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Entertaining your baby, toddler or small child is all about three things:

Food.

Distraction.

And (hopefully) sleep.

Food

Pack lots of snacks!  If you think the airplane will supply you enough (or that the airport terminal food is affordable or delicious) you are sadly mistaken my friend!

-Some Things to Consider When Packing Snacks for the Plane-

• Does it travel well?  Food that gets easily bruised or crushed may not make it until snack time.  Claire loves to eat bananas, but they end up being so bruised by the time we are on board that she doesn’t want it any more (and neither do I).
• Does it take up a ton of space?  Packing things in plastic tupperwares takes up precious space in your pocketbook!
• Is it messy?  We stopped taking Nutrigrain bars because they ended up being too sticky and making a mess when we travel.
• Bring some of your kids’ favorites that even if they are feeling picky, you know they will eat these.
• Pack some surprise treats that your child will be excited to open and enjoy!
• Bonus points if the snack takes a long time to eat!

-Some of Our Favorite Snacks-

Pouches:  Even when Claire was clearly too old for baby food, pouches are a great travel option so I know Claire will be getting something nutritious that day.

Cheerios:  Cheerios are great because they take tons of time to eat if you get them one by one.  You can also have some fun and string them on some yarn- it will take up more time to take them off one by one and you can try stringing them back on, too.

Goldfish or Cheddar Bunnies:  We had to cut Claire off from eating these on a regular basis at home since she gets sent into a tizzy when we have to cut her off.  When we fly, she gets to have these as her “special treat”.

Boxed Milk:  You can find boxed milk that doesn’t need to be refrigerated before opening.  It’s up to TSA’s discretion whether they will let it through security, but you can pack one or two and if it doesn’t make it, you can always drink it really fast before going through.  You can also pack some of these in your checked bag so you easily have milk on the go when sightseeing at your arrival city.

Uncrustables:  Ok, so this on-the-go pb&j definitely violates the “Is it sticky or messy?” considerations, but for long flights I like to have one or two on hand.  Since it is a potential sticky mess, to prevent jelly from getting everywhere I make sure I help Claire by holding it as she takes small bites.  You can throw it in your bag frozen right before you leave your house so it doesn’t get too squishy before your child (or you!) eats it.

Distraction

I find that baby and toddler distractions on a plane fall into three different categories: Airplane supplied, parent supplied (songs, conversations, hand games) or toys.

-Airplane Supplied Distractors-

Don’t underestimate the tools at your disposal!

TV:  We rarely do tv or movies at home, but we do when we fly!  We love these headphones off of Amazon (click here) for those occasions.  I bought them when Claire was about a year old.  We practiced using them at home to hopefully encourage her to like them for an upcoming long haul flight, but she didn’t really get into them until she was about two.  What I like about them is that they have a volume control so they don’t get too loud and also that they have a separate head phone jack so I can listen with her.  I find this to be SO important for a couple reasons: First, I want to monitor what she’s listening to (I don’t even like the content of Mickey Mouse Club House sometimes, and will often switch it to an animal documentary instead) and second, if she learns new words, I want to be able to know what she’s trying to say the next time she says it.

Barf Bags:  One flight, Claire spent an hour and half putting things into a barf bag and shaking it up.

Magazines:  We will read the airline magazine together and talk about what they are doing in pictures.  Claire learned the word “owl” from an airline magazine one flight going to Vegas.

Safety Cards: these usually provide 10-15 minutes of entertainment for us.

Other Passengers:  Sometimes you will get lucky and a neighboring passenger will want to say a few words and engage your child.  Let them!  It might only be a 30-second reprieve, but a chance to catch your breath none-the-less.

Airplane Supplied Snacks and Drinks:  Watching the flight-attendants go down the aisle handing out snacks and drinks can buy some time.  Talk about what drinks you think they are handing out.  Help your child practice nice ways to ask the attendant for what they want.  And drag out eating/drinking their special snacks once they receive it!

-Parent Interaction Distractors-

This is the most important way to entertain your child!  It’s also the most exhausting and draining (hey, no one said plane travel with kids was a trip to the spa!), but will be your biggest tool to keep your child happy and in their seat.

Some ideas on ways to interact with your kids:

Patty-Cake: This game can go on for long stretches.  Ask your child who they want to make the cake for and do it again, but with a different person each time.  I think we did this for like, 30 minutes once.  I was over it, and I’m sure our neighboring passengers were, too, but I think they would prefer a happy baby to a screaming and running around the plane baby every time.

Other Finger Games:  Itsy bitsy spider always gave us a good 10 minutes.

I-Spy:  Your little one will love looking around to find you “I- Spy”, and it’s also funny for you to see what they are noticing around them, too!

Conversation:  Talk to your child as if you are talking to your friend.  No matter the age, ask your child different questions, ask them if they remember when such-and-such happened and don’t forget to give them a chance to respond… because eventually they will!

-Toy distractions-

How long the flight is dictates how many things we will bring.  A lot of things you probably already have at home, but it helps to buy some special ones that you only use on the plane to make it a fun event for your child.  And don’t forget to make sure you save some toys as a surprise for your flight back home!

A Couple Toys Ideas for Flights with Baby or Toddler:

• Tablet
• Headphones
• Melissa and Doug Water Wow Books
• Melissa and Doug Reusable Sticker Pads
• Doodle Board
• Model Magic
• For my complete list, check out my post, “Must Have Toy List to Entertain Your Baby or Toddler on a Plane!

Sleep

How can you help your child sleep?  Sweet slumber may not happen on every flight, but bring what they need to help set them up for success.

For us that means:

• Blanket.  We bring the one that she snuggles with while sleeping and when she was a baby, we also brought a muslin one to block out the light.
• “Airplane Baby”.  Any stuffed machine-washable toy is good.
• Pacifier and clip.  We bring lots of extras and stash them in different bags for emergencies!
• Swaddle.  When Claire was an infant, she stayed in her swaddle and spent all but 30 minutes of our entire flight from NYC to Italy swaddled in my arms and asleep!
• Carrier:  Once Claire was no longer swaddled (after 4 months), she would only sleep while in the carrier.  Two years later and 40-some flights in, she still sleeps in the carrier while flying.

Some notes on how to keep your kid in their seat:

A carrier can be your best friend!  If you plan on flying a lot with your baby/toddler, it really pays off to train them to know that when you are on a plane, they are in the carrier.  At some point, there will be a battle between you and your child to keep them distracted and happy in it, but it is well worth it.  Once babies start wanting to use their legs and stand up or bounce, loosen up the carrier’s straps on the top and side to give them a little movement to keep them happy in the carrier again.  When they are older (for us, it was a year and a half-ish) and go through another battle, you can loosely strap the side buckles, and keep the top open.

Use every tool at your disposal, and then go back through the list again to try everything to keep them in the seat.  I’m telling you, once they learn once that they are permitted to get up and walk around the cabin, they will never forget it and it will be SO much harder to keep them in their seat going forward.  I mean, it’s really the same thing as if you were at a restaurant and your child knew they could come out of the highchair the moment they were bored.  I know it can be so hard, but I really urge you to do everything you possibly can to refrain from walking around the cabin.  (And as always: every kid/parent is different- if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work).

Traveling by plane with kids isn’t exactly the most relaxing experience, but with our entertainment ideas,  it doesn’t have to be the worst either!

Have something that helped you on your recent trip with your child?  We’d love to hear about it!  Email us at info@travelisforthekids.com!

 

You may also be interested in:

Our Must Have Toy List for Plane Travel with Baby, Toddler, or Small Kids

Flying Logistics When Traveling With Kids

Looking for ALL the things we love for flying with kids, not just toys? Check that list out here!

Traveling with Kids Flying FAQ