Guides
What We Pack for Flights
The night-before backpack ritual, the new toy they don't see until takeoff, and the kit that actually gets used.
The night before our trip I give each kid a few items that are their “must haves” for the flight. I always buy a new toy and activity they won't see until they open their backpacks. That small surprise buys us the first hour in the air — and it makes the airport feel like the trip has already started.
The backpack
Each child carries what they can actually use at 30,000 feet. We share some things (headphones, a blanket) and keep the rest personal, so no one is negotiating over a fidget in row 14.
- Headphones
- Travel pillow and blanket
- LCD writing pad
- Snack kit
- Water bottle
- Books
- Fidget toys
- Reusable stickers for the plane window
- Travel journal
- A simple scavenger hunt
Shop links for the exact headphones, blankets, and pads we use will live here once they're ready. For now, this is the edit: a short list, packed the night before, with one thing that's only for the plane.
