Tips to keep a 2 year old occupied in flight?
Oct 7, 2002, 12:38 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 7
We are getting ready for our second flight w/our now 20 month old. Here are some things that we have gathered and hope work:
flashlight (I found one w/changable lenses for different colors)
play dough (if you do bring along the matchbox cars, he can make tracks to drive in)
felt books that have animals/people that will "stick" to the pages (similar to colorforms)
large beads to string ...I am not so sure how this is going to work out for our little one. I've let her actually see this toy to test it out. She's a bit young to string them but loves to play w/them once they are together.
puzzles--we found a nice wood box (small) from Lillian Vernon that has a lid that slides out and flips over with a cut out area to put head/feet pieces of a bear together.
small food items--our daughter likes the fruit snacks which can come in handy to give out one at a time --stretches the entertainment time out!
flashcards (nice way to slip in work on the vocabulary too at the same time)
tennis ball--not good for the plane obviously, but if you can find a quiet area in the airport, that may help run off some energy with running it back to Mommy/Daddy (and still small enough to slip in the backpack)
coloring books/reading books. We found a set of books that have stencils incorporated that talk about animals, shapes, etc. She loves to trace our hands and have hers traced when we are waiting at restaurants so we are hoping these books go over well too!
That's all I can think of right now...think that's about it. I definitely am going to look into the dvd player. That would be a hit!
--and I am sure you know, but don't forget--bring a change of clothes for the whole family in your carry-on in case something is spilled on any or all of you.
Have a good trip--I hope it truly is a nice and relaxing vacation for you and your wife!
flashlight (I found one w/changable lenses for different colors)
play dough (if you do bring along the matchbox cars, he can make tracks to drive in)
felt books that have animals/people that will "stick" to the pages (similar to colorforms)
large beads to string ...I am not so sure how this is going to work out for our little one. I've let her actually see this toy to test it out. She's a bit young to string them but loves to play w/them once they are together.
puzzles--we found a nice wood box (small) from Lillian Vernon that has a lid that slides out and flips over with a cut out area to put head/feet pieces of a bear together.
small food items--our daughter likes the fruit snacks which can come in handy to give out one at a time --stretches the entertainment time out!
flashcards (nice way to slip in work on the vocabulary too at the same time)
tennis ball--not good for the plane obviously, but if you can find a quiet area in the airport, that may help run off some energy with running it back to Mommy/Daddy (and still small enough to slip in the backpack)
coloring books/reading books. We found a set of books that have stencils incorporated that talk about animals, shapes, etc. She loves to trace our hands and have hers traced when we are waiting at restaurants so we are hoping these books go over well too!
That's all I can think of right now...think that's about it. I definitely am going to look into the dvd player. That would be a hit!
--and I am sure you know, but don't forget--bring a change of clothes for the whole family in your carry-on in case something is spilled on any or all of you.
Have a good trip--I hope it truly is a nice and relaxing vacation for you and your wife!
Oct 7, 2002, 10:09 pm
#17
Join Date: Aug 2001
Programs: AA Plat & LTG; QF LTG
Posts: 9,837
All the above ... and a good dose of your favourite antihistamine (we found Phenergan works well for our kids). But test it out before-hand. A small number of children are affected in the oposite way - they get more hypo rather than sleepy.
Movies and DVD's may be difficult since many very young children don't like to wear headphones. So again, test it out first to see if your child is happy to wear headphones for an extended time. Some children love to wear them, others don't.
Movies and DVD's may be difficult since many very young children don't like to wear headphones. So again, test it out first to see if your child is happy to wear headphones for an extended time. Some children love to wear them, others don't.
Oct 8, 2002, 4:53 am
#18
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: BNE, Australia...not too far from the nearest Qantas Pub err Club
Posts: 3,636
Another thing that worked really well with our 1.99 year old - he didn't have a seat - was the kiddy reins. We were able to securely attach him to the bassinet, while still allowing movement. Mum and Dad alternated reading books and photo albums, playing with Scoop, unwrapping 10 times wrapped toy cars, feeding him, and then going for walks up and down the cabin and talking with the FAs. It's amazing how a couple of runs up and down the cabin will settle a 2 year old.
Oct 8, 2002, 1:38 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA USA
Posts: 1,295
Make a trip to the stores where everything's a $. They have an amazing selection. I let my niece choose what she wanted, and explained they would be for rewards during the trip. It gave her something to look forward to and kept her on her best behavior.
I also had a few "forbidden" snacks she doesn't get on a regular basis.
I also had a few "forbidden" snacks she doesn't get on a regular basis.
Oct 11, 2002, 6:27 am
#20
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Mechanicsburg, PA, USA
Programs: skymiles,
Posts: 304
A hit on our last trip was the crayola markers that only mark on the special paper. You can buy these in a special travel pack and only use them for trips. They are nice for the obvious reason - they only mark the paper.
My daughter got a kick out of flipping the pages of the magazine and snacks. She does love her special blues clues back-pack that we ONLY use for trips. If she catches a glimpse of it she gets so excited and starts begging for an airplane ride.
I guess really its just ditto to everything else posted here.
Happy flying.
Vanessa
My daughter got a kick out of flipping the pages of the magazine and snacks. She does love her special blues clues back-pack that we ONLY use for trips. If she catches a glimpse of it she gets so excited and starts begging for an airplane ride.
I guess really its just ditto to everything else posted here.
Happy flying.
Vanessa
Oct 27, 2002, 2:43 pm
#21
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA EXP/1MM
Posts: 524
My son loves the toys that expand in water. You can get sponge animals/ vehicles in gelatin capsules where the gelatin dissolves and the creature grows. Also, the kind that look like plastic animals but slowly grow. We pass time by filling sippy cups with warm water from the bathroom and watching the creatures. He then has new playthings as well, and they take up very little room.
Nov 9, 2002, 10:23 am
#22
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Putnam County, NY
Programs: Delta-Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott-Lifetime Titanium. Priority Club-Platinum
Posts: 1,214
We recently had to fly JFK to SEA with a maniac 2 1/2 year old and cranky 4 month old. I was dreading the flight (non-stop). Turned out to be a piece of cake. The surprise bag of new toys is the killer. Cheap, little things (as long as they have never been seen before) work wonders!
Also CAR SEAT. We all have trained our kids that when you get in the car you sit in the seat, and you dont get out. We brought his car seat onto the plane (Pain in the butt I admit), and he didnt get out of it for the entire flight. Didnt even ask! Had he just been sitting in a regular seat, it would have been a constant battle to keep him from running up and down the aisles.
But I must agree with the previous post. The crowning blow was the antihistimine/decongestant. Knocked him out for the majority of the trip. Hey! He did have a cold!
The baby slept the entire flight...I think it was the white noise of the engines.
[This message has been edited by Pointfreak! (edited 11-09-2002).]
Also CAR SEAT. We all have trained our kids that when you get in the car you sit in the seat, and you dont get out. We brought his car seat onto the plane (Pain in the butt I admit), and he didnt get out of it for the entire flight. Didnt even ask! Had he just been sitting in a regular seat, it would have been a constant battle to keep him from running up and down the aisles.
But I must agree with the previous post. The crowning blow was the antihistimine/decongestant. Knocked him out for the majority of the trip. Hey! He did have a cold!
The baby slept the entire flight...I think it was the white noise of the engines.[This message has been edited by Pointfreak! (edited 11-09-2002).]
Nov 13, 2002, 2:52 pm
#23
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Bklyn, NY. ex-UA 1P, ex-US pref, ex-CO plat, ex-DL sil, ex-HH dmnd. Presently Free Agent
Posts: 391
I'm kind of surprised with all the elites on this board no one has come up with the best solution for keeping a two year old quiet during a trip. BULKHEAD WINDOW SEATS. The extra leg room and no chance of a seat reclining (or getting kicked) in front of you means a small contained play area for your child, and no bad karma from the passenger in front of you.
AFAIK you must have an FAA approved car seat for a child not sitting on your lap but some of the posts seem to indicate differently. Doers any one know the rules for certain
Laguardiaguy
AFAIK you must have an FAA approved car seat for a child not sitting on your lap but some of the posts seem to indicate differently. Doers any one know the rules for certain
Laguardiaguy
Nov 15, 2002, 7:33 pm
#24
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Valley Springs, Ca USA;Proud Retired AAer SJC Ramp/ AA- 2 MM Platinum;Hilton Diamond
Posts: 851
We conditioned my two year old twin boys to headphones. They are transfixed for hours on end by the seatback videos of AA's 777 fleet. With MRTC, they can't even kick the seat in front.
Nov 26, 2002, 6:46 am
#26
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Singapore
Posts: 7
If the flight is later in the day, you could try taking your child for a swim (or any other rigourous activity) first. That should tire him or her out for a while during the journey. My cousin swears by it when he does the SIN-LAX leg. Thats 20 hours! I was fortunate my daughter was only 1.2 yr old when we did our JFK-SIN leg. I agree that front row helps.
Dec 3, 2002, 9:57 pm
#27
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: OAK
Programs: AA PLT (1MM); SPG GLD
Posts: 461
When we travel with our two year old, we fly red-eyes whenever available.
Also, we went to Circuit City and bought the cheapest portable DVD player they carry - an APEX 5.6", $279 before tax. It's a bit heavy, but it does a great job of keeping him occupied for at least 1 1/2 hours - we let him a Disney flick, Wizard of Oz, or Babe.
Also, we went to Circuit City and bought the cheapest portable DVD player they carry - an APEX 5.6", $279 before tax. It's a bit heavy, but it does a great job of keeping him occupied for at least 1 1/2 hours - we let him a Disney flick, Wizard of Oz, or Babe.
Dec 6, 2002, 9:32 pm
#28
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,084
Our two year old requires constant entertainment the entire trip. It's just awful. Our solution is not to travel much any more.
Dec 7, 2002, 9:45 am
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: west of DFW airport
Programs: AA LT Gold 1.9 MM flying my way to LT PLAT
Posts: 11,074
dhuey, I'm sorry. To give up travel! One thing that has worked in our family. A special 'sleepy sack'. That is a child size sleeping bag that is saved for special occasions. A treat. For some kids the stimulations of strange noises, wind from a/c and general noise terrify and really keep him/her awake and unhappy. You can make a sleepy sack out of an old blanket or buy from a place like Lands'End.
Try it at home and see if the increased comfort and security helps.
Try it at home and see if the increased comfort and security helps.