Flight with a 14 month old who just wants to move!

[ParsleyTheLion1]

We are going to Tenerife next week (4 hour flight I think, during the day). My DS if 14 months and is on the cusp of walking (he can toddle around pretty speedily holding onto stuff). Recently, he's become a lot more grumpy than he ever used to be staying seated in the same place (buggy, car seat) for any length of time. I am stressing a bit about what the flight is going to be like and how I'm going to keep him distracted given that he's too young for books, he can't draw, he hasn't really got the concentration or dexterity yet to play a game or imagine-play with a toy....
Has anyone got any tips?

Shamelessly place marking, sorry.

Another one place marking!

When my kids were small I use to make up a bag of cheap toys to take on the plane. I would wrap them up like presents and pull one out now and again throughout the flight. I also wrapped snacks. You could go to the pound shop so that if the toys get broken or lost under seats it doesn't matter too much.
Have you got a tablet you can load up with games/Peppa pig etc?

Put extra pair of old trouser on them at airport, let them crawl around lounge for ages until knackered before plane

Books are good still. Mine liked then very early. Some like where's wally style but easier are good.

Snacks

Heard a parenting expert on the radio talking about this the other day. Basically you avoid the temptation to wheel them around the airport in the buggy and make them walk as much as possible until boarding, Tire those little legs out.

Ipad (photos, video clips, very simple apps)

Snacks, endlessly

Thank you all.
Unfortunately, I have this reticence to resort to 'screen' distractions...he is so little. I read somewhere that children who use screens when they're really young may harm their powers/ability to focus and concentrate on other tasks.
But I recognise that sometimes needs must! I was just hoping I could find ways that the screen would be the last resort....

If he watches CBeebies then watching a screen on a flight isn't going to hurt!

Watching an iPad on a flight may harm his powers?
Who is he, batman?

Def let him run round the airport as much as possible (but not in people's way!) before hand. We then used to take books, aqua draw colouring mats are good as small and no mess, snacks that take ages to eat, a few favourite toys and a couple of new small things.

We have flown every year with our DC and never really had any problems. We also didn't have tablets then so not an option.

Going back to your op he is definitely not too young for books! Go to the library and borrow some new ones. Things like 'that's not my ....'

Definitely flap books (never too young for books!), plenty of snacks, does he have a favourite toy? Ds loves cars and anything that makes annoying noises (vetch toys!) Whilst I wouldn't use screen the whole time the odd 10/15min episode as a distraction won't hurt

I agree it's not great to use screens a lot. But this is just one flight. Use other ideas first by all means but suggest you have a screen as a back up, for the other passengers' sake!

I flew 26 hours with a two and five year old. On my own. You just say yes as much as you can.

Story. Yes
Apple. Yes.
Cuddle. Yes.
TV. Yes.
Milk. Yes.

Mine hardly watch tv/go on screens but I reckon they watched about 19 hours. They didn't lose any of their powers as far as I know.

Oh, and buy toddler sized headphones.

Do you know what? I sometimes wonder, mouldycheesfan, that he may be... i go into his room at night and sometimes he's not there...just a discarded sleeping bag and a heap of his bed clothes...
I didn't realise you could get toddler sized earphones!

Yes to screens for an occasional trip! Download some in the night garden or peppa. I get colouring books, picture books, encourage moving in the airport to encourage sleep on plane. Snacks. If he's on your lap there won't be much space, so small everything.

We fly to the canaries a few times a year with our now 2.8 year old. YY to lots of snacks and books. Maybe a new soft toy.

The best thing I bought was buckle toy from Amazon. It's AWESOME. My DD still plays with it occasionally now. We used to save that toy for when we were getting desperate, so don't break it out straight away.

Also stickers. The pound shops are great for these. He will probably enjoy playing with the tray and seatbelt. If you're really lucky you'll be sat near some passengers who like toddlers and will happily pull funny faces etc

Oh and we have no to or screen use at all at home for children. Eldest 6 now and still the same.
However it's free use on planes if they want it as they are limited to seat space

Mini Breadsticks - not too messy. Take time to eat

Books - the mr men and little miss ones are great size for travelling. And actually have story in rather than just cat/ ball/ dog. So last years ( mine now still love but can read themselves).

Little figures. We have 5 mini dinosaurs and two pirates that have travelled the world with us over the years. Get 3 free plastic/ paper cups on plane. Hide figure under one on table and let them guess which cup. Lasts ages when small.

Paper and crayons. At 14 months they can scribble. Or you can draw stuff and he watches. Like oh shall I draw a car? Ball? Or him? Just stick man style.

Sling on plane is handy as then you can put them in sling and walk up and down to get them to sleep if they are tired but won't settle.

Forgot to say I got a little magnetic drawing board that my daughter loves on planes. She can scribble all she wants without having lots of paper to throw away.

love the idea that he actually IS Batman...please buy him the outfit!

meanwhile, planes are an exception to the no-screens rule, use one to hypnotise him into staying still, just this once. And chase him furiously round the airport before to wear him out.

I really don't think watching Peppa Pig for a couple of hours will make much difference to a child's future. I'd go with the iPad and the 'that's not my' books.

I think he may have one already special subject.... I saw something black, grey and yellow that I didn't recognise poking out the washing basket this morning....
Although if he is indeed Batman, one would hope that he could at least do his own washing!
Thank you everyone for the excellent suggestions. It's made it clear to me that a bit of planning will go a long way.

As already said, walk around with him at the airport, make sure you are the last one to board the plane, the worst thing i found is getting early on the plane and waiting for everyone else to take their seats before the take off. Try to coincide the nap time with the flight time, so you will get an hour or 2 of sleep time during the flight. You can also walk up and down the isle during the flight, take small finger food that will take him occupied, like raisins, cheese sticks and so on. If he is into cars, take a few new small cars to destruct him.

At home I limit snacks and screen time - on a flight they can fill their boots! Agree with all the other suggestions too re tiring them out in the airport, and try to schedule a nap - so depending what time you're flying skip a nap earlier in the day so they might sleep on the plane. Have to say the easiest flights I've been on with my DC have been night flights as they've slept most of the way - and I was dreading those flights the most.