5 hours in a plane with a 2 1/2 year old

[Princess Sleepy]

So....who's got some good ideas for how to keep a smart, but somewhat antsy two year old entertained from Minneapolis to Atlanta and Atlanta to Orlando. We do not have a portable DVD player and do not plan on purchasing one before the trip, but all other ideas are welcome. Thanks.

 

[Ariel on Land]

Turn your cell phone on airplane mode- the lights and sounds still work, but can't call out. We figured this gem out on our return trip a few months ago. Boy, had I wished we figured it out on the first flight! At least for our boys, they never get to play w/ our phones, but always want to, so it was a super special treat!

 

[DoryDorito]

When we flew from Seattle to Maui I noticed a mom with a Melissa and Doug puzzle set. It had four age appropriate puzzles that came in this compact box. I think she said her son was 2. I loved the idea and plan on getting one for our daughter when we go from Sea to MCO in December. Sticker books are always easy, cheap and take up no space. I stay away from anything that makes noise or that disrupts other passengers.

OH the BEST think that both my kids loved are those magnadoodle things. you know with the pen attached. Shoot I can't think of the name right now....
You can get them at Target....They are easy to pack and my kids still love to play with them.

ok here it is the best toy for planes...

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3198257

 

[2thfairy]

i have been wondering the same thing. we leave next week and fly from iowa to atlanta and then on to florida. my 2 1/2 yr old is very active and Im just hoping i can keep him entertained for the whole flight times plus the layover time. I need to take lots of things since one thing only keeps his interest for a short time.

 

[brandylouwho]

Hmmm, unforunately we used cartoons on an iphone for much of our trip (not only on planes but on the bus rides too), but these other items also came in handy...

color book, paper & crayons
stickers on paper--eve post its or tape. Why do they love that stuff?
a small amount of playdough
a few books
a doll & bottle (our daughter's favorite toy)

I really like the phone on airplane mode idea. I think this would have worked for our daughter too.

Pray the toddler takes a nap Ours did on 3 of the 4 legs of our trip.

 

[saraheeyore]

we had a 9 hour flight with a 2 year old and it wasn't much fun
you might be lucky and they might sleep a bit (mine didn't even on night flight home)
Take crayons, small notebooks(more than one as when they get bored with one you can bring out a new one and its something new so you have their attention ), stickers,drawing boards and lollies as they take a while for them to eat,paracetemols for you as you may need then,small toys we had some animal hospital animals and some polly pockets that she could dress

 

[cl1067]

We leave in 11 days I can't wait. I also have a very active almost 3 year old. The biggest thing I am doing is not letting her know what is in the bag for the plan and also packing some new things. New things seem to hold her attention more.

Hope all goes well for you!

Christina

 

[NaplesRI]

Having been on several planes with my grandson, I have to say that the DVD player was well worth the $20+ that my stepdaughter paid for it.
It is amazing how mesmerizing it is. Perhaps you could borrow one from a friend for the week?

In addition, try one of those small spiral notebooks- for some reason kids love to flip the pages and "write" on multiple pages. To this day our grandson (now age 6) loves to "take dinner orders", "Give appt cards and directions to the dr office" etc

At the dollar store you can usually get sheets of Disney stickers that could keep her entertained for a while- maybe she could put them into her spiral notebook.

How about colorforms?

Definitely nothing with really small parts because for sure they will get dropped, and you know how much room there is between those seats

Good luck with your trip- I hope it starts your vacation off smoothly~

 

[amyngary]

I recently tried this and it worked quite well: First, I let my kids each pack a few favorite books and quiet toys into their carry-on bags. Then, without their knowledge, I put a surprise item into a brown paper bag and sealed it with a Disney sticker. I repeated that for many bags (one for each 30 minutes). Some examples were printable puzzles, a magnadoodle, stickers and paper, pipe cleaners, etc. The 4th item they each opened was a drawstring bag that would conveniently carry all of their surprises. Once we arrived, they had one last paper bag to open: fabric markers to decorate the drawstring bag. This gave them something to do while we unpacked. NOTE: we had rented a house, so we sent them outside to do this with smocks on since fabric markers are permanent. Perhaps you can modify this idea to work on property.

I was clear with the kids that I was spacing out the bags and they would only get another one if they were happily busy and quietly playing. I had to remind them once, but after that they cooperated well.

 

[Alison_in_Wonderland]

Before a flight, I go to the dollar store and stock up. I buy anything that I think my kids would like and won't be too messy/loud. I put them in their backpacks and then don't let them open them till they get on the plane (I know some moms who wrap each thing - but I don't have the time to do it x2) They love the new toys!

 

[katlamar]

Scholastic books have a series called "I spy" and "Can you see what I see?"
You can find them at Amazon, borders, or barnes & noble. My girls loved finding the hidden objects in the picture. They come in hard cover, but you can also get them in small paperbacks-about 8"x5". The cost is about $3.50. I had no problem bringing about 6 books in my backpack without taking up too much room. I kept them busy for all 3 hours of our flight-my youngest wasd 2.5 at the time. Snacks are also a must! Good luck and have a fab trip!

Isabella-6
Charlotte-3

 

[3boymthr]

I recommend getting a small toddler sized backpack that he can use as a carryon. He can then tote it around the airports by himself and pull out his goodies whenever he wants. Pack it with small toys and a couple of books. New toys are best as they are exciting but old favorites also work great.

Some favorites for our kids when traveling: Hotwheels pop up play sets (they fold up into the size of a large book, can also be used as a lap desk and cost @ $15); travel magna-doodle- better than crayons - the drawing stick can't be dropped; action figures; and best yet - an old/used digital camera that he can use to take photos of everything he sees - you can sometimes get one on e-bay or craigs list or at a yard sale for cheap cheap.

 

[mom2meiko]

i would definitely avoid bringing anything that is messy or hard to remove... playdough also has an odor that doesn't bother me but i know a lot of people who get really bad headaches from it so i wouldn't recommend that on a plane (or anything else with an odor honestly.)

we're planning to travel with our (will be) 2.5 year old and hope to bring the following in her very own little backpack that she can carry:

• colorforms (like stickers but won't ruin the seats, etc.)
• travel magnadoodle
• those special crayola markers that only work on special paper
• disney movie (and dvd player/laptop)
• books
• cars - little toy cars - she loves those things!

i've read that pipe cleaners of all things are a good idea because they can be bent into so many different shapes, etc. i'm debating that one...

and of course we will bring some healthy snacks for her. i'm not a fan of feeding my kid junk food except on rare occassions so we'll be packing some stuff for her for the flight/airports.

 

[Muppetfan3]

I usually put a bunch of stuff in my DD's backpack - new stuff that is exciting, and it doesn't have to be expensive. A new little beanie baby stuffed animal, a coloring book and crayons, a few books (maybe Disney ones), the Magnadoodle (travel size) is awesome, a few snacks like animal crackers, goldfish, fruit snakcs and some juice/bottled water. I know you said you're not interested in a DVD player, but I have to tell you, that was one of the best things we have ever bought for travel - ever!! You can always play movies on other devices that you may have - laptop, etc. There's something mesmerizing to a child about watching their favorite DVD that may help your trip be a lot more pleasant, IMO. I'm sure you'll have a great time, happy travels!

 

[candielips]

We travelled w/ our DD on a plane when she was almost 1 so advice might be a little different.
We brought her little toys that she had never seen before so when we brought one out to her at a time it was a new toy. Colouring books, puzzles, books.
On our return flight we actually gave our DD gravol, which is an anti-nauseant. It helped prevent an up set tummy and she had a nap throughout almost the entire flight.

 

[Colinsmom]

Do you have a video iPod? We load some kids' shows on there and let the kids watch when we fly. It is nice because it is so compact compared to a portable DVD player!!

 

[Brer Shay]

I know you said no DVD player, but I can attest that it is a great asset on planes - especially if watching something is "treat" to the child rather than a regular activity. I bought ours specifically for a plane trip from DC/Charlotte and Charlotte/El Paso and reverse with a 20 month, 3 year and 5 year child. It was much easier to carry that one item than multiple packs with entertainment items for three kids. I've also loaned it to several friends in similar situations.

That being said, I second PP who mentioned a small spiral notebook. Kids love to color/draw on LOTS of pages. Also having something "new" every 30 minutes on the plane will be helpful - sticker books, color wonder markers & paper, spiral notebook, several pipe cleaners (also an odd but effective source of entertainment), new toys, etc.. Don't forget some extra snacks for the little one too.

 

[sparty7798]

We just travelled at Christmas with our 22 month old and my husband found a cars sticker book where you could peel off the stickers and then put them in other places in the book. This kept him busy the entire time. He also liked the ritz crackers they gave out.

Good Luck!

 

[playswithstars]

So....who's got some good ideas for how to keep a smart, but somewhat antsy two year old entertained from Minneapolis to Atlanta and Atlanta to Orlando. We do not have a portable DVD player and do not plan on purchasing one before the trip, but all other ideas are welcome. Thanks.

Do they like drawing or coloring? That keeps many of the toddlers I work with entertained for long periods of time.

Or maybe they would enjoy looking at the pictures in books? Maybe some little trinket toys that you could pick up cheap at the dollar store?

 

[tinkermom23]

I have been on the lookout for things for our 2.5 yo twins on the plane. (also from MSP)
Our Target store has cool dollar bins and this weekend I picked up small spiral notebooks, crayons, & stickers, all in Disney characters! Cars, Princesses, Monsters Inc., Incredibles... I can give many little surprises without costing much!