashionably) tote their own phones, cash, gum and snacks. Fanny packs come in loads of cute colors, materials and patterns, like unicorns, camouflage and leopard. Kids can even wow their friends with sparkles, sequins and neon.

$50

Give your little one the gift of luggage that's absolutely bursting with personality. This uber-durable 19-inch carry-on luggage is sturdy, fun and spinny thanks to multi-directional wheels that make it easy to turn on a dime in the airport. This rolling suitcase is small enough to store in a plane's overhead compartment and funky enough to make it easy to spot on the carousel in baggage claim. This shiny carry-on comes in a variety of designs, like the puppy above, a dinosaur, frog, ladybug, monkey, owl and turtle. Seriously, so fun.

$24.99

Kids will feel all grown up with their very own YETI water bottle. The Rambler Jr. is lightweight, easy to carry and leak-resistant. It's also dishwasher-safe and, of course, it keeps drinks ice-cold, too. The YETI Rambler Jr. comes in five splashy colors, including reef blue, harbor pink and seafoam. The best part? It's so cute and colorful that kiddos will want to carry this 12-ounce water bottle themselves.

$8.99

It can be easy for kids to laze around on their tablets, but why not encourage them to write about their extra-fun adventures in a travel journal created just for them? The Ultimate Travel Journal for Kids includes plenty of prompts that make writing fun and helps them to document their fun-filled vacay days. The journal encourages kids to not only cover what they did on vacation but what they saw, tasted and heard, too. This travel journal also includes colorful maps, word searches and Mad Libs-style fill-in-the-blank writing activities.

$10.70

Keep traveling little ones busy — and off their gadgets (or yours) — with a fun and colorful activity book, like Totally Awesome Mazes and Puzzles. This 250+ page book is chock-full of mind-bending mazes, puzzles, connect-the-dots, matching games and word searches. This Amazon bestseller is just right for early-elementary kiddos and will keep them busy and engaged while on the road or in the air. According to one five-star reviewer, her inquisitive six-year-old gave this travel activity book two enthusiastic thumbs up.

$12.99

Inspire young artists even on vacation with a portable coloring kit, like this one from Crayola. Inside, you'll find everything your child needs to show his or her true colors, like 25 washable markers, 40 sheets of paper and a durable, easy-to-carry case. The markers are kid-size too, making them easier for little hands to hold and use to express their creativity. This coloring set is a cinch for small kids to store in a seatback pocket of a minivan or airplane.

$18.95

A colorful pair of durable kid-size binoculars helps children become more engaged in their natural surroundings, like when hiking local trails or exploring state and national parks. It's one thing for kids to glimpse a speck off in the distance that's said to be a buffalo or elk, but high-powered binoculars take the experience to another level when they can actually see the wildlife with their own eyes. It's a great way to inspire future bird and wildlife watchers. Reviewers agree. More than 90 percent of customers gave these travel binoculars a five-star rating.

$49.99

Encourage budding photogs to hone their picture-snapping skills, even when in the pool or at the beach. This colorful, waterproof digital camera allows kids to take photos and shoot videos on land and underwater (up to 100 feet below the surface). Even better, this durable camera makes it super-fun to document nearly every moment of a vacation thanks to 12 easy-to-use photo effects and seven video filters. Kids can snap and share it all, whether snorkeling, swimming, surfing, scuba diving or splashing around at the lake.

$26.99

For budding iPhone photogs, even those who only snap photos for Instagram, a clip-on lens makes a great gift. This easy-to-use lens clips right onto an iPhone or Android phone, allowing for high-quality wide-angle shots and up-close shots. (No fuzzy, distorted photos here!) As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and photos taken with these lenses do not disappoint. One reviewer, a long-time photography teacher, considers this lens to be a must-have item for capturing fantastic photos with a smartphone.

$59.99 $40
On Sale!

Many of us turn to Alexa to play music while we cook dinner or update our weekly grocery lists. Kids can now have a turn with Alexa, even bring her with them on their travels thanks to the Echo Dot Kids' Edition. This device can read bedtime stories, tell jokes and play lullabies, even allow kids to check the weather. Thanks to a free one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, kids can bring all their favorite Disney and Nickelodeon characters with them by way of books, games and podcasts.

$29.99

Give kids the world with this desktop globe. Kids gain a sense of world perspective as they seek out and identify oceans, countries and continents. This interactive globe is illuminated with an LED bulb and can serve as a night light, too. Inspire kids to engage with the world around them and dream up new worldwide adventures, even when they sleep.

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