Summer is truly on its way, and when the evenings grow longer, the birds sing from early dawn, and children's school bags are finally put aside, you know summer vacation is just around the corner. For many families, it's a time filled with freedom, ice cream in the sun, warm summer evenings, and vacation memories that are etched in our minds forever. With vacation and lots of free time comes the need for engaging entertainment for the children—whether it’s for long travel hours, waiting time, or those days when the sun can’t quite make up its mind.
From experience, we know how important good travel entertainment is for children to keep them occupied and focused during long car or plane trips. That's why we've curated a whole category of products just for this purpose. Holiday and travel fun offers a variety of exciting and fun toys in the form of games and great travel entertainment for children. Here you'll find the best indoor and outdoor summer toys, so you're well-prepared whether your vacation is at a summer house, abroad, or at home in the garden.
On-the-go Entertainment – Enjoy Travel Without Screens
There is something truly special about road trips and train rides, sitting together and watching the landscape pass by. But the view isn’t always enough for children, and you may need to keep them occupied. When your vacation involves waiting at airports, quiet hours in the summer house, or just a moment of peace in a hotel room, having some extra non-screen-related entertainment up your sleeve is invaluable. On vacation, the mind should rest, and imagination and play should flourish. So, give the kids a break from screens and invite them into good playtime and imaginative entertainment instead.
Here, small games, coloring books, fun brain teasers, and magnetic books can be great alternatives. When you plan travel entertainment for children, choose something that doesn’t take much space and can easily fit in your luggage, and preferably choose something that invites immersion and cozy moments depending on your children’s age and interests. Children love having something to hold—especially when it stimulates imagination or challenges their thinking in a fun way.
A small puzzle, a card game, or a creative sticker set can make all the difference when time needs to be passed and peace needs to be restored.
What Makes Good Travel Entertainment for Children?
In our category for travel entertainment for children, you’ll find everything from creative activity - and coloring books, sticker sets, magnetic puzzles to small handheld games for children of all ages. Here are our best recommendations:
- Small travel games that are easy to bring along and guarantee good entertainment.
Here, Auto Bingo is a really great choice, designed for the backseat where you match your bingo card with what you see out of the window. It’s fun and interactive entertainment for the whole family that makes travel time fly by.
Or explore our games by Smartgames, which have developed a wide range of fun games for both one and multiple players. Their small IQ games are perfect for children who want to challenge their logic and need some alone time. Try one of their Magnetic travel games and choose between beach, soccer, or car themes, and get challenged in a fun way while you travel!
The magnetic travel games from Smartgames are intended for slightly older children, but if you’re traveling with younger children, our Magnetic playsets from Janod and mierEDU, are ingenious for younger kids who love role play and systems, and who are looking for magnetic toys for travel.
- Creative books and drawing tools, for artistic immersion on the journey and on rainy days.
Drawing and coloring books and creative toys are always a hit when you're heading off on vacation. Creative activities provide tranquility, focus, and plenty of room for imagination. We’ve selected a few items from our creative range and here are three great recommendations for creative holiday pursuits that hardly take up any space in your luggage and offer excellent travel entertainment.
If you're bringing coloring books on summer vacation, it's best to grab a few cozy coloring books for the kids. The cute and fun illustrations invite peaceful focus and stimulate a child’s imagination, requiring little space or cleanup. Cozy coloring books are easy to take in the car, plane, or train—and perfect for quiet moments at the hotel or summer house, and they are a hit just as much for adults as for kids.
From the brand Omy you'll find cute and funny posters to color, ideal for children who love to draw and color. The posters are packed with fun and quirky illustrations, perfect for many hours of coloring and are a great focal point for the whole family on rainy days at the summer house or as a good group activity at home.
We also have a wide selection of drawing and coloring tools that not only entertain but also create calm. Combine coloring books with colored pencils or markers in a small case, and you have hours of entertainment right at hand—for both waiting times and relaxation.
Check out our drawing and coloring category and find the finest coloring books for children of all ages.
What to Do When It Rains?
Thankfully, summer doesn’t only bring speed and adventure—some days are meant to be quiet, at the summer house, or snuggling in bed with a bit of vacation fatigue. There’s a magic to sitting with your child, with rain drumming on the window, while creating with beads or painting on a large sheet of paper. These are often the moments that become warm childhood memories—And there's no harm in packing a few small surprises for the trip—a new and fun game, a good children’s book, or a cute figure, which can comfort and entertain along the way. It’s pure entertainment for kids on vacation. Need more inspiration for rainy days and great vacation gifts that can accompany you on a train or flight? These are excellent choices:
-
Mosaic sets and beads
-
Creative cut-and-paste sets for kids of all ages
-
Fun games for the whole family
- A good children’s book
Outdoor Fun – Summer Games and Laughter
Thankfully, summer also usually includes days where the sun shines, and you just have to get out and feel the sand between your toes, the soft grass, and the sun's warm rays. In the garden, on the beach, in the yard, or in the park.
Feel free to explore our outdoor play category where you’ll find everything you need to give the children a summer filled with activity, laughter, and community.
The best outdoor activity I remember from my childhood was playing with water and water fights on the hottest summer days. Are your children fond of water and everything related? Check out our water toy selection here.
If you have younger children, summer is the perfect time to develop their motor skills through play and movement under the open sky. In our tumble time and motor skills play category, you’ll find outdoor products that combine fun and physical development.
We recommend the popular GONGE balance path, which invites children to challenge their balance and coordination through play.
Summer and fun yard games for the whole family go hand in hand—and we have, of course, gathered the best games for both the young and old family members. In our yard games category, you’ll find classics and new favorites that can be played in the garden, on the beach, or in the summer house courtyard. Yard games are easy to take on trips and perfect for shared laughter and holiday fun under the open sky.
Outdoor Inspiration—Small Ideas for Big Summer Joy
Sometimes, the simplest activities create the best vacation memories. When the sun shines and the garden calls, it’s a great idea to have a few different options ready that the children can engage with themselves.
Here are a few cozy and fun suggestions:
-
Soap bubbles – the classic that never goes out of style
-
Balls – for ball-loving kids and adults alike
-
Paddling pools – perfect for water-loving children and warm days
-
Chalk – turn sidewalks and driveways into temporary artworks
-
Yard games – like Kubb, ring toss, and badminton
These activities don't require much planning, but they create hours of play and movement. Set them out in the garden, take them to the beach—and let the children explore the toys brought along. Let them build sandcastles, draw hearts with colorful chalk, and compete in yard games—while you enjoy a cup of coffee in the sun, knowing the holiday is delivering exactly what it should.
Summer is the Peak of Childhood
There’s something truly special about summer as a child. It stretches out like an eternity filled with possibilities and experiences.
At Lirum Larum Leg, we want to help you create vacation memories filled with joy and play—no matter the weather or destination. That's why we have chosen products that we would take on trips ourselves—and that we know work in practice when vacationing with children.
We wish you a wonderful summer filled with laughter, play, long evenings, and barefoot moments—and lots of delightful summer fun 💛
Warm Regards,
Anja and the entire team at Lirum Larum Leg
