Toddler Travel Hacks
We flew with Adelaide for the first time in mid-September. As a first time mom preparing to take her toddler (17 months old) on her first flight, to say I was nervous is an understatement. Thankfully, I found a few things that made killing time at the airport and on the plane a breeze.
The first were these window-cling stickers from Amazon. They came with a set of 5 booklets and themed stickers. Adelaide loved moving the stickers from the booklets to the windows in the airport and on the plane. Plus, when we arrived to our vacation rental, she continued to play with them on the refrigerator and windows throughout vacation (hooray for toys that take up virtually NO luggage space!). A few weeks later, Addie still plays with these around our home or when waiting on food while we're out to eat. I cannot recommend these highly enough.
The next thing I found useful were these toddler-sized headphones to use with our Amazon kids tablet. We'd downloaded a few episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins, so Adelaide was able to watch these on the plane with ease. We did practice using the headphones for a week at home before the plane so that she would be comfortable with them. She never kept them on for more than 15-20 minutes, but hey, I'll take what I can get!
The last thing that kept Addie entertained on the plane were these fidget spinners. They suction to windows and have poppers built in that kids can push in and out. They came as a set of three, and Adelaide loved to spin them while looking out the window during takeoff.
The first were these window-cling stickers from Amazon. They came with a set of 5 booklets and themed stickers. Adelaide loved moving the stickers from the booklets to the windows in the airport and on the plane. Plus, when we arrived to our vacation rental, she continued to play with them on the refrigerator and windows throughout vacation (hooray for toys that take up virtually NO luggage space!). A few weeks later, Addie still plays with these around our home or when waiting on food while we're out to eat. I cannot recommend these highly enough. 
Lastly, I wanted to pass along a few other tips I received from friends that I found helpful:
1. Pack something for your child to sip on during takeoff and landing to help with ear popping. DON'T pack one of the cups with the weighted straws as these don't respond well to the changes in pressure and can overflow easily. We brought one of Adelaide's sippy cups and bought milk after we got through security. Then, we got juice during the flight to use in a clean sippy for landing.
2. Remember that you can gate check your stroller on most flights. We loved having the stroller with us throughout the airport so Adelaide could be contained, but we also gave her lots of breaks out of her stroller before the flight to let out some energy. We found a spot to sit that was less crowded than the area near our gate so she could explore without climbing over too many strangers.
3. Bring ALL the snacks. When Adelaide would get restless, we'd alternate between toy/distraction and snack. It seemed to work well for us.
4. Take deep breaths! The flight will be over before you know it. Remember that planes are public transportation and that you and your child have the same right to be there as everyone else. You may come across the occasional person who is grumpy that a toddler or baby is on their flight, but that is THEIR issue, not yours.
Do you have any toddler travel hacks? Please comment below to share with other families.
Links
Sticker Clings: $15.99 - 5 Set Reusable Sticker Books from Amazon
Headphones: $18.99 - Nenos Kids Headphones from Amazon
Fidget Spinners: $12.97 - 3 Pcs Suction Cup Pop Up Fidget Spinner from Amazon
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