We just spent a week flying and travelling with a one-year-old and a three-year-old. It was the perfect blend of complete chaos, and magical memory making. Well, I mean, given that we made a trip to the ER and had a kid vomiting in the first three days, it may have skewed slightly to chaos…
But, the upside to all the chaos? We definitely learned what worked to keep the kids happy while we were on vacation (wait… do family trips really count as vacations?!)…. and we’re sharing out favourite Toddler Travel Hacks right here with you!
Here’s what kept us happy and sane while we were away:
Toddler Travel Hacks
- Never-Before-Seen Activity Packs
They key here is putting a whole bunch of activities together that are easy to pack AND that the kids have never seen before. A few that we included were: new duplo blocks, sticker books, new lift-the-flap storybooks (the Spot series is a favourite around here), and one of my personal faves, a small cookie sheet with letter and number magnets!
- A JetKids Bed Box
I was going to say that it’s essential to bring “a personal carry on” for the kids, but if I’m being honest, after travelling with our JetKids Bed Box, I wouldn’t travel with any other carry-on for them! I pulled Emmett on it through the airport when we needed to move quickly (I kid you not, we had SO many people ask us about the ride-on function because it was so convenient), I packed all of his snacks and activities in it for the flight AND we unfolded it into bed mode on the plane for Emmett to relax on during the longer flights. It was a game changer, and we’ll use it on every flight from now on.
- Snacks, Snacks and More Snacks
We talked a little bit about this before we left, and I still think it’s true… when everything goes sideways, it’ll be snacks that save the day. We packed our favourite puree pouches (they’re great for regulating ear pressure during take-off/landing too), finger foods and crackers for the trip and used them liberally. We packed the amount we thought we needed for the trip there, and then doubled it. And the kids ate almost all of it! Another snack hack: if you’re travelling somewhere where you’ll have access to groceries, only bring what you need for your trip there, and then stock up again for your flight home in your destination so you’re not carrying extra weight!
- Don’t Be a Hero
So, this same logic could apply to A LOT of areas when it comes to travelling with kids… but for me, it’s most relevant when it comes to screen time. My thoughts on screen time during travel? Use it. Don’t be a hero. Your kids are in a confined space with limited stimuli and limited space to move, and SO ARE YOU. If there’s ever a time to pull out a show or an educational app… This. Is. It. We loaded up Emmett’s table with a few of his favourite shows before we left and found a maze/puzzle game that he loved, and we totally used them. It got us through some rough moments, and I’m 100% okay with that. Choose your battles, and you need to be comfortable with your decision, but I will tell you that having the tablet in our back pocket made things WAY less stressful for me, and it’s definitely part of our travel arsenal.
- Bring the (Portable) Comforts of Home
Our kids are creatures of habit. Buuuuut, they’re also pretty darn great when it comes to sleeping in new places, and part of the reason is because we bring along a few key items that help keep things consistent for them. What exactly do we bring? Here’s the list: sound machine, cozies (the blanket thy sleep with), sleep sacks (yep, they both still sleep in one and it minimizes nighttime wandering in strange places), and one or two of their favourite stuffies (stuffed animals). It may seem like a hassle to pack the extra items, but sound sleeps are totally worth it to us. You’ll be amazed how quickly little ones adjust to a new space if they have a few familiar things with them! And if you’re worried about space, a quick packing hack: we fly with travel car seats and have bags that they go in to reduce damage. We use the extra space around the seats to pack in stuffed animals, diapers, cozies and other light/non-breakable items. It keeps them out of our suitcases, and because car seats are gate-checked, they’re less likely to get lost!
- Breathe, and Keep Your Expectations Low
Like, REALLY low. We knew that this trip wasn’t going to be relaxing (we booked a kid-free getaway later this year for that), so when the days were chaotic and sleep schedules in a new time zone were off? That was just fine. We also expected the meltdowns. Allllllll the meltdowns. I mean, it happens on the daily at home, so when the kids are overtired and in new spaces? Yup. It’s sure as heck going to happen there. But we also made a plan. Each time we went into a restaurant or event, my hubby and I would make a quick game plan for what to do if the poop hit the fan. It usually looks something like: you’ve got Emmett, I’ve got Charlie… if your kid melts down, you take them outside to calm down, and the other grown up manages things inside. I truly believe that expectation can be the enemy of joy – so making sure we expected the chaos was key to enjoying all the magic in between meltdowns!
Our trip wasn’t perfect, by a LONG stretch. We missed a couple places we’d have loved to visit because the timing just wasn’t going to work for the kids (the lines were too long or it was too late in the day), we had kids meltdown at very inconvenient times, we had sick kids and hurt kids… but we also made some memories that were worth every moment.
So, if there’s one piece of advice I can offer, it’s this: take the trip, go on the adventure.
It’ll be complete chaos, and it’ll be worth every crazy minute.
Note: we were provided a Stokke JetKids Bed Box at no cost to take on the trip, and all opinions about the product are all ours. We’re really never flying without one again!
