Airplane Travel with Kids = Success

For you moms who are scouring the internet trying to find ideas for toddlers on airplane trips, thought I'd let you know what worked best for us. Jake couldn't sit by us on the longest leg (5 hrs) and we couldn't bring Kensington's carseat on that flight either. But the girls were SO good and I think it was because I was over prepared.

Window Gel Clings: I'm not sure if that is the right name for them but you know what I mean from Target's dollar section or craft store. They look like this but are usually just shapes of whatever is in season. Also, we have sticker book with reusable stickers and she ended up playing with those on the window too. These were a major hit.

Polly Pocket: nice and small--and so much to take on and off! I have hesitated with Polly because the pieces are so small, but I figure since I would be next to her the whole time...

Small Figurines: We have the Bambi set from the Disney store, and a set of little mini-babies from Toysrus. I had to "teach" Amaryllis how to play with them but she got the hang of it.

View Master: This was the biggest/clunkiest toy we brought and I almost didn't bring it but was glad I did. I thought Amaryllis would be too young for this when we got it, but she totally figured it out and loves it. I got a new Dora disc/slide/cartridge/thingy along with her other ones. Oh, and how spoiled is this generation to have view finders in 3D?

Fruit Loops and Pipe Cleaners: fun to make jewelry and random things.

Lock & Key: you know the little lock/key that goes on your luggage? String it on a ribbon and it equals hours of hand-eye coordination entertainment for a 2 yr old.

Note About Window Seats: There is a crack between the armrest and the side of the plane. I ended up stuffing a rolled blanket down there, because toys kept falling down there and that was super annoying.

Video Ipod: Loaded with never-before-seen shows. A must.

Backpack Harness: And, for the biggest most popular thing ever (and something I swore I'd never put on my kid)...this puppy backpack leash.

The reason I got it is because it looks exactly like her SpEciAl puppy. I knew she'd travel best with her SpEciaL puppy, but it is pretty large so when I saw this smaller backpack version I knew it was meant to be in her arms. She fuh-lipped out with excitement. It pretty much rocked her world that there was such a thing as a smaller version of her SpEciAl puppy, and that it had clips on it AND a tail (the leash). Funny thing is she'd rather clip the backpack on YOU while she holds the leash part.

Small Infants: And here was Kensington's first class seat:

Yep, that is her bundled up on the airplane floor since there was room (thanks to Amaryllis and her short legs) and my back/neck was killing me from holding her. Surprisingly, the carpet on Southwest's planes was actually new looking and not scary, and luckily I brought an extra blanket. The vibration of the floor lulled Kenzi to sleep and when she was awake she just stared up at us. Amaryllis thought the floor was so cool she even crawled down there and watched My Little Pony.

For Your Bag: Extra blankets (to put sleeping baby on the narsty floor) that are thin and roll up nicely. I don't know why but we kept using our 2 blankets for various things, and I was glad I stuck them in there last minute. Lots of baby wipes! Disinfectant wipes (I probably looked like a crazy lady when we first got on because I wiped down our entire area especially seat belts! We always get sick after plane travel and we doped up on Airborne before this flight. So far so good.). And the obvious: new unseen snacks, coloring books, sticker books, etc.

Bag: I've tried traveling with a backpack before, and it did not work for me since things have to be stacked and I ended up digging around. I switched this time to a duffle type bag that opened up wide with easy access. I put all my stuff in ziplocs or smaller drawstring bags for easier access (toys in one, snacks in one, bottle stuff in one, etc).

Gear: Bring a bungee cord! It is so helpful if traveling with a toddler carseat. You can strap the carseat to your rolly luggage or the bar of your stroller, and it makes getting around the airport way easier.

Traveling Alone: Kelsey (who also has a few great travel ideas on her blog) just discovered that if you are traveling alone with kids, you can bring a helper all the way back to the gate! Just tell the ticket counter and they print your helper a "fake" boarding pass that lets them through security. Wow, this knowledge makes traveling alone way less painful. Can't imaging going through security with multiple kids and only my 2 hands. They even made Amaryllis take off her shoes at security and she was pretty freaked out about the whole thing. Again, couldn't imagine doing it alone.

Security: Allow me just a moment to complain about how ridiculous it is to have to remove your infant from the carseat and (while holding her) try and collapse the stroller then put it on the conveyor, and then do the same with the carseat. Seriously?