Traveling with a toddler is tough. I’ve done it quite a few times – alone. When Grady was a baby, it wasn’t so hard because he didn’t need to be entertained and ate and slept most of the time. Now, it’s a whole different story and when I’m not prepared, it can be a nightmare. Luckily, when we fly, we’re just going to Florida and the flight is a mere two hours. Yet for the two hours, I have a bag packed with activities for my busy toddler. These are just things that have worked for my kid as all kids are different. Maybe it will spark an idea for you in finding something that works for your tot!
First things first: I don’t automatically bring all the activities out right away. Just the event of take-off is enough to keep him preoccupied for a little while. He looks around and jabbers on about what he sees. He says hello to random people. Taking off is great fun for him as well.
Snacks. Snacks are an event all on their own. No, I didn’t wipe down that table top. Some things you just forget to do. But Grady eats dirt and drinks the bathwater he pees in. He survived a dirty plane tray table. I always try to pack chewy snacks that help with the ear pops: fruit gummies, fruit leather, lots of crackers, etc. Usually while he’s sitting and eating, I’ll bring out a few of his favorite books to read.
So we’ve eaten snack and read some books. What now? Now we bring out the actual “activities.” For our last plane trip, I found these mess free coloring pages. You know, the ones that will only color on special paper and leave everything else untouched? The only thing I will say about these is the fact that it takes a few seconds for the color to show up after they’ve used it. Grady is an instant gratification kid and he gets aggravated that he can’t see it right away.
The magnetic drawing board is a classic favorite. This one comes with different stamps. Grady seems to enjoy it and it’s something that I don’t let him play with all the time. I typically use it for travel so when I finally reveal it, all the sudden it’s brand new and interesting. It’s always more fun for him when I get involved and help him with the drawings.
We’re bored with the magnetic drawing board so what does mommy have now? Airplanes. His beloved airplanes. All kids have some kind of figurine they love playing with. Grady has his airplanes. I keep these airplanes stowed away and in a far away land that he has no idea about. When I bring these out, it’s like Christmas all over again. These take up a ton of time because he takes them out one at a time, observes them and makes them fly. This is the time when I can crack a book and have a moment to myself.
Lastly, I am not anti-iPad. I’m anti – watch the iPad for hours on end. Grady loves to watch movies and the Disney Airplanes movies are his favorite. We have about four movies downloaded on a Kindle Fire. I don’t have any games on this device and as soon as we hit the ground, I confiscate it and he doesn’t see it until we’re back on the plane again. In other words, our device is a last-ditch effort. Once we get to where we’re going, there’s no point in having the iPad anymore. There are people to see and places to go. I’d rather Grady get to know his relatives from far away rather than have his nose buried in an electronic. When we get home, it gets locked in Scott’s office. Enough said.
These are just a few things I bring along and are easy packing for our trips. I may think of some new things to bring along, now that he’s older, but for now, these are working for us. Hopefully this will give you ideas of things to pack for your trip!