Suggestions for Airplane Travel with 20 Month Old Twins on First Flight

Updated on November 23, 2008
R.K. asks from Santa Barbara, CA
30 answers

Hello Wise Women, I would love it if you could provide me with any tips that you've all learned about things to bring on an airplane to keep your little ones occupied and as quiet/well behaved as possible. We'd like our flight to be somewhat peaceful. Any suggestions are welcome. We plan to bring some books, Magna doodles, mini notebooks with crayons, mini playdoughs, snacks, etc. Maybe you have a little known idea and/or trick? Please share! Thanks so much, Joni

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H.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

Snacks, snacks, and more snacks!!! The more variety/choices the better. Bring "new" snacks, favorites, etc...

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N.S.

answers from San Diego on

I always bring a dvd player and favorite movies......some planes have the ability to plug them in, others do not, so fully charged batteries are a must!

Good luck

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J.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

My sister took a new package of band-aids with her and let her little boy go to town on them. It occupied him forever because he had to open each band-aid up and then he'd stick them all over the place. On himself, on the seats, etc. It have her a good 45 minutes of peace. :)

Good luck/

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S.O.

answers from San Diego on

Definitely ask for the bulkhead seats so you have extra leg room. And if the kiddos get antsy, you can always let them stand up in front of you. Bring earphones so your kiddos can listen to the radio or the tv playing on the airplane.

As others mentioned lots of snacks and a few toys to play with and their "comfort" items.

Along with a change of clothes for the kids, I always put a change of clothes for me in the carry on too. You never know when your kid is going to spill their juice or vomit all over you.

I would also highly recommend trading in your over the shoulder diaper bag for a sturdy backpack with zippers. That way you have both hands free.

If you have a lay over, definitely let your kids run/walk those long walks between the gates to help them burn off some steam.

Gate check your stroller.

You can take sippy cups/bottles full of juice for the kids. If it's for the kids, security will let it go. But it has to be in the sippy cup or bottle.

Bring a travel bag for your carseats just in case at the last minute you have to check the carseats. This has happened to us when we travelled on smaller planes...our car seats wouldn't fit in the seats and so the attendant made us check the carseat.

Also take along some quart sized ziploc bags to put those stinky diapers in. And don't forget your sanitizing hand wipes just in case the bathroom is out of soap or to use to wipe down any surface that your kid will be eating off of...like the pulldown tray...who knows who touched during the previous flight.

And most importantly, go with a positive attitude! If your kid cries or screams during the flight, so what??? If they have a poopy blow out during midflight, so what??? If other people give you weird stares because your kid is acting up or kicking the seat in front you, so what??? There is only so much you can do to "control" your toddler in the plane. As long as you are making an effort to handle the situation, you are doing the best you can. Most people who have children will understand and those things won't bother them. And if it does, well what can you do? Just keep in mind that you are doing this so your family can arrive safely and enjoy your trip. Don't let the travelling there and back ruin your trip.

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T.M.

answers from San Diego on

You have a lot of your bases covered that I bring. My son is 22 months and we travel a lot! Everything your bring plus special snacks that he usually doesn't get. Like mini m&ms. If you have a portable DVD player that is the best with their fav movies. Plus, I always bring one new small toy he hasn't seen yet. Either your on the right path! GoOd luck!!!

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S.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

Bring a little gift for the flight attendants, thank them in advance for their patience. A box of sees chocolates, or warm Mrs. Fields cookies is nice. You'll be amazed at all the extra attention they get, and the help you'll get. We had a similar experience with our twins and the flight was a piece of cake. All the staff were so helpful, the twins got little airplane wiings, crayons, cards and tons of attention. I was well prepared with toys old favorites as well as new ones, but the novelty of the attention from the flight crew just made everything so easy. A friend of mine uses the same technique often, she's gotten upgrades to first class, complimentary champagne, and even had a pilot radio the tower to hold a connecting flight for her. Good luck!

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D.M.

answers from San Diego on

This may be a little pricey, but this will keep them busy on any trip until they are teens! A small personal DVD player. My kids each have one (they are 9 and 13) and it keeps them busy for hours on a road trip. Just charge them up before you go, and get headphones for each of them, and it just may keep them busy for a long time (after you do all the other toys and games).

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M.K.

answers from Los Angeles on

i have traveled on planes a lot with my 3 kids (age 5 and under) and the best advice i can give you is to be prepared for anything! your sweet little angels could turn into dark little demons before your eyes. you don't say how long the flight is, but think through the whole flight step by step to come up with a plan of action for common scenarios: puking kid, screaming kid, "can't sit still" kid. you will probably have a wonderfully uneventful trip and the kids will be great, but planning for the worst is really important. do the kids have their own seats?

1) i highly recommend crayola "color wonder" markers and coloring books instead of crayons. these magical markers won't mark on anything except the color wonder paper. on my first flight with my toddler i took along crayons and spent half the flight cleaning crayon off the tray table. i'm not sure if they make "mini" versions of the coloring books but even if you have to buy the regular size, you'll think it's worth it.

2) regarding snacks, in addition to the healthy things you would normally give them, bring along things they aren't allowed to have at home (twinkies, mini candy bars, cheetos, etc.) to use as barter for good behavior or reward for good behavior. but make sure you let the kids try the "treats" at home before your trip to make sure they don't have a bad reaction. also, don't pick all sweet treats because you don't want to pump them full of sugar.

3) bring a new toy, something small that doesn't make noise, for each of them. wrap it up like a gift and pull it out if you need to bribe them (your usual clam, reasoned discipline tactics sometime have to go out the window when you're on a plane with 200 other people)

4) THE BEST ADVICE: pack zip-lock freezer storage bags (not the generic brand...you need quality here) in both the sandwich size and gallon size. pack their extra set of clothes in these bags to save space. you will need to have these bags if one or both of your kids gets air sick. they zip up securely so the smell won't be too bad.

i have to run but i could go on for pages!! if youhave more questions, email me.

good luck!
M.

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L.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

Portable DVD players and their FAVORITE movies-they are a God Send. My kids stay quiet the whole time.

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B.V.

answers from Los Angeles on

Sounds like you are doing all the best. Yes to snacks for the little ones and maybe even you and your husband. The airlines do so little to feed us now and you might just end up with a long wait in the plane. Now I always try to take a bag of nuts (not for the kids. just in case you have to wait a while on the tarmack. We were once enroute to Europe and were four hours in the plane before it took off. A nice Jordanian, who traveled a lot shared his big bag of nuts with us....If you don't like nuts candy will do. The kids will like the one on one time with you so just enjoy the experience.
B. v. O

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G.A.

answers from San Diego on

At that age our little one really enjoyed flash cards with photos of animals and familiar things. If your toddlers watch baby einstein videos there are some flash cards available that match some of the series. I also started our daughter on alphabet flash cards where one side has an A then the other has a picture of an apple etc. at about 18 months old. It occupied about 2 hours of our flights every time.

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S.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi! I've flown a lot with my 8 month old, including international flights 15 hours or more. I think the key is keeping them entertained and well fed. And, maybe see if you can get bulkhead so they can sit on the floor and play.

bottom line is, flying is just not so peaceful while we have little ones...It's hard, but I think just as in restaurants, if they're prepared with things to keep them busy, they'll be okay. Good Luck!

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M.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

Sounds like you have it all planed out! There is no way to predict how your little one will handle the plane ride. I have an 18 month old who has been on an air plane one time (she was 8 months old) she did well. We will be flying again in February and I'm nervous about that too. Thankfully, I will be traveling with my sister and her 4 year old, so that will help my situation.
Just let her walk a little bit and when you take off make sure your baby is drinking something (or a pacifier if they take one) I believe it is more important to have them drink something on the landing then it is on the takeoff. Their ears are very sensitive.
Good luck!

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M.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

You have a ton of great ideas already listed. I just wanted to let you know the playdough will NOT be allowed on the plane,
we found that out last year travling at Christmas we were delayed at the security area. So skip that one, plus if it gets on seats or clothing it can be difficult to get out. Take all the other great ideas and have a great trip.

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D.E.

answers from San Diego on

Hi,

What worked for me when my son was that age was traveling during a mealtime (so you can feed them on the plane--food is a good occupier), or traveling during naptime (so they can sleep during the flight).

Also, giving kids "Little Noses" saline nose drops before they fly is a good idea to help their ears. Don't forget the ziploc bag to put it in though!

Happy Flying!
:-) D.

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R.C.

answers from San Diego on

Hello, wow first time traveling with your little ones. My suggestion is to find a night time flight so your toddlers are more likely to fall asleep. I travel with my two toddlers often because we live in Cali and my in-laws are in NY. Also i would suggest you don't bring toys with little parts because you are going to be in a small space and they are for sure going to drop on the floor and you want to keep peace and indefinitely your twins will get upset if they lose their toy mid flight. Also i would bring little snacks that can be drawn out like fishy crackers. Give them one at a time and this will pass some time. A portable DVD player will really help if your kids have the attention for that. Again stay away from little toys and i would bring books, lots of snacks and a lollipop for the landing. My kids always need to pop their ears so i bring along something to suck on so that they can pop their ears and not be screaming the whole way through the decent. Hope this info helps.

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J.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

this is what i packed for my daughter when i flew to washington state just her and i she was 8 months old. she was flying in lap but spent the whole flight in the empty seat next to me. i assume since your flying with 2 they will have their own seats which is best i find :)

in the diaper bag -

10 diapers (more then enough for the just in case)
travel pack of wipes
can of formula (i got water and juice on the plane)
2 cups (i for formula one for juice or water)
change of clothes and pair of shoes (compatable for where i was flying to)
a blanket
any and all meds she will need to take (in the quart size ziplock)
small quiet toys
lots of snacks
a copy of her birth certificate (for the just incase they need some kind of proof)
medical cards and shot records
(try to get them to drink on the way up and down so their ears dont hurt from the pressure)

i think that is about it to what i carried onto the plain. everything else including her car seat went under the plain. i flew in the morning had to leave the house at 5:30a to bored at 7a. she slept for about the first hour on the plain (she drifted off as soon as the plane started to move :)) we landed just before her nap time too so it worked out great and on the flight home we flew in the evening time so we got home and she went to bed. make sure you add time to go through the check points with kids it may take longer and plan your routes if you have to switch planes. good luck i hope this helps!!!

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A.D.

answers from Las Vegas on

Joni,
I have flown several times with my now five year old twins - on my own. We have it down to a fine art at this point. At twenty months I would take along sippy cups - as well as several different types of snacks (if either of them are picky)- the flight attendants will be more than willing to get you juice for the sippies once you board the plane (new regs). Give them their sippies during takeoff and they won't have the problems with ear popping as much.

I always went shopping the week prior and found new toys - doesn't have to be expensive - that you can "wow" them with during the flight. I once had another passenger state that I looked like Mary Poppins with my bag of never ending goodies - just make sure you have them all compartmentalized and you can pull one thing out at a time. Also, as the boys got older (we didn't watch much t.v. when they were little) I would bring along a portable dvd player - just depends on what is entertaining for them.

I always had to buy extra seats (at 1/2 price for little ones before they are 24 months) and installed their car seats just to give them a secure and comfortable place to sit. I took along two extra changes of clothes for them in a carry-on as well as an extra change of clothes and all my toiletries for all of us in case the airlines lost the bags. Oh,one big and very helpful thing is to take a double stroller right up to the gate - one that you are comfortable handling. They will load it on the plane for you before takeoff.

That's a lot of stuff to carry through the airport - with a double stroller but I always managed on my own and people were alwyas so helpful. Good luck with your first trip!

Take care,
A.

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E.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Our Pediatrician suggested Benedryl, it allows the kids to sleep for part of the flight. The other part is taken up by a portable DVD player, coloring books/crayons and snacks. Everyone is happy!

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A.A.

answers from Los Angeles on

I also have twins and we took our first cross country flight when they were 5 months old. We have been going every 6 months ever since then (they are now almost 5).

At 20 months, hopefully they are still napping. We set it up so that we could have a snack, bottle and pacifier and then hopefully a nice nap just after take-off. The bottle and paci are also good for plugged ears on take off and landing.

Another life saver is a portable DVD player and lots of baby enstein dvds. Have your diaper changing stuff handy--I have changed many diapers in my lap on the plane:)
Of course lots of snacks, crayons, playdough and all that kind of stuff.
Good Luck and have fun
A.

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S.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

I haven't raed other responses so sorry if this is a repeat.. but snacks are great and also a portable dvd player. I'm not sure if you let your kids watch tv yet or how much... but in July we went on a Looooong flight with our daughter who was then 22 months and it was much better than previous flights we've taken.

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V.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

I remember my mother's advise regarding the dreaded plugged-ear syndrome. If your children use a pacifier, have them suck on it at take off and landing. I'm not sure how this works scientifically but the movement of the jaws keep the ears from plugging. If they don't use a pacifier, use you index fingers to gently massage the front of the ears, right in front of the opening! Hope this helps!

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H.K.

answers from Los Angeles on

Lolipops or something you can get them to suck on to pop their ears. A portable DVD player or laptop will entertain for quite a while when they are constrained. the rest of your list sounds good.
When my husband and I were traveling together with the kids (and they both were in car seats on the plane) one of us preboards early with the carseats and gets them in place and the other brings the kids and carryon luggage with the regular boarding. This was not easy but it gave the kids less time in their seats and got the seats in place without being in the way of other passangers. When I traveled with the two of them myself I had to just preboard, whaen they would let me (not all airlines do).
Have a great trip!
H.

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C.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

I took the portable DVD player with 5-6 DVD's of her BABy Einstein and Baby Signs. 6-7 books that make her interact..by pulling open little doors...lifting flaps etc.

I took her fruit snacks, her milk...sippy cup for her to also drink while the plane is taking off and landing. We took her Britax carseat and we made sure she was ready for her nap by timing it.

Good luck! We went to Kauai, HI on a 5-6 hr flight and going was good...Returning, she wanted to run rampant through the plane.

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J.A.

answers from Los Angeles on

I've been doing cross country flights alone with my now almost 3yr old son since he was 6 weeks old, so here's my list;

Magnadoodle
Crayola Triangle crayons (they don't roll off the tray table!)
new coloring books and interactive book (my son LOVES fisher price books, with all the flaps to open and buttons and zippers, etc)
Portable DVD is good, but get kid friendly headphones, they are smaller and automatically adjust the volume down for little ears.
carseat on the plane if you can manage it is good, but with twins, it may be hard. Airline rules state that carseats must be in the window seat, so I don't know know if you plan to sit in two rows (if dad is flying too) or just one, but double check with the airline before you lug it all the way to the gate that you can put one in the window and one in the middle.
Bring your own empty sippy cups, you can buy drinks once you pass security to fill them, and give them right at take off and about 15 minutes before landing.
Bring tylenol/motrin
Skip the Purell (the bottle will pop open and leak during the pressurization) and bring extra packets of diaper wipes (and disposable changing pads are nice for the less then hygienic airplane and airport bathrooms)
blankets and teddies
My son loves to listen to my ipod, it's a special treat for the plane and I always buy a few toys for him to open throughout the flight, new matchbox cars or something that glows in the dark if we are doing the redeye. Avoid toys with lots of lights and sirens and lots pieces or you will spend the entire flight picking them up off the floor.
Also, pack snacks you know they like, so you are not at the mercy of airplane food, and avoid sugaring them up, it won't help since they have to stay put for hours at a time.

Oh, and board last... there is NO benefit to pre-boarding with small kids, it just tacks on an extra 30 minutes they have to sit on the plane.

Good luck!

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H.W.

answers from Los Angeles on

Rolls of scotch tape are surprisingly entertaining when you're almost 2!!

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M.A.

answers from San Luis Obispo on

Headsets with their favorite music! You can't use it during take off and landing, but during those times sing with them or do your favorite word plays, rhymes, etc. Remarkably people will prefer that to a screaming child!

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M.C.

answers from Honolulu on

Your flight will NOT be peaceful at all. Flying with little children is a lot of work. I live in Maui and I have flown every year with both kids to the east coast(by myself) since my first was about the age of your kids. Stock up on coffee for yourselves and bring lots of snacks and activities. You will be very busy, but you will do it and get it done and then it will be over. Bring a change of clothes for yourselves as well as the kids. I prefer to keep the kids awake during the flight, because if they sleep the whole time, then when you arrive at your destination, they will be raring to go and I am complete toast. I would rather have all of us be exhausted when we arrive, then we can all go to sleep and wake up fresh. You will be fine, really. It is hard, but worth it! You can do it!

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D.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi Joni,
You've gotten some great ideas. I'd add cotton balls and dixie cups. The kids can throw them at one another, or try to throw them in the cups, or count how many fit in a cup.
They can stack the cups etc. And you can throw them away when you're done. We used this idea for a trip when our boys were small - and I liked it because they are quiet toys.
Have a safe and fun trip.
Linda

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S.V.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi there!

Good luck on your trip! I always found that bringing my kids' car seats on board, although not required, made the trip easier. It was something comfortable and familiar to them and fit them better than the regular seat did. Also remember to bring something for them to drink or suck on during take off and landing. You don't want their ears to bug them for the whole flight. If you have a mini-dvd player, that might be helpful too.

Have a fun, safe trip!
S.
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