Hey mommies! Getting ready for a family trip and already wondering how you’re going to keep the kids happy on the plane? I’ve been there.
Flying with kids can feel overwhelming before you’ve even reached the airport. You’re thinking about snacks, toys, tablets, clothes, wipes, tantrums, naps and, of course, whether you’ve forgotten something important.
I’ve learned that you don’t need to carry half your house onto the plane. You just need to pack smart. Whether you’re taking a short flight or preparing for a long journey, here are the things I like to have with me, along with a few lessons I’ve learned from travelling with children.
What to Pack When Flying With Kids
The goal isn’t to fill your child’s backpack with everything they might possibly want. You want a few familiar things, a few interesting things, snacks and the essentials you’ll actually need during the flight.
Let Them Carry Their Own Little Backpack
If your child is old enough, let them have a small backpack of their own. Choosing one in a colour or design they love can make travelling feel like an adventure, and they can carry some of their own lightweight entertainment.
Just don’t overload it. A backpack that seems light at home can become surprisingly heavy after walking through a huge airport.
Pack Plenty of Easy Snacks
Never underestimate the power of snacks when flying with kids.
I like small portions that are easy to open and don’t create a huge mess. Pack foods you already know your child enjoys rather than experimenting with something new at 35,000 feet. Dry, easy-to-handle snacks usually make life much easier than anything sticky, crumbly or likely to end up all over the seat.
And don’t give everything out at once. Snacks can become part of your entertainment strategy too.
Bring a Few Favourite Toys
A familiar toy can be comforting when everything around your child is unfamiliar. Depending on their age, this could be a small action figure, doll, toy car, puzzle or favourite soft toy.
The key word is small. You don’t want to spend the flight searching underneath seats for fifteen tiny pieces, so I usually prefer a couple of well-chosen toys rather than carrying an entire toy box.
Colouring Books, Stickers and Simple Activities
Colouring has always been one of my favourite travel activities because it doesn’t need batteries, Wi-Fi or sound. A small colouring book with a few crayons can occupy children surprisingly well.
Stickers can be even better. My child could spend ages peeling stickers off and deciding where each one should go. For children who enjoy learning activities, you can also bring a few simple pages involving numbers, letters, shapes, mazes or colouring. Keep everything lightweight and age-appropriate.
Yes, I Pack the Tablet Too
I’m not going to pretend that every family flight needs to be completely screen-free. If a tablet helps your child sit calmly through part of a long flight, use it.
Before leaving home, download their favourite cartoons, movies or age-appropriate games so you’re not depending on the aircraft’s Wi-Fi. Don’t forget headphones that your child is comfortable wearing, and make sure everything is charged before you leave.
I still like to mix screen time with other activities rather than handing over the tablet the moment we sit down.
How to Keep Kids Entertained on a Plane
One trick I’ve found useful is not introducing everything at once. If the toys, colouring book, stickers, snacks and tablet all appear during the first 20 minutes, you’ve used your entire entertainment supply before the flight has properly started.
Instead, introduce things gradually. You might start with looking out of the window and talking about takeoff. Later, bring out a toy, then colouring, then a snack. Save another activity for later, and keep the tablet as one of your options rather than your only option.
The novelty lasts much longer this way.
Encourage Sleep, But Don’t Depend on It
It’s wonderful when a child sleeps through a large part of a flight, but it’s also something you can’t guarantee. If your child has a favourite small blanket or cuddly toy that helps them sleep, bring it along if practical.
Try to create a comfortable environment, but don’t build your entire flight strategy around the assumption that your child will sleep. Sometimes they simply won’t, and that’s okay.
What About Ear Pain During Takeoff and Landing?
Pressure changes can make children’s ears uncomfortable, particularly during descent. Swallowing can help equalize pressure. Depending on the child’s age, that might mean breastfeeding or bottle-feeding a baby, offering an age-appropriate drink, or having an older child chew gum if they can do so safely.
If your child regularly experiences severe ear pain or has an ear-related medical issue, it’s better to ask their healthcare professional for advice before travelling.
Wipes Belong in Every Parent’s Carry-On
Even when my children are older, I still want wipes nearby. They’re useful for spilled drinks, chocolate-covered fingers, sticky tray tables and those mysterious messes you don’t even want to identify.
Keep wipes and tissues somewhere easily accessible rather than buried at the bottom of your cabin bag. You’ll probably need them when you have the least time to search for them.
Don’t Forget Water
Travelling is tiring, and children can easily become distracted and forget to drink. Keep drinks accessible and remind them occasionally, particularly on longer journeys.
Remember that airport security rules affect how much liquid you can take through the checkpoint, so check the requirements at your departure airport.
Keep Your Child Safe During the Flight
Entertainment matters, but safety comes first. Follow your airline’s instructions and keep children properly secured whenever required. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration strongly recommends approved child-restraint systems or approved devices based on a child’s size and weight, particularly for young children.
If you’re planning to bring a car seat or another child-restraint device onboard, check your airline’s rules before travelling because policies and suitable seating arrangements can vary. The FAA also advises passengers to keep seat belts fastened while seated because unexpected turbulence can occur.
Most Important, Stay Calm
This one is easier to write than to do. Your child might cry, become restless, or announce very loudly that they’re bored when there are still five hours left. You might even notice other passengers looking in your direction.
Try not to let that make an already difficult situation worse. Children are children, and travelling is a big disruption to their normal routine. Deal with what’s happening in front of you rather than worrying about what everyone else thinks.
You don’t need a perfectly behaved child to have a successful family trip.
Frequently Asked Questions About Flying With Kids
How do I keep my kids busy on a plane?
Bring several small activities rather than relying on one thing. Toys, colouring, stickers, snacks and downloaded entertainment can all help. Introduce them gradually throughout the flight rather than giving everything to your child immediately.
What should I pack to entertain a toddler on a plane?
For a toddler, I’d keep things simple: a familiar toy, colouring or reusable activity book, stickers, favourite snacks, a comfort item and downloaded shows or games on a tablet. Avoid toys with lots of tiny pieces that can disappear underneath the seats.
What is the hardest age to fly with a child?
There’s no universal hardest age because children have very different personalities. In my experience, the toddler years can be challenging because toddlers have lots of energy but may not yet understand why they need to stay seated or wait for long periods.
Preparation helps, but don’t expect perfection.
How do I keep my child calm on a plane?
Explain what is going to happen before the trip, especially if it’s their first flight. Bring familiar comfort items, snacks and activities, and try to stay calm yourself when things don’t go according to plan. Sometimes reassurance and a cuddle are more useful than introducing yet another toy.
How should I prepare my child for their first flight?
Talk about the airport and flight beforehand. Explain check-in, security, boarding, takeoff and landing in simple language appropriate for their age. You can even show them pictures or videos of airplanes beforehand so the experience feels more familiar.
Make the trip sound exciting rather than frightening.
My Biggest Tip for Flying With Kids
After all the packing lists, toys, snacks and activities, my biggest advice is actually very simple:
Don’t expect the flight to go perfectly.
Maybe your child won’t touch the activity you carefully packed, they’ll finish every snack much earlier than planned, or the tablet will become your best friend for two hours. Or maybe they’ll sleep beautifully and surprise you.
Flying with kids requires preparation, but it also requires flexibility. Pack smart, introduce activities gradually, keep a few surprises for later and adjust according to your child’s mood.
And if something doesn’t go according to plan, don’t panic. You’re travelling with children, sometimes a little chaos simply comes with the ticket.
Safe travels, mommies!
Have you discovered a trick that makes flying with your children easier? Share it with us at mommytutors@gmail.com. I’d love to hear what works for other families.
