The best apps to keep your kids entertained during a trip are the ones that still work with no signal. Think games and learning apps with offline downloads, audiobooks, and shows you save before you leave. This list sorts kids travel apps by age, from toddlers to tweens, and says which ones work offline. We checked every app on its App Store or Google Play listing, or its official help page, in November 2026. You'll also find parental controls, headphone tips and how much data streaming uses abroad.
Best kids travel apps at a glance
- Toddlers and preschoolers (2 to 5): Khan Academy Kids, PBS KIDS Games, Sago Mini World, Toca Boca Jr, Lingokids
- Young kids (5 to 8): Duolingo ABC, ScratchJr, Epic
- Older kids (9 and up): Minecraft, Duolingo
- Audiobooks: Libby, Audible
- Shows and movies to download: PBS KIDS Video, Netflix, Disney+, YouTube Kids
The age ranges come from each app's own listing. An App Store rating like 4+ only tells you the content suits that age and up. It doesn't mean a 4-year-old will enjoy it, so try each app at home first.
Best apps for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 2 to 5)
Little kids need simple apps with no ads and nothing to buy by accident. These five are made for this age and let you play downloaded content offline.
Khan Academy Kids
Khan Academy Kids is a free learning app for ages 2 to 8, with reading, math, phonics games and interactive storybooks. There are no ads and no subscriptions. You can download books and games to use with no Wi-Fi, which makes it a good pick for the plane or a waiting room. It's rated 4+ on the App Store and is also on Google Play.
PBS KIDS Games
PBS KIDS Games has more than 280 free learning games for ages 2 to 8, with characters from PBS KIDS shows. You can download games to play offline again: PBS KIDS brought the feature back in version 6.7.0, so update the app before you leave. It's rated 4+ on the App Store and is on Google Play too.
Sago Mini World and Toca Boca Jr
Sago Mini World is a set of pretend play games for ages 2 to 6. Toca Boca Jr brings the Toca Boca games for ages 2 to 8 into one app. Both are part of the Piknik subscription, with a free trial. In both apps you pick the games you want, download them on Wi-Fi and then play them offline (Piknik help: Can I play Toca Boca Jr offline?). If your kids search for "apps like Toca Boca", start here. Both are rated 4+.
Lingokids
Lingokids mixes games, songs and shows for ages 2 to 8, covering reading, math, science, art and music. Full access needs a subscription, and its listing says subscribers can play online or offline. It's rated 4+.
Best apps for young kids (ages 5 to 8)
At this age, kids like to make things and read on their own. These apps keep them busy for longer stretches, like a long-haul flight or a train ride.
Duolingo ABC
Duolingo ABC teaches reading with short lessons for preschool to second grade. It's free, with no ads and no in-app purchases, and its listing says it works offline, on a plane or in a restaurant. It's rated 4+ and is on iPhone, iPad and Android.
ScratchJr
ScratchJr is a free coding app for ages 5 to 7 from the team behind Scratch at MIT. Kids snap blocks together to make characters move, jump, dance and sing, and build their own stories and games. You need internet to install it, but not to use it (ScratchJr FAQ). It's rated 4+.
Epic
Epic is a reading app with more than 40,000 kids' books, audiobooks and learning videos, including books that read aloud. It's a paid subscription with a 7-day free trial, and you can download books to read offline. It's rated 4+.
Best apps for older kids (ages 9 and up)
Older kids want real games and more say in what they play. Agree on the rules before the trip, like when online play is OK.
Minecraft
Minecraft lets kids build and explore their own worlds. It's a paid app, rated 9+ on the App Store and Everyone 10+ on Google Play, where it's tagged as playable offline. Single-player worlds work without a connection, so have your kid open the game once at home and start a world before you go. Playing with friends on servers or Realms needs internet.
Duolingo
Duolingo turns language learning into short games, and it's rated 4+. It's a fun way to learn "hello", "thank you" and numbers in the language of your destination before you land. Plan to use it online, on Wi-Fi or with mobile data.
Best audiobook apps for kids on a trip
Audiobooks are great for car rides and for kids who get carsick reading a screen. Download them at home, because audiobooks are large files.
Libby
Libby lets you borrow ebooks and audiobooks free from your local library with a library card. You can download titles for offline reading or listening. By default, Libby only downloads on Wi-Fi (Libby Help: Managing your download settings). Libby is a general library app, so borrow the kids' titles on your own account.
Audible
Audible has audiobooks and podcasts, with offline listening once you've downloaded them. It's a general app for all ages, so pick the titles for your kids yourself.
Best streaming apps with downloads for kids
Shows are the easiest way to fill a long flight. Download episodes at home on Wi-Fi, and check them before you go, because some rules change when you travel.
PBS KIDS Video
PBS KIDS Video is free and lets you download select shows and songs to watch offline, such as Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Dinosaur Train. It's rated 4+.
Netflix
Netflix lets you download many titles on phones and tablets. Ad-free plans can keep up to 100 downloads per device, and ad-supported plans get 15 downloads per device per month (Netflix Help: How to download titles to watch offline). Downloads expire after a while. Abroad, the titles you can watch depend on the country you're in, and some downloads may stop working there (Netflix Help: Using Netflix outside of your home). Set up a kids profile so your kids only see shows for their age.
Disney+
Disney+ downloads need a Premium (ad-free) plan or bundle. They work on phones and tablets, not on TVs or computers, and you need to reconnect at least once every 30 days to keep them active (Disney+: Downloads).
YouTube Kids
YouTube Kids is free, rated 4+, and lets you pick content by age or approve each video yourself. Downloads are limited: you need a YouTube Premium membership in most countries. Google lists a few, such as India and the Philippines, where downloads work differently (YouTube Kids Help: Download videos in certain countries). Without downloads, YouTube Kids needs Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Get the apps ready before you leave
Most "the app won't work on the plane" moments come from content that was never downloaded. Do this at home, on Wi-Fi, a day or two before you fly:
- Update every app. Some offline features need the latest version, like the PBS KIDS Games downloads.
- Download games, books, audiobooks and episodes inside each app. Installing the app alone isn't enough.
- Test in Airplane Mode. Turn on Airplane Mode, open each app and play a minute. If something asks for a connection, fix it now.
- Check your storage. Shows and audiobooks take a lot of space, so delete what your kids won't use.
- Sign in to everything. Kids profiles, subscriptions and library cards are hard to sort out at the gate.
- Pack chargers and a power bank, plus a pair of headphones per child.
For more ideas for the journey itself, see our tips for traveling with kids and how to survive long-haul flights.
Set up parental controls before the trip
On a trip, kids often get more screen time and use a parent's phone. Parental controls help you keep the same rules as at home.
iPhone and iPad: Screen Time
With Family Sharing and a child account, you can set Screen Time from your own device: open Settings > Family, tap your child's name, then Screen Time. You can choose which apps they can use at different times of day, set time limits by app category, manage content and app restrictions, and decide who they can contact (Apple: Use Screen Time to manage your child's iPhone or iPad).
Android: Google Family Link
Google Family Link lets you set a daily screen time limit, set time limits for single apps, block apps and approve new downloads from Google Play (Google: Manage your child's screen time).
Inside the apps, use kids profiles where they exist, like in Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube Kids, and turn off in-app purchases.
Headphone tips for kids
Planes, trains and cars are loud, so kids turn the volume up. A few simple habits protect their hearing:
- Keep the volume under 60%. The World Health Organization advises keeping a device below 60% of its maximum volume and choosing headphones with parental volume control for kids (WHO: Safe listening).
- Pick well-fitted or noise-cancelling headphones. The WHO says they reduce the need to turn the volume up in noisy places.
- Cap the volume on iPhone and iPad. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety and turn on Reduce Loud Audio (Apple: Check your headphone audio levels). With Screen Time, you can stop your child from changing it.
- Take breaks. Headphones off every now and then is good for their ears.
- Pack a spare pair, and a splitter if two kids share one screen.
Streaming abroad: how much data do kids' shows use?
Offline downloads cover the flight. At your destination, you may still want to stream a show, update a game or download a new audiobook. That uses mobile data, and roaming with your home plan can be expensive.
Netflix gives a good idea of the numbers. On its Save Data setting, you can watch about 6 hours per GB of mobile data, and about 4 hours per GB on Automatic. In HD, streaming can use up to 3 GB per hour (Netflix Help: How to control how much data Netflix uses). So set streaming apps to save data, and keep big downloads for the hotel Wi-Fi.
Most kids' tablets are Wi-Fi only. To get them online, turn on the hotspot on your phone and connect the tablet to it (Apple: Personal Hotspot, Android: hotspot and tethering). Every device on your hotspot uses your phone's data, so pick a plan with enough for the whole family. See does a hotspot cost money? and how to choose an eSIM data plan.
A travel eSIM is an easy way to get that data. You install it on your phone before you go, keep your usual SIM for calls and texts, and share the data with the kids' tablet. SimOptions eSIMs allow hotspot use. Read more in how eSIMs make traveling with kids easier, or see how to install an eSIM.
Streaming on a family trip? A 20 GB data-only plan leaves room for shows, game updates and maps. Pick your region below.
Europe, USA and Asia plans shown · data-only eSIMs, no phone number · Find the eSIM for your destination
FAQs
What are the best apps to keep kids entertained during travel?
Pick apps that work offline. For toddlers and preschoolers, try Khan Academy Kids, PBS KIDS Games, Sago Mini World or Toca Boca Jr. For ages 5 to 8, Duolingo ABC, ScratchJr and Epic. For older kids, Minecraft. Add audiobooks from Libby or Audible and a few downloaded shows.
Which kids apps work offline on a plane?
Khan Academy Kids, PBS KIDS Games, Sago Mini World, Toca Boca Jr, Lingokids (with a subscription), Duolingo ABC, ScratchJr, Epic, Minecraft single-player, and downloaded titles in Libby, Audible, PBS KIDS Video, Netflix and Disney+. Download the content on Wi-Fi first and test it in Airplane Mode.
What are the best free apps for kids on a trip?
Khan Academy Kids, PBS KIDS Games, PBS KIDS Video, Duolingo ABC and ScratchJr are free. Libby is free with a library card. Others, like Epic, Sago Mini World, Toca Boca Jr and Lingokids, need a subscription after a free trial or for the full content.
Which educational apps can my kids use while traveling?
Khan Academy Kids and PBS KIDS Games cover reading and math for ages 2 to 8. Duolingo ABC teaches reading, ScratchJr teaches early coding, and Epic and Libby give you books and audiobooks. Duolingo is a fun way to learn a few words of the local language.
What games can kids play with friends back home?
Games with online multiplayer, like Minecraft, let kids play with friends far away. That needs an internet connection on both sides, so plan for Wi-Fi or mobile data, and check who your kid plays with in the parental settings.
Do these apps work in Lithuania, Spain or Germany?
Apps you've already installed keep working when you travel. Offline content works anywhere, but streaming catalogs change by country, so Netflix may show different titles abroad. For streaming and updates in Europe, a Europe eSIM gives you data in Lithuania, Spain, Germany and other countries on the plan.
Does YouTube Kids work offline?
Only with downloads, which need YouTube Premium in most countries. Otherwise, YouTube Kids needs Wi-Fi or mobile data. For free offline shows, try PBS KIDS Video.
How much data does streaming kids' shows use?
It depends on the app and quality. Netflix says you get about 4 hours per GB on its Automatic mobile setting and about 6 hours per GB on Save Data, while HD can use up to 3 GB per hour.
Looking for apps for yourself too? See our list of must-have travel apps.
