Flying with kids can be stressful, especially for the first time. (And even more so for those of us who hate flying).
Flying with a 1.5 Year Old
What to bring on the plane
Surprise your toddler with a new toy and/or book
We all know new toys are way more exciting!
After our son picked out this cocomelon piano at Target a few weeks before our trip, we packed it away so it would be new and exciting on the plane.
I also packed a few new board books to read on the plane. I share our favorite baby/toddler books on my Amazon storefront.
Any toy that doesn’t take up too much space but you know they’ll be excited about is perfect. Just try not to bring things that have too many pieces or will be a pain to clean up.
The on the go marker / coloring books are perfect for an airplane. The marker only works on the book it comes with and it shows up with lots of colors. Only need to pack the one thing and it won’t be a big mess on the plane.
Pack Your Snacks
Why is it so hard to predict what our kids will actually want to eat? I always like to have a few snack options when we’re on to go.
Most of my favorite snacks come from Trader Joe’s. My son is obsessed with their bamba and freeze dried blueberries.
I love stasher bags for snacks. They’re reusable (sustainable) and easy to clean.
I also learned before our trip that you can bring almost anything through TSA if it is for your baby/toddler. At the time of our flight our little guy was still a big milk drinker. We were able to pack a lunch box with a couple bottles for him. TSA did take it out and test it.
Baby Carrier
Most airlines allow children under 2 to sit on your lap (and you don’t have to purchase them a ticket). Our son stayed on my lap for almost the entire flight. I wore him in the baby carrier so I could be hands free and so I wouldn’t worry about him falling if I fell asleep.
What not to bring
Sometimes less is more! I learned this one the hard way and made sure to pack way less in my carry-on (even used a smaller bag) on our return flight.
Once you drop your stroller at the gate, you have to carry all the things to your seat. Trying to carry or direct a toddler while carrying all the big bags (and trying not to bump everyone sitting in an aisle seat) is a pain in the tush!
If your child never eats an entire box of snacks in one sitting, you don’t need to take the entire box with you on the flight. You can put the box in your suitcase if you want it on your trip and just have baggies (again stasher bags are the best) of a few snack options with you.
Is your flight at night or bedtime? Will your toddler (hopefully) sleep through most of the flight? Maybe bring less toys.
A few more things to remember when flying with a 1.5 year old
Gate checking your stroller
We brought a small travel stroller with us on our trip. It helps to get your child and belongings through the airport. We knew we planned to gate check it. What we didn’t know was that you had to tell someone you were gate checking it.
When it was time to board the plane they wouldn’t let us in because our stroller didn’t have a gate check tag on it. As soon as you get to your gate make sure to visit the desk and get a tag for your stroller.
Maybe this is common knowledge but I’d like to think someone reading this will find it helpful.
Plan Ahead for Screen Time
If you’re flying on an airline without screens at every seat, I’m sure you’ll be handing your child a phone, tablet, etc. to get through the flight. We brought an old iPhone for him to watch on. We were able to use the airlines website to play some shows for him. But one of my favorite tips a friend gave me is to plan ahead and screen record some of their favorite videos or shows from YouTube. (Cocomelon is a favorite in our house). This way you’re not depending on the airplane wifi working or other things out of your control.
Do you have any other tips to share? Leave them in the comments below!
