Are We There Yet? Tips for Keeping Little Travelers Occupied on the Way

Yes, I’m one of those parents who takes her kid everywhere. I’d like to think my parenting skills molded this child into the perfect traveler, but two elements make this successful: She knows tantrums don’t work, and I know how to plan ahead. Seriously, most kids have too much energy to travel easily, and they have the attention span of a gnat when confined in a seat. For those travelers who just need some fresh ideas for the frequent trips, these tips may inspire you!

Tip #1: The power of familiar things amongst the new! During a six-hour flight with my daughter, her face lit up when I pulled her “blankie” and stuffed rabbit from the carry-on bag. I tasked her with settling her rabbit in to these unfamiliar surroundings and making sure he was comfortable. That was all it took for some dedicated arranging and murmurings to calm the rabbit. Assignments or activities that fit with your little traveler’s personality (taking charge, answering questions, making up travel stories in real time) can coordinate with a beloved toy from home. There’s plenty of stimulation on a trip, so anchor the new with the comforting.

Tip #2: Use the surroundings to build on. For example, with airline travel, I always booked the window seat for my daughter, then used the window for activities. One of her favorites as a 3-year-old was playing with window clings. I bought a sheet of clings with her favorite story characters, and she happily peeled and arranged those clings. Okay, so the window ended up slightly sticky from her fingers, but the flight attendants loved the idea (as did our fellow travelers).

Tip #3: Cheap treats. A fun way to pass the time is to hand out (or have them choose from a “grab bag”) a small toy at intervals. With a five-hour flight, I packed ten tiny gifts, wrapped in comic strips, to be opened every half-hour. My daughter loved some of the items, and was apathetic about others, but overall it gave her something to look forward to. I set my watch to buzz every 30 minutes and placed it on her arm so she could tell me when the bag should come out. A trip to the local party store resulted in small, age-appropriate gifts that she was able to play with in the plane, as well as at our destination.

Tip #4: Trip-Only toys: Oh, the allure of the forbidden. By keeping certain games and activities set aside for trips-only, the anticipation of playing with them grew exponentially! I had a toddler-themed electronic game (with headphones!!!) stored in the tote bag, along with a couple of crafty items. (A great crafty item is a set of plasticized sticks that can be bent, shaped, and stuck together, then taken apart and straightened for another time. It’s as fun as modeling clay without leaving residue or morphing into one hideous blob! We spent several hours making items out of the sticks, such as jewelry, miniature foodstuffs, and so on. Whatever your child’s interests, something can be created from these sticks!) By keeping aside some activities, she was extra-excited to play with them!

Tip #5: Nourishment as an activity: Extra planning goes into packing with newer regulations for flying and travel, and what to pack as munchies is no exception. We pack empty water bottles with the built-in filters so we can fill up in the airport terminal for flights, and use local water on our trips without flinching (usually). I wrapped my daughter’s snacks up in interesting containers, selecting small amounts of novelty snacks. Instead of her usual fare, I found that interesting shapes and colors slowed her down to investigate. By doling out snacks at intervals, she was continuously kept occupied with something new.

Tip #6: The best tip ever, but it’s too obvious – spend the time WITH your child. These days, with hectic schedules and the hustle of travel, I found myself savoring the time with my daughter just talking, even when she was limited in her conversational abilities. Sure, she spent time listening to music, coloring, playing with magnets and felt figure boards and all the other travel-friendly activities. But the best part was our parent-child time. And amazingly, the attention she received kept her calm and happy as well. By giving her my undivided attention, rather than tuning out and listening to music or reading, I reaped the benefits of great behavior from her, and wonderful memories, rather than nightmares!


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