The Gift Of An Entertained Toddler

Happy Friday everyone! Today's "giving" post is part 2 of our response to a reader question about traveling by airplane with a toddler (you can read part 1 from Tuesday here). Since we can't in good conscience recommend valium (for you or your toddler), we have plenty of other suggestions for items you can give your little one to make those hours en route pass by painlessly. By necessity all these items are compact, so they also make great stocking stuffers. Oh, and Cool Mom Picks responded to a similar reader question yesterday, so it's your lucky week, if you have upcoming plans to travel with a toddler.

- Crayons and paper. This artist case by OurLittleMesses and scribble kit by Dwell Studio are fantastic ways to keep everything organized, but a baggie of crayons (never markers!) and any random pad of paper will do just fine. I have a few crayons and a pad of paper in just about every bag I own. They never get old.

- Play dough. Some types are stickier than others and I think it's obvious that you'd want a less sticky type. Clementine modeling dough is a great consistency, plus as an extra bonus it smells good too.

- Playing cards. Claire once spent at least two hours taking cards out of their box, dropping them in a clean air sickness bag, and then returning them to their box. I'm not even sure why we had cards with us since she was (and still is) far too young to play any regular card games, but you can bet we bring them everywhere now. Any random set from your junk drawer will work (it doesn't even have to be a full deck), but I think Claire might play with them for an additional 30 minutes if there were 3-D dogs on each card. 

- Books. While an airplane flight seems like the perfect time to surprise your little one with some brand new books, it turns out it's not (did everyone else know that but me?). I made that mistake the hard way once when I showed Claire her little pile of brand new books for the plane and she promptly threw them to the ground one by one. She still won't read them to this day. Airplane rides are actually the perfect time for all your old favorites. I bet you have some of these in your house.

- Snacks! Our house is generally a haven of healthy eating, but I've been known to dramatically lower my standards for long flights. If we're going to be traveling for 7 hours and all Claire wants to consume for that time period is every snack offering available on JetBlue, bunny cookies, and the smoothie I bought at the airport, so be it. One day of off kilter eating is not going to undo a lifetime of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. That said, I love to pack these HappyTot pouches, which are basically smoothies in a bag. You can bring them through security as long as your toddler is with you and you remove them from your carry-on with your other liquids. They're not only tasty (and full of organic goodness), but your child will have to suck the contents out of the pouch, which can help little ears deal with altitude changes.

- Technology. I will absolutely admit that I ply my daughter with Sesame Street on an iphone. It's small enough that she can hold it herself (I put it in a rubber sleeve first); if the volume is pretty low, she can hear it but others can't; and it keeps her enthralled for a frighteningly long time. The apps Peekaboo Barn and Peekaboo Safari are also big hits.

- Other small toys. If you're traveling with a toddler and an infant or your little one just happens to love baby dolls, this mini diaper bag by FeeVertelaine will be a big hit. Just don't forget your child's favorite baby, so he/she has something to take care of. 

- Lovie. I'm sure you never go anywhere without it, but whatever lovie or blankie your child uses for naps and bedtime should definitely come with you on the plane. It's your best chance for a blissful, sleepy flight.

Happy travels, J. Hope these suggestions make your trip a dream.

Have a lovely weekend friends!