Enjoying Air Travel with Young Children
Don’t let the airplane ride ruin your family vacation.
The thought of enduring hours cramped on an airplane with babies, toddlers or preschoolers can take the excitement out of any vacation plan.
Traveling with children can be tough and the airplane ride can be the worst part.
I’ve travelled with my girls on more plane rides than I’d like to count. From taking a fussy two year old to Italy while 5-months pregnant to business trips with a nursling and a preschooler.
I have found that some advance planning can help smooth out the plane ride.
If you have a short flight and managed to schedule it during nap time, you might have a peaceful child sleeping right through the ride. But some children, like my Julia on our trip to Italy, may resist sleep until the wheels touch down at your destination leaving you to struggle carrying your little one and your bags while you exit the plane.
Since chances are high you’ll have children awake for some (or all) of the trip, the key to calm is in your carry on. Here are some suggestions:
Toys
- If possible take a portable DVD player. For some children, like my 7 year old nephew, this one item is almost all you need. But for others, like my toddler and preschooler, a DVD player will only buy you a bit of time and they may even fight over it more than they watch it.
- With older children, electronic game toys will be obvious choices for carry on – and, if that is the case, your child will let you know.
- For toddlers and preschoolers, I’ve found that a variety of new, small toys and activities work well. I bring along:
- Stickers – LOTS. Stickers are great because they are so light you can bring tons on board and let your kids put stickers all over their papers, themselves and even you. (Anything to keep them quiet.)
- Small pads of paper and a couple of ‘grown-up’ pens. I toss a small pad of paper into my purse for each child. Since it looks like the paper and pens are meant for me, they are more enticing.
- Small toys that are out of their ordinary play routine. I bring along some Matchbox® cars for my girls and they love it.
- Wipe clean activity books. With these wipe clean coloring and activity books, you can lighten your load with fewer coloring books.
- Play-Doh® compound. I bring a couple of small containers for each of my girls.
- Lightweight paperback books. Pick up a few new paperback stories to read to them on the plane.
Also remember:
- Water bottles and healthy snacks for the children. You’ll likely have to purchase the water bottles after you get through security.
- Disinfectant wipes.
- Kleenex® Facial Tissue
- Change of clothes for each child. In my carry-on bag, I pack an extra pair of light stretch pants, t-shirt, socks and underwear/diapers for each of my girls.
- Slip-on shoes. My girls always want to take their shoes off, so I like them to wear shoes they can quickly slip on and off. My girls wear Crocs footwear on the plane and it works perfectly.
- Lightweight blanket for babies and toddlers.
- An attachment toy or snuggly for each child.
