How can I occupy my toddler on a plane for 13 hours?

Question

I'm flying home from Okinawa, Japan to California next weekend, and if a horrible fear of flying weren't enough, I'll be alone with my 20 month daughter for a roughly 13 hour flight. She's at that age where she wants to be running around and playing, and I don't know how to keep her busy and reasonably quiet on the plane. Besides a portable dvd player (only enough batt power for about 3 hours) and a couple toys, any ideas??

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I've gotten so many helpful answers, thank you all so much. If you have ideas, keep em coming! lol

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Answer 1

I got these great magnet books at the dollar store. The book is a background scene and then there's a bunch of magnet animals to play with in the book. I got my son 4 different ones and he loves them!
Try coloring books and crayons. Also try taking a nap with her...that may work. lol
Good luck with the flight.....I sure wouldn't want to try it. LOL

Answer 2

HA! what makes you think 2 will be better! Now is better! if she is active now.. she will just be more so when she is two. children dot calm down until they are like 5. It is a long trip- but it will be over night... right? so you just want to giv eher benedryl when you are getting on plane and pray for her to sleep. At 13 months she may be walking... but she isnt as fast or as defiant! I just took a 4 hour flight with my three year old and my 21 month old. The 21 month old wasnt as bad as I have seen children be but it was a non stop batttle to keep him occupied enough to stay in teh seat! He is a real mover! DO it now. I traveled with my first son NON stop from 7 months to 13 months and he was an angel! Why woudl she be freaking out? She doesnt have a clue where she is. It will be better now. and if you dont want to run the risk of a crying baby then dont travel with your baby! There is no way she will be 100% perfect but you do it right and if she is in a good mood you can get through it ok!

Answer 3

Try to ask for bulk head seating..this will give you floor room so you can let her get on the floor and play. Also, be prepared to do many walks down the isle....Ask if there are any other small children on the flight...so you can stop by and say hello...sometimes a welcome distraction from others is a nice way to keep calm and quiet. And remember, she is a child, make no apologies for her, she is young aand however she acts is just her way of coping with the situation....I know I have 3 that have all been world travelers before their 2nd birthday.

Answer 4

I feel ya sister..just flew from CA to Cairo a month ago...5 kids ages 11 9 7 5 3 and pregnant on top of that. No other adult. If the 24 hours of air time wasn't bad enough...the 12 + hours of layovers was a killer. My best advice...LOTS OF SNACKS...different snacks. One thing works well is to bring dental floss and a big ziploc of Fruit Loops. You can make necklaces while flying to kill time...then she can wear it...and eat it...works well for my little ones. Just a thought. Also recommend her car seat...not only for safety but if she's like my kids...once strapped in...they sit...just don't make the mistake of undoing her buckles FOR ANYTHING...unless you absolutely HAVE TO. Once she gets loose, it'll be hard getting her settled back in. GOOD LUCK.

Answer 5

Make her play for a looooong time just before you've to fly. So by the time you board the plane, she'll be sooo tired that she'll want to sleep for a good 9-10 hrs. For the rest you'll have to rely on her fav toys n feeding and stuff. Good Luck.

Answer 6

I am sure that most of the time she will be so bored that she will fall asleep, but if not bring a couple of her favorite toys, not the ones that she never plays with, but ones that she doesn't like to put down even to eat dinner... And snacks... yeah, crackers and stuff will occupy kids... Hope this helps...

Answer 7

Bring along books and games that you plan to play with her. Kids love one on one play time with Mommy. Also, plan some games that don't require bringing extra items like Itsy Bitsy Spider and Patty Cake. Ask for a window seat so she can look outside while it's clear sky and bring extra batteries and movies that she hasn't seen or hasn't seen recently.

Answer 8

This may sound bad, but our pediatrician suggested giving Benadryl to a 4 year old during a 4 hour flight.

It worked great. Previous trips were a nightmare.

Answer 9

I'm gonna guess that she won't be awake that entire time. Can you get a backup battery (or two) for the DVD player? I'm sorry, I'm really at a loss as to what else to tell you to do as I don't have kids of my own.

Answer 10

Try buying a few new little things that you know she will enjoy. Don't let her see them until you are in flight and desperate. Then give her 1 new item until the novelty wears off, then try another.