Travel has always been important to us and when we became parents we knew we wanted to continue traveling as best as we could especially given the perks of his job. As a consultant he is “on the road” or rather “in the air” nearly every week and racks up the miles and hotel points that we enjoy using to explore new, or favorite places as much as possible. Especially when it was just Margaret, I would pack us up and fly out solo to meet him wherever his client was. With Catherine on the scene, traveling with a 2 -to-1 ratio is a bit tougher, but I am making it work. No matter how tough it has gotten, we always feel our adventures are worth it.
Pretty fresh off of my most recent trip flying with the girls solo for a three hour flight, I’m sharing some of the items I found helpful for Catherine specifically. I’m not saying you need all of these – though I probably came pretty close because I err on the side of over-prepared and over-packed – but a few special toys and books plus an abundance of snacks and beverages, and you’ll be in pretty good shape from an entertainment standpoint for babies 3 months to 18 months. Some of these toys may be entertaining for little ones up to two years and beyond but in general these are what I pack for Catherine who is currently 14 months.
5. Fat Brain Toys Squigz 6. Infantino Flip and Peek Fun Phone
Of the above toys, the “Dimpl” was the greatest hit – she was mesmerized and honestly Margaret kept trying to steal it and she’s almost 5! Books with flaps are highly engaging and the buckle book encourages curious little fingers to try a variety of buckles. It has zippers, flaps and crinkles – a baby trifecta! The squigz are fun on the tray table, experimenting with suction and building. Margaret took some to turn into an imaginary phone and we pretended making phone calls. The baby cell phone does make noise but it is fairly quiet. You can take the batteries out and the buttons and mirror are fun!
7. Kleynimals Toy Keys 8. Velcro Fruit 9. Crinkly Baby Paper
The Whirly Squigz are fun to push onto the tray table and spin. If you don’t have indestructible books they’re perfect for babies when they’re chewing, tearing and exploring – they’re truly indestructible. The Manhattan Toy Company Atom toy continues to be a favorite of Catherine’s on and off the plane. Perfect to shake like a quiet rattle and teething friendly. The toy straps are the MVP because you can strap them on to things like their sippy cup or many of these toys. I hold on to one end and that way if she is tossing or dropping her things it minimizes contact with the yucky plane floor. Snack cups make eating easy. The Jellycat books are our favorite with the different texture tails and abundance of crinkles – babies go crazy for them. Similar to the crinkly baby paper also linked. I usually steal some velcro fruit out of our kitchen and Catherine love pulling them apart. And the Kleyanimals toy keys are fun teethers that both our girls have enjoyed.
I swore I’d never wear a backpack yet here we are – not only wearing it but sharing it loud and proud! This one is basic, around $30, and functions so well. It sits well on the ground, the mouth opens up and stays open, there are a bunch of tiny pockets to stay organized, and while traveling having your hands free is super important. I will never stop professing my love for the Zoe XL2 double stroller we have. I bought it before my first solo trip with the girls after a ton of research. I wanted something that was easy to breakdown and get in a bag for gate check by myself. I wanted seats that were truly comfy and reclined for both girls who were six months and four years old at the time. I wanted undercarriage storage and durability. It is the easiest part of our travel days, hands down. The backpack bag is well made and easy to use. When I need to walk it to the gate I can literally put it on my back, hold the baby in one arm and hold my backpack in the other.
