Hello from Riyadh! I was super nervous about our flight to Saudi Arabia with our 2 year old (28 months) – it was over an entire day of travel door-to-door, the longest travel-time even for us as a couple. Would you even believe me if I said that this was our easiest flight with her ever? EVER! Like, NYC to LA when she was freshly 2 was infinitely harder; the difference this time was mama came hella prepared! I had two diaper bags packed for her, one for the routine things like diapering & a change of clothes, and then we had the fun bag of snacks, toys, & activities.
Pro tip: I didn’t show her any of her new things until we were physically on the flight. I wanted everything to be extra new & exciting haha.
“Bubble Wrap”
With all the PR that I get sometimes, Iya has really come to love bubble wrap! Over the summer at a mommy & baby class, the teacher passed out THIS sensory silicone bubble toy (faux bubble wrap?!) and she was seriously hypnotized by it! She spent so much time fiddling around with it, I just knew I had to buy one for this plane ride! I got another similar toy HERE and she honestly spent most of the flight playing with both while she was awake!
Even when things go perfectly, something has to sour the mood lol we lost a little baggie of a few toys so I had to reorder these two items & pay $25+ Amazon shipping to Saudi Arabia literally our first night here, FML!! Oh well, the extra money & annoyingness are well worth the peaceful travels. That second toy is a Target exclusive but I found a very similar dupe on Amazon (THANK GOD).
Apple Lacing/Threading Toy
Multi Colored Shot Glasses
Lol I was really intuitive with this one. Iya loves stacking, nesting, pouring, & transferring.. so I bought some cheap plastic shot glasses for her to mess around with. I was tempted to get some pom-poms for her to pour & transfer but I knew I’d be dealing with tantrums any time one fell on the floor haha luckily she was happy as ever with her empty cups!
Magic Coloring Books
Sticker Books
Books About Flying/Planes
I spent weeks prepping Iya for this long flight! We read books about going to the airport, flying, and plane parts almost everyday! I referenced all the things we learned about while we were traveling and I felt like it kept her from getting antsy. Usually she’ll start complaining after a little bit “no more plane” “all done plane” but very surprisingly didn’t this time! It could be a coincidence but who knows lol!
Twistable Crayons
Magna-Doodle
Travel Desk/Tray
We actually haven’t used this yet since she was so busy with the first few things we introduced, but it seems awesome in theory! We’ll see on our way back if she does more creative things like color & draw.
For a Little Screen-Time
This toddler case has been awesome on my old iPad mini for Iya to handle. We keep a few videos & movies downloaded on our Amazon Instant Video app and I downloaded a few educational games before this flight which she ended up really liking!
I love this post. I have an 18month old and we’ve been invited to a wedding in Australia next year (we live in the UK) but I’m currently 50/50 about going because of the nearly 24 hour flight. Your post has really motivated me and given me confidence that my then two year old munchkin will be able to cope if I follow your tip. Probably not but least I’ll be saying yes to the invite now and deal with it all then. ?
It’s always a toss up, who knows how the rest of our travels will be lol!! But I’m all for seizing the moments and opportunities! If you want to go, GO! Just mentally prepare that it might not be the easiest, but I hope it is!! ❤️❤️❤️
Hi there,
Your posts are so informative and amazing that one cannot gets glued to it instantly. I love your work and your family.