Guess what. This trip to Disney marks the very first plane ride for any of our three boys ... and therefore the first trip for all five of us together on an airplane.
I imagine I won't get a whole lot of reading done.
For those of you who've flown with your kids, what do you recommend? Nathaniel might be content to read for a while, but Nick likely will require more entertainment, such as playing on his PSP. That's fine. Mostly, I'm worried about Jake. WHO'S FLOWN WITH A LESS-THAN-2-YEAR-OLD? Please raise your hand.
If you have any tips for me that might help, please leave them in the Comments. Thank you!
Next week: MONEY-SAVING TIPS.
5 comments:
I always pack a new book and a new coloring book for each kid. They each have a little tote bag that I put in one big carry-on and then pass out on the plane so they can be responsible for some of their own entertainment. I fill it with snacks, stickers, the new books, leapsters, and a few old favorite books or toys. We fly so much that I just put these whole in the closet when we get home and pull them out for the next trip. Pack empty cups so you can divide up the huge juice you will buy after going through security. You will be allowed to take a little liquid through for Jake. During takeoff and the descent, give Jake a snack or drink to help him swallow to clear his ears. Stickers are good for his age on a plane, you just have to help him peel. The best plane stickers for the big boys are the ones in books where they have to find the correlating shadow to put the sticker on, because that takes longer.
My kids have flown a lot (now ages 5 and 3), and do a really good job. A lot of the things I pack in each child's bag are a lot of the same things Kimberly mentioned. There are some really good I Spy type books for toddlers that can really keep their attention. Stickers are great, as are magnet story boards. There are all kinds of different sizes and stories, and the kids just move the magnets around to tell their own story. Playdough is also great b/c you can just smoosh it around on the tray, and even throw it away when you're done. Essentially, pack nothing for yourself and tons for the kids! You may get lucky and have him sleep, so maybe a magazine or something, but that would be about it! : ) Another thing that we discovered this trip (which would probably be better for the older boys) are the books with a 'magic' marker that colors the pages. No mess like actual markers but fun. My kids had never seen them before, and my in laws bought them for the trip home and they both sat for the first hour and just colored and watched the scenes appear. They bought them at the airport gift shops for about $5 - money well spent in my opinion!
I hear Wikki Stix (or Bendaroos) are great entertainment for all ages. My youngest was 3 when we flew this summer. Pre-dosed with Benadryl for her food allergies, she and my son (also pre-dosed with Benadryl for motion sickness) were grat travel companions. Not that I'd ever recommend Benadryl unless you need it. We had coloring/activity books and Leapsters (we borrowed one from a friend so each would be able to play their own games). Don't forget the headphones and spare batteries!
If you've purchased a seat for Jake, taking the car seat on the airplane and strapping him in and leaving him works great. Our kids were used to riding in car seats for longer drives, so it was no big deal. Then we just had to keep them busy in their seat, and frankly snacks worked great! The color wonder books ar great as are DS's/Playstations or movies loaded onto an ipod. Jut remember, if things go bad the flight will end! And if people stare at noisy kids,just stare back. Have fun!
These are GREAT tips, everyone! I did manage to book travel times that coincide with Jake's naptime, but I know I can't count on him sleeping. (I hope he will, but there's at least a 50% chance that he won't!)
I didn't purchase a seat for him, since he won't be 2 yet, and it saved us a lot of money to register him as a "lap child." So, he'll either be sleeping on me or playing on me, one or the other.
Thanks again for all the tips! I can't wait to put them all to use.
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