Activities for Toddler on Airplane

[ClaraOswald]

Well, 16 months and 2.5 years is quite different. As as mentioned, I can't exactly bank on my kid sleeping.

What is are applesauce pitches?

 

[mrsbicewdw]

Well, 16 months and 2.5 years is quite different. As as mentioned, I can't exactly bank on my kid sleeping.

What is are applesauce pitches?

I'm sure she meant pouches. You know, the squeezey type babyfood or applesauce packs?

 

[ClaraOswald]

Ah. That makes sense. Yep...I plan on bringing those on the plane for sure. My kid loves the ones that are mixed with vegetables.

 

[malloriewillms]

Yep oops type I mean applesauce pouches. and 16 months may sleep if they sleep in cars. Mine hardly ever sleeps including no more naps anymore but he did at 16 months. The movement could potentially put them to sleep. But I think you'll be fine. I know I was terrified the first time flying with him how unhappy he'd be but he was an angel. And everyone knows kids cry so I wouldn't worry if your concerned about that.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Unfortunately, he's not a sleep in the car kind of kid. He also doesn't really sleep in a stroller ever or anything. Too much to look at. (Though maybe he'll be so worn out that he will?)

 

[AZMermaid]

My kids aren't stroller nappers at all. I have been able to get them to nap at DL in the stroller, but it took like an hour of just walking.... And then they would sleep for 30 min. My fave place to stop when (if) they nap is the walkway between Rancho Zolcolo and the frontierland shops. It is a steady background noise, but no one stops. Whenever I would head for a quieter spot, someone would come through loudly and wake them. The Frontierland spot has that constant hum of activity, but it is enough to absorb any louder things that may come through.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

When DS was that age and we flew with him, I "wrapped" all of the goodies in socks so he could pull out a surprise. We have a box with random single socks in it and I used those so it wouldn't matter if they got lost. I also had a sharpie marker in my purse and I used it to draw faces on the socks and turned them into sock puppets. Here's some of what we packed in the socks:

A ziploc bag with playdoh sealed in it
A few new toy cars
A set of small vinyl cling shapes (I think they were a Cars theme or something like that? Got it at the dollar store or Target's dollar stop)
A pad of bright colored post-it notes (he stuck them all over everything)
Lollipops and "fun" snacks (fruit loops, which he never gets at home, and I honestly don't remember what else)
A new small stuffed animal
A set of finger puppets (from Ikea, I believe)
A set of new mini board books - they were very small, but perfect for the flight
Pipecleaners (these became more popular when he was older, but kept him busy for about 10 minutes on the plane)
A set of magnetic blocks (this was the big splurge, but I picked them up on sale - tegu is the brand, I think. These are still popular 6 years later!)

That's what I remember...oh, and a set of alphabet flash cards because the child was obsessed with flash cards at that age. One of his first words was "cards" and he would love to look at them and have us say the names of every picture. Drove me crazy sometimes, and I was always afraid that I looked like a pushy mom making my kid do flash cards before he was 2, but it kept him busy so I went with it.

He watched a little bit of Blue's Clues on my ipod touch, but DH and I spent most of the flight tag teaming on keeping him entertained. Putting things in and taking them out of the socks was a big hit, as was turning the socks into puppets. We read 5 or 6 books over and over and over again, and I wished I'd brought more than the few we had. We tried having him look through the inflight magazine to look at pictures, but he just wanted to tear it up.

Good luck, and I hope the flight goes smoothly for you!

 

[ClaraOswald]

My kids aren't stroller nappers at all. I have been able to get them to nap at DL in the stroller, but it took like an hour of just walking.... And then they would sleep for 30 min. My fave place to stop when (if) they nap is the walkway between Rancho Zolcolo and the frontierland shops. It is a steady background noise, but no one stops. Whenever I would head for a quieter spot, someone would come through loudly and wake them. The Frontierland spot has that constant hum of activity, but it is enough to absorb any louder things that may come through.

Right now he only naps once a day for 1-2 hours. So we are just planning on heading back to the hotel after lunch. Fingers crossed that he'll actually nap in the hotel!

When DS was that age and we flew with him, I "wrapped" all of the goodies in socks so he could pull out a surprise. We have a box with random single socks in it and I used those so it wouldn't matter if they got lost. I also had a sharpie marker in my purse and I used it to draw faces on the socks and turned them into sock puppets. Here's some of what we packed in the socks:

A ziploc bag with playdoh sealed in it
A few new toy cars
A set of small vinyl cling shapes (I think they were a Cars theme or something like that? Got it at the dollar store or Target's dollar stop)
A pad of bright colored post-it notes (he stuck them all over everything)
Lollipops and "fun" snacks (fruit loops, which he never gets at home, and I honestly don't remember what else)
A new small stuffed animal
A set of finger puppets (from Ikea, I believe)
A set of new mini board books - they were very small, but perfect for the flight
Pipecleaners (these became more popular when he was older, but kept him busy for about 10 minutes on the plane)
A set of magnetic blocks (this was the big splurge, but I picked them up on sale - tegu is the brand, I think. These are still popular 6 years later!)

That's what I remember...oh, and a set of alphabet flash cards because the child was obsessed with flash cards at that age. One of his first words was "cards" and he would love to look at them and have us say the names of every picture. Drove me crazy sometimes, and I was always afraid that I looked like a pushy mom making my kid do flash cards before he was 2, but it kept him busy so I went with it.

He watched a little bit of Blue's Clues on my ipod touch, but DH and I spent most of the flight tag teaming on keeping him entertained. Putting things in and taking them out of the socks was a big hit, as was turning the socks into puppets. We read 5 or 6 books over and over and over again, and I wished I'd brought more than the few we had. We tried having him look through the inflight magazine to look at pictures, but he just wanted to tear it up.

Good luck, and I hope the flight goes smoothly for you!

Great ideas! That sock this is awesome. May have to do that. He loves flash cards too so I actually bought this for him -
http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-7560...1420318392&sr=8-1&keywords=travel+flash+cards

Where would he stick the vinyl cling shapes?

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Great ideas! That sock this is awesome. May have to do that. He loves flash cards too so I actually bought this for him -
http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-7560...1420318392&sr=8-1&keywords=travel+flash+cards

Where would he stick the vinyl cling shapes?

He stuck the vinyl shapes on the window, the wall, his tray (we had a little travel tray similar to the one you have), books, the magazine, and anything he could reach. They didn't always stick, and then he'd say "uh oh. fell. get it!" and we'd go diving for the random pieces. But that was pretty much the theme of the flight -us picking up everything he dropped. I don't think I've ever moved around more on an airplane than I did traveling with a toddler!

Oh, speaking of dropping things, we also had these toy/cup leash things that attached to the carseat. We could fasten toys and his sippy cup to the leash and then if he dropped it, it didn't go very far. He was mostly good about not taking things off the leash.

 

[ClaraOswald]

He stuck the vinyl shapes on the window, the wall, his tray (we had a little travel tray similar to the one you have), books, the magazine, and anything he could reach. They didn't always stick, and then he'd say "uh oh. fell. get it!" and we'd go diving for the random pieces. But that was pretty much the theme of the flight -us picking up everything he dropped. I don't think I've ever moved around more on an airplane than I did traveling with a toddler!

Oh, speaking of dropping things, we also had these toy/cup leash things that attached to the carseat. We could fasten toys and his sippy cup to the leash and then if he dropped it, it didn't go very far. He was mostly good about not taking things off the leash.

I wasn't sure if he'd really be able to reach the window or not. I haven't been on a plane in a few years.

We have a couple of those 'leash' things after someone here mentioned them a while back. They are awesome.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I bought this pill case at Walmart today. I am going to bring it on the airplane, for sure. I gave it to him to see what he'd think. He enjoyed opening and closing it. And then I put a few Cheerios in and he liked taking them out, handing them to me, and then putting them back in. So hopefully this can kill a chunk of time on the plane (and that people don't think I'm letting my kid play with pills...haha!)

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

I wasn't sure if he'd really be able to reach the window or not. I haven't been on a plane in a few years.

We have a couple of those 'leash' things after someone here mentioned them a while back. They are awesome.

On one of our flights he had a harder time reaching the window, but on another (the 2nd, maybe?) he was right next to it. He was in his car seat, and the way the row was positioned, he was right up next to it. Too bad we mostly had a view of the wing that flight, but he had some entertainment in moving the shade up and down.

Which reminds me, we learned the hard way to ask for a seat belt extender when we fastened in the carseat on the airplane. The first time I took it on a flight, I fastened the seatbelt and pulled it tight, and didn't think anything about it latching behind the car seat. But it got jammed in there when I tightened the strap, and we couldn't get it unlatched after the flight. The flight attendants wrestled with it and couldn't get it off, we all got bruised up and scratched, and just as they're thinking we'll have to cut it out, the pilot came back and somehow got it unstuck. Ever since then, I've asked for a seat belt extender and made sure that one of the latches is outside the car seat so I can get it unbuckled after the flight. I was initially worried that I wouldn't get the belt tight enough with the extender, but soon learned that wasn't a problem at all.

So if you haven't flown with your car seat before, think about asking for the extender and try it out, or at least be super careful when you fasten it in to make sure you can still get it out!

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

I bought this pill case at Walmart today. I am going to bring it on the airplane, for sure. I gave it to him to see what he'd think. He enjoyed opening and closing it. And then I put a few Cheerios in and he liked taking them out, handing them to me, and then putting them back in. So hopefully this can kill a chunk of time on the plane (and that people don't think I'm letting my kid play with pills...haha!)

That is an awesome idea! I so wish I had thought of that when DS was that age!
http://www.disboards.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[ClaraOswald]

On one of our flights he had a harder time reaching the window, but on another (the 2nd, maybe?) he was right next to it. He was in his car seat, and the way the row was positioned, he was right up next to it. Too bad we mostly had a view of the wing that flight, but he had some entertainment in moving the shade up and down.

Which reminds me, we learned the hard way to ask for a seat belt extender when we fastened in the carseat on the airplane. The first time I took it on a flight, I fastened the seatbelt and pulled it tight, and didn't think anything about it latching behind the car seat. But it got jammed in there when I tightened the strap, and we couldn't get it unlatched after the flight. The flight attendants wrestled with it and couldn't get it off, we all got bruised up and scratched, and just as they're thinking we'll have to cut it out, the pilot came back and somehow got it unstuck. Ever since then, I've asked for a seat belt extender and made sure that one of the latches is outside the car seat so I can get it unbuckled after the flight. I was initially worried that I wouldn't get the belt tight enough with the extender, but soon learned that wasn't a problem at all.

So if you haven't flown with your car seat before, think about asking for the extender and try it out, or at least be super careful when you fasten it in to make sure you can still get it out!

Thanks! I think we'll ask for one, just in case.
Which car seat did you use? We purchased a seat I'd seen a lot of airplane reviews of. I have heard that the belt sometimes digs into the kid's back though so I am slightly concerned about that.

That is an awesome idea! I so wish I had thought of that when DS was that age!
http://www.disboards.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

I always read the idea of getting a bead organizer and then having kids put those craft pom poms in but since I am worried about him inhaling one since he puts everything in his mouth...I thought this would be perfect. And I honestly don't know why it took my so long to think of it. At Walmart tonight I decided I'll buy the pill case because I figured he'd just enjoy opening and closing it. And then when I saw him playing with it, I said to my husband "I wish there was something small we could put in but everything in a choking hazard." Then it was like a light bulb came on...Cheerios! Sometimes the most obvious things just don't get thought of.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Thanks! I think we'll ask for one, just in case.
Which car seat did you use? We purchased a seat I'd seen a lot of airplane reviews of. I have heard that the belt sometimes digs into the kid's back though so I am slightly concerned about that.



I always read the idea of getting a bead organizer and then having kids put those craft pom poms in but since I am worried about him inhaling one since he puts everything in his mouth...I thought this would be perfect. And I honestly don't know why it took my so long to think of it. At Walmart tonight I decided I'll buy the pill case because I figured he'd just enjoy opening and closing it. And then when I saw him playing with it, I said to my husband "I wish there was something small we could put in but everything in a choking hazard." Then it was like a light bulb came on...Cheerios! Sometimes the most obvious things just don't get thought of.

We had a Britax diplomat. Great car seat, FAA approved, etc. etc., but a little awkward to move around. Not as bad as the bigger Britax seats, though. We used the GoGo Kidz Travelmate wheels to attach to the carseat for pulling it through the airport, which was fantastic, and DS loved riding in it as we pulled him along. A little bit of a hassle getting it all through security and on/off the airplane, but after a few trips we had the hang of it and could get the wheels on & off in no time. Being in a familiar seat definitely helped him on the plane, so it was worth the effort to have it with us, although I am so very, very happy to not have to haul it around anymore!

 

[ClaraOswald]

We won't be using his familiar seat. We got a cheap Cosco Scenera seat for something like $40 if I remember correctly. It's super light which is why we decided on that instead of his good seat. I hope it's okay. He's been in it a few times in the car and it seemed fine. Fingers crossed!

 

[ClaraOswald]

Our vacation was this past February. Just thought I'd comment on previous posts as an update on how things went for us flying with our 17 month old....

children that age tend to be easily entertained.
just buy a few new CHEAP toys so he has something new and interesting to discover.
also bring a few of his favorites that he enjoys playing with all the time.

also a child that age will likely tire easily on a plane ride that is a few hours long so he should sleep for I'd say a good half of each flight.

if he does start getting into either coloring, play dough, or movies/tv shows by then then I'd bring those things as well but don't "force" them upon him.

as I said a 16mo old should be very easily entertained so even playing the "I'm gonna get you" game or peek a boo should entertain him for a good 15 minutes each as long as you're up for it lol.

He did NOT sleep much on the flights. On our first leg, he fell asleep for about 10 minutes before we landed. That's it. No other sleeping on the plane in any of our flights.

My precious daddy (RIP) loved kids. Anytime someone complained about a crying baby, he would say, "You were a baby once and you bothered people."

Do what you can to occupy your little one but don't let rude or unkind people get to you.

Have a wonderful trip.

Thanks! We lucked out and no one was rude to us. Though to be fair, I tried not to look around when my son was getting upset/loud. I didn't want to see if people were glaring at me. Thankfully he only cried/got mad a little on each flight (except the last one where he was pretty upset most of the time.)

On our first leg, our son got sick and threw up all over me, himself, and the aisle. His vomit almost got on the guy behind us. I said sorry and he was like "nah, you're fine." No one near us seemed to mad or anything. I think they could tell how flustered I was as I cleaned vomit up. Our son wasn't technically sick, thankfully. We think he got air sick from watching a video on the tablet. Needless to say, we did NOT let him watch anything on any other flights.

After I was back in my seat, in fresh clothes, and my son was happier. An older gentleman in a cowboy hat tapped me on the shoulder. He said "your son is really cute." I said "oh...thanks." Then the guy next to him asked how old my son was and said he had a toddler at home too. It was really nice of them.

You'd be surprised! Leg room is zilch and my son could almost reach the bulkhead wall in front of us, he would have totally reached the seats if we sat behind a seat.

Thankfully, his legs didn't reach the back of the seat on any of our flights. Woohoo!

A friend gave me some good advice:

Save the "trips" up and down the aisle for the last-minute-I'm-going-insane option or better yet, not at all.

Her youngest (20 months) drags one (or both!) parents up and down the aisle like he's training for a marathon. Back and forth, exhausting his parents and annoying every passenger next to them. He's darling and adorable but he thinks flights are his personal exercise time and can barely make it through being seat belted for take off and landing.

He FREAKS out being seat belted because then he can't be aisle-pacing, but only in planes, not cars. They used to fly frequently to visit family that lives fairly close (1 hour flights) but now they are thinking of driving, even though it will take longer, just so the trip can be more relaxing for them.

Our son did okay in the car seat for our flights TO California. He wasn't out of his seat much except for when he wasn't feeling well and we held him. The flights home, however, he was not wanting to be in his seat. I think it's because the whole week he spent so much time in his stroller. He was just sick of being belted into something. We didn't let him go up and down the aisle at all because of your advice...so thank you! He mostly sat on our laps.

My kids aren't stroller nappers at all. I have been able to get them to nap at DL in the stroller, but it took like an hour of just walking.... And then they would sleep for 30 min. My fave place to stop when (if) they nap is the walkway between Rancho Zolcolo and the frontierland shops. It is a steady background noise, but no one stops. Whenever I would head for a quieter spot, someone would come through loudly and wake them. The Frontierland spot has that constant hum of activity, but it is enough to absorb any louder things that may come through.

As mentioned above, our son didn't really sleep on the plane at all. He did sleep briefly in the car on the way to the hotel. He didn't nap a lot on our trip. A few days, he napped back at the hotel room. But other days he napped may 30-45 minutes in his stroller in the parks. A lot of his park naps took place in the area you mentioned. And you're right, quieter areas were definitely worse. People always came by screaming. At one point, and adult practically stuck their head in our stroller and was like "is he sleeping??" People are dumb.

So yeah....as suspected, our son didn't sleep on the airplane. Not even on the way home when he was super tired. He didn't even fall asleep on the 30 minute drive home at midnight.

His favorite activities on the plane were the books we brought, a small bead maze (Melissa and Doug,) and the pill organizer with Cheerios. On the way home, he also enjoyed taking magazines out of the seat pocket and putting them back in. At the hotel, we mostly played with his cars, his books, and a ball we brought.

I am so glad we brought his car seat on the plane and I cannot recommend that to people enough. I am also happy we gate checked our stroller.

The one thing I would change...I would make our return flight earlier in the day. Leaving at 4pm wasn't great.