Flying with babies and young kids can be a daunting task. But if you’re prepared with the right items, it can be a lot easier. Here are 8 must have items for flying with babies and young kids.
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8 Must Have Items for Flying with Babies and Young Kids
- A Light Weight Stroller
My number one travel must haves is an easy to use, light weight stroller. Thankfully there are a few good ones that have hit the market in the last few years, but my personal favorite is the UPPA Baby Minu. This stroller is lightweight, compact, has a smooth ride, has easy to access storage, you can collapse with one hand and with adapters, you can attach an infant carseat! When traveling with small kids, you know how much “stuff” is involved, so having an light weight stroller, instead of a big bulky stroller, will help hugely! If you are flying, I highly recommend getting a padded stroller bag. Even if you gate check, these items get tossed around. We’ve had several damaged items come back to us, very frustrating. - Car Seats
This is a tough one, I won’t sugar coat this. Car seats are heavy, bulky, and hard to lug around, but I highly encourage you to bring your own! Here’s the deal, yes there are ride services that can provide car seats and ways to rent car seats at your destinations, but this can lead to some pretty sketchy situations. We’ve seen car seats that show up that are in awful condition, not properly installed, or not the appropriate size for our child. Safety is my biggest concern, so even though this doesn’t make things easier, I think it is a must have item for your trip. We reached out to Car Seat Technician, Kristen Sanders and consulted with her on our best options. We decided to get a Diono carseat because it folded and we purchased straps that allowed us to wear it as a backpack. Diono is a very safe carseat, but also a very heavy car seat, so hubby had a sore back. There are also cases that have wheels so you can push/pull through the airport. Again, highly recommend getting a padded travel bag as these items really get tossed around in baggage. If the car seat is damaged, please know the integrity of the car seat is most likely compromised and not safe for use. 
- Diaper Bags
There are so many great diaper bags on the market, but my personal favorite when flying with babies and young kids is the Ju-Ju-Be collection! These bags are durable, have lots of pockets for organization and are stylish! I brought two of my favorites on my most recent trip, the Ju-Ju-Be Forever Backpack and the JuJuBe Super Be Large Everyday light weight Tote. In my backpack, I had all my essentials like diapers, wipes, wallet, meds, bottles, formula etc. This back I kept under my seat on the plain. In the tote, I had extra clothes, blankets, toys, coloring books, snacks, food, ipad, and more. This went under the seat next to me. I was able to put everything that I needed for myself and the kids in both of these bags to make traveling easier. Also, if you have a kiddo in diapers, I recommend putting some diapers, wipes, and a onesie in a ziplock, mush easier to grab the zip block bag and change the diaper on a plane, then your diaper bag. Those bathrooms are tiny! - Baby Carrier
This is another must have while when flying with babies and young kids. I actually carried my baby in my carrier and had my toddler in the stroller. It makes things a lot easier to have your hands freed up, especially when going through security. My favorite is the Lille Baby Carrier, it’s so comfortable and they have the cutest designs. Since our most recent trip was to Disney World, of course we brought along our Pink Disney Baby Carrier! - Empty Water Bottles
Save some money on buying expensive water at the airport, just bring a water bottle and fill it up after you go through security. We’ve seen water bottle filling stations at airports, so easy to use. And if you can’t find one, you can always go to the local restaurant, ask for a cup of water, then fill up your bottle. - Activity Bag for toddlers
I have so much fun putting this together. This typically starts in the Target dollar bin section and get things like activity books, coloring books, stickers, crayons, etc. I also pack headphones for the ipad. I put all of the items in his little backpack so everything is in one place. It might be a little too heavy for your little ones to carry, but at least everything is in one place and they can put under their seat on the plane. - Snacks
Make sure the kiddos have lot’s to much on during take off and landing. By keeping their little jaws busy, this will help with the pressurization that happens on the plane. It’s also good to have snacks on hand in case your flight is delayed. - B.box Travel Drying Rack
If you are pumping and/or using bottles, you’ll want to check out this drying rack! It’s so compact, you can throw it in your diaper bag. We set it up on the counter in our hotel room and it was the perfect spot for letting the bottles dry.
- Mama Necessities
These are the important things like ID, credit card, phone, phone charges, meds, cash, Kleenex etc. When traveling with babies and young kids, you’ll need to bring documentation for them. I recommend reaching out to your airline prior to travel to see what their requirements are.
Enjoy your trip. Traveling can be tough, but hopefully this will make things a little easier. Do you have any tips or tricks to traveling? Share them in the comments below!
