We brought our kids along during our recent trip to Europe. It was great having them with us and they really enjoyed it. But traveling with children is not always easy. Here’s some tips, based on our experience:
1) Bring snacks like granola bars (you probably want to avoid high sugar snacks that would hype them up!).
2) Don’t bring drinks since you’ll be forced to throw them out at security.
3) Bring a handheld electronic game if your child has one – like a Gameboy. That can keep kids amused for hours! My husband brought his laptop and played Chess with our teenaged son. That kept them busy for a couple of hours till their power ran out.
4) For younger kids, bring sticker books. That kept my daughter occupied for an hour or two during the flight there and back.
5) If your kid likes to draw, bring a pad of paper with pencils, crayons, and/or markers.
6) Make sure older kids have a book or magazine. Some preteens and teenagers like Sudoku or puzzle books to pass the time. Younger kids can bring a couple of their favorite books too.
7) We had problems with the headphones the airlines provided. So if you have an extra pair at home, you may want to bring them on the trip to make sure your child can hear the movie or TV shows that are on.
8) If you have a long flight overseas, you may want to pack a little stuffed animal that your child likes. It may help him or her sleep. It was nice for our six year old to have it on the trip. She carried her stuffed pony all throughout the subways of Paris!
9) If it’s at all possible, try to fly non-stop. That way you don’t have to go through the hassle of getting on and off the plane more than once. Plus, you and your kids will be spared the possible discomfort in your ears of an extra take-off and landing.
It’s a good idea to have your children pack a backpack for the trip with some amusements of their choice.
Feel free to let us know about any tips you have for air travel (or travel in general) with children in the comments below.
This article was posted on Friday, April 4th, 2008 at 3:22 pm and is filed under Mama Lisa, Traveling, Traveling with Kids. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
5 Responses to “Airplane Travel with Children”
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April 4th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
My kids really like Wiki Stix. Don’t think they’d be a problem with airport security. They are little wax strips that can be used for building artsy type projects.
The key we’ve found is have something to interest them that is new, or only used when traveling. Our Wiki Stix stay in the car for use at doctor’s appointments and other waiting activities. This way they don’t get bored with them.
April 5th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
For great travel products that will ease your mind while traveling with your family check out http://www.totsonthego.com. There is a new Trunki with extra pockets and that is perfect for 3-5 year olds to get involved in the affair of going somewhere.
May 4th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Don’t travel Southwest airlines! You can be seperated from your small children because they don’t have reserved seating!
August 10th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I’m only 12, but I’m responsible for my own methods of entertainment. I always pack my stuffed monkey Momo, my Ds (make sure it’s fully charged), my Ipod (to help drown out the sound of the airplane and help me sleep), a deck of cards, a notebook and a pen/pencil, and magnetic chess or checkers. I also entertain myself on my mom’s laptop. Also, if you can fit it, it helps to have a comfy pillow, cause the airplane pillows aren’t very comfortable and are tiny! I also pack some work that needs to be finished, like summer packets or short stories. Parents, you should always your kids the window seat, then you don’t have to worry about getting in their way if they fall asleep to get to of from your seat. For little kids you should pack stuff like a spare change of clothes or a bib, just in case!
October 24th, 2010 at 10:20 am
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