Entertaining an Active 1 Year Old on Long Plane Ride

My mom and I took my son to SC when he was 14 months old. The best thing I had to occupy his time was a See's Candy lollipop. They are large and chunky, so it didn't pose a choking hazard. A bit messy and sticky, but since he'd never had one, it was worth it! (and it gave us a great photo op!) He's 2.5 now and the DVD player is a lifesaver (he didn't watch much TV until about 20 months though) so that might not help you at 13 months. We also walked the isles a lot, making friends up and down. The flight attendants didn't seem to mind if they weren't serving anything. Good luck!

all I could think of is benedryl, it is not harmful and he will be very refreshed when you land, hope that doesn't sound bad!

HEllo M.-
When I travel with my three kids to Japan when they were younger. Some of the things I would do is bring a small photo album with people and places that they seen before and we would talk about what they saw. Another idea is getting small toys and wrapping them and when the trip is getting really rough bring it out and they seem to like to open the gift and have a toy to play with on the plane. The final one that you had mention was the portable DVD player. Best of Luck.
Have a safe trip.
L.

The Crayola Color Wonder set works great. Then your kid can color and you won't have to worry about EVERYTHING getting colored. Pack a few of his favorite toys and snacks, too.

Whether or not you have purchased a set for him, you may want to bring his car seat. When you get to the gate or even at check in, you can see if there is an available seat for him. If there is, great! If not, gate check the car seat. The car seat is a great way to keep him restrained so you can have time to rest.

I also have a very active baby who is now 10 months. We just came back from Hawaii, also a very long trip. The car seat was a pain to haul, but great on the plane. Since she is also very active, we ended up walking the aisles, too! : )

Good luck!

Hi, I thought the Kleenex idea was great. Another thing my son loves to do is to pull out dental floss in one unending string and unroll toilet paper.

I also really liked Nancy L's ideas.

I'm not a frequent flyer, but I brought my son to Arkansas to see family when he was a year old. I held him on my lap the whole time.

Things that worked to keep him busy and quiet:

*nursing
*sleeping
*other passengers wanted to play with him and hold him, so other people held him and he tried to grab fingers they poked at him through the seats :D
*he LOVES snacks. I often mix up several kinds of cereals in a Ziploc bag. He loves to pull them out and gets a different kind each time.
*it turned out that he wanted to play with the ice in my cup of water
*after the ice and water were gone he had a GREAT time putting cereal in the cup and taking it out again -- for a LONG time.
*using toys in new ways, like wearing his squid rattle as a hat -- made him laugh endlessly
*I got frustrated with his wiggling and turned him over to play him like a guitar. The other passengers thought I was weird, but he laughed.
*pop goes the weasel. He loves the song. I trace a circle on his tummy or part of his body as I sing. Then I gasp and sing, "POP goes the weasel!" and give him a little lift or tickle. He goes from screaming to laughing within seconds.

Now he's two and we went on a car trip of 5 days to Arkansas. Some things that worked, which might work for a one year old:

*laptop with a Baby Noah DVD
*lots of dollar store toys, doled out slowly. Be sure there's no lead paint in case he chews on them. My son loved cars and those plastic tube things that are squishy and full of coloured liquid. It says not to give to children under three, but I didn't let him play with it unless I was watching him the whole time.
*when it was dark he loved glow in the dark sticks
*he played with my hair A LOT :D
*slowly dole out snacks -- have a variety if you can
*on the plane ride home he discovered a 10 month old baby in the seat in front of us. The dad was very understanding about having his seat back kicked despite my best efforts at curbing it, and Nathaniel occupied their baby so that it quit screaming. They kept smiling at each other and holding hands.
*if you get a chance, let the kid be active to run off some energy (like in the airport).

Good luck!

We've travelled with our son quite a bit and it can be a challenge. Other "distraction" items we pack are post-its (endless sticking and unsticking), travel magna-doodle, flash cards (for this age, it's like a super long book). We've found that if we save one activity for the decent (never use this activity otherwise), when our son has to stay in his seat, we generally make it. Good luck.

Traveling with kids is something I've done for 17 years since the grand parents live on the East coast and we live on the west coast. What worked for us was to fill a back pack full of food and toys for the kids. Many of the toys were new (not expensive)and intentionally unopened (some even wrapped in brown paper)so they would have to take time to open the travel gifts. We packed crayons, paper, connect the dots, stacking cups (yes they kept falling on the floor....but they were eager to go down and get them back) family photos of the people were were going to see so they would remember stories, about them,video copies of Barney, Sesame Street, Blues Clues and whatever other show they occasionally watched,card board sewing cards, easy assemble crafts,an array of miniature figurines to make up stories with, match box cars, picture books where we would alternately read and talk about the picture. I always took only one item out of the backpack at a time so it was a surprise. I had them walk up and down the aisle whenever it wouldn't interfere with the service and of course nap as much as they could. Good luck and have fun!

We flew to Alaska in July and my son was about 13 months old at the time. We bought some new small toys and new books that our son had never seen before to give him on the plane. Each one didn't hold his attention too long but it did help a little. We also did a LOT of snacks. I think a portable DVD player might be good. My son likes the Baby Einstein videos "Baby Noah" and "World Animals". He also likes the Disney sing along videos. These are nice because they don't have a long story line that the kids have to follow and the music seems to keep my son interested. If you are able to, try to get the aisle and window seats and hope that the middle stays empty. We were able to do this and my son could at least climb back and forth between my husband and I. We also let him run as much as possible in the airport during the lay over. Good luck! It was stressful but we managed to make it through without any prolonged tantrums. I hope you do too.

Does he like to color yet? If so, I recommend these marker & paper sets by Crayola. Can't remember the name right now but their markers only work on their paper. This way, it won't get on the seats or anybody's clothes. I also suggest you get him his own seat & that you either check his carseat or if you're renting a car, don't bring one at all & rent one from the car rental agency. One less big piece of luggage to deal with. I suggest not bringing his carseat on the plane cuz this way, he can use his seat as a play area. Plus, most likely the tray table won't lay flat cuz the carseat will be in the way. Both hubby & I are originally from Ohio (we now live in the Berkeley area) & we flew to Ohio when our older son was 18 months & we checked his carseat. He sat on one of our laps at take off & landing but then had much more room to move around & was able to play on his seat. Good luck & have a safe trip!

I want to echo a couple of things already mentioned. We now know that my younger daughter has ADHD, so I certainly understand trying to keep a very active child still for a long plane ride. Having her car seat on board was a godsend. She did much better strapped into her car seat than I ever could have imagined. To make it easier to carry, we found a device at a kids store that attached to the car seat so you could carry it like a back pack. Kept arms free for holding her or other luggage. I also took a six pack cooler and filled it with small toys -- a few legos, some cars, a little light-up ball. With the short attention span, it's good to have lot's of different little items. Having them in the cooler kept them more contained, but also made it fun to dig for something new. (I still use this for the girls now that they're much older, I just let them fill it themselves). If he's old enough to color/draw, bring a small wipe-off book. You can wipe it at your destination and it's brand new for the flight back. If you have a stop, use the time between flights to take a run. Last advice: avoid the temptation to take him out of the carseat if the flight is miraculously less than full. It was impossible to get her back in once she was out.

13 months is a little young for a lot of my current stand-bys (DVD player, sticker books, etc.), but I do have one suggestion I learned from a mom who routinely traveled to Russia with her toddler. You can go to the dollar store and buy a bag of cheap small (noiseless) toys. I'd dole them out one at a time when things got rough. Since they're cheap, it doesn't matter if they are dropped/lost. Just don't show the toys ahead of time, or you lose the whole novelty effect. And save them until you really need them -- don't use up your arsenal in the first hours. You can entertain a little one with a lot of free stuff you find on the plane first. I'd use the air-sickness bag as a puppet, for example. I also liked having her car seat on the plane, since she was used to eating and sleeping in it already. It had a cup holder attached that was perfect for holding snacks. Oh, and I do use benedryl for long flights, like when we fly to France to visit my in-laws. That way she gets a good nap in, which is a life saver on such a long trip! My doctor was okay with it and gave me the correct dose for her age/weight. Good luck!

It's been a while since mine my children were that young, but we did so a lot of flying and I remember the struggle to keep them occupied and happy. Books and snacks are essential, of course, and it sounds like you're all set in that category. I recall stickers, crayons and paper being very useful. I also used to go to Walgreens or Longs or Target before a trip and buy inexpensive little play items like blocks or age-appropriate puzzles - new things that they had not seen before. I would put it all in a bag and pull a new thing out whenever the need arose. The novelty and opening the packaging as well as playing with a "new" toy usually diverted and occupied them for periods of time. Also, they often liked to listen to the music in the armrests for a while if we had headphones.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

When I flew with a 1 year old and got him his first DVD player. It was great. Mostly, he loved having it more than watching it. He also got his first Thomas The Train video and train and now he is four and I ahve spent thousands on TTT trains and friends etc. If I had it to do over, I would get something more etifying like baby einstein. Anyway, it kept him occupied. Be sure to get ear phones with it if you go that way. Just the ear phones will provide hours of fun :)

What worked for my son (at 16 months) was an inexpensive walkman with various children's music cd's, not turned up too high of course. I was surprised at how long the songs entertained him, I think it was the "novelty" of the device as well.
Good luck :)

If you have the choice of a redeye flight, take it. If the fight is occurring during a time that the child usually sleeps, they are invariably lulled to sleep by the hum of the airplane.

We've done redeye overseas flights twice with our daughter, once at age 1 and again at age 4. Each time she slept solidly through the night and woke the next morning just in time to get off the plane.

I have taken several international flights between SF and Tokyo with 2 kids by myself and I find that if I can take a red-eye when possible it is helpful because the kids ages 4 and 1 1/2 ( who is very active and has been flying since she was 5 months) sleep most of the flight. I also pack a backpack for each kid with familiar items for them to carry and put on the security belt so they can participate in the flying experience and then I have packed in my backpack new items they have never seen: I go to the Dollar store and get things that are easily disposable as well Stickers, paper, band-aids, books about planes and of course a dvd player when all else fails. I also have the kids run around as much as possible before the flight. Some airlines have a child playroom that I use. In any case we are the last group of people to board because I don't want them sitting in their seats any longer than they have to.

Hi!

I know this sounds silly but I've been told by several of our Gymboree Moms that this works. Bring a box of kleenex and let him pull all of them out and put them back in again. Several of the Moms in my classes have told me that it was a great idea and kept the child busy for longer than they would have thought (it won't last all the way to NY but it might help!).

J. F.

Boy have I been through this several times! Here's what worked for me: binky, DVD with Baby Einstein movies, playdough, bubbles (the ones with glycerin that don't pop easily), favorite snacks and drinks, puppets, velcro stick ups to play on the back of the seat in front of you, long trips to explore the bathroom every hour if possible, also try going to Affordable Treasures and picking up a few things there as surprises. You can also bring a container of new ear plugs to offer those around you.....people really appreciate this if your little one is having a real hard time!

Good luck,
KrisN

benedryl, dvd player, take the latest flight so he'll be tired. Or take the earliest flight people will get over the crying and wanting to stand up, we were all kids once in our lives and unfortunately get over it....

Hello, I have flown quite a bit coast-to-coast with my kids. One thing we learned with little ones is to sit in the back. That way he can stand up on the seat all he wants without bugging the people behind you. Also, by sitting in the back , the drink carts will never be between you and the bathroom. One time we sat right behind the front wall and that was good becuase the kids could push or lean against the wall without bothering the people in front of us, but the drink cart blocked the way to the bathroom quite a bit. You can go online and look at the seating arrangement and bathroom placement for your plane.
At that age my kids would listen to kids music tapes like "We Sing" or Barney, something that has songs on it that he is familiar with.
If it keeps him quiet, also let him walk with you up and down the aisle. But ONLY if he can do this without being loud. Hope this helps. M

My son loved to play with the ice in the drink cup that they give you! How free is that? He also did well with stickers (ones that can easily be removed from the windows, etc. and scotch tape (believe it or not). I'd go for the DVD player anyway just so you feel more secure, if it doesn't work, you haven't really lost anything, but the cost of rental. Good luck! And do something nice for yourself afterwards!

Sorry if it has already been mention, but don't have time to read all responses so far.
What worked for us....
-mini posted notes and pencil - to use to cover pictures in books, drawing, posting on the window and table.
-masking tape (sounds crazy, I know)- same thing...you can write on it draw on it. Give him the task to tape it on things, paper, cups, table etc...

I think everything else will probably be covered by other moms on the forum. These are just things that worked for us that we would have NEVER though of.

We have a 18th months old baby and we live in South America. Last month we did a trip to California (very long flight...). We brought books, food, some toys and a few baby einstein movies in my laptop. We don't have a tv at home so our son never watches tv but the baby einstein movies really worked for when he was fussy and wanting to run around at the plane. Specially the one about music. good luck!

I don't know whether you are getting him a seat or trying to do it as a lap child, but having flown a handful of times with DS (now 2 1/2) it was always easier when he was in his own seat with a carseat! Being strapped into the seat is something he is comfortable with and used to. He may just drift off to sleep for part of the flight then happily listen to music or read a book for the rest.

You migh also pick up some of teh "color wonder" art stuff so he can do some art without clean up. Also, once airborne, walk with him up and down the aisles, let him talk to people etc.

T.

We took our very active 16 month old on a 5 hour flight to Hawaii and we thought it would be horrible considering she would be on our lap and wanting to move around. We bought a portable DVD player and that was the best investment we ever made. My daughter rarely watches TV at home (1/2 hour cartoon) and usually doesn't even sit still through that, but we put the cartoons on the DVD player and she watched it for 2 straight hours and then fell asleep for the next 2 after that. We also brought tons of snacks and bought her a magna doodle and about 5 other new toys she had never seen and this worked wonders. A lot of people say Benadryl, but it can also have the reverse affect and make them hyper. I tried it before the trip and my daughter seemed a little drugged out and I didn't like seeing her like that, so I just gave her a little Motrin instead before the plane ride and that seemed to work.

Take him to a toy store and let him pick out a couple of new things that hold his attention or at least that he holds on to while you shop. After you pay or get in the car hide the new toys from him. Don't show them to him again until he gets bored on the plane. He will love it.

Might want to consider keeping him strapped in his carseat for the duration of the ride as that will tell him he is expected to stay seated.

Happy flying!

My daughter is a little bit older (20 mos on our long ride), but she really loved a magnetic book that we got her with Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads; we have a similar one with Thomas. She also liked these little finger puppets we got for the flight. Your little one might not have the dexterity for stickers, but that also worked for us. We also took colored pencils and lots of paper. When my son was that young, we flew to Bulgaria and had little board books for him that were brand new, but he also slept a lot on the ride. Going to DC, nobody slept! All of this was in addition to suckers for take off (luckily this time of year you can find dum dums which are so tiny), and Pez for landing. My husband thought the candy idea was crazy, but it saved us from a meltdown about to happen! Cheers for a peaceful flight!

OH I almost forgot, on one flight, but it was short, we sat at the front of the plane and coralled our daughter at our feet. There was a little room for her to sit on the floor and play. She was a lap child then; to DC she had her own seat.

hey hun we took a five hour plane ride a few months ago with our two year old - so she's older then your boy - and a big book of stickers and a pad of paper to stick them on saved our lives! lol kids love stickers, so buy a bunch and some cheap paper and he'll be sticking stickers all over for a good while! also, my advice would be to bring some NEW toys/games/books/whatever, not the same old same old (though bring some of his old favorittes, too!) getting up and moving up and down the isles when you can will help him not get so antsy about being stuck in his seat, to... good luck :) and hey, the worst that can happen is that he has a fit and frankly, in my opinion, that's ok, too! little guys/gals get frustrated and have to be able to let off steam, screw the other passengers :) as long as you make it to your destination safely, the trip will be a success!
smiles,
S.

Get the portable DVD player. Seriously. I had nightmare flight from Vegas back to CA with my son and I would have killed to have that DVD player. I think it's totally worth it.

When my daughter was 11 months old my husband and I tok her to Italy...a LOOOOOOOOng plain ride! She was great though!! I had books, and toys. I also bought some new things, like a couple of books, a couple of finger puppets, a photo album for babies, nothing expensive! I filled the album with pictures of family and friends and dog. I also hid some of her toys a few weeks before our trip, so they'd be something "new" to explore as well. Any way with most of these things I wrapped them in tissue paper, (no tape), or put them in a little bag, and gave her a little gift to open throught out the trip. I had five things for her to open each way. One of the toys I had was a simple toy phone that she could use to pretend to call family members or friends with! We sang, alot (with the finger puppets), drew with crayons, and now they have triangle shaped ones that don't roll, pefect for a plain ride! I have seen them at Traget. I hope this helps. Have a fabulous trip!

Haven't read other responses, but here's what has worked for us in the past:
- new toys they haven't seen (go super cheap - Target carries plastic tubes of safari animals, ocean animals, etc.)
- DVD player - yes, it didn't keep my kid's attention the entire time, but I looked at it as another tool in the toolbox - if you can borrow one, even better!! Get DVD's at the library that he hasn't seen before.
- STICKERS & lots of them! Stickers in books, address labels you aren't using, anything really. For some reason, kids LOVE stickers!!
- be sure to get him his own seat. This has been the key to a more enjoyable flight for everyone. It gives him room to squirm around, he can stand or sit on the floor & play with his toys on the seat, put stickers on the seat, etc.
- SNACKS - bag up different kinds of cereal, pretzels, crackers, anything that won't spoil & that you can have enough of for the plane ride home.
- new books - again, check out places like the dollar store.

To me, a plane ride is one of the worst things for kids (& some adults) to have to endure, but like most of us, it's a complete necessity these days. So the goal (for me) is to make it as bearable for my child, even if it means I'm entertaining him the entire time. My kid was on a plane practically every month of his first year starting at 3 months & he still has a tough time (he was 2 in July). So, they don't automatically just "get used to it" (like I was hoping!!) Try to have fun, take deep breaths & know that it will be over soon enough & then the fun part of your vacation can begin! :)

Good luck!!

Having both my husband's family and my family in NY, we have made this flight with children many times. I would also highly recommend getting your child their own seat for such a long flight. It was absolutely delightful being able to strap my daughter into her carseat compared to having to hold my son on our laps when he was that age. The only problem with the carseat was it was impossible to use the seat tray for meals and drinks when needed, which took a little creative juggling, but still worth the inconvenience to have her buckled in for as much of the flight as possible. We found little packages of play dough occupied lots of time on the plane. Stickers were also a hit with both kids, although they were just a little bit older than yours. Aqua Doodle makes some pretty cool books that paint and color with water, evaporate and then are ready to do again, so endless supply of entertainment. We also love the color wonder markers. For some reason our kids both prefer markers to crayons. I really think it has more to do with taking the cap on and off, but anything that keeps them quiet is good for us. My daughter used a leappad toy, I think it was a my first leappad that she enjoyed on our flight, but it was a bit big and bulky to pack in our carry on. Lots of books are always good. Just make sure you buy a few new and never before seen toys for him so there is a little novelty. Also if there is a tried and true favorite or comfort item, don't forget to pack it in your carry on instead of your luggage so you have it for the flight. The last thing you want is snacks, lots and lots of snacks and a couple different sippy cups. To my kids fruit snacks are like crack--they are completely addicted and will behave if they know one is coming. I packed all kinds of food though, crackers, fruit, pretzels, raisins, anything that they don't have on a regular basis. I also bought sugar free lollipops, which take forever for them to eat. My son when he was about 15 months fell asleep with one in his hand it took him so long to eat. Smarties are also good since it takes so long to get them out of the package. My daughter mostly played with them, but it kept her occupied. She also likes to take things out and put them back, so I bought her a little bag and stuffed it with small goodies that she could take out and put back over and over again. The last trip we took was in the winter and the weather on the East coast was so bad we were delayed twice and didn't get in until 4 hours later than we were supposed to, but we had enough stuff in our bags to keep the kids busy so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Now the trip home after the kids had been off schedule for so long and spoiled by family wasn't nearly as pleasant, but by then we were all so exhausted I didn't care if they were bothering other passengers. Have a safe trip.

Bring some new things. Things he can examine. No really small pieces. This will help a lot. Dole them out, don't just pull out thing after thing. Coloring is a good activity, or stickers. Even if you don't generally do TV, a portable DVD player could be your best friend. And, finally, don't make him sit still for six hours. Take him for a few walks up and down the aisle. Oh, and, if he can sit by the window that is a big positive too. "Look, we are going up!" "Look at the clouds." Good luck.

the kleenex box idea struck me as a good idea. My son also used to love to put on bandaids. i'd buy the biggest box I could get from Costco and he'd go to work putting them on his stuffed animals (bring one along for this purpose). Because of the tissues and papers from the bandaids, you should probably pack a large brown bag for all the garbage (it should fold up relatively small) The backback filled with little prizes (you might consider wrapping them before hand, takes time to unwrap) is good. Remember he is still little so legos might not work. My kids loved stickers. I brought along really easy coloring books with the chubby washable markers, lots of stickers. I also brought a small bottle of lotion (less than 3 oz.) and gave my boys hand and foot massages. They loved the pampering and if you put on a little video he might get into the "special treat" of a kiddie movie. If you child still uses a pacifier (mine did for calming and napping), I brought along a couple of sugar packets. I know this sounds outrageous, but when he was really fussy and just wouldn't nap (just too much going on around him), I stuck the tip of the pacifier in the sugar and then right in his mouth. He quickly took to that and settled down for a nap. I know I was happy and the folks around us were happy. Be sure to get up with him and walk up and down the isles if there is space and time. Often the stewards are serving and you can't move. Ask them ahead of time when they usually do the food and drinks service. Also, I don't know if the airlines still serve kids meals but check that out too. they are often from McD or Burger King, but heh-it's only for this trip. Good luck.