Next we're taking a really, really long flight with DD (16+ hours). I was wondering if anybody had any good toy recommendations for it? It needs to be something not too big (or noisy) but that can still occupy her for hours.

She's happiest with toys for kids about 12-24 months old. Although she has a few toys for 3 yrs+. Just can't have any little pieces!

Wikkistix!
www.wikkistix.com

Wow. Wish you luck with this, you are so brave.

This might sound lame, but if she will wear a headset I would get a small dvd/cd player and bring discs of shows she'll watch like blues clues or something, and also music she likes. Be prepared to take a lot of walks up and down the aisle... (is she walking?)

Hi newmom! Boy I would not want to be in your shoes. I could not imagine a flight that long for myself, let alone my toddler.

How old is your DD? I second chris' recommendation of a personal DVD player or a laptop but it really depends on her age and personality. When I fly with my DD (She has been flying since before age 2)we take a tiny laptop for some movies and some new books she hasn't read yet. We also take a doodlepro mini travel size so we can draw and write. This is what keeps her occupied during the flights but we are talking 3-4 hour flights, nothing like what you describe.

Is this her first flight? We also take little snacks for her to eat during take off and landing so she can keep her ears open. Really works.

I hope you have a wonderful trip. If I can think of anything else I will be sure to post.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions so far! DD is 8months. She is walking a bit (just started taking her first steps this week) and can walk well while holding on to one of our hands.

She's flown actually a number of times before (this will be her 5th flight!) but after how horribly the last one went we want to be prepared. Plus, she wasn't walking last time...

I really like the idea of the doodle pro, I think that's something she'd love, thanks!

Hi,

Not sure if your child enjoys books? For a (short by comparison) flight with DS then 10 mo we photocopied all of his books into one manageable binder. That worked great.

I wished we'd had a larger variety of snack foods, prepackaged in lots of little snack baggies so as to avoid fishing around while trying to also hold him. Also wish we had cut off food at the snack times ahead of being totally full. It broke the trip into sections by having it be time to eat more frequently than at home.

Good luck!

Polly

Yep, DD is already a little book worm. That's a great idea, thanks! We're trying to travel pretty light so that will cut back on the weight of board books.

We've did some pretty long flights with our kids when they were babies - the longest was 21 hours with a 3 month old and 23 month old - and yes, it was long! As you've flown before I'm sure you are aware that the biggest deal will probably be ear issues. I absolutely loved it when we bought a carseat/stroller that was approved for some airlines. (Always check this - but when it worked, it was worth it's weight in gold!)
Regarding games etc. I think the best thing is a bunch of different items that you can bring out as 'new' as the journey progresses. I'm not usually one for dollar stores, but buying cheap puzzles, books etc, which won't be a great loss if they're ruined or lost, helped a lot. Good luck.

I will quadruple the wikki stix recommendation!

Other things we did- I bought tiny stickers and covered DS's arms with them- then gave him a piece of paper to put them on. It would take him a good 30 min to peel off all the little stickers and put them on the paper! Post-it notes are fun too.

I used to buy a bunch of stuff at the dollar store and wrap it up like a present. He could open a new one every hour or when a meltdown was about to begin. Scotch tape is also a favorite on plane flights! Triangle crayons are still a big hit even at 6, because they won't roll off the tray tables.

We also loaded lots of Disney read-along stories onto the iPod and brought a DVD player.

DS is now 6 1/2 and has probably flown 30 times... maybe even more? He just plops into the seat now, buckles, puts on his headphones and grabs a lollipop. It does get easier!

First does she have her own seat or not? If she does, bring her carseat for her to sit and nap. DD flies incredibly well and I'm always overly prepared. We have her favorite blanket, new and old books, new toys, paper and few pens. DD started to draw at that age so maybe it would work for your DD. Lot of snacks. I second stickers, she is so young maybe try to find really big ones and easy to peel like wall stickers. Absolutely try to have her watch DVDs, maybe something with songs like Barney. She would not have to understand what is happening to enjoy it.

OK, for a recent flight, we thought we'd check out the Wikki Stix everyone raves about. We could not find Wikki Stix and got bendaroos. Not so delighted with them. They leave your hands all sticky, and sensitive DS didn't care for that (me neither!) Just a warning.

We have always loved pipe cleaners though! Target has fuzzy and sparkly ones in their craft area, along with beads that fit on them (your DD might be a little young for the beads). DS also liked listening to the radio, and changing the station, etc.

We withheld Mr W's favorite toys and movies for a week before our last long flight. It worked great.

The sight of a 16 mo old boy with giant adult noise-cancelling headphones on and totally focused on a movie on a laptop was pure bliss. We covered 4 hours with this one.

Toys included legos and shape sorters. We brought books, too. We also brought pictures of people he was going to meet. We also brought an IPOD with his fav songs on it.

We introduced him to the headphones a weeks before with the IPOD.

We have got those looks too, everybody was asking what is she listening LOL ? DD then 17mo was sitting in her carseat holding DVD player, headphones on her head. For us DVD always works well as she does not normally get to watch it. We also introduced the headphones before the trip. We can easily make 10h flight with her eating, sleeping and watching DVD the whole time.

Get a Nintendo GameBoy SP off ebay or at a GameStop, and some Nintendo Video cartridges. The SP is only about 3in x 3in. Each cartridges has 3 cartoon videos on them. (45 mins of entertainment apiece) You can get Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokemon, Fairly Odd Godparents, Dora, RugRats, etc. You can still find the cartridges at Gamestop and on line. They are also great for taking to the doctor's office or for them to watch while in the shopping buggy. I like it because it is so small I can keep it and several videos in my purse for emergencies!

We did several international flights with DS#1 between the ages of 18mo and 2.5yrs. He even had gold status on one airline for a while! We now make somewhat regular, shorter flights (up to 6 hrs) with both kids. I certainly agree with many of the suggestions above.

We have Peltor Kids ear muffs for both DC (like hunters and rockstars use). I find that the constant engine noise (that lulls me to sleep) just makes them aggravated and antsy. Noise-cancelling headphones, ear plugs, etc. will all work too. These go on before take-off and come-off after landing. No exceptions.

I have both my kids in FAA approved car seats for every flight. They seem much more comfortable in a seat that is the right size for them. I just bought the FAA CARES seatbelt for my DS#1 but have only used it on one short flight. (I'll still use the carseat for long flights)

I tend to pack snacks that take some time to eat. One cookie goes fast but a bag of cheerios takes some time and effort to eat. Busy hands = happy kids. Yes, the flight attendants probably curse me once I'm off the plane. I also let my kids have things like fruit snacks, teddy grahams, and sugary treats that I would not normally allow at home. I also make sure they always have lots of water available to them for the entire flight. It is easy to get dehydrated while flying.

We always bring a DVD player or movies downloaded onto a video iPod with headphones. We don't watch a lot of tv in our house so this too is a special travelling treat that makes the plane more enjoyable.

As for toys, I always purchase a few new books and small toys for the trip that my DC have never seen before. Matchbox cars, lacing beads (Melissa and Doug make nice ones), Magnadoodles, and Colorforms are regulars in our carry-ons. Puppets or special stuffed animals and dolls are great for some kids. My DS #2 loves puppies and I managed to find a cheap toy dog that moves and barks quietly (Furreal toys) that was HUGE hit on our summer trip. DS #1 is older now so he also likes to play card games, cut with safety scissors, read, etc. (It is so much easier once they are older!!!)

Scotch tape, post-it notes, and paper plates (can cut into spirals, make masks, etc) are all fun and easy to pack. A kid can easily be occupied for the half hour of landing by pulling a small piece of tape off of various body parts.

There are a number of websites with tips for flying with kids. There are some pretty ingenious products out there too that makes life on the road a lot easier. (We LOVE our GoGoBabyz wheels!!) After years of trial and error, I finally have packing down to a science. Here are a few quick tips that work for me:

1. To me it is worth the money to check a bag. I can't manage two kids, all our carry-on stuff, carseats, luggage and still get through security. I just budget the $30 for the bag and acknowledge it is worth my sanity.

2. After having two strollers damaged on planes, I often buy a cheap umbrella stroller or do without one at all. I do have wheels on my carseats which works great in the airport or, if needed, at my destination. If I know I will need MY stroller on the trip, I do my best to pack it in a stroller bag (with bubble wrap) and I cross my fingers.

3. For my carry-on, I pack a rollerboard suitcase. I do not carry a purse but instead use the front pocket of the rollerboard for my wallet and our liquids. Inside, I put the following bags:
-a bag with a complete change of clothes (including footwear) for both kids and a new shirt for myself. (I found that jammies actually serve this purpose well and are nice to have in case you lose your luggage. Of course, this may mean walking around an airport with a kid in jammies too)
-a bag/pouch with baby changing supplies (diapers, wipes, changing pad, bags, etc.)
-a few gallon sized ziplocks (for dirty clothes, diapers, emergencies)
-a bag of toys, books, etc. for my kid to use on the plane (this is usually their backpack, etc., one per kid)
-a bag with my essentials and all of the snacks plus a few surprise toys held in reserve
When I get on board, the kid's backpack of toys and my bag of essentials go under our seats. The rollerboard with my wallet, the baby�s changing supplies and the emergency change of clothes (and other non-essentials during the flight) gets put in the overhead. I find that this keeps me organized and keeps our seat area from getting too cluttered.

By the way, even though I am lax about the food and movies, I never tolerate kicking seats, running in the aisles, sitting without a seatbelt on, etc. I figure it is always easier not to create the habit than try to break it later.
Good luck! Have fun! (Sorry this was so long!!)

How do you manage to restrict the seat kicking. When DD sits FF in her car seat there hardly any room for her legs and if the person in front of her reclines the seat DDs feet rest on the seat in front of her. She is not intentionally kicking the seat but when she moves her feet she also the seat in front of her moves. Some nonamerican airlines do not allow to RF. This was a huge problem for us when flying with her at 17mo. At 10h flight she will move her legs. We are at the point that DH is refusing to take her carseat when we need to fly with nonamerican airline again. He says it is better to have less comfort for us than bother the person sitting in front of DD. Otherwise DD flies unbelievable well.

To prevent the seat kicking with the littler ones, we found that the CARES seatbelt that sittin pretty recommended to be great, since the child is sitting in the big seat and can't reach the one in front. http://www.kidsflysafe.com/

When DS got a bit older, just explaining to him how uncomfortable he's making the person in front of him seemed to work. Well, that and withholding candy...

Hi! Ditto the recommendation of a DVD player or laptop(in my book, completely necessary), scotch tape or different colors of painters tape, post-its, books, and small snacks that take time to eat.

When my kids were younger we used to take along this stuff Crayola makes called Model Magic. Kinda like playdough except it doesn't break off into tiny little crumbs nearly as easily.

Also, we like to put puzzle pieces in a baggy (like the 24 piece ones) and then the kids can put the puzzle together on the tray table.

Has anybody mentioned a simple pad of paper and crayons in a little baggie?

FP Little People to play quietly with and to make up plays with.

Felt boards with felt people and accessories worked great for my DD, as did sticker books.

HTH!

When my kids were little they used to love the paint with water books on flights. You could get the little paper cups with a small amount of water in them and if it spilt it didn't make much mess. Colorful without the mess.

Good luck, it is so much easier when they are older and happy to watch movies and play games for hours on end!

I forgot to mention that our local kids' toy stores have bins all around the cash register with inexpensive little things that are great for long trips. We would pull out a new little thing every once in awhile to keep the kiddo entertained. (The toy where you push on the bottom/base to make the dog on top move its head/wag its tail/etc was a big hit.)

What about some books on CD?

Along the same lines, we took play-away books from the library on our last trip.