Our First Flight with Toddlers: What Actually Worked (and What I’d Do Again)
An honest look at flying with littles — no screens, lots of prep, and what I’d change next time.
Our first flight as a family of four started with a 3:45AM wake-up for a 5-hour flight to Phoenix.
I expected to feel frazzled (or even nauseous), but honestly, I felt just as excited as the kids. We had prepped for weeks, and they were thrilled about everything: their backpack carry-ons, how dark it was outside, even the streetlights we passed on the way to the airport. And despite a few small hiccups, it was a really good first flight.
Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and what we’ll repeat on our next flight.
How We Prepped Our Toddlers for Their First Flight
Of everything we did, this made the biggest difference. To get ready for their first flight, we:
- Read books about airplanes and airports — their favorite was Lonely Planet’s How Airports Work by Clive Gifford, which walks through everything from security to baggage claim.
- Watched a few airport walkthrough videos so they could see the process ahead of time.
- Played pretend airport at home (complete with paper tickets and luggage).
- Talked about it often — answering questions, explaining security, and setting expectations.
What We Packed for Our Flight with Toddlers
For a five-hour flight, I wanted enough to keep them busy, but also keep their backpacks manageable.
Each child had their school backpack as their personal carry-on item with: water bottle, snacks, a mix of the travel toys, a sweatshirt + stroller blanket, and a full change of clothes (in case of emergencies).
Snacks
- Water: We brought both kids’ Yeti Rambler, Jr. (12 oz) water bottles (empty) and filled them up at bottle filling stations in the airport after TSA.
- Breakfast: The day before our flight, I baked Kodiak Blueberry Protein-Packed Muffins in mini muffin size. They were perfect to sit and eat at our gate, especially after getting up early.
- Snack Box: Each child has a snack box that I filled with easy-to-eat but healthy snacks (like dried cranberries, cashews, cherrios, dried fruit rolls).
Toys + Activities
If you’re flying with toddlers (or even big kids!), I highly recommend one or two new toys, books, or activities — novelty keeps them occupied longer. Many of these items can also be found in our Restaurant Bag (that we bring when we go out to eat with kids).
- Blank paper + click markers
- A new Mercy Watson paperback
- Usborne sticker books
- Mini cars + road tape
- Small Play-Doh + Tub of Small Animals
- Yoto Mini with headphones + 5 Yoto cards
- A simple foam craft kit (Target carries some of my favorite)
- Micro Magna-Tiles
Practical Items – In My Backpack
- Wipes + pull-ups + potty seat
- Throw-up bags
- Adult Ibuprofen
- Mini first aid kit
- Stain wipes (because kids)
Lessons Learned: What I’d Do Differently on our Next Flight
- Check the Yoto mini volume. It needed to be turned up to be heard over the airplane noise through bluetooth headphones.
- Reconsider the early flight. If you can reasonably avoid a 4AM wake-up, do it!
At the Airport: What Helped (And What Was Hard)
Arriving Early
We arrived a little over 2 hours before our flight, and had reserved parking at MCO (the Orlando airport). This ended up being a mess as we apparently drove through the SunPass lane instead of scanning our QR code. The reserve garage was also far from our terminal, making for a lot of walking at 6:30AM.
TSA with MCO’s “Families on the Fly” Line
If you’re flying out of Orlando International Airport (MCO) with toddlers, be sure to check out TSA’s new “Families on the Fly” line! MCO was one of the first airports to roll it out. Check to see if your airport has one!
All of the agents were so kind, knew exactly what to do with kid items (i.e. our favorite travel stroller and car seats) and it was also a relief to be around other families who were also traveling early in the morning. (Everyone gives just a bit more grace!)
After TSA, we rode the tram and headed straight to our gate. I brought out the mini muffins and surprised the kids with new books in their backpacks.
Car Seat Tips for Flying with Toddlers
On the way there, we brought both car seats onboard. Even though they were lighter options, it was not easy getting them on the plane. Plus, my littlest couldn’t open his tray fully flat, making plane activities harder. For the flight back, we gate-checked both car seats, which made life much easier.
Our Travel Carseats: We bought a Graco Contender Slim for the rear-facing three year old and a Cosco Finale DX for our forward-facing five-year-old. They were light enough to lug around the airport, and fairly easy to install (though not as easy as our normal Nuna Ravas).
In the Air: Our 5 Hour Flight with Toddlers
Take-Off & Landing
We were lucky with easy take-offs and landings. I brought along lollipops in case of issues with ear pressure, but we didn’t need them. My main tip here: we opened our yeti water bottles slightly and kept them in the seatback pocket to prevent air pressure from building (and keep our laps dry later!).
Restlessness
With about an hour left, my littlest got antsy. He hadn’t napped and had been strapped forward-facing in his car seat the whole time, plus there was turbulence so getting up wasn’t an option. I distracted him with questions and activities, and we (thankfully!) made it without a meltdown.
Seating Strategy
For this flight, our oldest was behind the youngest (both in window seats). I am actually planning to swap them for our next flight — oldest in front. My three-year-old kept opening and closing his seatback tray, and I don’t want to bug the row in front of us!
If You’re Flying with Toddlers Soon, Here’s My Bottom Line…
We Made It! – Landing in Phoenix
As we landed, the kids were so excited to spot a CACTUS (tell me you have Florida kids!), and I was so proud of their first flight. We went to grab brunch and spend the rest of the day exploring Phoenix. The trip went so well, my husband even let me book our Spring Break flights — to Boston!
