Happy Travel Tuesday! It’s time for another airplane survival strategy! This column is brought to you by our newest contributor, Tanya Ansaldi, a mom who’s taken her toddler on several long-haul flights from the West Coast to Italy and back. Here she shares her hard-earned, in-flight, toddler-entertaining wisdom.*
Tanya Ansaldi writes:
Congratulations, you’ve decided to brave the dreaded long-haul flight with a toddler! No need to let transatlantic connections and jet lag stop you from globetrotting! As you know, once a child turns two years old, airlines require them to have their own seat. Con: you have to pay for an extra seat, but major pro: your child has their own seat and you have more space, hurrah!
All you need now is your survival kit! My toddler doesn’t really sleep much on planes, as the trip is far too exciting, yet we’ve survived a few 20+ hour trips practically sans sleep. The key is to keep them comfy and bring out everything (snacks, toys etc.) slowly in stages, and only move onto the next item once the current one has exhausted its entertainment value.
Here are the basics…
1. FOOD:
Let’s be honest, even though international flights offer meals, they are most likely not going to appeal to your little one’s tastes. However, several airlines offer a special
children’s meal that can usually be requested in advance for free and are more appealing to little palates. Nonetheless, it will be a long trip and, even if the airline’s kiddie meal nails it, you don’t want to have a hangry toddler, so bring LOTS of snacks.
Bring their healthy favorites, but it’s also fun to bring a few special treats they don’t normally get to have. If you have a really picky eater and don’t want to take any chances perhaps plan to eat at the airport before boarding or bring a meal you know they’ll want to eat on board.
2. SLEEP:
Kiddos should be wearing super comfy clothes that they can easily sleep in and go potty in without any issues (or change a diaper in easily), and bring a snuggly hoodie because planes are often quite cold. Also, not to state the obvious, but always bring an extra set of clothes… accidents can happen, from potty accidents to spilling their drink all over themselves, and no one is happy in wet clothes.
Another good thing to wear are slip-on shoes. While it’s always good to have socks to keep their feet warm on chilly flights, shoes that are easy to slip on and off for are great for quick runs to the potty. Or for the many times you might find yourselves walking up and down the aisle. Please no bare feet in the lavatory!
If your kiddo needs a blankie or stuffed animal to sleep, make sure to bring it in your carry on. Just be sure to always check that you’ve packed it up before getting off the plane.
If you can splurge, there are great products to turn coach into toddler first class, transforming their seat into a comfy bed – or at least provide more leg/play room. I’ve used the JetKids Bedbox , which is a great product. It’s well designed, easy to use, provides extra storage (for those blankies and comfort toys) and fits under the seat in front of you. But it’s pricey ($199), it gives you something else you’ll have to tote around and most importantly, not all airlines technically allow it.
Although I’ve never had anyone say anything, there’s always the chance a flight attendant on certain airlines might. There are also inflatable versions like Fly Tot that are more affordable and more compact, which are very popular as well.
3. ENTERTAINMENT:
Here are some of my favorite products to keep tots amused:
- On the Go Water Wow Activity Pads: These are compact and let your kids “paint” with water without making a mess.
- Disney Color and Play Coloring Books : Download the corresponding app pre-flight and when your little one finishes coloring in the designated pages, put your phone over their artwork and it comes to life in 3D on your phone! No internet connection needed so airplane mode is fine.
- Usborne sticker books: These books tell a story with tear-off sticker pages that are clearly designated for certain pages in the book, making them very user friendly. There are loads of different kinds from ballerinas to jungles.
- iPad/Tablet: Screen time doesn’t count on planes, so load up on age appropriate games, movies and shows. Also, some older planes or shorter connecting flights may not have in-fight entertainment so make sure to provide your own just in case. Most streaming networks like Netflix allow you to download movies and shows so that you can watch while on airplane mode.
- Toddler headphones: Most long-haul flights will have in-flight entertainment so make sure your little one has over-the-ear headphones to partake, as earbuds aren’t toddler friendly. Two tips: make sure they have volume control (so that they can’t blast it on super high volume and hurt their ears) and ensure they can connect both via a traditional headphone jack (for the plane) and to your tablet, phone or wherever you’ve stored additional entertainment.
See more of our favorite toys to bring on the plane that fit in your carry-on here! Or peruse our OG list of toys for toddlers on a plane.
4. STROLLERS:
Some airports, such as Heathrow in London, only allow true umbrella strollers for gate pickup. Therefore, if you know you want to use a stroller during your connections and layovers, make sure you gate check a true umbrella stroller or have a carry on stroller like the BabyZen YoYo+ Stroller that can fit in overhead compartments and travel with you. If you’re going to check your stroller all the way through to your final destination, make sure to bring a stroller bag to keep it from getting dirty… or losing parts if it has a wonky wheel or something. If you forget your stroller bag, some airlines provide plastic bags you can use so be sure to ask.
Planning is half the battle, but at the end of it all… go with the flow and have fun on your adventures!
Photos by Tanya Ansaldi
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
How to Make Getting Your Kids Passport a Stress-Free Experience
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