Hey Parents! Here's the No-Scream Airplane Kit You Need
(Photo: Thinkstock)
If traveling with young children fills your heart with dread, you might be packing the wrong stuff. A well-planned “no cry” bag will avert many a meltdown, keep tots happy and occupied, and keep your seat neighbors from giving you the stink-eye.
We asked moms and experts for a peek inside their no-cry bags. Read on for ideas on what to pack for your kids the next time you fly the not-so-happy skies.
“I like a combination of old school and new school items to help keep kids busy on planes,” says Corinne McDermott, founder of HaveBabyWillTravel.com. Inside her bag are crayons, paper, coloring books, sticker books, and a travel Etch-A-Sketch, as well as a tablet computer. “But I advise holding back on the tech until absolutely necessary,” she says. And she leaves at home toys and games with a bunch of tiny pieces that can get lost, or anything that’s precious or irreplaceable that could get broken or forgotten. The exception, of course, is a favorite lovie or blanket – “but guard that with your life!”
(Photo: OurLittleMesses on Etsy)
Single mom Jessica Hale has flown several times a year with her daughter Ally since she was 6 weeks old, and has mastered the art of tear-free travel at every age. As a baby, Ally was tucked into a Moby Wrap, which kept her secure and gave Hale her hands, “so I could still pee and drink a Diet Coke!”
And as Ally got older, Hale stocked up on dollar-store toys, which she wrapped individually. “Every 30 minutes she got a new toy to unwrap,” says Hale. “Unwrapping kept her occupied more than the toys.”
Heather Cross, who owns travel agency Vacations by Heather, gives her clients with kids travel care packages. As a mother of two, she’s come up with a few favorites both for her clients and her own kids, now 5 and 7. She stocks up on mini packs of Play-Doh, Crayola Color Wonder marker kits (less messy than actual markers), little wind-up toys, magnet playsets and, for older kids, Mad Lib booklets.
(Photo: BlackbirdFlyCompany on Etsy)
Related story on Yahoo Makers: Every Parents’ Dream: Crafts to Keep Kids Occupied on the Plane
Talk about “travel by fire” – Britt Beauregard’s first flying experience with her family was taking her 2-year-old and 8-month-old twins from St. Louis to the Dominican Republic, a trip that involved multiple flights and going through customs.
Her bag included the twins’ favorite squeeze toys, plus, for her toddler, an iPad stocked with some brand-new games, triangular crayons (they don’t roll) and a new coloring book, plus a craft organizer with compartments packed with a wide assortment of tiny snacks, like cereal, gummy bears, bite-sized cookies, dried fruits, and so on.
Don’t forget the snacks, especially things that aren’t messy and time consuming to eat. “We’ve always brought those fruit smoothies or applesauces in a pouch – no mess and they’re fun to eat,” says Krista Markowski, who has been making a Chicago-Disney flight regularly since her youngest, now 4, was 9 months old.
And for Cross, the snack is the activity: “My kids string Cheerios or Froot Loops on a string, then eat it,” she says (Moms of little kids can pre-string the cereal before the flight).
Hale swears by lollipops for take-off and landing, once kids are too old to nurse or suck on a bottle. “The lollies helped her ears pop and they take awhile to eat.”
Besides the fun stuff, don’t forget essentials: pack extra diapers and a change of clothes for babies, packets of hand wipes, a sweater or small blanket in case it’s chilly, and be sure to purchase milk or water once you’re through security.
When they’re comfortable, occupied, and well-fed, your kids will be the perfect travelers… at least until you land.
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