Few things absorb a child’s total attention like a good puzzle. So I’ve tried to bring one with me when we travel since my daughter was tiny. I know; you’re thinking “all those pieces; egad!” But there are puzzles for kids that are made for travel.

Here is a list of 13 puzzles I really like, grouped by age from toddler to teen. They’re all great for long flights and are also a good diversion at your destination, should you need one. I love it when there’s more than one puzzle in a pack for variety.

Hopefully, these will solve one tough puzzle for you: How to keep your kids from getting bored on long trips?

Need more gift ideas?
Try these • building sets • table-top games • toys • crafts kits that kids can take anywhere.

Gift Guide: 13 Engrossing Puzzles That Travel For Every Age Kid

Tiny Travel Puzzles for Teens

When I say these are tiny puzzles, I mean these are tiny puzzles. The three six-by-four-inch jigsaws have 150 pieces each.

They’re a challenge. They’re also very portable and compact enough to put together on an airplane tray table (on a long flight). Have your teen pop one or two into their backpack on your next ski or beach getaway.

Ages: 13 and up

4 Brain Teaser Puzzles For Kids & Tweens

Education Insights makes Kanoodle and SmartGames has its IQ series. Both are brain-teasers that travel in their own compact case.

Try to fit the connected pieces into their base in particular patterns. A booklet with progressively harder problems comes with each set.

Ages: 9 to 14 years old

SmartGames also makes a series of brain-teaser games that are meant to use the same problem-solving skills as coding.

The most compact and portable ones are Asteroid Escape, where you must plot a path for a spaceship through an asteroid belt, and Atlantis Escape, where you must find a way out of that sinking city.

Ages: 9 to 13 years old

Puzzles To Challenge School-Age Kids

A Map Puzzle Inside a Globe

New from The Purple Cow, this 100-piece puzzle is a world map, U.S. map or diagram of the solar system. They’re about the size of a standard sheet of paper when complete.

The fun part is that the puzzles come in this globe-shaped tin that’s about 4 inches in diameter, making it easy to pop into a backpack. It could even fit in some side pockets.

The tin is colorful and a unique way to carry a puzzle around.

Ages: 7 to 11 years old.

Familiar Fairy Tale Puzzles

I’ve liked Purple Cow’s amusing 35-piece Fairy Tale puzzles for a long time because they come in a compact, travel-friendly tin.

If the company made them magnetic like their games, and included a magnetic pad, these would be the most perfect travel puzzles ever.

For now, their compact tins make them handy to throw in a suitcase for that rainy beach day. The puzzles are about 12-by-8 inches when complete.

Ages: 5 to 8 years old

Puzzles In A Pouch

Mudpuppy has 36-piece jigsaw puzzles to go in made-for-travel drawstring bags. In addition to the airplane, the puzzles have maps and famous cities, among other non-travel-related themes.

Ages: 5 to 7 years old

2-Puzzle Magnetic Twin Packs

Mudpuppy also makes small magnetic jigsaw puzzles. Each kit comes with two 20-piece puzzles and a magnetic mat on which to assemble them. They come in forest night & day; bugs & birds and land & sea themes.

Ages: 3 to 5 years old

Puzzles in a Book

If you want puzzles that will work on a road trip as well as an airplane, try these magnetic puzzles from BST Shier.

Each book has two puzzles and folds up to book-size to slips easily into a backpack or your carry-on. Perfect for travel.

Choose from seven themes, including dinosaurs, mermaid and several animals, as well as space.

Ages: 3 to 5 years old

Travel Puzzles For Toddlers

6 puzzles in 1 set of pieces

I love cube puzzles for toddlers and preschoolers because you have six puzzles in one and a building toy besides.

My favorites have been discontinued so I was excited when readers started buying these Picasso magnetic cubes.

The magnets allow each picture to have a slightly different configuration, creating a unique challenge that will engage kids for a few years.

The completed pictures range from 5-to-8 inches square, so the cubes are perfect for small hands and easy to travel with.

In addition to the animals there are geometric shapes, abstract cubes, childhood scenes and famous paintings.

Ages: 2 to 4YO

More Puzzles in a Pouch

MudPuppy (yes, I really like this brand!) also has 12-piece pouch puzzles for your littlest puzzle-solver.

Themes include lions, woodland picnic, tea party, construction site and lions.

Ages: 2 to 4 years old

A Super Slim Puzzle Book

Melissa & Doug is another brand I relied on heavily when I had a small child.

These Take-Along puzzle books come in vehicle, farm and princess themes, as well as Paw Patrol. Each has two magnetic puzzles in a slim book that is super easy to pack.

The puzzle pieces themselves are a good size for small hands.