Traveling with Toddler- Flying Edition

Now that our daughter is a toddler and has flown 8 round trip flights with us since she was a year old, I figured it was time to share some of our flying tips. Most of our flights have been uneventful but there have been one or two that our daughter shocked us with some meltdowns. This post will offer some of our tips and tricks that will, hopefully, help you on your next flight with a toddler.

Booking Your Flight

We have had flights early in the morning, mid afternoon and a few later in the evening. There isn’t one time that we prefer to the others and usually decide based on our schedule and price. Our daughter doesn’t always nap when we try to plan flights around her afternoon nap but has occasionally fallen asleep during the morning flights. Toddlers can be unpredictable so we try to be prepared for anything; nap, snacks, play time, etc.

Packing Tips and Tricks

Since we typically fly with Alaska Airlines and receive a free checked bag per person (perks of an airlines credit card), we rarely carry-on more than our personal backpacks. This makes navigating the airport and planes a lot easier when towing kids. When we fly outside of Alaska Airlines, we typically pay for a checked bag or two. If we can, we try to fit all 3 of us in our large suitcase to save money but that is not always easy to do and stay under the 50 lbs limit. The less you have to pack through the airport, the better!

• Backpack for adults. I use this Eddie Bauer diaper bag/backpack, I love that there is a spot for a water bottle since I always have one on hand. There is an additional large pocket on the backside that I carry my laptop and usually one or two of my daughters coloring books in. Other items in my backpack include; snacks, toys, an extra set of undies and pants for our daughter (in case of potty accidents), my wallet and children’s Tylenol. My husband takes his own backpack with his laptop, the many baseball hats he takes on every trip, sometimes a pair of shoes and whatever else I can’t fit in mine.
• Backpack for toddler. Found this cute backpack on Amazon and our daughter loves carrying it around the airport by herself. We don’t load it up so she can carry it, it also has a front strap (with a whistle) that allows it to stay up on her shoulders. I usually include a small book, some small toys and her headphones.
• Packing Cubes- I don’t use packing cubes on every trip but they have come in handy a few times. I usually use packing cubes when we use our large suitcase and I need to separate our items by individual. When we use our smaller suitcases, I tend to separate my clothing from my daughters by putting them in the separate top and bottom sections. Depending on the situation, you may find you can tuck more in your suitcase without the cubes.
• Stroller- We take this travel stroller on long trips and leave it at home for our short trips now that our daughter loves running around. The stroller is small, lightweight and folds up to fit in the overhead bin space. It has a small storage space underneath and I’ve used it to carry my backpack when my daughter isn’t riding in it.
• Car seat and travel bag- If we aren’t renting a car seat at our location, we check our daughters car seat. Most of the major airlines allow you to check a car seat and stroller for free with a paid child seat. To protect the car seat and make it easier on us, we use this travel bag.

Airport and Security Trips

• Arrive early- We typically arrive 1.5 to 2 hours prior to our departure time. This is plenty of time for us to get our bags checked (we print our bag tags at the self-serve kiosks), get through security (we have TSA Pre-check) and sit and enjoy a small meal or drink before boarding.
• Security- My top tip for security, is to apply for TSA Pre-Check. It’s around $85 for 5 years and kids 12 and under are included with parent or guardian. This has saved us so much time and hassle when navigating airports. Even if the line is just as long as regular lines, you don’t have to take shoes off, unpack liquids or laptops, etc. There are still some airports that don’t have pre-check (mostly international) and I recommend making sure you are ready to go before getting to the front of the line. You will want to have your ID/Passports, plane tickets, liquids under 3.4 ounces, and electronics accessible when you get to the TSA agent. Once you are at the scanning belt, it is a lot faster if these items are right on top and ready to place in the bin and through the scanner.
• Prior to boarding– Let your kids run around as much as possible. On a recent trip, our daughter spent the whole boarding time running between the two of us, off to the side of all the other travelers of course. I also recommend going to the bathroom right before getting on the plane, for parents and potty trained toddlers. Taxing from the gate and actual takeoff can take quite a while and you don’t want to have a screaming toddler asking to go potty.
• Boarding- Families with kids under 2 can board early but, do you really want to be stuck on a plane with an energetic toddler any longer than you have to? We rarely have carry-on luggage so the overhead bin space is not an issue for us either. We enjoy getting on with our normal boarding group and our daughter gets to say hi to all the people she passes in the aisles too.

On Flight Entertainment and Snack Ideas

• Coloring book and/or blank notebook, plus crayons- We have a blank art notebook our daughter prefers to use but coloring books will work as well. We have a separate small zippered bag with crayons as well. (Dollar Tree is a good spot for a small bag and coloring books)
• Magic Marker Coloring Books and Pens- These pens only work on the “magic” paper so they are great for travel. I typically pick them up at Target but you can find them at most department stores.
• Small Books- Our daughter has small size Dr. Suess and seek and find type books that are great for travel.

• Stickers- You can find lots of different stickers at Dollar Tree and Target. The more you bring, the longer your toddler will usually spend sticking them on a notepad, etc. I recommend bringing something for them to stick it on so they don’t end up all over the tray table or seat.
• Post-its- Another form of stickers that your toddler can stick again and again wherever they want.
• Small Toys- Anything small that won’t take up much space and isn’t loud. You don’t want to annoy your fellow passengers. Dollar Tree is always a good spot to check for these.

• Play dough- I usually take one or two colors in individual ziplocks to keep them fresh. I stuff them in a small container along with some popsicle sticks, small figurines and a roller and cutter. Our daughter loves making “scenes” with her animals and building cages with the popsicle sticks.
• Suckers- We bring suckers for take-off and landing. We use them to allow her ears to pop with the pressure change and occasionally we need to use them as a bribe to stay in her seat.
• Snacks- We typically pack crackers, granola bars, applesauce packets, and refill our water bottles prior to boarding.

• Tablet- Our daughter uses a kids Amazon Fire Tablet and we love that it comes with its own protective case. You can download the Disney+, Netflix, PBS Kids, many game apps. I always double check that her current favorite movies, tv shows and games are downloaded and the apps are up-to-date. I have made the mistake of not checking that an app was updated and it did not want to open up for us when we were offline and already in the air. My workaround if this does happen, you can usually play free movies from the airline website/app on your phone and they do have kid friendly movies, just may not be their favorite one.
• Headphones- Amazon no longer carries the headphones we have but these are similar.

The biggest tip when traveling with toddlers; be flexible! Things may not go according to plan but they will have fun exploring new places and won’t realize things are going wrong. Have fun on your next adventure and be sure to share your own tips in the comments.