Traveling with Kids & Toddlers this Holiday Season

Erin Schackman

Traveling with Little Ones? We've got you covered!

If you’re like most families traveling this holiday season, you’re probably (at least slightly) dreading that 6-hour flight or 10-hour car ride to visit family. We talked to the experts – moms just like you – to help us find the 5 “must haves” for any trip to keep those little ones happy!

Snacks
Luvies
Activities
Kid-friendly Tablet
New Toy

Snacks – you never leave the house without snacks, so this may seem obvious. But snacks are also an easy thing to forget as you’re running out the door to catch a flight, because you’re a mom & you have a hundred things to worry about (“Did I take out the trash?”)! Try packing snacks the night before, or even a few days before, in your personal carry on. Then add some to your checked bag, your kiddos diaper bag/back pack, your stroller bag & your partner’s carry on (backups are key). This way you are sure to have something, somewhere if you run out the door without grabbing anything! But don’t fret if you do. Airports have tons of options these days, including healthy snacks for the whole family (String Cheese and nuts for bigger kids and adults, fruit bars for littles)

Need ideas for what to bring? We got you covered, mama! We highly recommend baggies of snacks or individually wrapped goodies, preferably non-perishable. Take a look at the list below:

Lara bars
Veggie Straws
Puffs
Pure Fruit Bars
Yogurt Melts
Pretzels
Freeze Dried Fruit
Crackers
Cheerios
Mini Muffins
Cheese Dip & Crackers
(added bonus, these are good for teaching fine motor skills)
Sippy Cups for Water

Luvies – whether it’s a binkie or blanket, stuffed animal, favorite toy or in the case of our household, a jar of grated parmesan cheese (no, I’m really not kidding, we have temper tantrums over it), Luvies keep kiddos feeling safe and comfortable in unfamiliar situations. It may be hard to pack these in advance unless you have multiple of the same (which this mama highly recommends!) so put a very sticky note on the steering wheel of your car!

Activities – ahhh, these are key to passing time! With activities, variety is the spice of life, not to mention a sure way to make sure boredom doesn’t set in. While you can definitely buy activities, you can also put together a few from random household objects, though that can take a little prepping in advance. Make sure you have enough for both legs of your trip (or replenish at your destination!)

Activities You Can Buy:

Magna Doodle
Travel Tray
Puzzles with big pieces
Favorite Book
Interactive Books (think flaps & pop-ups)
Busy Books (Book + Figurines + Playmat in one!)
Coloring Books

Activities You Can “Make”

(These are activities I have sourced from the internet and have used in the past, they are not my original ideas; Google “toddler airplane activities” for more ideas.)

Pom Pom Push: Cut 2 or 3 holes in the lid of disposable tupperware big enough for your little to push pom poms through
String A Snake: Tie a big button to the end of a fabric button; cut out shapes in felt with a hole in the middle so your little can work on stringing the shapes
Coloring Utensil & Paper (& tape to sick it to the airplane tray)
Stickers
Felt Board: Cut shapes out of one sheet of felt that your little can stick to a second sheet of felt
Empty Water Bottle: nothing beats ‘trash’ in a toddler’s mind…

Kid-Friendly Tablet or iPad – screen time is always controversial but for long trips, sometimes you gotta loosen the reigns a little bit and go with the flow. Kids tend to be creatures of habit so making sure they are comfortable and don’t get too upset is key. Try downloading a few episodes of their favorite show, a few episodes of a new show, a movie if you think they are old enough to sit still! You can also download kid & toddler friendly games, but make sure they can be used without wi-fi or data. And if you haven’t heard about “Guided Access” on your iPad (a.k.a. locking the screen on the current app), scroll down to the end of the article for a “How To”. Oh! And, don’t forget a pair of headphones safe for the kiddo’s ears!! Here is our list of suggestions for shows, movies & apps:

TV Shows: Sesame Street, Clifford, Paw Patrol, Arthur, Martha Speaks, Curious George, Yo Gabba Gabba, Wild Kratts
Movies: Moana, Coco, Toy Story (1-4…), Frozen, Wreck It Ralph, Winnie the Pooh
Game Apps: Starfall ABCs, Joy Doodle, Toca Boca (multiple), Duck Duck Moose (multiple)

If screen time is not your jam, no worries, try bringing a few extra toys and activities to keep them occupied!

A New Toy – now this one comes from my mother-in-law, key word being “mother”. She knows her stuff. New toys lose their interest at an exponentially slower rate than toys that have already been played with. Get a new toy! Or 2 or three! Nothing crazy, nothing too big (room is a luxury in a car and on a plane). But get one!

There’s a whole lot of planning that goes into traveling and traveling with little ones is no different. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to get your ducks in a row. Remember that it still may not go smoothly the whole time, but you’ll feel better prepared for the inevitable meltdowns if you know you haven’t forgotten the important stuff!

Before we leave you to your packing, here are a few other tips & tricks for the road:

Know your Rights as a passenger traveling with children: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures/traveling-children

Our pediatrician once told us that you are significantly more likely to get sick on airplane rides over 2 hours (think: filtered air, people sneezing, tis’ the season). If you can, wipe down the surfaces around your seats. It’s no guarantee, but it may reduce the chances of catching a cold. I get on before my husband and kiddo to get everything set up (snacks & iPad in the chair pocket, diaper bag & toys under the chair, everything else up top), get rid of those magazines my kid likes to rip apart (+ germs…) and wipe down the windows/side of the plane, trays (in & out), seat belts, chairs & arm rests!

For car rides, try mapping out the route ahead of time and finding fun places to stop. Rest stops are fun once or twice, but try finding a park to have a picnic or a playground or even a museum that isn’t too far off your path. While you may want to get there as fast as possible, be prepared to stop frequently to let kiddos run loose. And if you can, try giving yourself a few extra hours of drive time so that a museum isn’t going to derail your timeline. Your kids will love it and it will give you a break from little ones that just don’t want to sit in their car seat anymore! And on airplanes? Get up and walk those aisles as much as possible!

For longer flights, consider putting together a goodie bag for the people around you! People have patience for kids most of the time, but screaming, yelling and things that sometimes you just don’t have control over, tend to irritate your fellow passengers. Try filling a zip-lock with ear plugs, store-bought candy & a note (e.g.: “We hope you enjoy your flight even if our little one has a rough time!”). It’s less about apologizing for your kid’s behavior, because frankly you shouldn’t have to, everyone was a crying baby/kid once and more about making a kind gesture during the holiday season. And there is no need to do it for the whole plane, maybe just the people in front of and behind you!

How to Setup Guided Access on your iPad:
- Go to your Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access. Here you will have the ability to set up time limits and passcodes for your iPad. Once you are in the app you want to “freeze”, push the Home button 3 times quickly!

Need a few more tips? Here are a few more articles on traveling with kids: