We just returned from the girls’ first airplane trip, and it was so successful that I want to record my packing list and notes for future reference. How do your experiences compare?
We took a five-day trip to Washington, D.C., to visit Jon’s brother and his family. Grammie and Grandpa not only met us there — they also had sprung for airfare to get the whole family in one spot. (Thanks G & G!) We had a great time with staying with Uncle Jim, Aunt Lisa, and six-year-old Cousin Violet.
p{color:gray}. Photo: Lucy and Rosie (and “Gwen”:/news/2010/baby-gwen/) are so excited as they wait at O’Hare to board their first-ever airplane flight.
Highlights included:
* Lots of good food (we brought four full “boxes”:http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/dessert/recipe-mailing-toffee-005521 of “Christmas”:/news/2010/great-news-cookies/ “goodies”:/news/2010/double-dark-chocolate-shortbread/ and Jon’s famous “Chex mix”:/news/2008/chex-mix/, not to mention all the feasts Jim prepared for us)
* Girls having a blast playing dress-up
* Swimming in the pool at Grammie & Grandpa’s hotel
* Visits to the National Zoo for “Zoo Lights”:http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ActivitiesAndEvents/Celebrations/zoolights/default.cfm and to the “National Air and Space Museum”:http://www.nasm.si.edu/
But I was especially pleased with how smoothly the air travel portion went. Through no virtue of our own, the flight itself was ideal: no delays, no bad weather, virtually no turbulence, and a short flight (under 1½ hours). Our flight to D.C. was so empty that we actually had two rows to ourselves. Our return flight was full, which meant we actually had to sit in our assigned seats. Sheesh. :) Our arrangement worked out OK — Lucy, Rosie, and I in one row, Jon in the row ahead — but next time, we’ll try to book seats so we can sit two-and-two with each girl in her own window seat, as we did on the trip out.
I’m a notorious overpacker, but I tried to bring a (merely) reasonable amount of gear with us. My strategy in packing light is to make a very detailed list of everything I plan to pack, then run it by Jon for a reality check. Somehow, he always manages to find stuff to cut! We did pretty well, but as this was our first flying experience with our children, I wanted to be prepared for any eventuality — and that meant planning for extended entertainment, if necessary.
We used our awesome “Reisenthel basket”:http://www.amazon.com/Reisenthel-Carrybag-Multi-Floral/dp/B001FVKRI8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1293813565&sr=8-2 for our Designated Toy Bag. They are a little pricey, but sturdy, useful, and beautiful. The open design was really helpful at every stage in transit, making it much easier to find items and shuffle things around. I was concerned that it mightn’t fit under an airliner seat, but it did!
h2. Toy Bag Packing List
* _Highlights Magazine_ “hidden”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590788478/octothorppres-20 “pictures”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590786483/octothorppres-20 books (Rosie is a huge fan of these)
* other softcover books (not weighing as much as hardcovers)
* lacing cards (props to Aunt Lisa for sending these with us on the way back)
* window clings (I’ve read that “colorforms”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BNEODU/octothorppres-20 work well too)
* Our favorite “Berenstain Bears book”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375842144/octothorppres-20 (though admittedly a hardcover, there are five books in one!)
* cards (playing cards or picture cards)
* blank paper
* crayons and pencils
* two sets of headphones (since some airlines charge for these, though United doesn’t currently)
* a “book”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1439165645/octothorppres-20 for Mama (which I actually got to read!)
* baby wipes
* hand sanitizer
* tissues
* moisturizer
h2. iPhone Packing List
In the electronic department, we loaded up the iPhones (and a borrowed iPad) with these items:
* kid (or kid-friendly) apps including “123 Color,” “Bus,” “Matches,” “Bubbles,” “My1stHidPix,” and “Super Why!”
* other apps that the girls love playing with (even though they’re too hard for them to play well or even correctly), including “Traffic Rush,” “Rat on the Run,” “Bouncedown,” “Kapowie,” and “Topple”
* audio books (including the especially beloved “_Frog and Toad_”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060740531/octothorppres-20 series)
* a few kids’ movies
* some favorite photos and home videos
h2. Snack Bag Packing List
We decided to have a “no buying food in the airport” policy, just to simplify life (and to eliminate the temptation to eat motion-sickness-inducing greasy food). We carried a separate Food Bag along with us (in a rolling backpack), loaded with lots of snacks.
* granola bars
* pretzels
* string cheese
* sandwiches (cream cheese — eschewing peanut butter, given the potential allergies of those in close proximity)
* lollipops (our solution for ear-popping issues)
* other candy
* fruit snack packages
* cut-up apple slices (sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning)
* water bottles (but remember to bring these empty and fill up only once you’re through security)
* gum (for the grownups)
Lucy and Rosie each had her own backpack, containing their favorite doll, one “silk play cloth”:http://www.novanatural.com/silk-play-cloths, and one or two small toys.
Other random tips:
* In my purse, I packed a single spare dress and pair of underpants that would fit either daughter, in case of an emergency
* We brought a strap for bundling our bulky winter coats together, which was super-helpful as we trekked through the terminal
* We packed a set of clean clothes for each person in our carry-on suitcase, just in case our checked luggage got lost
* I read that blue painter’s tape is great to have on hand — kids love to stick it on things, but it comes off easily
* Next time we fly, I want to study “this list”:http://www.deliciousbaby.com/products/travel-toys/?age=preschooler of useful toys and books suited for air travel and preparation
We are total newbies at flying with kids, so we’d love more suggestions if you have them!
To put those empty seats in perspective, I share this story with you: On 1/4/72 when we flew from O’Hare to Stockholm for our six-month stay there, the plane was so empty that both Jim and Jon had their own row in the center section of the SAS DC-8. Mom got them into their PJs and they slept all the way in solo comfort. No such luxury was to be found on our first trip to Oxford in June, 1970! Not one empty seat of a charter filled with high school students. To enable the crew to serve the in-flight meal, the pilot had to rock the plane (fore and aft) to get those excited students to take their seats. Such are the joys of air travel – but at least we did not have to take our shoes off at that time. My love to all of you…
Sounds like you did a great job! I’m glad that the flight went smoothly – no turbulence, delays, etc. I don’t like to fly very much, and it makes it more difficult for me to stay engaged with the kids if the flight is rough.