Worried about how to travel with a toddler on a plane? Fear not, with a few tips, it’s manageable. Keep reading to learn how.
This post may contain affiliate links that allow this blog to earn money without a cost to you. Many thanks if you use them. Please read my disclosure for more info.
How to Travel with a Toddler: Plan Ahead
To travel with a toddler by plane, the most important thing you can do is start thinking about it early and planning ahead of time.
Opt for a Direct Flight
We were going to Texas from California. The cheapest flight would have had us traveling for more than 6 hours (when the wait times were included). To save our sanity, we opted for a 3-hour direct flight instead. The great news was that we used our Southwest points, which cost us a few more points.
Opt for a Short Distance
I would love to travel internationally with my son, but at his current age, I don’t want to have to deal with him on a plane for more than a few hours. So, Texas is about as far as we’ll go for now.
If we wanted to go farther, we’d probably try to split our traveling up and make stops (for 24+ hours) along the way. If we did a long stint, we’d pay for a seat for him and do a red-eye flight in hopes that he’d sleep through most of it.
Buy Them a Seat
Ok, we did not do this, but in hindsight, it may have been better. On the way to Texas, we got an empty seat for my son between us because the flight wasn’t full. Unfortunately, on the way back, we weren’t as lucky. I think purchasing a seat and even having a car seat for them to sit in may be helpful because they’re held in one place. Also, my son does great in the car in his car seat, so it would probably make him feel more comfortable.
Bring Disinfecting Wipes
Everyone knows airplanes are full of germs. We packed plenty of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes and cleaned the area that we sat in before we sat down. I am happy to report that he didn’t get sick after our travels.
Pack their Favorite Snacks
My son loves to eat. Eating keeps my son busy. Also, when my son is hungry, he’s not a happy camper. To avoid a total meltdown, we packed as many of his favorite snacks as possible. Worked like a charm!
Bring Lollipops
A friendly traveler that also had a toddler gave us some lollipops because he heard they could help keep toddlers busy and also help with their ears popping. I think that man was a genius! That Dum Dum kept my son quiet, happy, and busy for at least 15 minutes. That being said, I was worried the entire time that he would choke on it, and when the stick got soggy, I ended up eating the last part so he wouldn’t choke- so user discretion is advised.
Also, yes, I realized I took candy from a stranger and gave it to my child, but we survived! Yay!
Bring Quiet & New Toys
This is a no-brainer, but packing interesting new toys helped as well. I think new toys help because they are novel.
Load Books on Your Phone
Books can get heavy, but I was able to download the free trial of Epic! phone app, which allowed me to have an unlimited amount of kids’ books on my phone for my son to read. This kept him busy for quite a while, and I think he enjoyed the novelty of the books being on my phone.
Bring a Pacifier
My son has been weaned off of his pacifier for a few months now. However, I brought one as a backup because I know it used to help him fall asleep. I also knew there would be a lot of distractions to keep him from falling asleep on the plane. As I expected, toward the end of the flight, when it was past his nap time, he was overly fussy but couldn’t settle down. I pulled the pacifier out, and after a few minutes, he could lie down and go to sleep. After the flight, the pacifier disappeared again, and he has been doing just fine without it.
How to Travel with a Toddler: On the Plane
Here are some of the hacks we used while we were on the plane.
Allow More Screen Time
Normally we try to limit my son’s screen time, but on the flight, that rule pretty much went out the window. We pre-downloaded some of the Super Simple Song videos and let him watch those, which helped keep him entertained. We also let him watch a movie, but his attention span didn’t allow him to watch it for more than about 15 minutes.
Sing Songs
When all else failed, I would sing songs quietly near my son’s ears with him on my lap. We would dance in our seats and do movements with our hands to help get some of his physical energy out.
Rinse, Wash, and Repeat
Toddlers have a pretty short attention span. So, when one thing gets boring or doesn’t work anymore, move on to something else… Rotate between the toys, snacks, lollipops, movies, books, and singing. When they seem sleepy, try to get them to take a nap, and if you’re having a hard time, whip out the pacifier and give “old faithful” a try.
Conclusion
All-in-all I feel my son did great on the plane, all things (including his age) considered. That being said, it was tiring for my husband and me. I usually try to fall asleep on the plane or watch a movie, but with my toddler, that was not possible.
I hope these tips are helpful and make you feel like you know how to travel with a toddler. If you have a tip that you think I missed, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
Other Posts You Might Like:
Review of Scott’s Cheap Flights: Everything You Need to Know
Baby Registry Checklist: The Essentials
