The Secret to a Perfectly Packed Toddler Carry-on Bag for Air Travel

We took two flights with Aiden this summer. One was fairly short (1.5 hours) and the other much longer (6-ish hours). Even if you don’t know very much about toddlers, I am sure you are probably aware that they don’t sit still for very long. Once they start walking they really are on the go all the time. Dan and I knew that packing a toddler carry-on bag for the flight was very important and we took time to think about what needed to be in that bag.

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The bag Aiden uses for his toddler carry-on bag is the Skip Hop toddler insulated backpack. We like it because it is small enough that Aiden can actually wear it but large enough that stuff actually fits inside. One thing to remember is not to pack it too full because if it is heavy your toddler might have trouble walking. For the most part, we hung the backpack on the stroller so Aiden didn’t get too tired carrying it. It was cute, by the second trip he would specifically ask to wear it. I think he felt cool like daddy, who also carried a backpack!

Flying with a toddler can be a challenge. A perfectly packed carry-on bag is a must. Here are tips for packing a toddler carry-on bag for air travel.

As for what we put inside the backpack, here is a list:

  • Snacks! We love the Plum Organics Mighty Dinos which you can find at Target.
  • Sugar-Free Lollipops — This kept him busy for takeoff and the sucking helped his ears not to pop
  • Coloring book — we packed a coloring book and a few crayons. We found that the little packages of crayons you get from restaurants are really useful for travel.
  • Window clings — window clings are a great way to keep a lap child entertained during the flight
  • Headphones — we have baby headphones, but honestly, Aiden preferred my Beats headphones. I think this is because the baby headphones only go up to a certain level which is hard to hear over the noise of the plane.
  • Cup — we always have a cup handy for in-flight beverage service.
  • Diaper & wipes– I put a diaper in there for easy access just in case.
  • Sunglasses — if it might be sunny wherever we are going!

Flying with a toddler can be a challenge. A perfectly packed carry-on bag is a must. Here are tips for packing a toddler carry-on bag for air travel.

In our carry-on, we have our laptop and cellphones with several movies and games (you never know if the plane has power to charge a dead battery) including:

  • Moana (my phone)
  • Finding Dory (Dan’s phone)
  • Finding Nemo (laptop)
  • Endless Alphabet app (laptop and Dan’s phone — also in App Store)
  • Balloon Pop

We don’t have the Amazon Fire although I have heard amazing things. If you do have one and bring it here is a great post  on the best free Amazon Fire apps for toddlers. If you are looking for other great ways to keep your kids occupied at the airport check out this post.

We also packed a travel pillow and Aiden’s SnooZieMat.

Overall, I wouldn’t say there was anything we didn’t use or wished we had. It was just enough variety to keep him entertained.

Have you traveled by plane with a toddler? What do you pack in a toddler carry-on bag?

If you liked this post check out Baby on Vacation — Packing and Road Trip with a Six Month Old

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Flying with a toddler can be a challenge. A perfectly packed carry-on bag is a must. Here are tips for packing a toddler carry-on bag for air travel. #baby #toddler #travel #family #momlife
Flying with a toddler can be a challenge. A perfectly packed carry-on bag is a must. Here are tips for packing a toddler carry-on bag for air travel. #baby #toddler #travel #family #momlife

 

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About Melissa

Hi, I’m Melissa! I am a mama to an energetic preschooler and newborn, a wife to my amazing husband Dan, and I work full-time as a meeting planner. I started this blog because, after having my first little guy, I quickly learned that exhaustion and baby brain causes you to forget some of the amazing (sometimes horrible and sometimes wonderful) details related to the first several months of raising a baby. Realizing that we would probably have more kids in the future, I wanted to document everything, so we would remember what worked the first time around, and hopefully help other first time mamas along the way!