How to Make Flying with a Toddler More Bearable

Every year or so we visit our family in Japan. This means flying with a toddler for 14+ hours. As she’s gotten older it’s been easier to keep her entertained for longer periods. We’ve learned through trial and error what has worked for her, so this list contains items that we’ve actually purchased and have worked out great in keeping her busy and happy for the long haul. Of course they may not be guaranteed to work for your little one, but they will definitely help kill some of the time, and hopefully they’ll sleep for the rest of it! We’ve also included some of our favorite snacks and essentials that are must-haves for any trip.

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Flying with a Toddler: Packing List

Essentials

1. Wipes: We never leave the house without bringing wipes with us. You never know when stuff can get messy or something needs wiped down. On the plane the table trays hold so much germs, so it feels better to wipe them down before using them. They are also useful for cleaning face and hands after eating. Our favorite brand is Water Wipes since they are allergy-friendly and great for sensitive skin.
2. Water bottle: Keeping yourself and your little ones hydrated during a long flight is important. We like to keep a filled water bottle on hand to have it available anytime. It also feels more comfortable and familiar to life at home. Our go-to is this one by Klean Kanteen. We love that it’s BPA-free and made with aluminum. It’s very sturdy against dropping and the sports cap helps to prevents leaks. Being easy to clean and mildew-free is also great.
3. Tissues: Always useful in case of the sniffles.
4. Extra bags: These are great for holding any extra clothes that may get dirty, or use for trash to keep things tidy in our seats.
5. Toilet seat covers: Now that our daughter is potty-trained, we swear by these disposable seat covers for any public toilet. On the plane the seat can get quite gross so we pack these ones by Potty Shields to feel much more at ease about her sitting down. They are very slim for packing and don’t take up much room.
6. Meds: We pack a mini on-the-go medicine cabinet anywhere we go. You never know when sickness can strike or worst case, food sickness can happen. So we pack the usual Tylenol and chest rub in case of a cough. Also item’s like children’s Pepto, or electrolyte tablets for stomach sickness. We love these ones by Hydralyte, since they are suitable for the whole family. They are very compact and work great. These however do not replace medical care if it’s more serious.
7. Snack Containers: For portability purposes we bring a few compact snack containers to bring snacks on-the-go during our trips. Sometimes we buy a larger bag of something and split it up to make it more cost-effective.
8. Ride Safer Travel Vest: With our daughter being older now we really don’t bring a car seat with us when we travel. For this reason we’ve gotten a Ride Safer Vest so she’s more protected in cab rides. These are considered a legal alternative to a car seat and safety tests show it performs quite well. It comes in various sizes, but for her we got a small size. The minimum weight requirement is 30lbs. It’s perfect for travel since it’s so compact and can fit into a backpack.
9. Lovey or Stuffed Animal: You want your child to have the comforts of home, so bring along their favorite blankie or animal to help with sleeping or just feeling cozy.
10. Extra sets of clothes: You never know when an accident could happen (a spill or potty accident), so always bring some extra clothes that are easily accessible.

Snacks

1. Almonds: For some on-the-go protein we bring lightly salted almonds. She loves snacking on these and they are also filling and healthy! We usually get a big bag of Blue Diamond and split it into snack containers for her.
2. Fruit snacks: While these may not be the healthiest, they are always guaranteed to satisfy her. They are also very compact and easy to pack, and stay fresh for awhile. We try to get organic to make it a little healthier, so the ones by YumEarth tend to have less sugar than others. They also come in adorable fruit shapes to keep kids amused.
3. Popcorn: This is a great healthier snack choice and our daughter loves it.
4. Fig Bars: As we try to keep our snacks on the healthy side, these have become our go-to. Nature’s Bakery makes these delicious stone ground whole wheat fig bars with various fillings, great for adults as well!
5. Crackers: We love any products by Annie’s and this variety pack of crackers has a mix of 4 different types to pick from. They are also in convenient snack size pouches for easy packing.
6. Fruit: Such a delicious and healthy on-the-go snack.

Entertainment

1. Sticker Books: Stickers are always great for amusing little ones. Some of our favorites include the Let’s Explore books with a variety to choose from like Ocean, Safari, Desert. Other faves include Peppa sticker books, and this ABC sticker book. Reusable sticker pads are also great for using more than once. You can never go wrong with stickers!
2. Busy bags: Usually we put together busy bags filled with various hands-on activities. Taking a trip to the 99 cent store is great for this. We grab various crafty items like pom poms, pipe cleaners, and then create little animals with them. We also include crayons and markers, and a Magna Doodle to draw things with. These can be rotated at any time once boredom strikes with something else. It’s usually more cost effective to make your own, but you can also buy preassembled busy bags.
3. Janod Magnetibook: These books include several magnets to create with and also help to stimulate the mind. We have the Janod Magnetibook Shapes, which has several designs to create with different shapes. There’s also one for creating faces, vehicles, outfits, the alphabet and seasons. So many to choose from depending on what your child likes.
4. Play Doh: Always great for being creative and amusing kids. We like to travel with a few of the smaller sizes to give some color options and to take up less space in the backpack. You can also grab one of these play doh sets and wrap it, so it can be unwrapped on the plane for a special surprise.
5. Paperback Books: Packing a few lightweight paperback books is perfect. You can even buy a few new ones so they are completely surprised, or break out books that haven’t been read in awhile. They may even want you to read them over and over again, great for killing some time!
6. Figurines: Toddlers are all about pretend play, and our daughter loves it. She likes to create “episodes” and scenes with her Peppa figures, and will go on for hours doing so. You can let them pick some faves to bring along, and they don’t take up much space. We also love these Peppa Pig Little Rooms sets since they include a few props to use for imaginative play.
7. iPad: When all else fails, it’s definitely time to bring out the iPad. We usually make an exception for long journeys. Before the trip we make sure it’s loaded with various games or some of her favorite shows downloaded from Prime. She loves the Wood Puzzles, Animatch, Endless Alphabet, Press Here and Sago Mini.
8. Headphones: Courtesy goes a long way and nobody likes to be disturbed while trying to relax or sleep. We always bring a set of headphones for blocking out the noise. We have these headphones by Snug and love them. They have a volume-limiting feature to prevent ear damage. They also have great sound and are super comfy to wear. There’s a variety of vibrant colors to choose from as well.

We hope these suggestions make your travel a bit easier with your little ones. It’s not easy flying with a toddler, or with kids in general, so hang in there! The flight will be over soon enough.

Are there any other items you like to bring for your kids on flights? If so, we’d love to hear!