High-Flying Fun: Entertainment
With some planning and creativity, you can keep your toddler entertained during a flight without any worries. We love using a foldable toiletry bag to keep our little ones toys and crafts together, it is small and easy to use. It can hang in the plane and fits in your diaper bag or hand luggage without trouble. Your toddler would also be able to carry it in their own backpack. We always make sure to balance it out between some new small toys to play with that have never been seen before as well as some comfort toys which are familiar. Below are some of our top tips to keep your toddler busy on an airplane:
Bring Snacks:
Pack a variety of healthy and familiar snacks to keep your toddler occupied. New snacks or food can help with the exploration and entertainment for the adventure.
Consider snacks that take some time to eat, like raisins or small crackers.
Interactive Books:
Bring interactive books with textures, flaps, stickers or sound effects to engage your toddler's interest.
Favorite Toys:
Pack a small selection of your toddler's favorite toys. Familiar items can provide comfort and entertainment.
Coloring and Activity Books:
Bring coloring books and crayons, but choose ones that won't easily roll off the tray table.
Stickers and Sticker Books:
Stickers can be a simple yet engaging activity. Bring a sticker book or let your toddler decorate a notebook. Reusable stickers can also be very useful during a flight.
Simple Puzzles:
Pack small, simple puzzles that are age-appropriate. Magnetic puzzles can be great for travel.
Surprise Toys:
Wrap small toys or surprises and let your toddler unwrap them at intervals during the flight.
Digital Entertainment:
Load a tablet or phone with age-appropriate apps, games, music, audio books or movies to keep your toddler entertained. Also make sure that your toddler only has access to kid-friendly content. For example: create a Youtube Kids profile which allows you to control what content is visible.
Don't forget headphones as this also helps to block out loud noises. We will also encourage that you use child friendly headphones which are designed to protect your child's hearing and does not allow for loud sounds which can be harmful.
Window Watching:
Let your toddler explore the window. Talk about what they see, like clouds, the ground, or other airplanes.
Quiet Games:
Play simple and quiet games like "I Spy" or counting objects in the cabin.
Walks Around in the Cabin:
When it's safe to do so, take short walks up and down the aisle to stretch your toddler's legs especially during long flights.
Snuggle Time:
Sometimes, a little cuddle time with a favorite blanket or stuffed animal can be comforting and might even lead to a nap during the flight.
Engage with Flight Attendants:
Visit the galley with your toddler and let them interact with the flight attendants, within reason.
Consider Nap Time:
Plan your travel during your toddler's nap time. A sleeping toddler is a quiet toddler and this also gives mom and dad a little break.
If it's your first time travelling with your toddler it might be scary and daunting, but careful planning can help calm your own nerves and therefore also calm your toddler. Keep it fun and always remember to be adjustable, because sometimes it doesn't go as planned and that is ok. A simple distraction with an item from your entertainment pack normally does the trick!