Travelling with Toddlers

My son, 3.5 yrs old, and I have traveled to Europe together. Although 8 hrs may seem like a long time, you have to factor in sleep time. Try to tire them out before the plane ride so that they'll fall asleep on the plane.

Pack lots of new snacks, even naughty snacks to bribe the kids when they start acting up. New toys that aren't loose b/c you'll lose them on the floor. Don't reveal all the new snacks and toys. Reveal it in increments. Also, make good use of ziplock bags.

If possible look for apps for kids and make sure that they've had practice with it before the plane ride so that they get the concept before the ride.

As for you, breathe.

My daughter loves arts and crafts. Check out Melissa and Doug. My daughter got a toy where she had to put the string through the holes on animals. She couldn't quite do it at 3, but it kept her busy for hours on a flight. Also, she spent a lot of time coloring. I suggest getting the crayons that are triangles so they don't roll off the tray table.

Crayons/coloring books, activity books and puzzles are great - they are flat so they slide into carry-ons easily and don't weigh much. Kids can also do them on the tray table. Go to Target and comb through the magazine/book section. They have TONS of cool coloring books that come with their own crayons or other coloring instruments, like water pens (you fill it with water and then when the water comes out the tip, it colors the special pages - no actual ink). My kids love knowing they get new books for trips. And you don't have to worry about keeping track of a whole pack of crayons this way.

Also, if you do not have a TAG reader by Leap Frog, they are awesome for this. You'd be investing a little bit of money, but they are not super expensive and will continue to be used when you get home. And they are awesome for teaching kids to read. The reader itself is a pen-like device and when your child touches it to the reader books, it reads to them. The great thing about the pen - there is a plug for headphones. Genius! On a trip to Hawaii, my 3 year old daughter not only sat on the plane for 8 hours and read books by herself this way, but she also would sit in her bed and "read" while we showered and got ready for dinner, etc. Very useful tool and also educational. Plus they have all kinds of books so no matter what your kids are into, there is something for everyone - Dr. Suess, Disney princess stories, Dora and Diego...you name it.

Hope this helps! Have a great trip!!

The dollar store. Give them a new trinket every half hour. Save a sucker for the end. Sugar overload is not your friend, but at the tail end of a long trip, I find suckers are a great way to distract and keep hands busy, especially if they are good at licking and not chewing it, which mine are. I also agree with Maria Y, this IS the time for naughty snacks and bribery.

Besides all the other great answers here, either an iXL or a LeapPad or that type of game can keep a child entertained for quite some time. The only thing is to be sure to bring some kids' headphones for the game so that no one complains about the noise.

I'd go for the movies. I'd also pack each one a small backpack with quiet games and soft toys that they can play with. New things that they can explore and only get when they start to look like they want to climb the seats. I put some inexpensive dollar bin stuff in my DD's bag - Michael's sold (at least around Easter) some activity packs with characters. I got DD Kai Lan, but there were others. Colors, stickers, book all in one. I'd also bring some favorite books or magazines. Something like Highlights or Big Backyard has puzzles as well as stories.

Find out if they will be getting anything from the airline, too. DD was entranced by her bag on the way home. If you can order kid-friendly food, do so. Often they serve the kids first. And bring some sort of pillow or blanket and hope they sleep. DD had no problems sleeping.