20 Stocking Stuffers for Traveling Kids

Another holiday season is approaching quickly, and that means it's time to get gifts for everyone on your list.  My husband and I love giving our children items that they can use on their travels or that inspire them to want to explore the world even more.  Santa usually stuffs the stockings with travel games and gizmos in addition to the usual Christmas candy and treats.

If you are like me, you probably don't want to spend a ton of money on too many "things" during the holiday season.  I prefer to save the cash for travel, of course! 

Specifically with the budget-conscious traveling family in mind, I've gathered some of the best travel-related gift ideas for kids.  Everything on this list is under $20!  If a Disney vacation is in your 2016 travel plans, make sure to check out the companion guide with 20 more stocking stuffer ideas for Disney parks fans.  Finally, if that's not enough and you need additional gift ideas, don't miss last year's three gift guides for traveling toddlers/preschoolers, older kids, and parents.  Whew!

(Trips With Tykes uses affiliate links.  See our full disclosure policy here.)

Without further ado, here are 20 stocking stuffers for traveling kids:

1. Travel-Inspired Luggage Tags ($8.86)

Having a bold luggage tag helps luggage stand out in a sea of sameness on bag check carousels.  So why not get your child a unique luggage tag?  The choices are pretty endless, but the bright colors and travel theme of this set of two from Travelon make it a good fit for world traveling tykes.

2. World Coin Collection from Little Passports ($19.95)

Have a currency-collecting kiddo?  This kit can give your child a head start with 20 new coins to add.  Little Passports makes quality products for traveling kids - our daughter loves her monthly subscription to the World Edition of Little Passports too.

3. Kidz Gear Wired Headphones ($19.99)

Hundreds of Trips With Tykes readers can't be wrong - this is the MOST purchased item from my site, year after year.  If you are going to let your little one watch movies or play with apps on a tablet or smartphone on planes or road trips, earphones are a must.  This brand is durable, inexpensive, and comes in 7 cute colors.  We own 2 pair and both are still going strong years later.

4. Magnetic Travel Games ($6.95)

Land of Nod has several very inexpensive choices of magnetic travel games perfect for road trips or long flights.  Choose from tic-tac-toe, hangman, and other classics.

5. Play Your Mini Card Set Right ($12.95)

Another great option available from Land of Nod is this collection of 5 different on-the-go card games made in miniature.  The set includes Animal Rummy, Hearts, Color Go Fish, Old Maid and Crazy Faces for hours of travel play.

6. iTunes Gift Card ($any)

Let your kid choose a new movie or app before your next trip with an iTunes gift card.  Couldn't be easier!

7. Kids Toiletry Cases at Pottery Barn Kids ($15.60)

Pottery Barn Kids has a wide variety of cute toiletry bags for travel.  Plus, personalize them for free!

8. National Geographic Kids Big Book of the World ($9.53)

This highly-rated guide will help teach your kids about all aspects of the world - languages, culture, animals, maps, and more.

9. Rand McNally Kids Backseat Travel Kit ($19.99)

This kit is the ultimate antidote to road trip boredom.  It's chock full of workbooks to get kids excited about travel and learning from it.

10. National Geographic Kids Magazine Subscription ($15)

At just over $1 an issue, a magazine subscription is a great gift that keeps coming all year long to teach your child about the world.  The magazine is targeted at ages 6 and up. If you have toddlers or preschoolers, consider the National Geographic Little Kids version.

11. Belkin Headphone Splitter ($2.99)

Have kids who have trouble taking turns with the family iPad or tablet?  Now they can share with this headphone splitter.   The next challenge is - of course - getting them to agree on what to watch.

12. Inflatable Globe ($7.95)

This inflatable globe does double duty as an educational toy and beach ball.  Perfect for a kid taking a far-flung beach vacation in 2016.

13. Contigo Autoseal Kids Trekker Cup (~$7-8)

This is our family's go-to travel cup for our 6 year old daughter.  It doesn't leak in her bag and prevents against accidental spills on planes and in cars.  We also use it daily in her lunchbox so it does double duty!

14. Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game ($6.90)

This card game can entertain you and your kids for hours on your next road trip.  It's recommended for ages 7 and up but even younger kids can get in on the game if you modify it a bit.

15. Travel Spirograph ($11.73)

Remember the original Spirograph that you spent hours using to draw circle patterns as a child?  It's back, but in compact travel form for our kids.  I must admit that I want one in my stocking this year!

16. Where's Waldo: The Totally Essential Travel Collection ($9.31)

This set includes 7 travel-sized Where's Waldo books, so it's an amazing value at not much more than $1 a book.  My 6 year old can spend hours looking at these kinds of books.  And for long plane flights, you need something that holds their attention for hours!

17. Skip Hop Zoo Backpack ($19.99)

My daughter adores her Skip Hop rolling luggage and you can get a smaller matching backpack perfect for a little carryon bag for your next flight.  Available in several cute animal styles.

18. i-Blason Apple iPad Cases for Kids ($16.99)

Handing a $500 device over to your toddler or young child is sometimes a scary proposition.  This case gives maximum protection against rough handling and drops that kids often cause.  It also functions as a stand and comes in 7 colors - functional and stylish!  Comes in varieties for all kinds if iPads (iPad 2/3/4, Air and Air 2, and the iPad mini).

19. Lego Architecture Seattle Space Needle ($19.49)

Visit a city and bring it home - what a cool idea from Lego to turn famous city monuments and buildings into Lego kits.  This kit featuring Seattle's Space Needle is the least expensive of the bunch, but many of the others are quite reasonably priced as well.  (If you want to spring for a slightly pricier kit, Lego also makes London's Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and many others!)

20. From the Mountains to the Prairies Puzzle ($7.95)

This inexpensive puzzle of the USA (a piece per state) has been a fun tool for teaching our 6 year old all the states in the union.

Best of luck with stuffing all the stockings on your list.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Trips With Tykes!

Need more holiday gift ideas for travelers? Check out my Pinterest board with lots more travel-related gift ideas.
Follow Trips With Tykes's board Travel Gift Guides on Pinterest.