How to survive Holiday travel WITH the family!

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2017 was the year of travel for myself and my toddler. We were literally on a plane every month, sometimes even twice or thrice a month. So there is tons I learned and fixed over time to help make the airplane and overall travel experience a much smoother one for us.

A couple of the tips that I shared earlier on stay true such as aiming for a nighttime flight (Check our previous post on traveling with a baby – 6 tips to make a breeze), food etc. After much trial and error here are a few more tips, especially for older kids.

1. Airport Map
2. Download videos
3. Food on the plane
4. Limit the number of toys
5. Accessories to keep

Airport Map

Whether you have a stopover or you’re getting to the airport super early, it’s always a great idea to check out the airport map or directory. Some airports have designated kids area and you want to know where that is. Not only willing it make the wait time more fun, you will have a tired toddler by the time you board! Ha! Win win😉
We recently discovered the NASA play area at Washington Dulles Airport. I cannot stress how much love and prayer I sent to the fine people at NASA for that!

We had so much fun playing and I got to sip on my skinny (I try!) Latte and ‘accidentally’ ordered muffin in peace.

We made a couple friends too, so there were a couple happy families with spent toddlers onboard that day😊

Download Videos

Now I know I shouldn’t be advocating screen time, but no such rules exist on the plane my friend. I download videos on every video app (Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, YouTube Kids). YouTube Kids actually has a couple offline videos too so that was great. Plus I have a few games my toddler like to play such as coloring, bubble popping etc.
Also if flying domestically it is a good idea to download the Gogo Entertainment app. It lets you view select movies, tv shows etc for free on your own device. I know it worked for us on Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Plus check your cellphone service provide perks, some offer in-flight internet as well.
I also got the toddler to try on headphones before flying so that she gets used to it.

Since we went on a long haul flight first she just watched the in-flight entertainment for a while before going on a nursery rhyme singing spree with me!

Food on the plane

So this mostly works on long-haul or international flights. Call at least 2 days before the flight to make sure there is a kids meal.  It’s always great to have an option in case your child is not in the mood to eat the snacks you brought on. Plus that also means you will get additional milk in case you were not able to carry enough with you.  So always call up the airline to see if the kids’ meal option is there and ensure your child gets one.
For snacks get a couple of the sandwich size ziplock baggies and have a few different snacks that your child likes handy in a separate food bag.

Limit the number of small toys

I cannot emphasize enough on this point. In the beginning of our travels, I used to keep a small bag of toys and oh my god the number of times I had to get up and pick those darn things was insane. And the picky penguin (my toddler, lol) would have a fit if she didn’t have it with her. So it was a constant battle. But I learned my lesson.
Now we keep 2-3 toys that are fairly medium in size or keep activity books instead. I am in charge of the crayons though.

Accessories to keep

So you understand I have a ‘toddler throwing things’ problem. My solution for that was this nifty Kids Car Seat Travel Tray from Amazon (click the image for details).

This was pretty awesome for keeping things contained. It has a slot that can be used for an iPad which was pretty handy when she wanted to watch her own videos. And the best part, it’s pretty great value too, I use it in our car, in the stroller so you’ll get some major bang for your buck. I use it on shorter flights though, anything under 4 hours (Ha yes that’s a short flight for me these days!).

Also at the airport, my toddler has a way of trying to run away from me the minute I take her out of the stroller. So I anticipated that happening over and over again. I ordered a Plush Anti-lost Toddler Bag  (click image for details).

Okay, so this was absolutely adorable! These are small plush bags which strap on the chest. At the backside of the backpack, there is a strap that you can hold on to no matter what the toddler cannot escape! Oh man we had so much fun with this one! The bag also has a zip so you can store some of the toys or snacks in here. Plus an ID card with her name, my name and a phone number just in case!
After returning home, I still use this when at the mall or any other busy area where she won’t be in the stroller.

Last one is more of a Mom find for everything you want to store in a TSA friendly bag, this toiletries and accessories bag has started to become my must have on road trips and plane rides. I normally stuff my skincare and toiletries but I have been known to pop in snacks and kiddos medicine and plane toys for easy on the go access.

I hope you find some of these tips helpful, If you have any that helped you out please do share and comment. Anything that can help us mama’s out is a bonus!
Safe travels!