Any tips for entertaining things to bring for toddler?

[lilpnutmama]

hi all. we are flying in three days with our 19 month old who will be on my lap (fun) and was wondering if you had any tips for things to entertain?? both in the plane and hotel room. most of her favourite toys are big heavy things i dont want to lug with us. any tips would be helpful!

thanks

 

[Alex2kMommy]

My boys love books, so I bought several lightweight Disney books with characters from their favorite stories. (Found them online at Amazon and Overstock.) Also activity sticker books that I got at Costco. (My younger son is nearly 2, and LOVES stickers. He doesn't put them in the right place necessarily, but he's having a great time and that's all that matters, right?) Also little cars (ie. Matchbox or Hot Wheels), something new to play with. Your DD may like a new little doll or pocket-sized EtchASketch or DoodlePro? Crayons and coloring book? OH! I had printed off several coloring pages from the Disney site! FREE, just need the crayons.

For a previous trip, a friend gave me colored pipecleaners and waxed string sticks (Wickistix?) to twist and bend into shapes.

Be sure to bring snacks and something to drink...

 

[bjscheel]

Crayola Model Magic is great. The box has individual packets of modeling clay. It is super clean, unlike play dough- it won't make a mess at all on the plane. Then you just throw it away- it dries hard- a one time use sort of thing. You can take two colors and have them mix and mix till they blend into a new color.

 

[Minnesota!]

I was told that window clings are a hit on the plane! Got some for my DS (22 months) for our trip next month..

 

[JennyW]

We've gotten a ton of mileage out of small magnadoodles. you can draw for them, they can draw themselves, and it's great for older kids (tic tac toe and the like).

jenny

 

[lilpnutmama]

Thanks guys! Keep em coming!
(Jenny, we just picked up a magnadoodle and she just loves it. Plus it has disney characters on it! woo hoo! i think i should have waited for the plane but couldnt resist)

 

[mytwotinks]

Little notebooks with a bunch of stickers worked great for us at that age. There is something about "sticking" things that toddlers love. I also took some washable markers to add to the artwork. Our flight was right under 3 hours. Between that and sleeping on and off, it worked out pretty well.

 

[ryanally]

I second the clings and the stickers. They both work out great. I make a tour of the dollar stores and get cheap little things there before we go. I keep it aside so its all new for the trip. Our Dollar Tree usually has Disney stickers! What more could you ask for?

 

[pbharris4]

Crayola Markers Color Wonder (that only color on that special paper or coloring books). AND it's not messy. A few Disney Books or her favorite books. When we took my DD (she was 13 months and then 25 months) I took the Xtra Lrg LL BEan tote filled to the rim with toys. She did not play with one of them at all. Not even in the car on the drive down. So I wouldn't take a lot of stuff, but just a few things just in case. Once we got to WDW we were too busy doing the parks, shopping, swimming etc. for her to be bored. HTH

 

[tjmw2727]

Add me to the list of posters recommending stickers. Especially if you can find some larger ones and the the big sticker books with the shiny pages so the stickers and be stuck and moved and restuck.

My SIL also went to Buger King and McDonalds and asked to purchase some of the happy meal toddler toys. They have some cool stuff, one place gave her an assortment and the other sold them to her at a reasonable price (can't remember which was which!). My neice also have a travel see and say that she loves.

Don't bring anything you really like because if its dropped its not easy to get, somtimes impossible.

Another thing that worked for us was drinks and snacks, encourage a drink or snack at take off and then about 1/2 hour before landing. If you can find an new fun and of course appropriate toddler snack that can be a treat and a game as well. Guess which hand the animal cracker is in??

For times when the seatbelt light is on try the old fashioned finger games, peek a boo and patty cake.

Have a great trip.
TJ

 

[bartleby1]

Aquadoodle mini mats !!! You fill the pen with water and color the picture. When it dries, you can color it again. We have mini mats with princesses, pooh, elmo, and thomas the train on them.

 

[2poohbears]

Stickers and books are a big hit with mine as well as the magna doodle. I had not thought of the window clings, so I'm putting that on my list for our next trip in JAN 07! I also made sure I had lots of snacks and juice for our trip. (We drove 12 hours with 2 1/2 y/o twins).

Another thing the boys love is play phones. I bought some at Target, but I've seen smaller ones at the Disney Store and at WalMart. You might want to save that for the hotel room since some of the play phones might be annoying on the plane.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Another thing the boys love is play phones. I bought some at Target, but I've seen smaller ones at the Disney Store and at WalMart. You might want to save that for the hotel room since some of the play phones might be annoying on the plane.

I'm laughing because my boys also love toy phones. I thought about bringing it because it's a small toy that keeps the youngest one's attention, but then ruled it out due to the annoyance factor. Good idea to bring it along as a room toy, though.

 

[texasthree]

Pack what you think you need and then take out half! I always overpack and then have to lug it through the airport.

Burger king has little fashion plates (what they use to be called!) in their happy meals this week. They are imaginary friends from the cartoon but they are sooo fun. They kept my son busy for an hour today. You can change out the little plates and make different charectors then you color over them. Best happy meal toy ever! Mcdonalds usually has toddler toys that are small fisher price little people. If she likes little people those would be great.

 

[sydangel68]

A personal (portable) DVD player and some Wiggles/Disney DVDs will keep them mesmorised.

DS is turing 2 in May and loves The Wiggles, will sit for hours watching them, so we've bought a portable DVD player for the flight in Sept.

Travelling from Australia its a 14hr flight, so stickers will only last so long..although he loves to stick them all over the tray table and the me..LOL

I went and got Toy Story 1&2 today and also A Bugs Life on DVD so that he can start getting used to the characters, as he really only knows Mickey, Minnie, Pooh and Tigger.

Thanks for all the other tips.

Cheers
Angela

 

[ilovepooh]

Thanks so much for the tips. We're taking DS next summer and he will be 22 months old. I can't wait!! The fans are a great idea as well!!

 

[lovesmurfs]

When I flew to NJ when my son was under 2, I put together a bag of stuff he had no idea what was in it -- books, cars, a little Playmobil motorcycle with driver, travel magnadoodle, etc. Every 20 minutes or so on the plane, I'd take something else out of the bag for him. Worked well for us, and he enjoyed the surprises.

Good luck!

 

[MayMom]

I got this idea from these boards.....at WalMart in the playdough and magna doodle areas they have small tins (about the size of a bible) with little magnetic pieces that go into them. I bought one for each of my kids....for my DD 2 I bought the one that is dress up pets and has puppies and kitties and for DS6 I bought the outer space adventure. They cost $5.97 and my kids have never seen them anywhere before and have never had anything like them before! I also am packing 2 small bags for my kids to take on the plane that will have new things for them to do.....

I also saw at Target Dora the Explorer paper dolls, only they were magnetic also...my DD loves stickers and magnetic stuff at this stage! I will probably get those and a few sticker books for her bag. DS will get a new game for his game boy, the Color Wonder finger paints - they are just clear gel that doesn't get on anything (WONDERFUL PRODUCTS!), and maybe some stickers and a book to put them into.....

 

[Denise Thies]

The Great part about flying to Disney is that all the people on the plane have excited kids just like you. Hopefully its a direct flight too. Maybe you can trade back and forth with other kids on the plane when they get borded with one item move onto the next. They can make some new friends too since they are all visiting the same place.

 

[brymolmom]

At that age my kids loved photos. I took a dollar store photo album and went into my 'unused' bin of pictures and filled them. They loved going through the album and pointing and naming all the people 'Where is grandma?'...etc.