Traveling with toddlers is notoriously difficult. As a mom with an international family and three kids, we've survived more than our fair share of long flights and car rides. Fortunately, our experiences have been overall positive, partly probably due to good luck. But, good preparation also played a role.
Traveling isn't always kid-friendly. Cross-country road trips and long-haul flights are tiring for anyone, let alone a small child. Here are some tips for managing travel this holiday season, whether you have an 8-hour flight or a 3-hour car ride.
Tips on Traveling in Family
Traveling with children offers opportunities for family bonding and fun. Here are some of my top tips for making the most of it:
Prepare ahead of time: Aside from packing, prepare yourself and your children mentally. As a parent, I know my attitude helps set the tone for our travel. My husband and I do our best to be as relaxed as possible. When we're calm and relaxed, our kids follow our lead.
Plus, as soon as our kids were old enough to understand, we talked them through the logistics. We explained that flying involves a lot of waiting in the airport and security lines. Setting these expectations helps them prepare mentally as well.
Plan for delays: Traffic, long lines in security, and flight delays are just a few issues you might face. Although delays are always a pain, they're only worse when you're tight on time. Try planning for longer layovers at the airport to avoid issues.
I try to plan for 2 hours for domestic layovers and 3 hours when we need to go through customs.
This buffer ensures that even if our flight is delayed or lines are long, we can still make our connection. Running to your gate with a few little ones in tow is no fun. I find it's easier to find things to do while waiting than to stress about missing a flight.
Don't forget extra clothes and medicine: Traveling with little ones can be unpredictable. That's why I pack basic medicines and extra clothes. I didn't expect my 5 year old to need a change of clothes on our last flight, but I packed one in a carryon anyway. Turns out it was a lifesaver when he spilled orange juice all over himself.
Similarly, I always pack basic medicines, like Tylenol or ibuprofen, that I know my kids will take without a fuss. If your child unexpectedly gets a fever, you don't want to find out the pharmacy doesn't have your child's preferred flavor.
Keep it moving: Air travel is constrictive, even for kids. While in the airport, it's a good idea to have your child move around and get as much exercise as possible. Walk together, do jumping jacks, jump, and run in place. Try to get the wiggles out as much as possible so they are ready to sit on the plane.
Road Trips: How to Travel with a Baby or Young Children
The longest road trip I've done with young children was about 12 hours. Here are my top tips for making your road trip with kids a success:
Plan regular stops: Plan your trip to stop frequently. Then, if your children are sleeping or you get in the zone, you can skip stops. Planning out stops for using the bathroom, eating, or getting the wiggles out can ensure a smooth trip.
Get the wiggles out: Every time you stop, take advantage to run around or do some jumping jacks. Children are surprisingly easy to inspire to get active. Find a safe spot to run at your rest stop and challenge your little ones to a race. Or, play a quick game of tag if there's a green area where you can run around.
Leave early or late: When your children are young, it can help to drive when your children are likely to sleep. On one trip, we left at 4 am, meaning the kids slept for several hours of our trip. This made it easier to stay busy during the rest of the trip. Or, if you're a night owl, you might consider leaving in the afternoon or evening and driving into the night.
One bonus of this approach is you can also often avoid traffic.
Sight-see along the way: If your schedule is flexible, consider adding a longer stop along the way. See a nearby sight or even consider adding an overnight. Breaking up the trip can go a long way toward making your drive pleasant.
Air Travel Tips: 10 Things to Do on a Plane with Toddlers and Young Children
If you have a several-hour flight, there will be periods of time when your child is bored. After completing your gate check and boarding, take some time to get settled. If possible, look out the window and point out the parts of the airplane. Explain to them who the flight attendants are and how they help make the flight safe for everyone.
When flying with kids, it's best to avoid getting activities out until your child is bored. Stave them off as long as possible with the experience of being on the plane. Then, encourage your child to enjoy the excitement and sensation of take-off.
Once you're cruising, it's time to break out the air travel goodies. Here are some of my top things to do on a plane with toddlers and young children:
1. Read a Book
Bring along new books as well as tried and true favorites. When my oldest was 18 months old, we read The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear about ten times on one flight.
Another great choice for older children is audiobooks. If your child enjoys them, download a few to enjoy on the flight.
2. Screen Time
Usually a last resort for our family, we always come prepared with our kids' favorite tv shows and movies. Not all flights have seat-back screens and in-flight entertainment.
If your airline does offer entertainment, be sure to download the app ahead of time, at the gate. Otherwise, you might not be able to download it while flying.
3. Draw and Color
When traveling with kids, coloring, and drawing are favorite activities. New coloring books or sketch pads can inspire your child to create works of art while on a long flight. You can make it more exciting by inviting your child to help pick out coloring pages to print ahead of time. Or, they can help pick out new coloring books for the trip.
As my children have gotten older, they prefer to pick out a new sketchbook. Then, they draw what they can see out the window. Sometimes, they also draw what they see at the airport or write about their experiences.
4. Sticker Activities
For little ones, stickers are a big hit. Purchase some sticker books that require your little one to find the right sticker for spaces in the drawings or pictures. Or, choose reusable stickers so your child can create different scenes over and over again.
5. Play "I Spy"
One game that's always a hit in the car or airplane is "I Spy." To play, pick an object, keeping it secret, and say "I spy with my little eye something...(insert color, shape, etc.)." You can use whatever clue you want that relates to the object. Then, your child needs to guess what the object is. See if they can get it right in fewer than ten guesses.
6. Unwrap a Surprise
Wrap up small toys, packs of stickers, new crayons, etc. in miniature gifts. When your child is bored, they get to unwrap one of the surprises. Then, they play with it for a while before opening the next one.
If your child insists on opening all of them at once, you can set a timer on your phone. Tell them that when the timer goes off, they can open the next surprise.
7. Magnet Toys and Games
Magnetic versions of checkers, chess, mazes, and other activities are perfect for travel with kids. The pieces won't slide around, making it easier to play while on the go.
For toddlers, I love a set of magnetic letters or numbers and a magnetic board. You can practice letter recognition, sounds, counting, and more.
8. Worksheets
If your child enjoys worksheets, you might try printing some out. For younger children, try mazes, hidden picture worksheets, and practicing letter sounds or numbers. For older children, try more complex worksheets that go along with a short text such as naming the parts of a bug's anatomy or the parts of a plant.
9. Music
Music is a powerful mood lifter when traveling with kids. Buy your child some comfortable headphones and let them listen to their favorite tunes. Music is great on its own or while drawing and coloring.
10. Classic Games
Don't forget classic games that provide quality entertainment while traveling as a family such as:
- Tic tac toe
- Rock, paper scissors
- Hangman
- Sudoku
- Word searches
- Crossword puzzles
How to Keep Baby Preoccupied on Long Flights
Keeping your newborn to twelve month old baby distracted and happy on a long flight is a challenge. Your little one isn't quite old enough to be interested in hours of coloring or audiobooks. However, you can still use many other strategies to keep your baby happy.
Flying with an Infant
If your baby is an infant younger than six months of age, flights can be fairly easy. In my experience, flying with an infant is easier than with a toddler. Their happy place is in your arms, and that's where they hang out during the flight.
Your baby will likely sleep for longer portions of the flight. Use a car seat carrier if possible, ensuring your baby is sleeping safely. Also, breastfeed or bottle feed your baby during take-off and landing. This can help avoid discomfort in their ears as you ascend or descend.
The Ultimate Packing List for Baby
When packing for your baby, be sure to bring these must-have items:
- Favorite Toys: Bring your baby's favorite rattles, crinkly toys, and teethers. Avoid very loud or battery-powered toys so you don't bother other passengers.
- Books: Opt for pop-up books and touch-me books to hold your baby's interest.
- Snacks: If your baby is eating solids, bring simple finger foods like cereal or crackers to keep your little one happy.
- Post-its: If your baby is around 9 to 12 months old, they may enjoy picking off and moving post-its. You can put them on the seats, windows, or in books. Then, your baby can peel them off again. Surprisingly, this can be an entertaining activity for little ones and toddlers. Plus, they build fine motor skills as they play.
- Scribbling: If your baby can grasp an object, try allowing them to scribble on paper with a crayon.
Other Ways to Keep Baby Preoccupied
When your baby is young, YOU are the ultimate entertainment. Here are some ideas you can use to be an entertaining caregiver.
- Rhymes and Songs: Sing songs or tell your baby rhymes. Try Peek-a-boo, This Little Piggie Went to Market, the Itsy Bitsy Spider, Where is Thumbkin?, etc.
- The Window: Booking a window seat can provide some entertainment. Talk to your baby about what you can see out the window and watch the clouds go by.
- Hide and Seek with Objects: Try hiding one of your baby's toys and encourage them to find it. You can put it under your shirt, in the seatback pocket, or up your sleeve. Encourage your baby to look for the toy, saying "Where is it?" This game also helps baby's begin to understand object permanence. This means they start to understand objects exist even when they can't see them.
Becoming a Pro at Traveling with Kids
Travel gets easier for you and your kids the more you do it. Experience will help you decide what works best for your family. Whether you're flying or driving, we wish you happy and safe travels!
Do you have any hacks for traveling with toddlers? Let us know your top tips in the comments below.
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