Flying with a 2 Year Old - Haysville,KS

I HIGHLY recommend bringing a car seat on board if your child is active. There will be a tag on the seat that tells you what it is approved for (TSA approved or something of that sort). Some car seats are not approved for air travel and the airline will make you check it. My daughter (almost 3) has flown with and without a car seat. I will never do without again. She's a physical kid. Sitting, unrestrained, doesn't happen for more than 10 minutes. She will, however, sit in her car seat for at least an hour or two because she's already used to it and is actually tied in. I did not, however, bring my other child's seat (she's almost 4) because if she is focus and content, she can sit still for a very long time.

I love taking red eyes. The kids sleep, I read. I'm wiped when I get to our destination, but the kids aren't. Alternatively, I like to have a flight include nap time. That's one hour of them conked out.

Pack smart. Don't bring anything extra. It is a pain to carry around and search through. Use zip locks to separate items.

I bring: lots of snacks (but be careful not to bring fruit/veggies if your traveling from HI),
personal items,
liquid (I always bring EMPTY bottles through the security gate and then fill 'em up at the water fountain by the gate. I will not pay 3:00 for a liter of WATER.)
extra shirt for me, extra pants/shirt for them.
art supplies (washable)
two or three special toys/books and their favorite bubby, and myriad tiny toys they can role play with (ones that don't matter if they get lost). Sometimes, I'll get them each one new special something (a two dollar pony and comb, for ex.) The newness lasts the flight.
Ergo baby backpack (I have two toddlers and usually fly alone. Trying to get ID, lift bags, take tickets, etc., answer questions - I need to have hands free and brain on. I put one in the backpack and "glue" (with "magic") my eldest to my leg. That's only for checking in though.

We all wear layers. We pack our jackets in the top pocket of our bag (winter/ flying to dest. w/ different climate)

Use stroller as a cart for all your carry on items and encourage kids to get their energy out in the airport, not the airplane. Yup, I'm the guy who runs her kids through the terminal. TRUST me, you'll thank me once we're on the flight. Yes, you can check the stroller at the gate.

I do not buy food on the plane.

I DO invest in a "personal entertainment system" (ten bucks on the last plane I took). There are cartoons and movies on there. I feed my children media on a plane. It keeps them occupied and still.

If you check a carseat, most airlines will not charge you (like they do baggage). Call your airline to confirm.

Happy travels!

She doesn't need a car seat but I'd recommend it. I think it's MUCH easier to deal with them in the car seat at this age b/c they are used to riding in it. You can strap them in and not let them out...seriously. Plus, if she's used to sleeping in her seat this could help her fall asleep too.

I highly recommend a DVD player. Other than that you really don't need much. I would take a few books and maybe a small game or some other toy but a few movies should be all she needs, plus snacks.

You can gate check the stroller, it's no problem. If you are taking a pack n play, that is free to check as well, and will not count as your luggage.

It should still be pretty easy. I think between 1-2 is the worst to travel with, but after 2 is not so bad. Have fun!

Good luck! I would say that they will let u gate check one item per ticket but I would call to double check. It will be a lot for u to carry if u are going alone, but just for short layovers u could make it work. I would call the rental company and ask about what typ of seats they have before u just go w/ that bc I have had friends show up and the seats were not safe.

I would definitely say u should get the dvd player if it is something she will like. Otherwise I find the only snacks really worked for my little one.

Don't take a stroller that is too big and pack ur patience :)

We have never taken out kids' car seats with...... We rented them or met my parents because they drove down and had them with them. We did NOT like the seats that we rented though..... I didn't feel they were very safe. However, we only used them from the airport to the cruise line so it was a short trip......Still would have preferred our good seats but hindsight is 20/20. (We have Britax Frontier85's for our kids now. And had good seats at that time too.)

However, if I was going to bring a seat, I would still probably check it and NOT use it on the plane...... Our kids sat fine in their seats. Car seats are so big and bulky that I would prefer the extra room to be able to snuggle with the kids instead. Just our preference.

We chose NOT to bring the dvd player. (Could have borrowed my moms...) We didn't want the kids sitting in front of the tv for hours. Instead, I packed some toys that they hadn't seen in awhile in a backpack along with some books, notebook & crayons/markers, snacks, and a couple new dollar store toys. I had also packed a couple balloons that we blew up and played with AT the airport! FUN!!! And passed the time quickly even for my husband and I~! The last trip we took the kids were almost 4 and 2 1/2. They did great! No need for the dvd player or anything else.

Good luck.

I don't know about the car seat, but yes you check the stroller at the gate. Bring favorite snacks, blanket stuffed/stuffed animal, and such. A portable DVD player is WONDERFUL. We also go to Target and get a bunch of new $1 dollar toys and keep them hidden until it's time to be on the plane. New things keep her entertained for a while. Coloring books and crayons are good too. Can you tell we do this four times a year with a 2 1/2 year old? LOL

We just flew to FL from CO with a 2 1/2 year old and 11 month old and it was fine- the 2 1/2 year old was awesome- she felt like such a big girl in the big airplane seat and I'm glad we didn't try to take her carseat. It didn't look like she would have been able to use the tray if she was sitting in her carseat. Some seats don't meet FAA regulations, which is why they can't be in the airplane, but I'm not sure how you'd find out if yours meets the requirements. We just checked our carseat, but if you are renting one, even better!

Her favorite entertainment was the portable dvd player (it really is a good investment.) The other awesome thing we took is a Water Wow. Have you seen these? They are the BEST! http://www.giddyup.com/creative-play/category-108/Water-W... We have Kohl's stores here and they carry them- I've also seen them at Barnes n Noble or Borders. You just fill the pen with water and let them "paint." (I even kept the pen filled up in my quart-size bag!)

Have a great trip!!!