It’s nearly holiday season again and if you’re off on a family holiday, you may be wondering how to survive flying with toddlers without losing your mind cool.
We’ve flown quite a few times with a pair of tots (and survived). Here are my tops tips for flying with toddlers:
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Flight Bags
Spend some time really thinking about their flight bags. Find bags that they love, that they can carry themselves and that are easy to open. Pack them full of exciting things to do and little surprises to keep them going. I wrote a whole post about this here, along with a video: What to Pack in Toddler Flight Bags. (Don’t miss the plastic bag tip – vital!)
This feels like a bit of a faff and an indulgence before you go, but honestly, it’s so worth it during that flight!
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Local Airport
Choose a regional airport if possible that is close to home. It is amazing the difference this make to everyone’s spirits for the journey. Saving an hour or two travelling is such a bonus.
Last year we travelled with KLM from Birmingham to Amsterdam and the short journey to the airport made such a huge difference to our trip.
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Do Your Research
Find out what facilities are available at the airport you are flying from and then home out of. When we visited Amsterdam with KLM, we had so much fun at Schipol Airport, there was so much to do for children, but I wouldn’t have been aware of it unless I’d planned ahead a little.
The airport waiting at either end of the journey can definitely make flying with little ones less enjoyable, so do some research and check what’s available for kids. You may be pleasantly surprised.
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Wear Layers
The difference in temperature between the outside, the airport and the plane means layers are always the way to go for flights with little ones. Dress them in a couple of layers and pack some extra in your carry on.
Layers are also great in case a change of clothes is needed, damage limitation.
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Electronic Devices
Sorry, I know this is not everyone’s cup of tea (and it wasn’t mine for years) but there really is nothing like a fully loaded iPad or tablet with a set of earphones to keep them happy on a flight. (We have these Amazon Fire for Kids and love them.)
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Rewards
This year, I’m going to try gift wrapping some of the contents of their flight bag, so the bits and bobs inside can act as rewards for being good. They’ll get a reward say every hour and then they can play with that colouring book or small toy.
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Snacks
Pack more snacks than you think you could possibly need. Honestly. Also, try packing snacks that are slow to be consumed, like raisins. Treats that get wolfed down in 2 seconds are no help trying to drag out each activity on a plane journey when flying with toddlers.
I hope those tips were useful, do you have any gems to add?
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Disclosure: We travelled to Amsterdam free of charge with KLM last year. As always all opinions are our own. You can read more about our fantastic trip here: 48 Hours with Kids in Amsterdam. This post contains affiliate links.
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The post 7 Tips for Flying with Toddlers appeared first on Taming Twins.