Parent-approved travel screen time options that keep toddlers entertained

Screen time brings up a lot of Big Feelings for parents. We know screen time is objectively bad for kids under 5—the WHO recommends no screen time at all, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under 18 months, and then 1 hour max after that. But if you’ve got a five hour flight, what do you do?

I love the newsletter Techno Sapiens exactly for questions like this:

The reasoning behind the AAP and WHO guidelines makes sense. Kids, especially babies and toddlers, learn best from high-quality interactions with humans (their parents, in particular). In the research, these interactions are called “serve-and-return” (i.e., a child “serves” the beginnings of an interaction by speaking, pointing, or crying, and a parent “returns” the interaction by responding promptly, consistently, and appropriately). Kids need serve-and-return interactions to learn language, emotion regulation, and other skills. They also need lots of physical activity and play, plus adequate sleep. If screen time is getting in the way of these things, that’s a problem.

When we think about screen time, we’re often thinking about daily life. I grew up with the television always on (mostly sports) so I hemmed and hawed and fretted over screen time and still do. I think the reality of traveling with a toddler is that it’s a tool to make a trip go smoothly, and you should use it sparingly.

This guide is for parents like me who want to hold firm boundaries with screen time at home but are e x h a u s t e d trying to attempt long-haul travel with a toddler. So, with the general caveat of hey, this is what our family does and you should choose what you want to do for your family, let’s talk about screen time.

This is a safe space for ALL parents/caregivers, so I truly mean this when I say: you do you, and please share what you do in the comments so we can all learn.

Use screen time sparingly at home so it’s special when you travel.

Part of my screen time strategy to make travel go smoothly is to use it very rarely at home. Do we watch movies and tv? Of course we do! My toddler is obsessed with Moana.

Because we keep our screen time to a minimum normally, watching a movie is something my toddler is excited about and looks forward to as part of the trip. It’s something special, and it’s my goal to keep it that way as long as I can.

What I look for in a tv show or movie for toddlers.

Okay, let’s put aside the crushing weight of Mom Guilt for a second and get to the fun part…what to watch! My biggest recommendation here is watching anything you plan to show your toddler ahead of time yourself. I say this from my own disaster of an experience watching the Winnie the Pooh show I grew up with—the first episode is actually very scary with thunderstorms and monsters. WOOOPS.

Generally, I look for:

• Low stimulation. Shows that vibe rather than race from action beat to action beat. For this reason we often watch full-length movies in 30-minute increments rather than shows just to slow things down.
• Exposure to new people, activities, and occupations. We live in a small rural town, so screen time is a great way to learn about the rest of the world. We do a lot of food television which often sparks conversations about new places and how people live. (And we end up making new dishes!)
• Less romance, more story. I love fantastical storytelling and I think there’s a lot of value in fictional media, not just “educational” because storytelling is essential to who we are as human beings. Even the princesses, who historically have some problematic storylines, teach fundamental qualities that help connect concepts for little ones. (“We need to be kind like Cinderella/brave like Merida/curious like Belle.”)
• Good music. Basically if Lin Manuel-Miranda wrote it, we’re more likely to watch it. Because whatever we pick we’re gonna listen to ON REPEAT FOREVER.

My Very Arbitrary Screen Time Boundaries

Before we dive in to the list, I wanted to give you something more concrete about screen time and how I use it. I always get frustrated with parenting advice that stops at “you do you” so here is actually what our screen time boundaries are right now, with a toddler. I did zero screen time even while traveling with a baby, like lolololol as if our wiggly little one would even look at a screen.

If it helps start a conversation:

• YES to screen time while on a plane, after we take off (unless there’s a delay.) NO to screen time in the airport itself, as I prefer a chaotic run-it-out approach or when my toddler is literally out of breath, we watch the planes take off and land. Obviously with a long layover all bets are off.
• YES to screen time on a long car ride, though we haven’t had to do this yet since we tend to stop around the 1.5 hour mark for a break and time it with naptime. NO to screen time for any “regular” car ride, i.e. to school, the grocery store, an outing.
• YES to screen time during “downtime” while traveling if a nap just isn’t happening during the afternoon and we all need a break. We keep this very short, less than 30 minutes.
• NO to screen time in a restaurant. I just don’t believe in this! I know lots of people do it and coolcoolcool you do you, but I think restaurants offer so much in terms of ambiance and experience. I try to choose ones that have an open kitchen and we usually go visit, and/or pack food, games, and toys for the wait.

Most of all, YES TO HEADPHONES in public spaces. This pair is a great one.

The Travel with Toddlers Screen Time List

I have personally watched all of these! For each entry I will include any potentially scary fast-forward moments, as well as my overall take. My general rule is that older films and shows are generally “better” in the sense that there’s less frenetic action and colors, and the animation has much more care and love in it. Going back in time can be fraught, though—what was “okay” then isn’t always okay now, and I don’t just mean what’s “politically correct.”

I recommend watching these yourself first, and then watching them at least once with your toddler before showing them for the first time on a plane or other stressful situation. Every kid reacts differently—for example, I had an animated film I LOVED from my childhood that opened with a thunderstorm, and that was too scary. But the gigantic monster in Frozen is okay?? I don’t get it! I don’t make the rules!

Here are the television shows and movies that I have personally watched and would recommend for toddlers while traveling.

*cue the trumpets and the MGM lion roaring*

Television Shows

FICTION

• Bluey (Disney+): An Australian canine family go about their day. The gold standard of modern children’s television.
• Daniel Tiger (PBS): Slow-moving television show like they used to make.
• Once Upon a Snowman (Disney+): Olaf acts out a bunch of famous Disney movies. Honestly, Josh Gad is so funny.
• Bear in the Big Blue House (Disney+): A bear and his puppet friends.
• Blues Clues (Amazon): A great interactive show, like a hug.
• Sesame Street (Amazon/HBO) : The OG. If you pick one show to watch, do this one.
• Dora the Explorer (Amazon): Solve the adventure with Dora. A great interactive and bilingual show.

NONFICTION/EDUCATIONAL

• Great British Baking Show (Netflix): Home bakers compete in various challenges. A great family watch, especially early seasons.
• Izzy’s Koala World (Netflix): A mother-and-daughter vet pair rescue and care for koalas.
• Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood (PBS): A classic for a reason.
• Ms. Rachel (YouTube): Best for littles 0-1 if you’re going to do it. A spiritual successor to Mr. Roger’s, with music.
• Disney’s Illuminations (Disney+): Fireworks shows are so special, but they’re too loud for us right now, so we watch the tv versions which makes for a very fun family night.

TV shows many people recommended to me but I don’t love because they’re too scary or too overstimulating for this age: Paw Patrol, Cocomelon, Magic Schoolbus, Teletubbies, the Wiggles, Peppa Pig, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

TV shows I haven’t personally watched recently but other parents/caregivers recommended I think fit my criteria: Out of the Box, Reading Rainbow, Arthur, Frog and Toad, Shaun the Sheep, Little Bear, Wallace and Grommit

Movies

We usually watch in 30-45 minute increments since sitting still is hard!

FICTION

• Mary Poppins (Disney+): A magical nanny takes care of two semi-neglected Victorian children, with music. This movie is just as delightful as you remember! It holds up. There’s one scary part where the kids get lost, but it’s over quickly when Burt finds them.
• Moana (Disney+): A princess fulfills her destiny by voyaging beyond the reef to return the stolen heart of Te Fiti. I LOVE this movie. Scary parts: Several battle scenes (all is well), the journey into the realm of monsters, and the final battle with the demon Te Kaa. NOTE: I think Moana 2 is way scarier and also not nearly as good!
• Encanto (Disney+) The only non-magical member of a large family tries to unravel the secret of why her family’s magic is dying. The songs are so fun in this movie! Scary parts: Escaping Bruno’s tower, anytime the house cracks, and when the house collapses. But truly a great movie without a villain or a love interest.
• Cinderella (Disney+): The classic tale. The animation in this one!! So gorgeous. Scary parts: The stepsisters tear apart Cinderella’s dress, and when the Stepmother locks her in her tower. There’s also a lot of cartoon cat/mouse violence.
• Sleeping Beauty (Disney+): Another classic. Scary parts: When Aurora pricks her finger, and the dragon transformation/final battle. Depictions of excessive drinking (for laughs).
• Fantasia (Disney+): Music set to animation, and it’s delightful so many years later. Skip the final scene with Chernabog and the cemetery/death scene. There’s no narrative so you’re not missing anything.
• Ratatouille (Disney+) A rat wants to be a five-star chef. Lots of giggles from my foodie toddler in this movie. Scary parts: Skip the escape from the country house. Otherwise you can talk through anything else, it’s a lot of chasing.
• Luca (Disney+) A sea monster wants to be a real boy. A little childish for a Pixar movie, but my toddler loves it. Scary parts: Some bullying scenes that are worth talking through.

Movies many people recommended but I don’t love because they’re too scary or too overstimulating for this age: Frozen (it’s so intense!!), Minions/Despicable Me, Sing, Trolls, Ice Age, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Cars, Madagascar, Zootopia

Movies I haven’t personally watched recently but other parents/caregivers recommended I think fit my criteria: Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Movie, Planet Earth, Sound of Music, Paddington, Lady and the Tramp

Other Media

• Short films are amazing! The shorts paired with bigger movies are often less scary but you get the characters (Frozen Fever in particular) but there’s a reason Pixar wins an Oscar almost every year. The selection of short films is stunning, many of them silent. My favorite is La Luna.
• A lot of “kid” movies just aren’t designed with toddlers in mind, but may have great music or characters you want to introduce them to. I highly recommend Disney’s YT channel where you can find music videos from every movie! It’s so fun to watch “Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” for example, even though Lion King is wayyyy too scary for us right now. (S/O to my friend Katie for tipping me off to this!)
• We LOVE our Toniebox! I’ve also used the Yoto Mini (c/o) which is similar and more compact, though a little difficult for my toddler to use themselves. Either way, listening to stories and audio has been very fun for us, including National Geographic’s collection on penguins, whales, and dinosaurs.

More Resources

📺 If you liked this post, please consider supporting my work. I’m just a mom in the thick of the toddler years trying to create core memories for our whole family while minimizing meltdowns—I sincerely hope this helps you do the same.

This post was originally published on Travel with Toddlers. Subscribe for more real-talk travel advice, toddler-friendly itineraries, and tried-and-true gear recommendations.

More from FamilyVacationist: