We have been really really lucky in that we have been able to take our buddy so many places with us. A huge part of that has to do with the fact that his Pa travels quite a bit for work, so we have always had some sort of companion pass or bucket full of airline and hotel points. It sounds like a hitting the jackpot, and it totally is, but the flip side of that coin is that his Pa has to be away from home a whole lot in order to receive those perks. I have no idea how many flights he has been on in his 6 years, but he is an easy traveler with an adventurous spirit. We are often asked about how/why he is such a good traveler, so I’d like to offer up some tips that we have collected from friends, the internet, other travelers, even our own little buddy along the way.

• Snacks: SO important. If there is anything I’ve learned as a mom it’s that a hungry kid is a whiny kid. Yes, there are snacks available on the plane and in the airport, but do you know what is always available the moment hunger strikes? Your carry-on. A few favorites: fruit snacks, granola mix of choice, cereal bars, clementines (kept in a hard container), grapes (again, hard container), starburst or gum for ear-popping, dry cereal…you get the idea. I like to hit up pinterest or do a google search on tips flight attendants have for good snacking, they are always posting some gems!
• Games/toys: I have found you don’t have to go crazy here, but the key is doling things out at a certain interval. Maybe it’s once an hour, or when the whining kicks in. Adding a couple new items to your stash makes it extra exciting. A few things that have been a hit (and by hit I mean time sucker) on our flights: koosh ball (connects to finger so it doesn’t go flying), post-it notes (for drawing and making up sticker games on tray table/back of seat), UNO, Legos (I know Legos sounds nuts for a plane, BUT our guy is a total Lego nut, and we have found if you have a set that isn’t too big, you can use something like a sandwich Tupperware container to contain all the pieces while they build.)
• Tech: I know of some families that have very limited screen time, and it totally works for them. That’s not us. While you won’t see us whipping out our phones at a restaurant to entertain our boy, a long flight is a whole different story. We always pack a fully charged iPad (with a few movies downloaded to the Netflix app) along with it’s charger, as well as the Nintendo Switch (the boys love to game together) and ear phones. An earphone splitter is a great idea as well, if you want to watch something together. Long haul flights (usually) come equipped with their own screens, as well, so it’s a good idea to make sure comfortable earphones are packed in the carry-on. If you have a splitter, you can even listen to the same thing together.
• Clothing: a jacket or scarf can double as a pillow or blanket, and a small stuffed animal can also act as a pillow and a friend. (We haven’t been on an overseas flights where a pillow and blanket weren’t provided. While we use them, our little guy scoffs at them, something about a blanket borrowed from a plane really weirds him out.) I always think it seems like too much when I’m packing, yet have never regretted bringing along a fresh outfit (including socks and underwear) and a set of jammies for our buddy. Kids seem to have a knack for getting comfortable anywhere, and the addition of jammies is a sure way to get cozy fast.
• Wet ones (or similar) for wiping sticky fingers and faces, as well as tray tables and the occasional seat if the cleaning crew missed a little mess; first aid kit of some sort (I use a small zipper pouch with a couple band-aids, alcohol wipes, those teeny tiny paper packets of neosporin…it’s probably overkill, but a simple band-aid has saved the day more than once)
• Patience. Wait, did I already say that? Let me say it again (and again.) And a sense of humor. Kids can make long flights a little more fun, and are always making fun discoveries on airplanes and at airports we’d otherwise miss. They remind us to look out the windows, point out the coolest backpacks, and can spy a climbing apparatus in an airport from a mile away.

But wait, isn’t this supposed to be international travel tips with kids? Yes, a 2 hour flight is a slightly different animal than an 8+ hour flight. So the same rules listed above apply, just double up on the fun stuff. (Games, tricks, snacks…and patience.) Tell me, what are your tricks of the trade? Comment below if you’d like.