Toddler travel advice might be the number-one thing I get asked about as a Mom of three closely-aged kiddos. It’s a thing. A dreaded thing.

The Perfect Storm of Traveling with a Toddler

There are two main things that contribute to the challenge of traveling with a toddler:

1. Restricted environment
2. Lack of control.

Add to that disrupted sleep schedules and what I like to call the “volume” of your child’s temperament and you are basically shadow boxing with all the ingredients of a grade-A meltdown.

Guiding Principles of Traveling with Kids

1. Planning is key

My overall approach when traveling with young kids is this: set your family up for success as best you can, and then play jazz. By that, I mean prepare and inform yourself as much as possible, but be ready to improvise!

Your best shot at successful travel with young children is really made in the days leading up to the trip.

2. Look after Number One

Give yourself options where you can. Go into the day as well-fed and well-slept as possible.

3. Expect the unexpected

Build in lots of time for detours, hiccups and, of course, potty trips.

4. The iPad is your friend (sometimes)

At Casa-de-Chaos we are not a “no-screens” family. Having said that, I have restricted my children’s iPad usage pretty much exclusively to airplanes.

Literally, if you ask my 5-year-old when she is allowed to use an iPad she will tell you “on an airplane”.

Now there are lots of reasons for this, which I will get into on another day, but one of the by-products of this family rule is that when we are on a plane the iPad becomes a novel privilege. So that’s what works for us.

Every family will have their own rules about screen time and devices and we could debate that all day, but most of us would agree that for the sake of sanity on long flights, all bets are off when it comes to screen time restrictions.

Survival sometimes becomes the number one priority, and that’s A-OK!!!

iPads, Airplanes and Traveling With Kids

Here are my top tips for getting the most out of an iPad while travelling with kids on planes:

• Make sure the iPad is FULLY CHARGED before you leave home.
• Bring a charging cable with you in your carry on – most airplanes have somewhere to plug in and power up.
• Load your iPad with a mix of novel content and familiar content. So a handful of episodes of a favourite show as well as a season they haven’t seen yet.
• Don’t bring the device out right away. If you can, delay the introduction of the iPad until you are in the air or until you’ve run out of other options. When I give my child any technological distraction I always ask myself, “What are they NOT doing while they are using this device?” Air travel is, ahem, fun! It’s an opportunity to engage and explore and discover things about the world. Don’t miss a chance to have an interesting conversation or teach them something new. Of course, if handing over the iPad means avoiding a kiddie meltdown while you are occupied with the ticket agent, then by all means. Challenge yourself to find the sweet spot and balance that with connection and shared experience.
• Choose apps that are age-appropriate. Be sure to engage as much as possible with your kids in exploring these apps.
• There are many e-book apps for kids. This is a great way to provide lots of content that is not over-stimulating.
• Remember, you cannot stream YouTube or Netflix on an airplane. Even if your flight has WiFi, it will not support streaming or downloading, so make sure content is pre-downloaded and does not require an internet connection for them to watch, read or use.
• Make sure any rules or restrictions you have set around the iPad usage are realistic. Threatening to take the iPad away for undesirable behavior isn’t going to be a practical boundary unless you are willing to follow through at 30,000 feet with 4 hours to go.
• Make a plan for iPad breaks. Especially on long flights, make sure that everyone is getting up and moving their bodies at regular intervals and not getting overly engrossed in technology. Before the flight, set that expectation and make it a condition of the iPad usage. You can set an alarm and plan some fun exercises everyone can do so all can stay in the green zone. Deep breaths and stretches are always a good idea… for everyone (that includes you!).

Screen Time Is Not A Fail-Safe Solution

Spoiler Alert:

If your kids are not seasoned iPad users, first – congratulations!

Second, be aware that the amount of time an iPad will hold a very young child’s attention (before the age of about two or two-and-a-half) may be surprisingly short. Be ready with other ways to entertain and engage kids of this age. You might want to check out my Traveling With Toddler Amazon shop.

My Favorite iPad Apps for Traveling with Kids

1. ABCmouse Music Videos by Age of Learning, Inc.
2. Magic Rainbow Traceables® by Age of Learning, Inc.
3. Endless Alphabet by Originator Inc.
4. Monkey Preschool Learning Pack by THUP Games
5. Toca Band by Toca Boca AB
6. Peekaboo Pack by Night & Day Studios, Inc.
7. Memory Games with Animals by Sergio Licea
8. Color by Numbers – Animals by Kedronic UAB
9. Kids’ Puzzles by Develion ART, s.r.o.
10. Breathe, Think Do with Sesame Street.