Toddler Travel Hacks

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My family has lived far from extended family for a while so when it comes to traveling with toddlers, we’ve learned SO much. It seems that many parents dread traveling with their young ones, and rightfully so. Nothing makes for a fun-filled trip more than fussy babies who are off schedule and out of their element. I want to encourage you though that traveling with toddlers doesn’t have to be horrible. While there are many elements you can’t control, there are a few steps you can take to make the trip as painless as possible. As we prepare to travel home for the holidays, I thought it would be fun to pass along some of the toddler travel hacks we’ve learned along the way. I hope they will help you as much as they’ve helped us.

Pray for Patience

The first toddler travel hack really is more of a mental preparation for you. Since my husband and I are Christians, we see taking our toddler in public as an opportunity to put Christ on display. For us, this means praying in the car while on our way to our destination. We pray for the Lord to help our focus stay on Him, for patience, self-control, and whatever else our hearts may need at the moment. Keep in mind, traveling can be stressful for your little one because they often don’t understand all of what’s going on. This is a great opportunity to show them the patience and kindness of the Lord especially as these are elements that most likely won’t be on display by the general public during the travel rush.

Consider Others

Philippians 2:3-4 instructs us to consider others as more important than ourselves. In our family, this means we bite the bullet and travel with technology. We are usually strict when it comes to screen time for our toddler. Traveling, however, is a different ball game. Not everyone on the plane wants to hear your kid(s) cry or scream and chances are, you probably don’t either. It’s okay to make an exception for special circumstances and it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune either.

For our latest trip, we purchased these headphones for Addie and will be bringing our Kindle Fire tablet with some movies downloaded from Netflix. (We also have a battery pack that we will be bringing along.) I may even scan the Hoopla and Overdrive apps for free movies, audiobooks, and ebook downloads. We try as much as possible to hold off on the technology until we are on board the plane. Waiting in the airport is a great opportunity to get wiggles out by taking trips around the seating area and looking out the window at the airplanes coming and going. Some airports even have play areas which are super helpful!

Food, Glorious Food

It may seem simple or even silly but one of the simplest toddler travel hacks is with snacks! Our toddler has enjoyed freeze-dried fruit, fruit strips, raisins, animal crackers, and chocolate covered pretzels. Most of these items are pretty cheap at Aldi and we’ve even found freeze-dried fruit and six boxes of raisins for a dollar at Dollar Tree. I purchase snacks ahead of time and pack half of them with us to carry on board and the other half in our suitcase for the trip home. This eliminates the need to grocery shop while spending time with loved ones. To prevent spending on airport water bottles, we each bring a stainless steel water bottle and fill it up after going through security. To add a little something extra for this trip, I bought a bag of Boom Chicka Pop for $1.00 at Dollar Tree so Addie can enjoy popcorn and a movie on the plane.

Plane Prizes

One of my favorite things about traveling with a toddler is getting to surprise her with fun things to do while on the plane. We pack her backpack full of little items from Dollar Tree and the Target Dollar Spot. Again, I purchase or pack items ahead of time and place half of them in her backpack and save the other half for the return trip. If you’re up for it, I recommend wrapping the prizes (even if they’re lazily wrapped in tissue paper and tape) because it adds to the excitement. Some of the items we will be bringing on this trip include:

Play Doh (available at Dollar Tree or make your own using this recipe)
Magnetic Drawing Board (Dollar Tree)
Wood fire truck (Target Dollar Spot – similar to the one pictured here)
Gel Window Clings (Dollar Tree)
Play Pack (Dollar Tree)
Various children’s books (purchased from a consignment sale)
Crayons (Dollar Tree)
Coloring book (Dollar Tree)
Stic kers (Dollar Tree)
Paint With Water book (Dollar Tree)
Disposable placemats (Dollar Tree or get them free at Chick-fil-A – These are great for containing messes on the tray table and double as diaper changing pads in a pinch).

Adjust Your Expectations

The last time we flew with a toddler, I packed two books assuming that I would actually get to read them. I figured since I had planned ahead and packed activities for Addie that she would sit quietly and enjoy them and maybe, even fall asleep. (You parents with older kids are probably laughing). Overall, Addie did really well however, there were still a few times my husband and I had to take turns playing with her, helping her get situated with an activity, or simply holding her. My plan this time around is to bring my Bible verse cards with me to work on Scripture memory, one book, and one audiobook downloaded to my phone via either Hoopla or Christian Audio. Listening to a book will still give me something to do in the slower moments and it keeps my hands free just in case. Adjusting expectations is one of the best toddler travel hacks I would recommend and this podcast episode is a helpful way to do that.

Other Helpful Hints

Baby gear often flies free – This is great because it saves you from having to spend on stroller and car seat rentals. You can also take your stroller through the security line and check it at the gate which is great if you have a child who is easily distracted and/or likes to run away – ask me how I know ;)!
Families often board first – Be sure to check with your airline to see if they offer any preboarding perks for families. Even if you don’t end up in one of the first boarding groups, you may still qualify for early boarding if you’re traveling with tots.
Ask about seating arrangements – We’ve had flights where Addie’s seat was booked in an entirely different row and where our family was split up all over the plane. In one instance we were able to approach the worker at the flight check-in area and they were able to rearrange our seats so that we were all together. Another time, Derek simply asked another passenger if she wouldn’t mind switching seats so we could all sit together. Generally, people are understanding and sadly, they’d prefer to not sit near families with littles. Just keep in mind, it never hurts to ask!