The thought of traveling with a super active toddler can be super daunting! We thought we were pros until our youngest decided to break the mold and be an absolute firecracker. Here are a few things that proved to be super helpful on our almost 12-hour daytime flight from London to LA.
1. Hippychick Hipseat Baby Carrier | Lightweight Adjustable Back Supporting Waist Stool for 6-36
This was a lifesaver, it allowed us to be mostly hands-free, and was so easy to just pop the baby in whilst pacing the aisles. Its back-supporting design is perfect for carrying children between 6 months and 3 years! maximum weight of 20kg, so we plan to get quite a bit of use out of this. It’s good for little ones who like to keep their hands free and not be fully strapped down and is completely fuss-free to pop on.
2. Busy Board for Toddlers
We kept this hidden until the flight so it was a surprise, and boy was this a great little purchase
3. Inflatable Foot Rest Pillow
I saw a bunch of travelers using this as a way to extend their seats and using these as a bed for a toddler. I was dubious at first but it fits perfectly in between your seat and can be inflated at 2 levels. One to use as a pillow and then fully inflated to give you the extra height that is level to the seat. It meant that once our little one had fallen asleep they were a bit more comfortable lying down with their feet resting on our laps ( as he didn’t have his own seat and there were no cots available!) Deflated it takes up little room and thankfully created a bit more comfort for us all.
4. Snack Storage Container 4-Piece Twist Lock
An absolute must-have is this snack pack, with plenty of space to cram in those dried snacks. This is super durable, and each compartment has its own lid. Lids with silicone ring to ensure 100% leakproof and airtight.Very easy to twist to lock and unlock. We filled it with cheerios, a puree, pretzels, and berries – once passed security, but you can pre-fill it with dried foods before you head to the airport. Liquids can be added post security checks.
5. Ear Muffs for Children aged up to 16
We opted for these instead of the ones specifically for a tiny child to get maximum use out off, which were great for take-off and landing. My older child of 10 was able to use them to help fall asleep when the baby had quite enough. There are so many options available for ear defenders so we opted for ones we could get the most use out off. We had to switch between ear defenders and cotton buds for the baby once he was finally lying down!
6. Nappy Liners!
These are fantastic and make nappy changing faster when struggling with both an active child and a confined space! Slipped into your nappy these can just be pulled out and replaced allowing you to reuse your nappy! You can thank me later 🙂
7. Calpol Sugar Free Infant Suspension Sachets Strawberry Flavour 2+ Months, 20 x 5ml
Great for pain in the ears on lift-off, these sachets are super handy and saves the bother of worrying about the liquid allowance through security. You can just pop a couple of sachets in your nappy bag and you are good to go. Easy to dispense and fuss-free too if you pop it straight into their little mouths.
All of these items have made a difference to how we travel, it would be great to know what your toddler travel essentials are. Happy traveling folks.
