Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Airplane tips for flying with littles.

Hello! We recently got back from sunny and warm Arizona. (Though, it is feeling more like spring here in Iowa now so I am not complaining at all!) I researched a lot before the trip about plane tips for traveling with young kids, so I thought I would share about our experience now that we've done it.


I didn't get any pictures on my real camera of Norah on the plane, because on the way there I was frantically trying to buy milk for Norah before getting on board, and on the way home we almost missed our flight because of long lines. But, we made it both times and it went well! Thankfully Norah did great. She got a little restless at times, and also refused to sleep even though she was so tired, but we can't complain. She was overall very happy and played well on the plane. I was worried about her ears hurting/popping, but it didn't seem to be a problem. 

Here we are getting off the plane. You did it, Norah!


Here are a few flying tips we discovered:

1. Choose what time of day to fly that works best for your family. I know you don't always get your exact preference, but you can choose to an extent. I read on several blogs that they recommend taking red eye flights with young kids because they will sleep, but that personally sounds terrible to me. I would much rather fly during the day (hopefully over a nap time, but Norah didn't sleep on the plane anyways), so we can keep her night schedule as consistent as possible. I would rather have a messed up nap than a messed up night. But that's just me, you have to choose what works for you!

2. Make sure you have something to drink/chew for take off and landing- this helps with the ears. Thankfully, we were able to buy milk at the airport on the way there, and on the way home they let me take her milk through security without dumping it out. Yay! Norah also enjoyed eating the snack mix the flight attendants handed out. (I had other snacks, but this new and exciting snack was way better apparently.)

3. Try to have everything you will need, or think you will need, during the flight in a reachable place, so you aren't trying to grab things from overhead storage. 

4. Since Norah is under 2, she could have been a lap child, but Kley's parents were very generous and got Norah her own seat because they wanted her to be as comfortable as possible. We checked her car seat, because they are so large (wider than the airplane seat), even thought we could have taken it on board. My mother-in-law got her the Cares Airplane Safety Harness. It was better than nothing and I'm glad we had it, but I think it would work better on a bigger child. Norah was on the very low end of the weight limit, and since there wasn't any strap between her legs she kept sliding down. Also, the strap that goes around the seat would loosen as the trip went on. But, I do think this is a neat product and if you travel a lot I think it would be great. Norah has at least one other flight planned in the neat future, so we will use it again.


5. We had a copy of Norah's birth certificate along, but we were never required to show it since Norah had her own ticket. Not exactly sure why, but I will for sure always bring it just in case. 

And now to my favorite part- airplane toys you should definitely bring! This is what Norah loved on the plane:

1. Hot Wheels Cars- These were so entertaining, and great that they are small! Norah loved driving them around her seat/on the armrests, and just taking them in and out of the container. 


2. Travel Magna-Doodle- So perfect for scribbling/erasing and repeat, repeat, repeat. And no mess!


3. Crayola Mini Twistable Crayons- I like the twistable crayons better than regular because they are just easier- less breakable, less waxy, and less actual crayon for them to put in their mouth. (Norah has done so great with not putting things in her mouth that aren't food, but crayons must just look delicious to her.) The mini ones are nice for travel because they are smaller, and thus more portable. They also sell them in this nice travel case with paper if you like that!


(I put the hot wheels cars and the crayons in those plastic containers that the crystal light packets come in. It worked perfectly and they are such a nice size!)

4. Coloring books- To go with the crayons, obviously. Also, those coloring packs that you can get in the dollar section that comes with a small coloring book/crayons/stickers are awesome. 


5. Ipad- We don't let Norah use the Ipad too often, but it can be great during traveling. A separate post on my favorite apps later!

6. Touch and feel books- Any favorite touch and feel/lift the flap books. Or bring a new one for a surprise! This is one of Norah's favorites.


7. Magnet books- There are lots of magnet books out there, but Norah has Magnetic Farm and Magnetic Noah's Ark. I love them because they close tightly shut so none of the magnets can fall out, and they are also small enough to fit easily in the diaper bag. Some of the magnets are small though, so if you have a young one that still puts things in their mouth you'll have to be careful. (They are from Lee Publications.)




8. Alex Toys Touch and Feel Alphabet Cards- I got these just for this trip as something new. They weren't her absolute favorite like some of these other items, but they were still nice to have! The images are bright and colorful, and the touch and feel part is neat. The box they come in is a nice carrying case for them with a velcro flap.
9. Also, bring a slinky and a flashlight. My MIL brought those and, for some reason, they were awesome. That crazy slinky gave us minutes of entertainment several times, which is a big deal on a small plane. The flashlight she brought had several different settings (like where the handle could light up too and/or blink), and Norah liked that as well.





3 comments:

  1. Nice! Thanks for the tips!! We are having her fly for her first time in Sept to see our amazing nieces in Ohio!

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  2. Thanks! I will let you know! :)

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