Do you have a child who loves to travel? Or are you looking for a gift that will inspire a child to start traveling? Then look no further! This list of 21 best gifts for kids who travel has something for everyone. 

From inspiring books to handy travel gear, these presents are sure to get your child excited about traveling to new places. So if you're looking for a way to encourage your child's love of travel, and raise them to be avid travelers, dive into this list of gifts for kids who like to travel. Happy shopping!

This post was originally published on November 2, 2022.

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My recommendations for unique travel gifts for kids

Inspiring exploration with these best travel gifts for kids

The best gifts for kids who travel are ones that inspire exploration and interest about the world. In putting this list together, I loved thinking about all the possibilities of learning about the world your kids can have through the kids travel gifts they receive: whether they are physical products or experiences.

Our family loves receiving travel-related gifts. Sometimes we get a practical travel gift, like a gift card or a tour in a city. Other times we get fun gifts, like holiday ornaments from a country we’ve visited or a book about a culture we love.

When thinking about what to get your kids for the holidays, consider the travel experiences they’ve enjoyed the most. Find kids travel gifts that can elicit that same feeling of joy in your child.

I had so much fun curating this list. I truly think there’s something for everyone to enjoy. It includes a mix of physical gifts and experiential gifts for kids. And it’s organized by age group, so you can really see what gift is best for your child’s age. Take a look through the list to get ideas for the perfect gift for your child.

Gifts for kids who travel: ages 4 years old and under

At this young age, travel is less about the actual experience, but more about planting the seed for travel. Exposing your kids to new cultures at a young age helps them to understand that differences exist in the world and that they should be celebrated. 

The gifts for kids who travel in this section help little kids develop a love for learning and travel. 

Find resources to learn about the world here.

1. Erasable drawing book

Drawing is a fun way for kids to pass the time during a trip. But who wants to lug around a bunch of papers when you travel? 

An erasable drawing book is a creative idea for gifts for kids who travel. Your toddler can doodle their creations, and then erase to doodle more. Take photos of the doodles you love the most.

Get one of these erasable drawing books for your artistic-minded child.

2. World map floor puzzle  

It’s never too early to introduce young kids to puzzles. Melissa and Doug’s jumbo world map floor puzzle is a perfect way to showcase the world to your little one, while also giving them something tactile to play with. 

Although the puzzle is targeted for kids aged 6 and older, youngsters can still enjoy playing with the pieces. These gifts for kids who travel are perfect for young kids to grow into.

Click on the Amazon link below to buy the puzzle.

3. My First Big World Atlas

A fun way to introduce the world to your toddler is to read to them. I loved getting board books for my kids when they were toddlers because it helps instill a love for reading early on.

And if you want to start inspiring young travelers, My First Big World Atlas from Little Hippo Books is a good way to do it from the beginning. This board book introduces all the continents with fun and colorful illustrations.

Buy this book for one of your gifts for kids who travel on Amazon here.

4. My Little Cities board books

Another set of board books to introduce travel to your toddler is the My Little Cities board books by Jennifer Adams. Each board book introduces each city (such as New York, London, and Paris) through words that describe sights, sounds, and actions. 

Buy one or several of the My Little Cities board books as reading gifts for kids who travel.

5. Children’s museum subscription  

We love giving experiential gifts for kids, especially for our kids. And one fun idea for gifts for kids who travel is a subscription to a children’s museum.

Most children’s museums have a section dedicated to places around the world. The Children’s Museum in Seattle, one of our favorite museums in Seattle for kids, has a global section where kids can touch and interact with items from countries like Japan, Philippines, and Ghana. We also like the Brooklyn Children's Museum in New York City because it also has a fantastic global section.

Gifts for kids who travel: ages 5-11 years old

For elementary school aged kids, travel is about learning about new-to-them cultures and having plenty of new experiences too. The below list of gifts for kids who travel is a hodge-podge of gifts helping kids pass the time during travel, reflecting on their travels, and enriching their travels through experiences.

6. Kids travel journal

Travel is a great time for reflection. And it’s not just for adults, but kids too. One excellent idea for gifts for kids who travel is to give them a kids travel journal to help inspire reflection.

I personally like The Ultimate Travel Journal For Kids, created by Rob Taylor of 2 Travel Dads (who I showcased in an interview in 2018). The journal includes writing prompts for kids, a travel activity to do on the road, checklists, and drawing pages. 

There are also special road trip activities to do with your kids. This journal really helps your kids pass the time on long road trips!

7. Stack the Scoops card game

When you’re sitting at a restaurant waiting for food, or trying to pass the time during a long layover, it’s easy to resort to screens for entertainment. But taking along some travel card games is a simple way to avoid screens during down time.

Back in 2020, my family and I created the card game, Stack The Scoops, as a way for families to build math learning into game play. But an added bonus is that it’s small and portable for travel. 

Many families have told us how much their kids love to play Stack The Scoops at home or while traveling. It’s one of their favorite travel games! Add Stack The Scoops to your collection of learning-themed gifts for kids who travel.

8. Little Passports

Monthly educational subscriptions are a fantastic way to extend holiday gifts throughout the year. And the Little Passports World Edition subscriptions, especially, are perfect travel-inspiring gifts for kids who travel. 

The monthly Little Passports World Edition subscription boxes include activities themed around a specific country. Kids get a book with a story that takes place in that country, a collectible souvenir, and an engaging activity book.

Get your Little Passports World Edition subscription as one of your family's gifts for kids who travel. Or take a look at other subscriptions available on the Little Passports website.

9. Rocket books

For practical gifts for kids who travel, get Rocketbooks for your kids. Rocketbooks are reusable notebooks for writing and taking notes. 

As a worldschooling family, we use Rocketbooks to do math lessons or for writing their travel packing list. The notebooks use a special pen that has erasable ink, which wipes away using a damp cloth. It’s the perfect option for minimal gifts for traveling kids!

One of the things we like about Rocketbooks is that with the accompanying app, you can scan what’s written on the page and it can automatically save to Dropbox or get emailed to you. This is an easy way to save doodles or notes from your kids while you’re traveling!

10. Honest History magazines

Understanding the history of the world is a huge part of worldschooling. And it’s an important part of being a responsible traveler too. We always love learning about the history of the places we visit. One great idea for gifts for kids is to give them Honest History magazines.

Honest History is a kids magazine series focusing on history. And much like its name suggests, these magazines don’t shy away from talking about challenging parts of history too. This summer, my kids and I read through The Way of the Samurai issue (all about Japanese Samurai history) and The Golden Rule issue (focused on the Mali empire) and loved learning about the history of countries we’re interested in.

Honest History lets you create your own bundle by picking three issues out of at least ten issues to choose from. Use my affiliate link below to curate your own Honest History gifts for kids who travel.

If your kids aren’t into history, get them a subscription to the National Geographic Kids magazine instead. These magazines help kids learn about the natural world.

Gifts for kids who travel: ages 12-15 years old

Tweens and you get teens are on the precipice of adulthood. They’re old enough to start making independent choices, but still need a lot of guidance. 

For this age range, focus on gifts for kids who travel that provide them with inspiration to learn about the world on their own. The five gift ideas in this section all focus on inspiring travel and getting to know the world on a deeper level.

11. The Lonely Planet Travel Book

Encourage kids to learn about the world with The Lonely Planet Travel Book! We love this photo-filled book because it includes info and facts about every country in the world.

Get The Lonely Planet Book on Amazon, or the kid version of the travel book by Lonely Planet Kids, as gifts for kids who travel.

12. Point and shoot digital camera

Teenagers want to have independence and the ability to express themselves. One fun idea for gifts for kids who travel is to purchase a camera. Having a camera allows kids to show you the world through their eyes.

While most teenagers likely have phones that have cameras in them, there’s something novel about having an actual camera. A photo taken from a good quality camera beats any photo taken from a phone, in my opinion!

Give your kids one of these highly rated cameras for their travels.

Read more about travel gear and tools you need for your family.

13. Personalized photo book

On the topic of photography, one wonderful way to keep travel memories alive is through photo books! One memorable idea for gifts for kids who travel is to make a photo book of a favorite trip you took with them. Or you can make a compilation of all your kids’ favorite trips into one photo book.

In the past I used Shutterfly to make photobooks for my kids of our past travels. In fact, our oldest son, who’s now in his twenties, still loves the photo books I made for him when he was a teen.

However, I recently started using Mixbook and I love them even better. The interface is a lot easier to use, and you can connect it to Google Photos or Facebook photos for easy uploading of images. For your tween or teen, photo books make great ideas for gifts for kids who travel!

14. Cooking classes

Food is a tasty way to introduce kids to other cultures. And being able to cook food from other cultures can help kids gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for those cultures.

An experience-based gift to give your kids is to sign them up for cooking classes at a local community center or culinary center. 

In the United States, Sur La Table offers in-person and online classes in a variety of cuisines, from Portuguese to Korean. They’re perfect hands-on gifts for kids who travel.

Alternatively, you can use Viator to find cooking classes in your area or in destinations you're traveling to. Check out the Viator website to find cooking class offerings around the world!

15. Museum subscription

While the tastes and preferences of tweens and teens differ greatly from younger kids, they will still appreciate museum visits if the content is interesting. 

Our family loves visiting science museums. And while my tween daughter will occasionally grumble about being dragged to another science museum, she almost always finds several exhibits that piques her interest.  

When choosing a museum membership, choose one that is part of a reciprocal program such as ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers) or NARM (North American Reciprocal Museums). This allows you to visit museums that are part of that program in other cities for free.

So if you’re visiting New York City and you have a membership to an ASTC museum, for example, you can enjoy free entrance to museums in New York such as the Brooklyn Transit Museum or the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum.

Browse through the museums in these reciprocal programs to find the perfect museum subscription gifts for kids who travel.

Gifts for kids who travel: age 16 years old and older

When you’re an older teenager, you’re chomping at the bit to test out your independence and venture out into the world alone. The below ideas for gifts for kids who travel all focus on encouraging your older teen to take a solo trip on their own.

16. Passport holder

A great stocking stuffer idea for gifts for kids who travel is a passport cover. If you’re planning to encourage your teen to travel more on their own, having a place to keep their passport safe will come in handy.

There are a variety of passport holder styles to choose from, from basic to stylish. Take a look at these passport holders available from Amazon.

17. Backpack for travel

Some of the best gifts for kids who travel to help encourage independence in your teenager are well-made travel luggage. Having a good backpack for travel, especially a well-designed carry-on, is extremely valuable. And it’s a big step in empowering your kids to experience the world on their own.

Consider getting one of these backpacks for your teen. These are the bags we personally use to travel around the world.

Find more great backpacks for travel here.

18. GoPro

For teens who like to record their travel experiences in video form, having a GoPro is useful for capturing those action-packed moments! Because they're meant to capture active moments, they're also pretty durable. So you don't have to worry about your teen wearing them out.

These days, GoPros come with a variety of features. They allow for different levels of stabilization. And you can also film time laps videos. Find one that fits your teen’s video recording needs.

Get one of these GoPro gifts for kids who travel. You'll enjoy looking back at those action-filled memories!

19. Language learning classes

Understanding the language of another country opens so many doors to cultural connection. Knowing a few phrases can be helpful, as we saw when we were traveling through Indonesia and Mexico.

In Indonesia, having my husband learn a few basic phrases of Bahasa Indonesia helped him connect better to locals. And during our time in Mexico, mastering some basic Spanish phrases for travel helped enrich our experience so much more.

For your teen, enrolling them in an engaging language class can help them unlock an interest in other cultures. And it will instill a skill that will be valuable to them for years to come.

If you’re interested in out of the box language acquisition gifts for kids who travel, consider the immersive language resources available through Lingopie. It's a language learning app that lets you learn through movies and tv shows.

19. 1,000 Places To See Before You Die

For a less expensive gift option, give your teen a copy of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die. This is the definitive bucket list for anyone who loves to travel. I remember coveting this book when I was a teen!

The book covers destinations in continents all around the world. And each destination includes information about what makes them special. For a budding traveler, this is perfect option for gifts for kids who travel because it's packed with travel inspiration.

Your teens can learn about natural wonders, man-made wonders, and everything in between.

And if you’re looking for other book-related gifts for kids who travel, consider these books as well. They're coffee table books with stunning photography that will make you want to book a plane ticket to the destinations you see on the page!

Gifts for a traveling family and kids

Don’t forget gifts for your favorite families too! The gift ideas below both focus on experience related gifts for kids who travel and their families.

21. Tour or travel guide from Viator

Another experience gift idea for a traveling family is to book them a Viator tour for their next vacation. Viator offers plenty of wonderful tours around the world, many of them led by a local travel guide and run by locally owned companies.

We liked using Viator to purchase tickets to the Louvre in Paris. And in Mexico, many of our favorite local tour companies offer tours on Viator, including Ecotours de Mexico and Eco Adventures Puerto Escondido.

More recently, we used Viator to book tours during our itinerary in Edinburgh. Booking is easy and we variety of tours we can find on the site.

Bonus: Reusable water bottle

Having safe drinking water is super important for family travel. Some countries don’t have potable water, so traveling with a reusable water bottle that has a built-in water filter and purifier is a game changer!

Our family personally loves using the GRAYL water bottle with filter. We’ve traveled to over nine countries with the GRAYL. It has a water filter and purifier, so you never have to buy bottled water again. Plus, they’re available in a larger size (24 ounces) so it’s great for hydrating families during a trip.

Get your GRAYL water bottle and filter here.

Bonus: Airbnb gift card

For a traveling family, there’s no better gift than an Airbnb gift card. It shows them that you support them in their travels and care enough to help them feel at home away from home.

We've used Airbnb in many places around the world: Asia, Europe, Central America, and North America. For those who are unfamiliar with Airbnb, they are vacation rental properties that you can book in destinations around the world.

You can book a room in a property, or you can find properties that allow you to book the whole place. We like that option the best because it gives us the most privacy. Our preference is to find Airbnbs that have kitchens, as it allows us to really experience a place like a local.

Shop Airbnb gift cards here. You can purchase as little or as much as you want.

Giving unique travel gifts for kids that inspire adventures 

As I mentioned earlier, the best gifts for kids who travel will inspire them to experience the world in a new and exciting way. If you’re looking for travel gift ideas, consider what experiences your child loves and find gifts that will elicit that joy. 

For younger children, gifts should focus on planting the seed for travel. For older children, look for gifts that introduce them to new cultures and experiences. And for teenagers, find gifts that encourage them to learn about the world on their own or take a trip on their own. 

With these ideas in mind, you’re well on your way to finding gifts that will encourage kids to experience the world. What other gifts for kids who travel would you add to this list?

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