How to Make a Travel Sensory Kit for Your Child

The sights, sounds, and smells of strange or new experiences can be overwhelming for many kids. Think about the constant hum and chatter of an airport, the anxiety of a doctor’s office, or the social overstimulation of a grocery store. It’s enough to make even adults squeamish!

A travel sensory kit is a small, portable collection of sensory tools—like fidget toys, headphones, and familiar textures—designed to help kids (and adults) manage stress, anxiety, or sensory overload during travel. By engaging the senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, these kits promote calm, focus, and comfort in new or overstimulating environments.

Sensory overload happens, and it’s particularly common among kids with autism and ADHD. Still, when your little ones are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, it can be tough to know how to help. That’s where a sensory kit can make all the difference.

What is a travel sensory kit?

A travel sensory kit is an easily portable collection of items assembled to help people, especially kids with sensory sensitivities, regulate their emotions and cope with sensory overload, anxiety, or stressful or unfamiliar situations. Sensory kits are purpose-built to be mobile and convenient so you can always have them on-hand, whether you’re on vacation, dining at a restaurant, or just out running errands.

Occupational therapists often recommend travel sensory kits to help children with sensory processing challenges self-regulate on the go. By engaging different senses—touch, sound, sight, smell, and taste—these kits provide comfort and reduce overstimulation.

How Travel Sensory Kits Help Kids Self-Regulate

Depending on your child’s needs, travel sensory kits can be customized with different components to engage some or all of the senses. Here’s how to think about it by sense:

Sight

Equip your kit with sunglasses to reduce light sensitivity or visual clutter. Coloring books or calming visual activities can also help kids refocus their attention.

Sound

Pack noise-canceling headphones or earbuds to dampen overwhelming sounds. Add a playlist of white noise, nature sounds, or favorite audiobooks to help ground and soothe.

Touch

Include tactile and fidget-friendly items such as stress balls, plush fabrics, or building toys like Plus-Plus HEXEL®. Weighted blankets or lap pads provide gentle pressure that helps kids feel secure.

Taste

Chewy or crunchy snacks—like granola bars, fruit chews, or pretzels—can satisfy oral sensory needs and provide comfort through familiar flavors. Sensory-safe chew toys also work well in place of food.

Smell

Calm kids with familiar scents. Add a small sachet, lotion, or essential oil they enjoy. Scented markers or stickers can also bring a touch of home to any trip.

Movement

Some kids need motion to regulate their bodies. Add a jump rope for pit stops, a small bouncy ball, or quiet manipulatives that encourage hand movement like Plus-Plus Puzzle by Number Activity Pads.

Where and when to use travel sensory kits

Travel sensory kits are made to go anywhere you need them! Let’s unpack just some of the places and situations where travel sensory kits can come in handy:

• Long road trips
• Airports and airplanes 
• Waiting rooms
• Restaurants
• Grocery stores
• Malls and shops
• Zoos or aquariums
• Hotel rooms
• School classrooms
• Therapists’ offices

Benefits of a travel sensory kit for kids

Sensory kits can be must-have travel items—right up there with your passport, keys, and toiletry bag—providing the support you and your child need to navigate unfamiliar situations and create more on-the-go experiences.

The biggest benefits of travel sensory kits include:

• Emotional regulation: Help kids self-regulate by using safe and reliable tools to cope with sensory overload.
• Reduced stress and anxiety: Create a sense of security by providing kids with comforting and familiar objects.
• Increased independence: Help kids build the confidence to explore new environments and face certain challenges, knowing they have their go-to tools if needed.

While a travel sensory kit may not solve every challenge, it can de-escalate tension and provide the distraction or comfort kids need until they’re back in a familiar space.

How to Make a Travel Sensory Kit (Step-by-Step Guide)

You can start building your travel sensory kit today using items already around your home. Here’s how to put one together.

Step 1: Choose a Portable Container

Pick a travel-friendly case that’s easy to carry, durable, and TSA-safe.

• For quick errands: Try a toiletry pouch or small zippered makeup bag.
  
• For road trips: A plastic storage bin or craft organizer box fits perfectly in the car.
  
• For flights: A small backpack lets your child carry their own kit, providing a sense of control and “heavy work” input.
  

If you want a durable option, Plus-Plus Travel Cases are designed for easy portability and organization on the go.

Step 2: Select Items for Each Sense

Choose items that provide the right kind of input—calming or stimulating—depending on your child’s needs. Mix textures, sounds, and visuals to create a balanced kit.

Step 3: Personalize and Pack the Kit

Every child’s sensory profile is unique.

• Include their favorite textures, sounds, or toys for comfort.
  
• Opt for quiet, mess-free items when packing for public places like planes or restaurants.
  
• Keep backups of anything consumable—like snacks or stickers—to restock quickly after each trip.
  

You can even make multiple kits: one for the car, one for your child’s backpack, and one for your home. Seasonal kits also work great—weighted blankets and puzzles in winter, portable fans and light toys in summer.

6 items to include in your travel sensory kit

Now, it’s time to get packing! While you should customize your sensory kit to your child’s needs and behaviors, we’ll get you started with this handy checklist.  

Here are six common items to kick off your DIY sensory kit:

1. Fidget toys 

From mesmerizing spinners to malleable cubes, there are plenty of fidget toys you can use to help support focus and relieve stress. TryHEXEL®, our award-winning fidget toy made for hands of all sizes. Made from six connected Plus-Plus pieces, HEXEL is a quiet, durable, and pocket-friendly tool with endless creative possibilities. And if you want an even more portable version, try our HEXEL Duo Keychain for clipping onto your bag, pants, or key ring.

2. Noise-cancelling headphones

Need a quick way to block out overwhelming sounds in busy or unfamiliar places? Pack a pair of noise-cancelling headphones or earbuds for easy access. Also, create a playlist of white noise tracks, soothing sounds, favorite audiobooks and podcasts, and comforting tunes to capture your kid’s attention and ground them.

3. Sensory materials

Your kitchen pantry and linen closet actually offer up a treasure trove of objects that can engage the senses. Maybe you set aside a jar of dry rice or beans that your kid can shake or touch. Pick out a weighted blanket to provide pressure and warmth. Or choose some scented stickers or markers for pleasing and familiar smells.

4. Activity Pads

When your kid needs a positive distraction from scary or unexpected feelings, you can always rely on the power of play. Think coloring books, building blocks, or silly putty to enhance focus and attention. In fact, that’s what Plus-Plus Puzzle By Number Activity Pads are made for—to spark imagination and help curious minds enter that “flow state” of building and creating. Whether your kid wants to enter a fairytale world, explore the cosmos, or discover ocean creatures, each flippable pad comes with an attached storage box to secure your Plus-Plus pieces for easy travel.

5. Chewy snacks

Chewy or crunchy snacks can help satisfy oral fixations, relieve stress, and just provide a familiar and enjoyable taste in times of distress or discomfort. Maybe your child has a go-to gum or candy they prefer to munch on. Or they reach for a certain type of cracker, granola bar, or dried fruit for a healthier option.

Alternatively, you might opt for safe, sensory chew toys like chewable jewelry or teethers to engage your kid’s senses without the need for sugary snacks.

6. Durable travel case

You might wish you could bring a whole closet or store full of toys, tools, and materials—you know, just in case. But ultimately, you have to fit all these fun sensory objects into a portable container. For that, Plus-Plus offers up a range of durable andconvenient travel cases for easy transport. Whether you want a soft fabric exterior or a sturdy metal box, take your pick of travel cases to fit your favorite Plus-Plus sets—and more—so you’re ready for your next trip out.

Explore all Plus-Plus toys and sets designed for easy travel.

Travel Sensory Kit FAQs

What age is best for a travel sensory kit?

Travel sensory kits work for toddlers through teens—any child who benefits from tactile or calming sensory tools during transitions or travel.

Can adults use travel sensory kits too?

Yes! Adults with ADHD, anxiety, or sensory sensitivities can also benefit from travel kits with fidget tools, headphones, or weighted items.

Can I bring a sensory kit through airport security?

Absolutely. TSA generally allows sensory tools and toys in carry-ons, though liquids or gels must follow standard size limits. Weighted items may require inspection, but are permitted.

What’s the easiest way to clean or restock the kit?

Choose washable or wipeable materials and replenish snacks or disposable items after each use. Consider keeping a refill bin at home for quick resets.

Build your go-to travel sensory kit with Plus-Plus

Plus-Plus puts the power of play in your hands—whether you need to relieve stress, combat sensory overload, or simply fuel creative expression. Choose from travel-friendly sets for all kinds of interests, from astronauts and unicorns to dinosaurs and robots. 

With Plus-Plus at the heart of your sensory kit, you can empower kids to regulate their emotions and focus their attention on a fun, inspiring, and immersive task—creating a sense of calm one piece at a time.

Shop parent and therapist-approved ADHD toys →

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