What to Pack Your Kids for a Long Haul Flight

Flying can feel daunting, especially with little ones in tow. Knowing what to pack your kids for a long haul flight feels nearly impossible. With a few strategic plans you can keep your kids comfortable and entertained.

If you’re anything like me, going anywhere for a day out with the kids in tow can feel like a marathon. By the time I pack diapers, a change of clothes, snacks, blankets, toys, hats, and anything else they might need, I feel exhausted–and we haven’t even left the house yet! So, when we booked our first long haul flight with my son (and with each subsequent child thereafter), knowing that we would be in the air and at airports for so long felt so overwhelming. As an American living overseas, however, this has become a normal part of our lives. Knowing what to pack for our kids on a long haul flight has become second nature.

Don’t get me wrong. We have had many an uncomfortable time traveling with our kids, but most of the time it was not due to not having enough snacks or things to entertain them with. The fact of the matter is, some things are out of our control. Knowing what to pack your kids for a long haul flight is half the battle for keeping them calm and comfortable when some of those situations do come up.

The Basics

1. Snacks. This one was the first thing that came to my mind. If you have a hungry child, you have a grumpy child. And, let’s face it, airplane food is mediocre at best. Not to mention expensive. One of my children had a dairy intolerance for quite a few years, too, so snacks were always vital for our travels. Some of my favorite snacks for the kids include granola bars, dried mango or other dried fruit, candy that won’t melt (mostly in case of emergencies), savory crackers, beef jerky, and really anything else you can find that won’t melt or crumble easily. For the first leg I like to pack food that they can eat sooner like sandwiches or cheese sticks. Lollipops come in handy for take off and landing (or gum if your kids are old enough). And I do usually have them bring their own empty waterbottle to fill up once we get on the plane. Keeping them hydrated with a bottle that’s easy for them to drink from is super important while traveling such a long way.
2. Diapers/Nappies, Wipes, Powder/Rash cream/Changing Pad. This, of course, depends on the ages of your children. I have only flown one time in my 11 years as a parent with out needing to pack diapers. I tend to overpack this a bit, because you just never know. Thankfully, I have always had more than enough.
3. A Change of Clothes. For kids that are potty trained, I pack one change of clothes. For infants and toddlers, I pack 2-3 changes of clothes. Our routine upon landing is to freshen up in the bathroom and change into our clean clothes. Between jet lag, recycled air, and the discomfort of a long flight, changing clothes makes you feel almost human again.
4. Toothbrush/toothpaste. This goes along with changing our clothes. Brushing teeth after a long haul flight is so refreshing! Of course, don’t forget to check with your airline for regulations on toothpaste (I believe it counts as a liquid).
5. Bandaids. Comes in handy if they get a scratch and need some comfort (somehow bandaids make it feel better).
6. Light Jacket. This is a great layering option, which you may need. The planes are often kept quite chilly and it can be hard to sleep if you’re not a comfortable temperature.

The Fun

1. Small gifts. You might be thinking, Samantha, are you crazy? How do I have room for small gifts along with all the other things I’ll be packing? I promise you, this one is worth it. Particularly if you have toddlers or kids that have a hard time sitting still. Go to the dollar tree and pick out 10-12 little toys or things you can easily carry in your backpack. Wrap them and put them in your carry on (preferably one that will be with you at your seat). There will, inevitably, be times during your long haul flight that your little one will want to get up and not be allowed to. There may be times when they have meltdowns because they’re tired or uncomfortable in some way. VOILA! Bring out the little gift and watch your child’s mood change before your eyes. I promise you, this is a game changer that is worth the effort.
2. Window Gel Stickers. If you end up having a window seat, bringing some window gel stickers will be fun for your kids to use during the flight. Even my older kids (aged 7 and 9 on our last long haul flights) loved designing their own windows for the time we were in the air.
3. Magic Marker Coloring Books. These books are absolutely brilliant for traveling. They’re fun for older kids and great for little kids. I love that they bring a bit of fun while also making sure that your little artist doesn’t leave their drawings on the seat in front of them.
4. Magnetic games. There are so many travel sized games available now, and many of them are magnetic. This is so helpful to pack on a long haul flight because the pieces won’t go flying everywhere. We have bought little fishing games for the toddlers and checkers or other thought provoking games for our older kids.
5. Magnatiles or Legos. These come in handy since kids can be so creative with what they make with them. If you’re bringing a few legos and can fit a small baseplate in your child’s bag, that would make keeping the pieces together that much better during the flight.
6. Balloons. Ok I know this one sounds a little weird. For those times when the unexpected happens and you have more time to kill at the airport than you expected, balloons are so handy. One time, we had a flight delayed a few hours. Because it was the middle of the night, the airport wasn’t particularly crowded. We had plenty of space to blow up a balloon and play “keepy uppy” with our little guy. It worked a treat. I usually bring a few in different colors, but I’ve only had to use them one time.
7. Stickers. Buy them in your child’s favorite character. They can decorate their magic marker book with them or you could bring a small memo pad for them to draw and put their stickers on.

Bonus Essentials

1. Headphones. Kids headphones now have volume control. I like bringing each of my kids their own set of headphones. It’s more comfortable for them and I don’t have to worry about their eardrums being blasted.
2. Ipad/Tablet/Handheld Gaming. Packing some sort of screen to pull out in a pinch can definitely come in handy. Don’t forget to download some fun apps and shows just for them.
3. Kids Pain Relief.
4. Kids Size Neck Pillow. Anything to make them more comfortable.
5. Sick Bags. Ok look, I know the airline provides one of these for each seat in theory. What I also know is the bag isn’t always there. If you’ve never flown with your children before, it might be a good idea to be prepared in case they have motion sickness.
6. Battery Packs to Charge Devices. This has been super important for us as we travel. We won’t travel with out them.
7. A Pair of Slippers or Fuzzy Socks.As soon as we get settled on our long haul flight aircraft, we take our shoes off and put on our socks/slippers. Well, all of us apart from my husband. I haven’t convinced him to get some comfortable on a flight.
8. A Sleeping Toy or “Snuggly.” This brings a little comfort from home.

A little planning ahead goes a long way in knowing what to pack your kids for a long haul flight. This may seem like an exhaustive list, but we have managed to pack most of these things with no trouble.

Have you ever travelled with your kids on a long haul flight? What would you add to the list?

Related Posts

Getting Out and About With Baby

Why it’s Important to Do the Things We Love