Learn exactly what to bring when flying with a toddler. What you need, what you don’t and how to organize it in your toddler’s carry-on bag and yours!
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I’ve done a lot of international travel with my toddlers, without anyone’s help. My husband couldn’t come and so I had to do it! And, I can tell you from experience that it’s not an easy task to accomplish, but with the right tools and supplies, it can go a lot smoother.
I’m writing this article in the hopes I can share some interesting ideas for yours and your toddler’s carry-on bags, so your trip can be a breeze.
The first time I did that with my first son, I brought way too many toys and trinkets to keep him entertained in the plane. I didn’t realize my arms would be the only ones to carry all of that – and my son – when I walked the long halls of the airport.
It also didn’t occur to me how much of a pain it would be to organize all the different bags I had in the airplane compartments once we got in. Those were four very difficult, inconvenient flights to see our family in Brazil.
After that experience, I swore I wouldn’t travel internationally with toddlers. But you know? It just happened that I had to choose between going on my own with the kids and seeing our family or not seeing them at all. Guess what I chose? To do it again…
This time, with more experience, I could organize my toddlers’ carry-on bag and mine a lot more efficiently for the plane. Knowing what items were really worth bringing and what items weren’t.
What you don’t want to bring in your carry-on bag when flying with a toddler
It’s important to know what you’ll need so you can pack it properly in your carry-on bags. But it’s also crucial to know what you shouldn’t bring so you’re not dying, trying to carry a bunch of insignificant items plus your kids, all at the same time.
You shouldn’t bring:
- Too many toddler plane toys
- Toys that have several pieces and could easily get scattered in the plane
- More than two carry-on bags, unless you have kids old enough to help you carry them
These are a few of the things I’ve brought with me before and think are not worth bothering about. Before you pack anything, ask yourself, “Is this going to help us have a smoother trip or is it just going to get in our way?”
What to bring when flying with a toddler – in their carry on
Here’s the short version. A list with no further explanation:
- Diapers and wipes/extra underwear, if child is potty trained;
- Extra change of clothes;
- Sweater;
- Blanket + stuffed animal;
- Personal care items;
- Cup for milk if your child still drinks it before bedtime (when flight is long or at night);
- Water + snacks;
- iPad + headphones;
- Books + toys.
It’s always tempting to just get the list and leave. But honestly, I think you’ll avoid a lot of frustration if you read the details and each recommendation. I’m sharing what happened to me in the past when I’ve brought too much stuff or too little.
I’m also talking about the why of each recommendation to help you determine if it suits your family or not.
Diapers and wipes/extra underwear
This should be a no brainer, right? Well, not quite. You have a few things to ponder when deciding how many diapers to bring. You want to bring enough diapers with you, but not too many so it doesn’t clutter your carry on.
The first time my husband and I flew with our toddler internationally, we brought 5 diapers. Because it was a night flight, we probably used only two of those. Sam slept most of the time. On our way back to the US though, we brought the same amount of diapers because we thought they would be more than enough, just like they were, on our way there.
However, our flight back was during the day, and our son pooped several times and needed more diaper changes than we had anticipated. Wanna know how that story ended? With my son’s clothes, blanket, and my husband’s arm covered in poop as we went through the immigration customs in the Orlando airport. 🤣 {Please, don’t judge me…}
Not fun, right? Thankfully, we had packed our extra diapers right on top in our suitcase. We picked up our luggage and went straight to the bathroom to get our son changed from top to bottom.
So to keep something like this from happening to you, here are a few questions to ask yourself before deciding how many diapers to bring with you:
- How many hours is our flight?
- Is it during the day or at night?
Then, bring a few more than you think you’ll need. For some reference, here’s what I do now. When we travel internationally to see our family, we travel for about 24 hours (4 different flights). Normally, I would use 5 or 6 diapers for my toddler in a regular day. For our trip, I bring about 10 to 13 diapers.
To save space, I make sure I get diapers straight from the package (because they come nice and compressed) and put them in our carry-on bag without moving them too much so they don’t fluff up.
As for wipes, one package or a portable wipe holder (of standard size) filled to the top will do.
And as for underwear, if your toddler is potty trained, two or three depending on how long the flight is will be perfect.
Extra change of clothes
Bring two extra tees and one set of pants. And only change them if they get spilled on or truly dirty. I try saving them all the way to the last minute. If I can get away with not changing their clothes, I will save the extra change so I can change them when we arrive at our destination.
This way, they look clean and fresh when we get there. If you change their clothes just because of a minor stain, you might not have anything else to put on them when you arrive at your final location and they will look messy!
If it’s a short flight, you might not even have to change them at all.
Sweater
Always bring a sweater in case it gets cold in the airplane or airport. You can also bring a heavier coat depending on the temperature at your final destination, but I always try to save space.
Especially, if all we have to do outside is walk from the airport to the car, and then from the car to a hotel/Airbnb.
Blanket + stuffed animal
Bring items that will bring your child comfort. Items they’re attached to so they don’t feel misplaced being in an airplane.
If your bringing a sweater and the only reason to bring a blanket is that your child isn’t cold, you don’t really have to bring one. Particularly because on long flights, the airline always gives out some blankets.
If your child, however, is attached to a blanket and it helps them fall asleep, I wouldn’t even think about it. I would definitely bring it along. The space it occupies is definitely worth using. It will make your flying experience a lot smoother.
For our kids, we bring their favorite security blankets, like these:
They’re small, fluffy, and they comfort our kids.
Personal care items
For the kids, I usually just bring their toothbrushes and toothpaste. They don’t really need a deodorant, right?
And wipes will do for the rest. 😉
Cups for milk
Does your toddler still drink his milk before bedtime?
I know our kids still do, sometimes. So if it’s a long flight or short but at nighttime, we bring their special bedtime cups for the milk, with the same goal we bring their security blankets.
So they can feel like their bedtime routine didn’t change dramatically.
Although, they’re still in a plane… And that’s kind of a dramatic change. 🤷🏻♀️
Water + snacks
Ohhhh… Water and snacks will be the best things you can bring in a long airplane trip. Snacks keep them entertained for a long time. As well as fed. Especially when it’s a long flight.
Because let’s be real? Eating that airplane food might not be the favorite thing your child will do on that trip.
I try to be as practical as I can with snacks, so here’s what I usually bring:
- Fruits (for the first few snacks);
- Muffins like Little Bites;
- Goldfish;
- Cheerios
iPad/Tablet + headphones
These can be life-savers when you have long layovers at airports or if your plane doesn’t have a screen.
Don’t worry, I’m not in favor of my kids being on a screen for a long time, but this is a one-time event, where I rather break the rules a little and have them be happy and entertained than go crazy trying to run after them and keep track of who went where in the airport.
Or even worse, worry about them kicking the seat in front of them in the plane. So inconvenient for who is seating in the front.
Our iPad has one kid-app and one only, ABC Mouse. We trust ABC Mouse and are in awe of what our kids have learned using the app.
I don’t trust Youtube Kids as anyone can upload videos and they can have hidden messages that could be harmful to our kids.
ABC Mouse, on the other hand, only has videos added by them and they are all safe and educational.
Since we have two kids, we bought a headphone jack splitter that allows us to plug in two headphones at the same time. This way, our kids can share the iPad.
Books + toys
You don’t want to bring a lot of books and toys, but you definitely want to bring some. This last time I didn’t bring any toddler plane toys for the sake of saving space. Not worth it.
There are several occasions in which you don’t want to use the iPad or when your kids get tired of it. Screens are good for flying but not 100% of the time.
Bring toys that entertain your kids for a long time. In our case, that would be transformer robots. Our kids are obsessed with these and can play with them for ours. They’re also small enough that don’t occupy much space.
Also, think lightweight books that are thin, but contain good content. Be selective of toys and books and know you only need a few good ones.
What to bring when flying with a toddler – in your carry on
Figuring out what to bring in your toddler’s carry on is only half the battle. Knowing what to bring when traveling with a toddler on a plane also means knowing what to bring in your own carry on.
Here’s the short version of what to bring for you when flying with a toddler:
- Personal care items;
- Electronics and books;
- Extra shirt;
- Sweater;
- Family document/passport holder with necessary identification documents.
Now to more details…
Personal care items
We do sweat more than kids do. Or at least, in places, kids don’t. That means you should bring a travel-size deodorant and daily liners if you’re a woman.
Also, bring a toothbrush and toothpaste. Other than that, you can use your kids’ wipes if need be.
Electronics & books
Like your kids, you also need some entertainment gadgets. That could mean a laptop, an iPad, a Kindle, or books.
Extra shirt
Because you never know when your toddler (or you, for that matter) is going to have an accident in the plane. I usually just bring a top for myself. No pants. Or… I will bring leggings since they barely take up any space.
Sweater
For the exact same reason you bring one for your toddler when flying with them. Airplanes and airports are cold.
Document/Passport Holder with Necessary Documents
You’re going to go through so many different lines and security checks, that you need to be prepared and have all of your documents and tickets ready.
It’s always nice to have a separate bag to carry these, as it makes it a lot more practical for you to pull it out rather than be trying to find your documents in a backpack or large bag.
Should you bring a carry on for yourself and for your toddler when flying on a plane with them, or will one do for the both of you?
If you’re traveling with only one child, one large carry on should do for the both of you. Now, if you have more children, you might want to bring one for you and one for them so things don’t get really mixed up.
If the toddler has to/is allowed to have their own seat (usually when they’re 2 years old or more), bringing their own carry on will be a breeze since you can store it under the seat in front of them.
I always aim to bring only what we can fit under the seats in front of us so we don’t have to deal with putting our bags in the overhead compartment. That’s a pain.
Believe me, I’ve done it when traveling with the kids and it’s not helpful. It’s inconvenient when you’re boarding the plane or leaving. Apart from watching your toddler and putting everything away, you still have your bags tucked away in that compartment to worry about.
Not practical. I wouldn’t recommend.
I think we’ve covered it all, haven’t we? If you still have questions regarding what to bring in your carry-on bag when flying with a toddler, just shoot them in the comment section down below. and I will be happy to get back to you with more practical tips! 🙂
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