By:Nadia Carriere
As a family we travel A LOT. Last year my son flew with me no less than 20 times (includes layovers) and has been doing so since he was just 5 weeks old.
Each stage brings forth independence and new development changes, which can be difficult at times if you don’t know how to work with it. Personally I find
traveling gets even more challenging as they begin to walk/run. During layovers especially.
Last year after a couple of trips and layovers, I discovered several tricks that helped to keep my son busy and happy while maintaining my own calm and
sanity. Depending on which airport you are flying in/out of, you can usually work with their amenities and your own gear to keep baby happy.
10 Tips To Keep Babies Busy At The Airport
#1 Use the moving sidewalk. Watching my son’s expression brought me into a state of uncontrollable laughter. He just stood there. In shock. The
sidewalk ended and he fussed until we went on the next one. Over and over and over again, just standing there in awe.
Use The Bathroom Mirrors
Airport bathrooms usually have lengthy mirrors and babies just love looking at themselves and pointing at mirrors. These can keep them occupied for
quite some time and are very entertaining!
Snacks, Snacks & More Snacks
Be sure to bring lots of snacks (dry, easy to pack). You and your little one will be grateful in the end as finding healthy airport food can be a
challenge and it’s expensive to boot.
Play Eye Spy
It’s a great way to get your toddler recognizing shapes, colours and different objects while on the go.
Facetime!
If you have an iPad, iPhone or Macbook, Facetime is a great way to bring your family to you wherever you may be. Talking to Daddy and his sisters
face-to-face while we made our way home was a source of joy for my and my son.
Go On A Strolling Adventure
There are usually quite a few shops and restaurants in the airport and if you have time to kill, what better time then to check them out. As long as
baby is moving, everything is usually alright. ;)
Nap
Naps are good. Naps are very, very good. Reading to them, pushing them around in the stroller and singing usually does the trick.
Ask, Seek & Find
Imagine my surprise when I spotted the light show at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport? The combination of music and lights is mesmerizing and oh so
family friendly. I had no idea this was here, so definitely ask an attendant for information on your next visit to the airport – you may be surprised
at what they have to offer!
Check Out The Playground & Play Area
There are quite a few airports that offer some sort of play space or playground area. It isn’t grand or large by any means, but a few toys and play
structures can make the world of difference when you are trying to entertain a baby.
Watch The Planes Take Off & Land Through The Window
We have so much fun with this. Although he couldn’t speak at the time, we had a little one-sided conversation talking about all the planes and where
they were off too while waiting for our flight. His coos and ahhs told me that he found it just as remarkable as I did.