Travelling with a toddler - your top tips?

[blondieminx]

DD will be 18 months when we go away - what are your top tips for travelling with a toddler? Any products that helped you on your hols that you'd recommend?

I was thinking new toy and new book for on the flight for starters but any further ideas gratefully recieved!

Balloons - can blow up as and when needed, great to play with and don't take up too much room.

Bubbles (small bottle) handy for bored toddlers when waiting to take off etc. Don't bother other passengers as tend to burst before too far. Great to play 'pop the bubble' in waiting lounges (if not too busy)

Booking into airport lounge with long haul stopovers/plane chnages. Worth every penny - don't have to cahgne money to buy a cup of tea/food for kiddies. Somewhere clean for them to play/crawl etc.

Comfy-easy to roll up/store/ leggings/pj bottoms. for self and kiddies.

Apples - when DS was 18mo ish I could give him an apple to eat and it'd take about an hour :o

Also consider a cheapy DVD player for endless episodes of ITNG for the plane, we got one from Asda for about £50 and it was really handy.

Carry spare clothes for yourself as well as for them. In case they vomit all over you on the flight.
Ahem.

Oh yes also a sticker book with loads of tiny stickers to play and re-stick around the with took up another 30m or so....actually not sure whether 18months is too young for this, can't remember so sorry if it's a silly suggestion!

Sounds obvious, but sweets and a lolly or three for take off and landings. No idea if the sucking helped our daughters ears pop (who was 18 months at the time) but it distracted her for ages.

Videos on a laptop; favorite snacks; usual sleep gear (eg grobag, dummy, cuddly etc) if you're flying at night; books, stickers, even toy catalogues that you can chuck away; a foldable stroller ( we had a maclaren). All indispensable! Some new toys and the videos will also serve you well in your hotel when youre there. And a change of clothes for both of you!

One of those magnetic scribbler pad doohickeys with the pen attached on a string.

DEFINITELY change of clothes for both of you. I won't tell you my terrible story about the toddler with diarrhoea on a long haul flight in case you never leave the house again.

More baby wipes than you think you could ever possibly need.

If you're flying don't rely on airline food for her, take plenty snacks. I'd 2nd a dvd player & stickers. Take a few new toys (cheap ones are good so it doesn't matter if they get lost) & stick them in party bags (or wrap them up although some security can get bit funny with stuff thats wrapped) for her to open every hour or so. Definitely take spare clothes (& ziplock bags are good to put any dirty stuff in). If you take bubbles in hand luggage, remember they'll have to be under the 100ml (or whatever the liquid limit is now & do liquids still need to fit into a zilpock bag?)

If you're going to the beach, scrunch buckets are good for not taking up much space in suitcase.

Ooh thanks everyone, keep them coming! :)

When our DCs were small we used backpacks rather than buggies when on holiday.

Be prepared to be the most unpopular person on the plane? S

orry - not very helpful but just personal experience. Flew with DD when she was about 20 months and when we were delayed on the ground for an hour she had the BIGGEST tantrum that the crew asked for the steps to be brought back and it was "suggested" I get off and walk around with her for a bit until it was time for take off.