Getting Ready For Spring Break Travel

For Spring Break this year the kids and I are flying to visit my sister and her family in North Carolina.

At least once a day for the last few weeks Anna looks at me and asks "Gabrielle?" (her cousin). When I say "not today" she says, "Mommy's lap?" And then I say, "No, you'll sit in your own seat on the plane."

Since I'll be flying solo with the kids (the legislature is in session so Chris will be working) I'm definitely planning ahead to make the experience as mellow and pain-free as possible.

This past weekend I started making a list of things I want to make sure we take along on this adventure:

1. Go-Go Babyz Kidz Travelmate. We used the Travelmate last summer on our trip to Italy and it was awesome. It connects right to Anna's car seat and basically turns it into a stroller for going through the airport. She's happy and comfortable in her car seat and we'll need it when we get to North Carolina.

2. A backpack for each kid to carry a few special things. Simon will use his school backpack and I found this toddler backpack for Anna. She's already been wearing it around the house pretending she's going to school.

3. LunchBots Duo Stainless Steel Lunch Box/Food Container. I found these at the grocery store yesterday and will be using them to store snacks in each backpack. I'm thinking something like goldfish, dried fruit and gummies. I'll take water bottles for each that can be filled up once we get through security.

4. A new pack of washable crayons, a coloring book, and a blank book for Anna. A new dot to dot for Simon: The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Book in the World, Book 1.

5. A new book or two for each of them and a favorite or two.

6. A new small toy. I'm thinking something like the Playmobil Dad With Stroller for Anna and a small lego set for Simon.

7. Empty ziplock bags. So great for corralling those small toys, snacks, etc.

8. I want to remember to download a couple movies onto my computer before we leave. I'm also wanting to find out if there's a way to connect two sets of headphones to my computer so both kids can listen to the movie.

9. Cameras. Maybe a couple disposables or the Instax. I'd love to invite them to take their own photos along the way.

Any favorite travel tips - especially for traveling with a toddler?

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170 thoughts

  1. Beck says…
    02/28/2011

    The apple store sells a plug that has two sets of ear buds on one jack :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Jessica Woodford says…
    02/28/2011

    I almost always give my 3 kiddos their own disposal cameras for our special trips....so fun! And at least one of them has all their pictures taken within the first 10 minutes of us giving it to them! :) Now that they are getting older, they will have small, inexpensive digital cameras.

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Terri Lynn says…
    02/28/2011

    Ali,
    A kids camera for Simon....and maybe Anna too....to document their trip as well!

    Oh, and a lot of patience!

    Safe travels,
    Terri

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. kathleen says…
    02/28/2011

    I have packed small cookie sheets in the kids backpacks. It keeps the small lego pieces from getting lost in the seat. Also good for keeping the play dough from getting everywhere. You can cut felt or foam to fit inside with shapes cut into cars or dolls. Magnets would also work.

    Bring plenty of snacks. You never know when you might get stuck on the tarmac for extended periods.

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Ann B says…
    02/28/2011

    I love LunchBots, and use them all the time! If they are going into a backpack, I recommend slipping a rubber band around them. I'm still finding crushed goldfish at the bottom of mine ... :)

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      02/28/2011

      Thanks Ann - good to know.

  6. Marie says…
    02/28/2011

    My son is an airplane lover - so since he started being aware when we fly - he gets a new airplane at the gift shop during a layover. Over the years, he has a great collection of planes. He watches for the various models when we are on the tarmac.

    Lollipops (there are some Yummy Earth ones that are organic + naturally colored) are handy for a variety of reasons :) Including when you need a treat too.

    Games on the iPod/iPhone are great -- I normally will put a new one for the trip on - which is a big surprise.

    Ask for the family bathroom -- I'm only wrangling one - but it's still helpful to find.

    I'm in NC - the cherry blossoms are coming and the daffodils are making their way out too ! It's spring - so one day it's 80...the next it's 50 -- but it's all good! :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Jill D says…
    02/28/2011

    We bought a splitter (for less in car arguments about who gets the ipod) at Amazon. It was about $6.00 or so...

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. aimee says…
    02/28/2011
    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Renee says…
    02/28/2011

    Ali -

    You are super organized. I have found that our kids like to listen to Boomerang episodes. http://boomkids.com/ They listen to them over and over again even at home. We put them on the iPod for them to listen on the trip. We also have the Kindle application on the iPod which is great for my son. We get him a few new books and he is happy for hours. I have found a large variety of books for him at the Kindle store. We go with a mix of relatively current series and then old classics. The classics are super inexpensive which is also nice.

    Good luck. I remember my first trip traveling with my two alone. It was a wonderful adventure. We used a car seat stroller combination similar to what you have for Anna.

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Deb J says…
    02/28/2011

    I don't have children but used to travel a lot and picked up some ideas. I think you have most covered but two things I can think of. 1. Lots and lots of wipes. I am amazed at how little the airplanes get cleaned between flights and there are always reasons for them otherwise. 2. Some large ziplock bags. You never know when or what you will need them for. Have a great trip.

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. hlp says…
    02/28/2011

    Pick up some new stuff for the trip home, too! I get bored and cranky on the return flight, and I'm way more than 2...

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Gypsy Chaos says…
      03/01/2011

      LOL! I completely agree with you.

  12. sprizee says…
    02/28/2011

    Oh, best of luck on the flight there and back. You can buy a simple and inexpensive headphone splitter to connect two sets of headphones to the jack instead of one.

    http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F8V234-WHT-APL-Headphone-Splitter/dp/B0000UV2AW

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Andi Sexton says…
    02/28/2011

    Ali,
    My only advice is to plan for a three hour delay. What would you need if for any reason a connection was canceled or you were sitting on the plane for hours and not going anywhere? Extra diapers...wipes..water...and a blanket... I got to travel w/ two toddlers one year, solo, and this is what happened to me. They need to run, move around, etc. So as much moving about prior to getting on the plane is also my advice!

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Robyn says…
      03/01/2011

      Totally agree on the plan for a long lay over just in case....I always travel with a travel pillow and light travel blanket that fits into my carry on and use it all the time the days of the airlines providing these is long since gone! I would also analize what snacks your bringing cheese sticks, turkey pepperoni, protien snacks that don't need rerfrigration and not loaded with sugar and dies will probably keep your children happier and will avoid the sugar high and sugar time blues.

  14. Tanya says…
    02/28/2011

    I recommend covers for the tray tables. They're plastic and peel n stick to solid surfaces. They're designed for eating out. It just gives the kids a "cleaner" surace to eat and play on. You can find them at most baby / kid stores.

    Dum Dum lollipops help with the sucking for take off / landing as well.

    The only caution with Legos is the tiny pieces falling on the floor.

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Jamie says…
    02/28/2011

    I think you've got a great list. My boys are 7 and 9 now, so easier to fly with, but when they were toddlers, we kept plenty of snacks in the bag. I figured them snacking far more than usual was perfectly fine as long as it kept them behaved, and it usually did! Have a fun trip.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Debbi G. says…
    02/28/2011

    I don't know if someones has already suggested this, but the mini cans of play-doh are awesome on airplanes!! Of course, the cans have to be brand new so the "doh" is soft and not crumbly (and no messes left behind)..I bring clorox wipes with me to clean everything down first. I knew I wasn't nuts when before one flight, a flight attendant saw what I was doing and smiled & said, "That's smart."

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. AnnieM says…
    02/28/2011

    We traveled ALOT when our 3 were little; mostly car trips but it was so much easier to keep them occupied. I had a bag of treats (little toys, a new book, special snack they were not always allowed to have, etc) and every 30-60 min they got to pull one out.
    Also, not sure if they still make these, but Colorforms are plastic pieces that stick everywhere (windows, tray tables, etc), pull up very easily and will keep a 2-3 year old occupied for quite a while.
    Have a great time!!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Julie says…
    02/28/2011

    Splitters are pretty easy to come by and wonderful, but what has also made our life a lot easier is buying a set of child size headphones. My daughter couldn't keep the earbuds in and the adult size headphones always slipped off her head. This time, we bought her pink, childsized ones, and it make the movie watching part of the trip much easier.

    http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Mdr-222Kd-Childrens-Headphones-Pink/dp/B00172M8HS

    These are the ones we have for my four year old, and they aren't perfect, but they are a major improvement.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      02/28/2011

      Thanks Julie - I'm going to add some of those to my list.

  19. Elizabeth says…
    02/28/2011

    I have traveled with my daughter since she was 2 several times by myself and have found that allowing more time than I think I need allows us to enjoy the trip through the airport process so much more. It allowed me to let her down to walk to the gate and not have to hurry her along. No frustration or frazzled nerves. I found a little freedom early on for the kids goes a long way when they have to be strapped down and contained later. Plus a lot of airports have a play area for the kids now. Takes a lot of the extra energy away for the plane ride.

    Hope you have a wonderful trip!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Roberta says…
    02/28/2011

    The airlines do not like Playdough because it sticks to the fabrics/fibers of the seats and floors...so please don't bring that. HOWEVER...Silly Putty is fine...a ball/egg of silly putty and a few colored comic books and the kids will both love it...especially Simon because he can stretch out the characters for Anna. Then roll it back up into a ball and roll it out onto the next character to copy onto the silly putty. Finding comic books with lots of faces is the best thing because stretching out the copies faces on the silly putty is what the kids like the best. A small plastic box to hold all the supplies that fits under the seats and also works as a lap desk might be a thought since the seat trays don't always work for little people. Packets of wet wipes are always handy as well. Hope this helps and welcome back to North Carolina...were nothing could be finer ;)

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Saderchick says…
      03/03/2011

      Great idea to improvise a lap desk, Roberta! Once the car seat is installed on the plane seat, the tray table will NOT go all the way down. Have used the GoGo Babyz Travelmates with my twins, GREAT product!!

  21. madeline St onge says…
    02/28/2011

    You seem to be very organized Ali. Love the Travelmate for the car seat. what a great idea.

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Heather H says…
    02/28/2011

    Get there early enough to make the airport process relaxing. Let the kids run around before you get on the plane. Also I don't usually preboard with the kids (of course this works better if someone else can take your car seat on ahead of time) - but I find the less time the kids are cooped up in their seats on the plane, the better. An extra change of clothes (for Anna AND a shirt for you, just in case!). I always keep some quart-size ziploc bags with me for containing used diapers until I can dispose of them. Definitely second the idea for a new toy for each of the kids. If this is Anna's first flight she might really enjoy a book about taking a trip on an airplane.

    Good luck and have a safe and fun trip! It sounds like you will be well-prepared. :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Deirdre says…
    02/28/2011

    Ditto on ziplocks/wipes. I'm wary of bringing anything that can roll off their trays on the plane or get easily lost and cause drama. That's why we love the magnadoodle for drawing (no crayons rolling or lots of paper to carry). We bring one for each boy.

    When ours were younger, I made laminated pictures and punched holes in it for them to "thread" with yarn...similar to these at Amazon:
    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=lacing+cards

    I think it is worth trusing the kids with an old point & shoot if you have one---to get the quality fun shots from the kids' point of view, they have to take LOTS of dud photos too. The disposable & instax film is so expensive, it's hard to let them take 10 of the same thing. And they love looking at the digi images on back. My boys have entertained each other on planes just taking photos of themselves making funny faces.

    Dum Dum lollipops are great for traveling.

    Have a great time with your sister!

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Missy says…
    02/28/2011

    I know that you've mentioned that Simon isn't really big into drawing, but I know that my 3-year-old loves our mini magna-doodle that we keep on hand for road trips. That might be something to investigate for Anna - they are about 6-8" wide, so they fit in most backpacks or even a purse. I love this because it's so much neater and you don't loose crayons. My daughter also loves to tear out the pages of coloring books when she's done, so this is another way to control the clutter. Perhaps Anna hasn't discovered the joys of paper ripping yet! :)

    Have fun!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Suz says…
    02/28/2011

    Distractions and Diversions will make for a peaceful, pleasant trip. By the looks of the comments posted above, and your list of items, I'd say you are pretty much good to go!
    Have fun!

    Reply 0 Replies

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