Toddler Travel Tips

A very cheap and useful thing to bring is a box of bandaids - they take concentration to open and then are super fun to stick to themselves and you :)

Hi S.!
I traveled extensively across the country with my two-year-old and just recently took a plane ride with both my daughters (2 & 4 months) by myself. So...I think I have some helpful tips.

I fought this one, but it is no doubt the easiest way for my daughter to sit and entertain herself--a mobile DVD player. I bought a $150 one at Target for the first time and it saved me on this trip. She had her own seat, which helped a lot too. I purchased two new movies that she had never seen and brought a third one I knew she loved. We hardly watch TV at home, so this was a big treat. If you are holding your tot on your lap, it is definitely much harder, but it allows you so 'down time.'
I also always take a bunch of 'surprises' and dispersed them as needed one at a time. Good distractions: crayons and a new coloring book, magna doodle travel pad, books, small-size play dough, colored pipe cleaners, a new toy (dress-up doll or diego?), paper and pencil, stickers to decorate the paper, and a touch and feel/pop up book to read together. I seriously packed my backpack full of things to use when needed. (None of these toys were seen before the trip, which made it very exciting.)

I also recommend bring many new and interesting snacks and goodies. Similar to the DVD player, all rules go out the window when you're flying. :-) I chose items that my daughter never gets at home and tossed in her favorites, too. It kept her entertained and happy.

I hope you have a wonderful trip!!

Hi S. - Have a blast! So exciting. We just got back from Switzerland in May w/ our now 21-month old. We found that during the overnight part of the flight she slept better if we put her in her own seat and fastened the seatbelt (she knows how to sleep in a car seat so this seemed to model that as opposed to making a little bed on the seat and letting her roll around--this was tough on us).
I went to the library and a local 5 & 10 and got a bunch of small toys (like finger puppets, playdough, silly puddy, board books) that I didn't let her see until we were on the plane. I also kept a few hidden for the return trip.

We put her in her jammies before we left for the airport so we didn't have to make the change there except for a quick diaper.

We brought a couple pre-made bottles of milk in a mini-cooler and a bunch of special snacks.

Does the plane have TV's on each seat. We don't have our daughter watch much TV so this was a real treat.

Have a wonderful trip! -J.

Hi S.,

I travelled alone to Europe several times with my now 2-years-old son (more than 20 flights already!).
- I guess you already have your tickets, otherwise, take a night flight. It doesn't ensures your daughter will sleep through it, but it will help. Once, my son got so exited in the plane that he slept one hour on a 24-hour-trip! But usually the time+ the darkness+ the white noise + the motion makes babies (and adults) sleep.
- The 3 companies I've been using (Air France, British Airways and Aer Lingus) offer a crib for babies (BA even has some kind of special seat for older babies). It's worth calling them and request one (you need to book it to make sure it will be available in the plane - if it's on a limited number, only the booked ones will be sure to have one). Even if you don't plan on using it because your daughter is already too long/heavy for it, ask for it, as they place those cribs in the buckhead seats, giving you more leg room (letting him play on the floor, or to store your bag.
- Have food you're sure he loves. Most companies will offer a special kids' tray (in some cases, you also need to request it in advance) but the view of his favorite crackers may prevent a melt down.
- Introduce a new toy and/or a new book (even better if it's a story about trips, or planes!)
- Pack toys that won't take too much space in your bag and don't weigh much. My son's favorite in trains and planes are small stackable cups. He can stack them, turn them to build a tower, transfer cheerios from one to the other... Rubber bath toys are also very handy (they come in bags of 5 different animals or objects... and can entertain a toddler for hours) When he was 16 months, my son was crazy about the farm animals and he is now into sea creatures. As recommended in another post, triangular crayons are also a must-have if your daughter likes to color/scribble.
- I breastfed my son for 15 months, but after that he was on regular cow's milk. I discovered that some companies don't carry real milk on board. They only have coffee creamers. So, I always carry a few individual bags of powder formula with me, just in case. They always have water on board. Just make sure your daughter likes the taste beforehand! You can also check the TSA and the airlines for their rules. Usually, they are quite flexible with baby food and let you take milk (and food) on board, providing that you taste it in front of them first.
- Obviously, don't forget his favorite blanky, lovey, binky, book...

I love Ireland! I met my husband there! Have a nice trip.

Hi S.,

I am planning my third trip to England with my almost 2 year old daughter. I always recommend them having their own seat on the plane, as it gives you a welcome break and time for some rest on the overnight flight. I always take lots of snacks, crayons/paper, puzzles, finger puppets, anything that is quiet. I like to do connecting flights as the lay over gives you a break, time for something to eat, playtime, diaper change...... Be prepared to do lots of walking up and down the aisle on the plane! Good Luck.

S.,

Magnadoodle is great. Also some painters tape and post-it notes. They love to stick the tape and post-it's all over the place and it's really easy to clean up. Cheap new books. I get them in the dollars aisles at Target or the dollar store. If they get lost I don't care. A few new cheap toys.
Also walking up and down the aisle helps too.

Good luck,
L. M

We had a DVD player for our daughter she loved it. We had her carry on bag filed with lots of books. U can buy crayons the are shaped in a triangle so they will not roll. She lovs to color this will be help full. We had her special blanket and baby in her bag. We did bring her sippy cup for her to drink and special snacks for her. Look in to the rules the airlaine may have for food & drink. Good luck

The thing that keeps me the most sane on airplanes is bringing a carseat & keeping her confined as much as possible. The one time I didn't, she was constantly squirming around - from mom to dad, to the floor & back up, etc. She stayed much more content when she thought the carseat was her only option.

We brought a portable DVD player with us on the plane and it really was the only thing that kept our son quiet. Maybe buy a few small toys just for the trip so they are new to her and keep her occupied.

I advise putting snacks she loves (that are good for her if that's important to you) in a fun, entertaining container. Don't let her see it until takeoff. Between opening the container and closing it and eating snack after snack, she'll be entertained for a while.

I used to travel fairly frequently with my son between Spain and the U.S. when he was small (between 8 month and 4 years old) and this worked like a charm. After he was done eating he'd fall asleep!