In a few weeks, we are heading on our family vacation to Hilton Head, South Carolina. Because of puppy logistics, rather than flying together as a family, Colin and I will be flying down on our own and meeting Mr. C in Georgia. Here is what I plan to bring to help us pass the time for our four flights:

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Not only is Colin not a seasoned flyer (his last trip on an airplane was at 3 months old), but nearly all of his favorite activities are of the gross motor variety – running, throwing his baseball, swinging his bat, jumping around – very little of which is airplane-friendly.

Needless to say, there are a few givens when flying solo with a little one. We are definitely splurging to check our luggage, I will pack a zillion more diapers and wipes than I will likely need, and I will be sure to have an extra change of clothes on hand for both of us plus our bathing suits and C’s lovey, not just for disasters on the plane but for the worst-case-scenario of lost luggage. Oh yeah, and there will be Purell. Lots of Purell.

While it’s not a given, I will check our car seat when we arrive at the airport as well. I plan to put it in a borrowed car seat travel bag and then use tape to mark it FRAGILE to encourage airport staff not to bang it around too terribly. Because we are going to be gone a week, we will be renting a car and will likely need a stroller as well. There is no way to lug both, plus our carry-on bags, and the stroller can double as a baby-containing device/sprinting tool in case we are delayed and have a tight layover situation.

All of those notes aside, my biggest focus will be containing and entertaining my little baby monster.  While that is a term of endearment at our house, I fear that it will be an accurate moniker on this trip. I plan to come prepared, and while I don’t intend to use it any more than necessary, I’m not 100% averse to parking him in front of the iPad if I have to.

Clean and Contained Crafting Supplies:  Colin is getting more and more interested in crafts like coloring and decorating paper with stickers. Since this bag will likely contain not just his entertainment for the flights but for the week, I am including a diverse range of options that are small, not too messy and diverse, so that each activity, while fairly similar, can occupy him for another chunk of time. I love these stick-on place mats, and think they will be great for preventing craft messes on the airplane tray, and I will also bring along some old freebie notepads with an 8-pack of washable crayons for coloring as well. C is just getting interested in stickers, and at Michael’s, I found a giant pack of sports themed stickers (similar pictured above) for a dollar.  Best. Deal. Ever.  Band-aids are a similar yet just different enough option.

1) Classy Kid Coloring Creative Placemat  |  2) Crayola Washable Crayons  |  3) Eureka Sports Motivational Sticker Book  |  4) Aquadoodle  |  5) Scratch Pads  |  6) Mickey Bandaids

Cars and Boats:  While C is not infatuated by cars the way that some kids are, these are my go-to restaurant toy, and he will happily zoom the car (in his hand – not rolling everywhere) across the table, on his chair and on my arm.  I think that having a few of these handy will help pass the time for sure.  The boats might be fun on the plane too, they stack compactly and they will double as bath toys on vacation.

7) Stacking Boats  |  8) Hot Wheels

“Tigey”: Colin is just getting into pretend play, and while I certainly don’t have room to be schlepping his lions and tigers and bears, this tiny stuffed tiger has been nicknamed “Tigey” after Daniel Tiger’s best buddy, and he likes to “make believe” with him.  Too cute.

9) Tiger Beanie Baby

Snacks:  Not only will these help keep Colin occupied, but they’ll prevent him from getting “hangry” too.  Due to timing, our meal and nap schedule will be a bit off, so loading the little guy up with snacks will be a necessary evil (or a fact of toddler life, depending on how you look at it). Rather than using the Munchkin Snack Pods we often use, I will be packing in reusable itsy ritzy snack bags, which will help maintain a smaller profile in my bag with less mess. Our go-to’s are whole grain goldfish, pretzels and raisins, and I will probably try to find some novel unique snacks for extra distraction appeal as well.

13) Itzy Ritsy Reusable Snack Bag  |  14) Goldfish  |  15) Raisin Boxes  |  16) Annie’s Fruit Snacks

iPad:  Oh, the screen. This is going to be my last resort plan, since I am sure that once it comes out, it will be a battle to take away. I plan to load it with a few educational apps, a handful of Daniel Tiger episodes (definitely the “Stop and Listen to Stay Safe” one about beach safety) and the movie Frozen (…for both of our benefit).

17) ipad |  18) Daniel Tiger  |  19) Frozen

Children’s eBooks for Kindle:  We are going to try to pack light, and won’t be able to check out library books once we are there, so I did a bit of research and discovered that they make children’s eBooks. I am still digging to see if I can rent eBooks for kids from our local library, but the good news is that there are TONS of free and inexpensive (less than $3) options that I can pull up in the Kindle for iPhone app.  (Clearly I know my audience – focusing our titles on sports helps me keep him engaged in reading – but that is a topic for another post).

10-12) Curious George at the Baseball Game, Pete the Cat Play Ball, A Kid’s Book About Sports

Backpack to Carry it all: While this will be too heavy for Colin to carry all on his own, I am hoping that the bag itself will double as a beach bag at the beach to contain his sand toys and snacks.  Also, C is really into emptying and filling things, so just exploring the contents of “his” bag will probably entertain him for a bit.

20) Skip Hop Panda Backpack

I am hoping this will be comprehensive enough to keep him entertained and engaged for our plane rides and throughout the week.  Any other suggestions?