The first time I flew with kids, I traveled with my mother-in-law from San Jose, CA, to Baltimore, MD, with 11-month-old twins. I did a lot of research ahead of time to make my flight successful. Since then, we have flown multiple times as a family of four and eventually five, including a trip to Europe from the states. While spending time in Europe, we were lucky enough to fly to multiple countries. Flying with kids can be stressful, but with the proper planning, you can take the stress out and have an enjoyable experience; here is what you need to know:
Flights
Book your tickets as far in advance as possible and select your seats if the airline allows. Our kids beg for the window seat. They love watching the bags being loaded and the planes moving on the tarmac. They are mesmerized during takeoff and landing. Watching the earth from up high is something they always remember. You do not want to worry about an oversold flight and wondering if your family will be split up. Direct flights are easier because there is less chance that your luggage will be lost, and you don’t have to worry about running with kids from one gate to another. If your flight gets delayed, you won’t have to worry about missing your connection.
Carry On’s
We find it works best when each kid has their own carry-on that they can carry themselves easily. Be sure it isn’t over-packed to the point that they cannot carry it for the distance they will need to carry it at the airport. Additionally, if it is too heavy, you end up lugging multiple bags while trying to hold hands through a busy terminal.
Our kids usually use their school backpacks as their carry-on. They are familiar with them, and it is comfortable for them to wear. Each child’s backpack has a change of clothes packed in a large Ziplock bag. Our older kids bring a book, their tablets, and usually a few other small things to keep them entertained while waiting in the airport or on the flight.
We always pack gallon-sized Ziplock bags in case anyone feels motion sickness. Usually, airlines have the bags in the seat back, but not always. You do not want to get caught needing one and not having one available.
Electronics (Tablets)
In today’s world, electronics seem to be the go-to for child entertainment in a pinch. Be sure all electronics are fully charged, and each device has its charger. I have our kids check their tablets a few days before leaving to ensure the games they want to play have all the updates they need. Additionally, I have them disconnect from the WIFI to ensure the games work properly when they are not connected. I usually set a time limit for how much time our kids get. Some of our kids are better at balancing screen time; others are still working on it.
If possible, bring headphones. Your child can still listen to their game or show without disturbing others. We like these ones from Amazon.
Cards/Uno
We taught our kids to play UNO when they were 5. It is a pretty easy game to pick up, and it has been one of our go-to’s when we need a quiet game. All our kids are old enough to play and can easily play with each other. One of our kids will usually carry a pack of UNO cards. Another child will typically take a pack of regular playing cards. We have taught our older kids to play solitaire, rummy, and war. War is a straightforward game for little kids to pick up. These are all quiet games and can help pass the time while waiting in an airport terminal or while sitting in their seat.
Books
Books to keep kids busy don’t have to be just the reading kind. Where’s Waldo is a great book to entertain kids of all ages. Mad Libs is great and they have different ones for multiple ages, while any age can enjoy Highlights Hidden Pictures. Many books can be passed around amongst the siblings and are divided among their backpacks.
While on vacation, we try to keep up with the school’s reading requirements. Older kids pack a book they can read, and before our youngest son could read, we would have him bring a book we could read to him.
Games to play while waiting in-line
Of course, there are times when you are waiting in line, and you don’t want your kids pulling items out of their perfectly packed bags. Some good “talking games” include:
- I Spy – Ex: I Spy with my little eye something, Red. Kids, guess what it is.
- Counting games – Ex: let’s see how many blue roller bags we can find.
- Can you guess the ____ that I am thinking of in 10 questions or less?
- Never Have I Ever…..
- Quite Game: First person to talk looses
- Categories: One category is chosen, and everyone takes turns thinking of everything in that category. Ex: Farm Animals… Cows, Sheep, Horses, etc.
- Alphabet: Taking turns, each person finds something that starts with the following letter. Ex: A – Airline, B – Baby, etc.
- Rhyming – Everyone thinks of a word that rhymes with the original word. Ex: Mad, fad, sad, bad, lad, etc.
- Story Game: Each person can take a turn telling one sentence of a story. See how silly it gets.
- Would You Rather?: Think of silly things. Ex. Would you rather sleep in a swamp or the snow without shelter? Would you rather be covered by mosquitos or spiders? If you could only eat one dessert for the rest of your life, would you choose cake or ice cream?
Snacks
Snacks are always important in our household. Always bring more than what you will need. You never know when your flight will be delayed, and the connection you were counting on to feed your family is suddenly gone. Perhaps the drive after arriving is longer than expected. Things can go wrong a million ways, and having a hangry kid makes it much harder and more stressful. Our kids each have their favorite non-smashable/non-crumbly snacks in their carry-on and I keep some for them in mine as well.
Flying with kids can be enjoyable with proper planning. If you enjoyed this article, please leave us a message or check out our article on Family Travel Insurance.