18 month old airplane activites

[pixxi]

I have 4 kids. The youngest is 18 months, he is 100% boy. Into destroying things, throwing things, loves baseball bat and balls, riding on a small bike and running. He is starting to like books, isn't interested in tv and loves food. He eats food fast, like to put a handfulls in his mouth. He loves action packed activites.

So, now that I have described him, help me figure out what to bring on the airplane. We are leaving in 2 weeks, and I have no clue. He will be sitting on my lap so I get to entertain him for a few hours. It's wishful thinking that he will fall asleep like a good little boy!

He's at that stage where he is starting to "mature" a little toward toddlerhood. I don't want to bring too much but I don't want to go through all the stuff I have in 45 minutes! He may draw a couple lines with crayons but then throw the crayon....

-I think some books,animal ones so we can make their sounds.
-something new to him a magnadoodle. The pens is attached so he won't throw it!
-snacks

I read the 22 month old suggestions that are postes on here but he's not at that level yet. Any suggestions welcome.

 

[3SmilingFaces]

Last fall we flew with our 18 month old daughter. Our situation was a little different in that she was in her own seat in a carseat. She does well in a carseat and I knew there would be less of a chance she would think she could get up and run around the plane. I know you said your son doesn't watch tv, but I would bring a portable dvd player anyhow. Ours saved our life! I also packed a bag of small toys she loved (if they made noise I covered the speaker with clear packaging tape to mask the noise and not bother the other people on the plane) and some new ones I picked up at the dollar store or target. Even if she only played with it for 5 minutes, that was 5 more minutes we survived on the plane quietly! Also snacks! Good Luck on the plane! and enjoy your trip!

 

[maxiesmom]

If you bring along anything that makes noise your child either has to use headphones, or the sound needs to be off. If another passanger complains, you will be told to turn the toy off. So if your little one won't wear headphones, don't bring the dvd player along.

 

[bekkiz]

it's kind of a waste, but a box of kleenex is pretty fun for a kid like that. Then you can stuff the kleenex back in! i I suggested iPhone apps on the other thread, most are pretty engaging for an 18 month old. Stringing cherrios or fruit loops on pipe cleaners is both an activity and a snack. A few sheets of aluminium foil for crunching could be fun. If you take an empty water bottle with you, then half fill it up in the bathroom plus a few drops of soap, he can shake it to make bubbles.

I think I've blocked our cross country flight with the twins at that age from memory!

 

[amylevan]

We took our DS on a 12 hour car drive when he was 21 months old. I had more room since we were driving, so I went a little overboard on the travel toys, so that means I feel a little like an official "Travel toy tester". These are some of the winners:

A travel magnadoodle

Melissa & Doug Magnetic Farm Hide & Seek (http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-...GE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1315011599&sr=8-2): He could open and close the doors, make animal sounds, take out the animals and move them around. A true winner.

Melissa & Doug Animals Mini Puzzle Pack (http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Animals-Mini-Puzzle-Pack/dp/B000RW92BY/ref=pd_sim_t_11): 4 small puzzles in a little case. They make a vehicle one too, but my DS is really into animals.

I-play Peek a Book Bag (http://www.amazon.com/Iplay-Peek---...oys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1315011914&sr=1-2): DS was still a little small to understand the concept of looking for specific things, but he loved to shake it and point out some of the objects. And its small enough for airline travel.

Buckle Toy Buster (http://www.amazon.com/Buckle-Toy-Bu...ys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1315012112&sr=1-12): We actually have the turtle, but this looks smaller and better for airline travel. In any case, DS loves to open and close the buckles.

His favorite toys though were simply a little dump truck and a little tractor. Kept him busy for quite some time, he even used the tractor to load some of his goldfish into the dump truck, which he then ate out of.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I think I would purchase a seat and use a car seat with him. As a previous poster suggested, he knows he needs to stay in the car seat and will be better contained with the harness.

Dd took her first flight at 18mo and ds at 2yrs and both traveled really well in their car seats. Dd slept every flight. Ds needed more amusement, but did great w/ mom or dad (we swapped seats periodically to sit next to dd or ds) next to him.

 

[POOHDRMR]

Came back on Wed from a 12 day stay with my ds who is exactly as you described your ds to be.He loves to climb more than anything and also is not into tv so no dvd player for us.He sat on our lap too and he actually did really well.It was his 2nd time flying(took him to wdw last year at 8 months)He was interested in looking out the window and watching everything for awhile on the way there and then he had snacks for awhile(he loves pretzel sticks right now and they were easy on the plane)then we moved onto coloring for a few minutes and I had bought some thomas stickers that we put in a small notebook.But the best thing was a small blue plastic slinky.He loved pulling it out of the box and putting it back in and playing with it.It kept him busy for the last 45 minutes on the plane.On the way home it was around nap time and he slept for about an hour and then had snacks and played with some cars we bought there and then the slinky for a little bit again.Our flight is about 2 and a half hours so it isn't too long.He liked watching everyone around us.He was really good and when we got off and were getting our luggage someone commented on how he didn't cry the whole flight and was good.We also play the can you find game alot-can you find a light,hat,window so on and so on.That helped during meal times at restaurants when waiting for the food to arrive also.Good luck,I was worried but it was not bad at all-now the hotel room was a different story! lots of things to get into and climb on.We stayed at the Poly and brought locks for the closet but he was constintly opening the cabinet with the refridgerator and all the dresser drawers.

 

[Hannathy]

What is the best activity? YOU!!! I traveled a lot with mine at that age and also as lap babies. I always found it best to just realize that for the next 2 hours my job was going to be interacting the whole time with my child.
He loved to run his matchbox car on the tray and try to drive it off-but that darn mom would always stop it and he would laugh, we would read, and play finger games, snacks are great for eating and for playing. We would count the pretzels, try to stack them up, put them from 1 cup into another.

When they bring drinks get an empty cup and a cup of plain ice, then spend the next 15 minutes pouring the ice from one to the other and then doing it with their fingers. (also ask for extra napkins while they are there! Try to get a window and look out the window, get one of those books that teach zipping and buttoning and snapping.