Like many families, my family enjoys traveling both to see family and for vacations, but flights with children are intimidating at best. After the first few nervous flights and several much more smooth flights, I have found a few ways to making flying with kids SO MUCH EASIER!!!

1.Bring a Stroller or Wagon or Baby Carrier

If your kiddos are still pretty small, you’ll want something they don’t have to walk. While a little walk from the entrance to the gate doesn’t always sound very far, those little legs wear down pretty fast after waiting multiple lines. (Trust me, you don’t want to carry your kiddo through the airport). Many of these strollers can all be checked at the gate, so they don’t count against the number of bags you have.

Some really awesome strollers/wagons/baby carriers that are great for flights with children are listed below:

1. The Joey Stroller Wagon
   • Fits 2 kids up to 4 years old
   • Collapses to fit in small spaces
   • Snack table with cup holders
   • Has an adapter for baby carriers
2. Veer Cruiser
   • Options for 2 or 4 seat wagon
   • Compact fold
   • Snack tray and cup holders
   • Ergonomic handles
   • Can fit baby carrier
3. Joolz Aer Stroller
   • Ultra Light weight
   • Folds within seconds
   • Ergonomic seat
   • Under-seat basket for carrying small luggage
   • One-hand fold
4. Ergobaby Omni 360 Baby Carrier
   • Breathable for parent
   • Holds infant to 45lbs
   • Extra back support
   • 4 different ways to wear
   • Comfortable for parent and child

There are many other options, but these some of our favorites. Always remember to check with your airlines to be absolutely sure your stroller or wagon can be checked at the gate.

2.Find airports that have considered flights with children

Some airports know that parents fly with babies and children and have included areas to accommodate their smallest fliers. The terminal 1 at the St. Louis airport, the Humphrey terminal in Minneapolis, and the Milwaukee airport are three airports that have playgrounds. It is SO nice to have the opportunity to let children run around in a safe environment before having to sit on a plane. If they don’t have a playground, we have used empty gates towards the end of a terminal to play tag or just run around in general.

If you have an infant, look for airports that have family or nursing areas. Orlando international airport has 14 lactation rooms! These aren’t even the pods, they’re actual rooms, though they do have an additional 4 pods available too. Some airports only have one or two pods available rather than rooms.

3. Check out the TSA rules

As adults we get use to flying alone and not bringing beverages, but flying with children is a whole different ball game. Many things you may not have thought of are considered medically necessary for children, like toddler drinks and snacks. They don’t even have to follow the 4oz rule! You can also bring a small cooler and ice bags for breast milk. If you need to travel with a breast pump, that is considered a medical device and will not be counted as a carry-on or personal item.

4. Plan ahead activities

Even the best travel days feel long and unhappy kiddos don’t make it go any more smooth. Find toys and activities that travel well. We love magic marker and coloring books, LCD doodle pads, pop-its, water-wows, reading books, and Montessori busy boards. Also make sure if you plan on letting them watch a movie or video on the plane that you bring children headphones and download anything you need before boarding the plane. Bringing a portable external battery has proven to be a life saver for us time and time again too.

5. Take advantage of time off the plane

These will be the best opportunities to move, use the bathroom, and eat something of substance. A stir-crazy, hungry kiddo on a plane isn’t going to make for the easiest flight and those plane bathrooms are tough to fit two people. The time on the plane has the potential to be a bit stressful. To make the best of it, utilize it as a rest time and utilize airport time as playtime.

6. Bring all the mess free snacks

Airport snacks are not usually enough for a hungry toddler or baby. Be sure to have some easy to eat snacks and some wipes for when the cleanest of snacks become messy. With that being said, don’t forget an extra pair of clothes, even for you. We have learned the hard way that water bottles with straws are a victim to the pressure change and will cause beverages to come shooting out of the straw when you get ready to take a drink.

We have also learned the hard way that mom doesn’t like sitting in wet or dirty clothes from snack mishaps.

While flights with children may seem intimidating at first, they get so much easier the more you do them. You got this super parent! Traveling doesn’t have to stop with parenthood. In fact, it just gets better as you get to introduce that beautiful young mind to such a great big world!

With Love,

Becky