Tips for Screen Free Air Travel

Flying used to be fun and exciting, but once you do it with a baby or a toddler? It can be SO stressful! The good news is that anyone who has kids knows exactly what you're going through and will hopefully be empathetic to your situation. Like most things in life, a little preparation can go a long way. If you're going to do it the old fashioned way (there was a time when everyone flew screen free!) here are some of my best tips and tricks to make it from point A to point B without handing your kiddo a tablet or phone.

G took her first flight at eight weeks, and I was SO worried about how it would go. Little did I know that this would be the easiest flight I ever took with her. She slept and ate the whole time and didn't make a peep! We've flown multiple times since then and each time has been a little different. What's the same is that some thoughtful planning has allowed us to get through each experience without too much difficulty. Below are my top tips for screen free air travel.

1. All the snacks. I realize snacks are part of every survival post I do, but that's because hungry toddlers are cranky toddlers. Pack a variety of healthy snacks to offer throughout the flight, and you're bound to prevent a few meltdowns. A bag of Pirate Booty got G and I through a delayed flight home when she was around 10 months, which is hands-down the toughest flight we've had. Now that G is bigger, I'm planning on buying these handy boxes to pack snacks. Using press-n-seal wrap under the lid is a great way to allow for only partial access, and the moveable dividers allow for customized sizing of compartments. At about $5.00 a piece it's a great investment. 

2. Plane Presents. I cannot take credit for this idea- the mom of one of my childhood friends is responsible for this one. What are plane presents? Gift wrap any new toys or play things you bring on a flight. Present one to your child and allow them to open the gift. This is time consuming for a baby or young toddler and is an activity in and of itself. This was especially useful for G when she was between 12 and 18 months. For older toddlers, the excitement of getting a present to play with ups the engagement factor. Once they lose interest? Pull out your next plane present and do it again. 

3. Choose activities over toys. When you're flying, you really want activities. Preferably ones that are small, quiet, and hold your child's attention for as long as possible. Depending on your child's age, the activities you choose for the plane will vary. 

At 12-18 months, we got through an entire flight with snacks, a cube of these mini post-its, and dot stickers. The post-its and stickers were wrapped up as plane presents, and after she opened them, G had a blast covering the back of the seat in front of us with post-its, then adding dot stickers, then taking off all the post-its and handing them to me. Not the most environmentally friendly activity, but it got us through a nearly three-hour flight with a 16-month old who refused to sleep despite it being well past her bedtime.  If your little one likes cars, rather than just presenting a car, you can pair a it with a hand-drawn page of roads for them to drive over, turning your toy into an activity. 

G now has the motor coordination to string items of decreasing size, so we'll be bringing pipe cleaners and pony beads with us this trip. Store the beads in a snack cup if you're worried about spills!

If your little one can string things but is still putting items in their mouth, stringing Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, or the more challenging Cheerios can be paired with a lacing string or cooking twine. If you're using twine, be sure to make a 'needle' by wrapping one end in packing tape. This makes stringing easier and prevents fraying and frustration. Cereal stringing is a great plane activity because it also creates a snack. Just tie together the ends of the string once they're done, and you've got a necklace you can eat!

In the days or weeks leading up to a flight, you may also want to frequent your local Target dollar section. I picked up several small activity toys for G that should keep her busy on our upcoming flight. Our most recent finds include this lacing set and magnetic tin activity.

We always bring books when we travel as well. I typically don't buy books before we travel, but instead grab whichever ones G has been really into prior to our trip. When G was younger we favored Spot lift-the-flap books because they're more engaging than your standard picture book, but now that she is able to peel and stick stickers, we'll be packing some Maisy Mouse sticker books. There are tons of them, and some of them include over a hundred stickers. At home, a single book has held G's attention for up to 45 minutes, so we're hopeful these will be a big winner on our upcoming flight. 

As G gets older, I am looking forward to bringing travel editions of favorite board games like these




I hope some of these ideas inspire your future travel planning! Remember, there was a time not so long ago when everyone traveled screen free- you can do it, too!