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I am definitely not an expert on traveling with toddlers, kids, or babies but we have done a fair amount over the years and both girls have been awesome. And as they get older it definitely gets easier. Ella, my 4 year old is completely content with an iPad and headphones, although I do try to engage her in other activities while traveling. But honestly, flying is not easy and as long as they are content, that is all that really matters. Ella has been happy watching the iPad while traveling since she was about a year. Anna on the other hand...total opposite. She is my can't sit still, wild child! So I was kind of freaking out when figuring out what to do with her on our 3.5 hour flight to Turks and Caicos. I packed a giant bag full of surprises!
I have compiled a list of some travel necessities when flying with kids. I didn't include the obvious items like diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, water bottles, etc.
1. iPad (or tablet) and headphones. Ella never uses headphones other than on an airplane so they are pretty speical. She loves them! And it is hilarious when she starts talking (yelling) with them on. I usually download a couple new movies or old favorites. Ella is obsessed with the Wizard of Oz at the moment so she spent the entire time watching that. I also downloaded a few educational games, her favorite is Endless Alphabet. You have to drag and drop the letters in the right order to spell words. Once you complete this task, it tells you the definition and shows a little cartoon to go along with the meaning, pretty clever. And Anna was actually entertained for about 20 minutes with a Sesame Street app where you tap the door to reveal different characters. She thought it was hilarious!
2. SNACKS! Holy snacks! You can NEVER have too many snacks when traveling with kids. Whether it's one hour or five hours, pack tons of snacks. I also packed little Bento Box lunches for the girls since our flight was over lunchtime and this was a huge hit. My oldest loves mealtime and loves picnic lunches so she was most excited about getting to eat out of her lunchbox. I also think this stems from the fact she doesn't stay at school for lunch, but still sees the lunch boxes of the kids that do. She has total lunch box envy. Inside the Bento Box we had PB&J, cheddar bunnies, dried strawberries (these are amazing if you can find them), string cheese, and a special treat (cookie). I also packed apples, dried mangos (great for ears), granola bars, fruit pouches (also great for ears), yogis, and carrot sticks. Obviously you want to be careful to only pack food that won't easily spoil.
*note about packing pouches: look for the smaller 3oz pouches as opposed to the 4oz. The 3oz pass through security with no problems. The 4oz require an extra security measure. Our favorite are the Ella's Kitchen fruit smoothies.
3. Lollipops!!! These could be listed with snacks but deserve to be on their own. Not only are lollipops a delicious treat that help relieve the pressure in kids ears, but they also provide a good 30 minutes of entertainment. Our only rule-no biting! I also found these Frozen (movie) lollipop holders that spin around when you press a button, these were life savers for Anna. She was on the verge of an epic meltdown when I pulled out this trick. She spent the next half hour pressing the button on the lollipop spinner and putting the lollipop in and out of the holder. I also think sucking the lollipop relieved the pressure in her ears because she was fine the rest of the flight. Our favorite lollipops are Yummy Earth organic lollipops.
4. Sticker books and dry erase books. Around Christmas time I did my first Usborne book order and the girls are loving the books. They have these great wipe-clean workbooks that Ella loves. I got Anna a few sticker books that kept her entertained. She loves peeling off the stickers and sticking them on the pages. These are easy to pack and travel with, also great for the car and restaurants. I love that they are reusable, even the sticker books! If you need an Usborne rep, let me know, I have the BEST. Also good old crayons and paper will do as well!
5. Books. Books in general are great to pack. As active as Anna is, she will sit and read for awhile. She LOVES books! I packed a few of her favorites and also a couple new ones. When you travel always pack something new, a small toy or book is the perfect little airplane surprise. Look for a book that relates to the place you are traveling to. For example, I found a great lift the flap book called Where is Baby's Beach Ball? that Anna loved!
Have fun wherever you are going and remember that kids are kids and don't feel bad if they cry or melt down. Traveling is hard on everyone. We just got back from an amazing family trip to Beaches Turks and Caicos. I can't recommend this place enough! It was the best and easiest trip to take with young children.