Guest Blog: Flying With Kids

Late last week we asked a question on our fan page wall about flying with children and if parents enjoyed doing so. We received a quick positive response from fan Jessica J.W. Baker and she also had a plethora of helpful tips for making flying with your children enjoyable. We asked her to put all of those tips into a blog post, happy reading! And, thanks to Jessica for this insightful and practical information.

When Harrisburg International Airport (via Facebook) posed the question, “Do you fly with your children, and do you enjoy doing so?,” I immediately replied “Yes and yes.”

In response, HIA asked if I had any tips to share with parents who might be traveling with children for the first time this holiday season, and my mind raced!

Our 5 year old daughter (who first flew when she was 10 months old) loves to fly as much as we do, so it’s never really been a challenge for us to hop on a plane. In fact, as she loves to observe and learn, my “teacher-brain” tends to kick in, and we use the trip as an excuse to explore something new.

So, here are a few ideas you may find helpful when preparing to travel with children.

1. Whenever possible, give the child a window seat!!!

2. Prepare a special bag of "dollar store-ish" finds (like bags of birthday party favors, a new paperback book to read together, etc.) that are to be opened on the plane, one-by-one, [periodically] throughout the flight(s).

3. For even more fun, wrap the surprises in coloring book pages (or online find print-outs), and make the first present the child opens be a pack of crayons or colored pencils.

4. Glow in the dark figures (we have a tendency to go with packs of glowing dinosaurs) are great. Turn on the overhead reading light, hold the animal up for a few seconds, then allow the child to curl up in the corner of the seat and "peek" at the toy in the dark. Then they turn into great toys to play with and read to, as well as provide the child someone else to “teach” about all of the cool things they are learning on their trip.

4a. Make sure you also pack a few extra Ziploc bags, in case the packaging is not reusable. Don’t want the little creatures falling all over the floor and all through your carry on when you disembark!

5. DEFINITELY take advantage of "early boarding" if available, and,

6. Once you get to your seat and stow all items, head to the bathroom of the plane and let the child check it out and use it. Then, if the child needs to go during the flight at some point, all aspects are familiar and he/she is already familiar with the feeling from being there while on the ground. It's such a different experience, too, that it's often like a mini-field trip during the middle of the flight - great when restlessness sets in.

7. Before takeoff, ask the flight crew if they have five or six extra, "prepackaged" hand wipes. Inevitably something will hit the floor or get shoved into some little crevice, and you'll want to give it a quick wipe-down before the child resumes playing with it. If you can't take your own due to lack of storage in your carry on, etc., the flight crew is usually willing to give you a few.

8. Instead of making the flight simply a "way to get somewhere better," make it sound like the biggest part of the adventure. Take a map of the area over which you will be flying and share what is under/near you as you travel. Explore the nooks and crannies of the plane, let the child make a list of questions to ask the flight crew (even if they want to write them a note and ask the steward to fill in the answers and give it back if he/she has time), and ENJOY IT TOGETHER!

9. Use the available in-flight magazines as a source of a game. Perhaps a "scavenger hunt" for select letters, words and/or pictures (dependent upon the age of the child), or - one of our favorites - "If You Had All The Money In The World, What Would You Buy For...?" Randomly name a friend or family member, and look through the magazines together, searching for something that you would buy for that person – really matching it to his/her personality and interests. If you're on a REALLY long flight, your surprise bag could include index cards and a glue stick, and the child could tear out each selected picture/item and make a card for each person, writing about why he/she chose that specific gift. Upon arrival, the child will have something to give to that special person…or even mail as a postcard! :)

10. Remember to plan and pack things for the trip home – before the trip even begins! Don’t depend upon having extra time to pull something together during your trip, and don’t depend upon exhaustion to bring sleep on the flight home. Flight delays do occur, and you will save A LOT of time and money by planning a few things (like those listed above) “just in case.” Also, catching a glimpse of a bag labeled “SURPRISES FOR THE FLIGHT HOME” gives the child something to look forward to throughout the trip, and you’re less likely to encounter your child’s “evil twin” as you pack up to get back on the plane.

Your trip’s itinerary should not start when the plane arrives at your destination and end when the plane takes off to head home. As soon as you leave your house, the adventure begins, and the more you make of it, the easier it will be…for everyone!
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J.J.W. Baker
December 4, 2010

Have you used any of these tips that Jessica recommends, or something similar? What more can you add to her suggestions?