How to fly with a toddler.

Lincoln and I flew to California for my cousins wedding. Traveling with a 15 month old seemed so over whelming and I didn't know if I was up for it. being extremely prepared was the only thing I could do. you just never know how a toddler is going to behave. 

Here he is deciding some toys to bring on the plane, and enjoying a snack at the same time. Chipmunk cheeks! 

I put some cut up straw on a shoe lace and he just pushes them back and forth. I read lots of blogs for ideas for activities on the plane. These are the things that actually worked.

• books, books, and more books. Pop ups and flap books are his favorite. I put them away a couple days in advance so they were exciting reads. 

•travel magnadoodle

•iPad in the fisherprice apptivity case. Only thing I didn't like, was you need a key or coin to open the back, so you can turn the iPad on and off or adjust the sound. we got wireless headphones to go with it. And Lots of baby apps and videos. 

• during take off and landing, you can't have any electronics out. I got one of those see through boxes with the pins that you can imprint in, such as your face or hands, it's a science-ish toy. he liked the noise it made, pushing all the pins in, as well as its intended use. It was a surprising hit. 

•food. Eating in the plane takes up time! treats he didn't normally get like m'n'ms were great. Orange tic tacs too. And eating them one at a time kills the minutes too. we had 8 hours of travel, so whatever worked!! 

• stickers. Lincoln had never had a sticker book before. He went crazy for it. Though he hasn't learned to peel them himself yet, he enjoyed it. the one I bought was blank animals where he could create the face,legs, tails, and accessories with the stickers. 

• a stuffed animal for cuddling. I had bought that plush puppy leash, and he kissed and loved on it. As well as napped with it on the plane. 

• small photo album of our family. for pointing at daddy. 

 

things that I brought, that ended up wasting space, were a puppet- he loves it normally, but lost interest quickly. a car- I chose a small one, thinking he might like to use it on the tray. But he also threw it on the ground, and digging for a small toy under the seat isn't very fun. Also I brought a little car seat dangler that vibrates. He's a little old for it, but enjoys that he can now pull the rip chord himself, but he lost interest. 

 Something that I thought about and almost brought was play-doe. he's never used it before and probably would eat it so I changed my mind, but I've heard some kids spend lots of quiet time with it. 

 Some random things he also enjoyed were looking at everything in the pocket in front of the seat. 2 magazines- we'd point out animals, people, toys, planes whatever was on the page really. safety card- said where's the daddy? Where's the baby? So on. the barf bag- made a quick puppet, and it's always fun to put things in and take things out. Going to the airplane bathroom- I always avoid this. It was my first time in one, but seeing as I ran to my second gate and was the last person on the plane before they shut the doors(!), I had to use it. It just broke up the monotony of sitting still, and a fresh diaper makes a baby happier. drinking the complimentary beverage- I drank the ginger ale, he enjoyed the ice. then turn it over and it's a teeny drum. 

 well I hope that's helpful to anyone traveling with a toddler!!