A plane trip with your child - what to take?
Packing for a family holiday with a child is quite a challenge 😉 In my last entry (read it here) I shared my standard checklist of all the necessary things you need to take on a trip with an infant, toddler, and preschooler. Today I come with a handful of tips, ideas, and inspirations that should help you decide what to do and to pack to make a plane or car journey pleasant, comfortable and simply a good experience for both the child and everyone around 😉 In short, how to keep your child busy enough so that he or she is at least relatively quiet, and in the best case scenario – has a time of their life 😃
Try to arrange a bed zone in a plane 😃
Food and other physiological needs
The first thing to pack are your child’s favorite snacks. Ideally those should not leave half of the plane stained 😉 We typically take various nuts, (dried) fruit, sandwiches, pancakes, natural yoghurt, bread, M’s favorite dinner (in a thermos), vegetable sticks with some dip/paste/sauce, avocado… And plenty of water, of course! Obviously, with younger children, milk is crucial.
Speaking of food and physiology – what naturally follows is the toilet 😃 – nappies and wet wipes are clearly necessary when travelling with infants and toddlers (additionally, I always had various creams, pads and scented bags with me). If your child is old enough to use the toilet, problem solved. However, potty training is a difficult moment, so if you travel around this time, I highly recommend a portable potty with silicone lining, such as Potette Plus (brilliant!) or single-use potties. Moreover, make sure you have a lot of extra changes of clothes, just in case.
The stomach is filled, the bowels are emptied – time for a nap! You’ll need a blanket, pacifier, muslin squares, favorite toy and warmer clothes, to help your child relax and avoid overstimulation 😃 Since our daughter is extremely demanding in terms of sleep, we always have to try really hard to make her fall asleep on a plane. In fact, for a long time we used to use a Whisbear sensor, which I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone concerned with their children’s sleep!
Fun activities
The nap is over – our little fellow-traveller is refreshed and ready to conquer the world! Or rather… wreak havoc 😃 So, naturally, you’ll do what it takes to keep him or her entertained – also to make other passengers’ lives bearable 😉
Infant
Unfortunately, most infants are not really interested in classic toys; typically they are far more into mom or dad (or some other person close to them), who will have to do their best to keep them happy and quiet. A bottle, pack of kleenex, keys, sunglasses case (under parental supervision!) may entertain the baby for a while. Also, contrast books, favorite rattles, teething rings, or any other sensory toys (i.e. something that can be crumpled or twisted, offers interesting sounds and a fascinating structure) are good options.
Toddler (aged 1-3)
Handling a child at this age can be a challenge, since they may expect more sophisticated entertainment than just holding a muslin square in their hand 😃 Apart from books, I also recommend riddles, simple games, basic magnetic puzzles, as well as some paper, crayons and stickers. In our case creative mosaics did wonders with M’s boredom, keeping her busy for a really long time 🧡
Preschooler (aged 3-7)
In my opinion, this is a wonderful time for travelling together 🧡 Of course you need to prepare really well and plan everything in advance, since already a four-year-old may be a demanding travelling companion. On the one hand, he or she enjoys numerous different things and activities, and on the other – they are full of energy and thus may find it hard to sit in one place for more than five seconds. This means that anything that will make them have a quiet moment and give everyone on board a break is worth its weight in gold 😃 Luckily, the choice here is enormous – books, games (magnetic, card), and riddles. Moreover, any manual activity should keep the child focused and quiet, so make sure to pack a file with (colorful) paper, markers, glitter, glue, scissors, etc. Word games and logical puzzles are another interesting, fun option for the whole family. Just in case, it’s good to also have your child’s favorite films, audiobooks, stories, music or games, which will come to your rescue in moments of crisis 😉
The safety car seat almost packed. Sweatshirts not quite yet there. Will it all fit in a backpack? 😉
Moments of crisis
If you are well-prepared, well-packed, and have a good plan (here you can plan a family holiday), you did everything you could. As long as you look after your children and respond to their needs and behaviors, you have nothing to reproach yourself for. Still, at some point a crisis is inevitable, so you should also plan for such situations, which basically means having options B to Z at hand. You can celebrate onboard meals, have a walk in the aisle, go for a trip to the toilet, show your child the plane’s route (or other cool things), leaf through onboard magazines… those are your last resort options. In my experience (and according to my observations), intimacy is the best thing you can do (if possible): holding the child in your arms, hugging, and especially separating them from a stimuli overload (for example, you can go to the toilet together, or have a quiet chat away from other people).
I promise, such difficult moments are not very common, and they fade away far sooner than memories of a wonderful holiday time together. Moreover, each trip with your child creates new opportunities and makes you realize how quickly he or she is growing. After all, each holiday is slightly different, and requires different preparations from us. Time flies and we don’t want our children’s childhood to slip away. You should not wait for your child to grow up to start travelling – after all, how many holidays together can you really hope for?
So… ready to go see the world with your children? 🧡
Bike, helmet, doll - check. Great fun and scenery - check!