Traveling with small kids anytime soon? Before our first flight with children, I was terrified. Were they going to scream the entire time? Were their ears going to hurt? Were they going to blow out every set of extra clothes we brought? Guess what? They might, and that's ok. Because, after flying with kids, I’ve learned that humanity is kind and good … and unexpected support systems will show up when you least expect them.
There will be some instances when all you can do is laugh - but just remember that this is only a tiny moment in time and you will actually reach your final destination, no matter how unbelievable that seems. But, for those other moments, when you would like a little bit more of a plan, I'm here to share a few ways that we prepare before a flight.
1. Invisible ink pads for mess-free fun. Save the marker after they have filled in all the pages. We can never have too many magic markers.
2. Some sort of sensorial activity. This light up switch board was a hit with my one-year-old and four-year-old. Win. Win.
3. Magna-Tiles Micro Mags . I recommend bringing something that can contain the fun, and that you can use for storage later. We love these Bentgo boxes because they have a clear top, and they are dishwasher safe, which is genius because at this stage of life, I feel like everything should be. I really wish our car seat was dishwasher safe.
4. Stickers. I usually raid the Mando Llama sticker section at Target before a trip. Caution: Don’t let your little crafter use your arm as a base. I paid for that later. Go with paper.
5. Snacks. After our first trip with kids, all of our airport snacks had migrated to the bottom of our bags, and had turned into crumbs and micro crumbs. We love the GoBe snack spinner because you can consolidate lots of options in a tiny space. And it works as a fun toy, too. Just spin and snack.
6. Books (Go with paperback for lighter breezy travel). My mom brought a book about airplanes on this trip which really sparked the curiosity with our four-year-old. Lots of aircraft-specific questions came our way during our flight, but I'll take those over the 25th "Are we there yet?" in a heartbeat.
7. Get creative with your surroundings. This works better with a younger child. Our one-year-old was entertained by the reading material in the seat-back pockets. Who knew that flight safety tips could be such fascinating reading. Yay you flight-tip-illustration artist.
8. At some point, depending on the length of your flight, you might just need a screen. If so, the Pok Pok tablet app for low stimulation Montessori style activities is our go to. It's calming, simple, and visually stunning. The app also grows with your child, which we love. Our four-year-old is excited to see the new features that come alive.
9. Some sort of visual representation of the distance to your final destination. I made a quick map inside the cover of one of the coloring books we brought and it worked perfectly. We colored in the path, little by little, as we moved closer to our destination. It helps lower the tally of "Are we there yets?"
10. And finally, if you can swing it, find some people that love your kids to help with the entire experience. Having extra sets of hands was a game changer. Thanks Nana and Bom! If you would like to see some of our tips and tricks in action during our most recent travel to a family wedding, feel free to click the image at the top of the post. Good luck! You've got this. You're going to crush it.
