What We Learned From Flying with a Toddler

We took our daughter on her first flight when she turned one. I had read countless blog posts trying to prepare for every possible scenario. As a nervous new parent, here’s what actually worked (and what didn’t):

What Worked

✓ Snacks

This will always be our number one tip. The best way to ensure smoother travel? Don’t let anyone get hangry. Hungry travelers (big or small) can make even the simplest situations stressful. It’s also surprisingly hard to find healthy options while on the go, so packing your own is a game changer. Here are some easy, low-mess, and relatively nutritious snack ideas:

    ➢ Yogurt Melts

    ➢ Puffs

    ➢ Pouches

    ➢ Snack Bars 

    ➢ Teether Snacks

Additional Tip: Consider getting a fun snack container to add to the fun and entertainment!

✓ Hold Off on the Toys

One of the best tips we received before flying was to save the toys for later. Our daughter spent the first part of the flight completely amused by the seatbelt, tray table, and window shade. Since it was all new to her, we didn’t even need to pull out the toys right away. When we finally did, it felt like a whole new round of entertainment!

✓ Fidget Spinners

These tiny toys packed a big punch! They barely took up any space in our bags and provided endless entertainment. Our daughter loved sticking them to the window and tray table—and since she’s in a “spinning things are amazing” phase, they were the perfect distraction.

✓ Books

Our daughter also loves books so we made sure to pack 2-3 of her favorite books when she was getting a little restless. She doesn't really nap when she's held so we were nervous for that. The books helped so much! But because she loves the books, it also meant reading the same book multiple times in a row. But I would trade that to a meltdown any day. 

✓ Inflatable foot stool

This was another great recommendation from a friend, and we’re excited to try it once our daughter is a bit older. Since she was still a lap child on this trip, we decided to wait, but we definitely plan to invest in one in the future. This foot stool is such a brilliant invention—giving little ones space to stretch out, rest their feet, or even lay down without being confined to your lap.

What Didn't Work

🚫 Painter's Tape

I saw this tip online and thought it was brilliant—bring painter’s tape for endless sticking fun! It’s small, mess-free, and easy to pack. But… our daughter is still in the “everything goes in the mouth” phase, so what we thought would be a fun distraction quickly turned into a “please don’t eat that” kind of activity. Maybe next year!

🚫 Felt Busy Book

This toy is such a favorite in our house, but it didn’t work quite as well on the plane. There are a lot of small pieces that can easily fall or get lost, which made things a little hectic when it was time to pack up. Next time, I’d keep those smaller parts in a separate bag and let her play with the pieces that stay attached to the book—it makes cleanup so much easier!

🚫 Headphones

We read tons of blog posts about helping little ones with ear pressure and decided to try some recommended toddler headphones. On her first flight, she didn’t seem to mind them at all and even napped—huge win! But once she realized they were on her head, that was the end of that. We quickly switched to plan B: encouraging her to sip water during takeoff and landing. It worked perfectly, so that’s definitely our go-to moving forward.

🚫 Assuming She Would Nap 

We made the rookie mistake of assuming our toddler would nap on the plane—big mistake. If you’ve traveled with little ones, you know that naps happen when they decide, not when you plan them. As parents, you just learn to roll with it and find ways to avoid meltdowns. If naps don’t happen, try encouraging some low-stimulation downtime instead—it can make a big difference for everyone.

This was simply our experience—and what worked (or didn’t) for us. Every child is different and responds in their own way to the excitement and chaos of travel. The best thing you can do is try to enjoy the journey and make memories along the way. Sometimes it’s the smallest moments that end up making the biggest impact.