Don’t Dread Flying with Your Kids – Be Prepared!

Any form of travel with children can be unpredictable, but when the traveling includes flights, the potential for disaster increases. Barcelona weekend breaks may sound like the perfect chance to get away for a few days, but if you don’t arm yourself with hints, tips, and tricks to keep your little ones entertained, you will spend those few days away dreading the flight back.

1. Toys are an obvious choice to fill your hand luggage with but choose wisely and plan how you are going to use them. If you bring out the best toys early on in the flight then you have no backup if things take a turn for the worse (think delays, turbulence, take off or landing), anything where you’ll want their attention focused elsewhere, and any old thing just won’t cut it. In other words — save the best until last.

2. Another great tip when it comes to toys is to put away the best ones that you used on the flight as soon as you arrive and don’t bring them out again until the flight home. That way your child won’t be bored of them before the journey back has even started.

3. One of the most effective ways of keeping children entertained is good old fashioned coloring and drawing. This allows their imaginations to run wild and will often last for quite a while. Now that you can buy pens that only draw on specific ‘magic’ paper you won’t have the stress of whether they will start drawing on the seats or other people, (no one wants to wake up to a brand new mustache).

4. Eating is a great way to keep kids occupied, but keep snacks healthy. Snacks can be given at regular intervals to break up the journey. Giving unhealthy, sugary snacks may keep them quiet momentarily but beware! The last thing you want are hyperactive kids in an enclosed space, as any well-seasoned traveler will know, so instead try to stick to healthier options, still guaranteed to keep them munching away, without driving you (and everyone else) mad.

5. If you’ve got a tablet or laptop then letting them watch their favorite TV programs or films is the perfect way to keep them quiet for an hour or two. However, invest in some child-friendly headphones. While your little one may worship Peppa Pig, that doesn’t mean every other passenger on the plane wants to hear that theme tune ten times over. They also have the added bonus of drowning out any scary noises, from turbulence to other crying children.

6. If you are traveling with a baby it is advisable to give them a bottle of milk at take-off and landing. For older children, take a tip from pensioners everywhere and keep some hardboiled sweets in your pocket. This helps to keep them calm during these times and also helps to equalize the pressure in their ears so they don’t experience any pain.

Flying with kids certainly doesn’t have to be something to dread. With a bit of planning and strategy, you will be able to enjoy every minute of your weekend break, including the traveling.