1. Pack plenty of snacks. Snacks are B's love language. I try not to offer them very often at home but when we're out and about it's a great way to keep him happy.
2. Pack some new toys and books. I hit up the dollar spot at Target. I think they may be the only toys we've ever purchased him. Not many of them were a big hit but a few were. He loved his Captain America keychain. We also got him a little Leap Pad lap top. He loved pushing the buttons and playing on it. It wasn't all that cheap (it was maybe $17) but it did occupy him for a LONG time so it was worth the price. Also, he could read "Brown Bear Brown Bear" a hundred times in a row so it was the perfect book to bring along.
3. Pack more clothes, diapers, and WIPES (don't forget the extra wipes!) than you think you'll need. Those wipes work wonders on pretty much everything.
4. Bring a movie or other game/entertainment. We hate to let B have too much screen time but lately he is LOVING the iPad. He hadn't ever got to watch a show on it but we downloaded the Toy Story Toons for the trip and he loves them. (We actually pulled out Toy Story 3 tonight and he sat completely still for 45 minutes watching it before he had to go to bed. Yikes.) I debated long and hard about getting him headphones for the trip and ultimately I didn't. He didn't seem to mind but he also hadn't ever seen a movie on it so he may not have known it was supposed to talk as well. I think next year I'll definitely get him some kid headphones for it.
5. Offer drinks and snacks during take off and landing. I've heard a lot of stories about kids ears popping on airplanes but B didn't seem to notice. We kept him chewing, drinking and swallowing and he did a great job.
6. Let them run some energy off during layovers or while waiting. We did several laps at each of the airports we visited. There's also kid play areas at a lot of airports- B loved finding those. When it was nap time we put the canopy on the (reclined) stroller and covered it with blankets. I walked laps around the water fountain (for some white noise) and he was asleep after two laps.
7. Take a decent stroller. I know a lot of people advise against this for fear that it may get broken. I was leery too but everything I read online said it was safe to take the nicer one. We took a chance and in the end we are so glad we had it (B wouldn't have likely gotten a nap otherwise). I think when he's a little older we could have gotten away with an umbrella stroller but it was nice to have the nice one this time.
8. Be the last to board. And if you can choose your seats, sit as close to the front as possible for a quick escape after landing. The less time you're on the plane, the better. :)
8.b. Keep in mind if you are the last to board, you may have to check your carryon. Make sure you have what you need in the carryon you actually get to take on board. We had to gate check our small suitcase last minute and it had the extra diapers and our boarding passes for our next flight. Thankfully I had some extra diapers stashed in my purse and we were able to make our connecting flight in time for new boarding passes but it would have been nice to not have to worry about it.
9. Ask your friends that travel with kids for some tips. I asked several people ahead of time and got some really great ideas (especially for when B is a bit older)- I especially like the idea of bringing window clings for him to play with on the plane window. Busy books and other project activities are some other great ideas I found.
10. Check out other online resources for tips. I found a free e-book on the subject and it gave tons of great tips. Jessica at the Mom Creative offers some tips that work for her. I think we'll be using the carseat on wheels trick next year when we'll have to buy his own plane seat. (And looking back, he would have probably actually napped on the plane this time if we had brought it along.)
And a bonus tip- Travel with shoes that stay on their feet well so you don't have to worry about losing them. I put Toms on him thinking they'd be easy to get on and off at security but neither security points wanted us to take his shoes off. Also related to security- Desitin (diaper cream) is considered a liquid so pack it accordingly. (Unlike I did.... oops.)
Do you have tips for traveling with a little one? Is your little one a great traveler?
