Air Plane Ride with 15 Month Old

I just came back from a similar flight with my 15 month old son last month. I brought two of his favorite books, crayons (which he had never seen before), and lots of snacks. People had great ideas and I agree novel items will work best.

My son did okay and did scream for a few short periods but just remember it sounds louder to you than other people (at least that is what I told myself).

Have a great trip!

I would try some books or something like music to also keep his interest.

Stickers! We stuck them on our sons clothes, car seat, hands etc and he had a great time pulling them off and putting them back on other things. We also put a few kids programs on our Ipod touch and it worked wonderfully. Books were great but I wish we wouldn't have brought so many. He also spent quite a bit of time pulling the magazines and cards out of the seat pocket. Good luck!

I definitely agree with trying to adjust the schedule slightly to incorporate a nap into the flight. Even if it's shorter than normal, a nap will definitely help take up some time. We also found that snacks, books, coloring, and a back up DVD cartoon (if necessary) were crucial to our flight!

Doreon-
You might want to adjust his schedule so that he naps part of the time on the plane. If a portable DVD player is an option, I highly recommend. Also, try to sit near the galley and rest rooms. There's lots of activity there and it is usually away from the business fliers.
Good Luck,
S.

You know your child best... does he sleep well? Will he sleep easily in a new place, with lots of commotion? Does he get agitated when overtired?

I took a trip with my son when he was about 15 or 16 months old. My son was never a great sleeper, and hoping that I could get him to sleep on a plane for naptime was, well, not wise for us. We actually planned on him to be well-rested instead. I packed NEW toys and some interesting snacks (fig newtons, yogurt covered raisins, chocolate graham crackers... new and special treats). I remember having a few new books that I thought would appeal to him. Check out the dollar store or cheap toy section of Wal-Mart for small, new things.

Wouldn't you know, our flight was diverted (something about having to fuel up because of the wait to land at our destination airport). It turned out to be about 5 and a half hours of sitting on a plane. My son was social, standing on my lap looking around and smiling the whole time. My neighbor on the flight let my son look at and try on his hat. This kept him occupied off and on for about an hour! I was terribly exhausted from trying to keep him from mischief, but he was a champ.

Does your son like books? We just flew with our 15 month old, and books were our salvation. The ones he really likes we read over and over and over and it kept him happy.

Stickers-- but do the "reusable" sticker books. They aren't that sticky in the first place so you don't spend a ton of time peeling them off the plane window, seat, yourself, etc. You can buy the cheap sticker books in the bargain section at Borders or wherever because a 15 month old won't care what kind of stickers they are.

Two toys I bought when I started flying with my son. 1. in the mall you can buy the little tracks for cars that are like puzzle pieces You place the car on them and they follow the path. These are the perfect size for a tray table.

2. Find magnetic pictures that have pieces you can add to background and move around. It is fun pretending and making up stories while you move them pieces. I forget what these are called but we had them when we were little too but they were static cling not magnetic.

I gave these to my son in the airport so it was all new and exciting. Then I hid them until the flight home so they were exciting both ways.