Photo by Kidperez

You know the scene: someone boards the plane with toddler in tow, and reactions ripple down the aisles. Some passengers smile, some nod in sympathy at the parent, and some tense up and scowl, recalling the crying baby on their last flight.

Travel can be inspiring for children, but sometimes the actual travel part is more challenge than reward. Here are 20 tips for taking babies and young children on long flights.

Preparation

1. Book an overnight flight if you can. Your children will be worn out from the day’s activities, and hopefully sleepy.

2. Pick your seats strategically. Sitting at the back puts you close to the bathroom. But if your child is fidgety the bulkhead might be best. There, you don’t have to worry about your child kicking the back of someone’s seat.

3. Load kid-friendly movies or favorite TV shows on an iPhone or laptop. Be sure to charge all electronics before the flight.

4. The Frugal Traveler shares this advice: buy your child a new toy or book, just for the flight. Alternatively, you can wrap up an older toy. Seeing this toy in a different setting will be a novelty.

Photo by xersti

5. Paul Banas at GreatDad.com says to plan for the worst. Delays, cancellations, or hours of sitting on the tarmac will make everyone fidgety. Pack a lot more food, diapers and wipes than you think you’ll need.

6. For the sake of other passengers and yourself, pack non-noisy toys. An Etch-a-Sketch or coloring books are quiet, creative activities. If your child has electronic toys, be sure to check the volume settings.

7. Bring healthy snacks, especially if your child is a fussy eater. Foods that won’t melt or crumble are easiest; think trail mix or homemade sandwiches. Single Parent Travel suggests avoiding foods with caffeine or excess sugar.

8. Pack extra clothes for your child, since temperatures can vary on planes and in airports. Pack an extra shirt for yourself in case of baby spit-up or other mess.

9. Consider an inflatable potty seat to ease trips to the bathroom. On-the-Go Inflatables sells handy ones.

At the airport

10. Get to the airport early. After a car ride, lining up for check-in, then lining up again for security, kids will want to stretch their legs before sitting on a plane. You also might want to tire them out a bit with physical movement. Most airport websites will tell you whether a play area is offered. If not, find an open space where your kids can move around and play. As Travel Savvy Mom points out, this is also good advice for long layovers, as it burns up energy.

Photo by livingonimpulse

11. Children older than 3 or 4 should carry their own bags. Get a solid, comfortable rolling bag with shoulder straps so the bag can also be worn as a backpack. They can pack in it what they can carry.

12. Delicious Baby has great stroller advice: do your airport research to ease the transit. Most airlines will allow you to push your stroller all the way to the gate and check it there. Be sure to attach a tag to the stroller with your name, address, and contact information.

13. Before you go through the security point, explain the process to your child. It might be scary for a child to see his or her shoes or favorite toy disappear into an x-ray machine.

One of my earliest, and most vivid, childhood memories takes me riding in my mom’s black Volkswagen Beetle, sans seat-belt. This was the 70’s, after all. We bopped along to Three Dog Night’s “Joy to the World” and tried to imagine how a frog named Jeremiah looked. There was almost nothing better than my mom, my sister, and me screaming the refrain with the wind in our hair and not a care in the world.

As my sister and I approached our teens, the paralyzing fear that one of our friends might actually hear our mom singing – or worse, that we’d be seen singing with our mom – combined with our parents’ completely un-cool and old-fashioned musical preferences, put an end to our family sing-alongs.

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Fast forward 30 years.

As new parents, my husband, James, and I naively thought that babies liked to sleep all the time. Maybe some did, but not ours. The only way our son, Alex, would sleep was in the car, preferably while it was moving. Combine this with a torturous amount of sleep deprivation, and you can safely assume we weren’t the most alert behind the wheel. We plugged in the iPod and hoped for the best. Who knew The Clash’s Rock the Casbah was a lullaby?

Coming Full Circle

Photo by shankar, shiv

Our son eventually learned to sleep on his own, and the days of aimless driving ended. Thankfully, the singing hasn’t. Both sets of grandparents live almost four hours away, so there are plenty of opportunities to rock out in the car with our now seven year-old son playing DJ from the back seat. Best of all, we get to do it together.

Get Your Gang Tuned In

You want your sing-along to be spontaneous. Kids know when they are being manipulated, and it’s not fun for anyone when it’s forced. When the whining begins — usually about 20 minutes into the trip — and there’s a long road ahead, just start singing.

NO! Not That CD…AGAIN!

I don’t understand the appeal of the Kidz Bop franchise. For those who haven’t experienced this phenomenon, I refer to those horrid remakes of popular songs sung by children instead of the original recording artists. Why bother? Why would “Yellow Submarine” be better when sung by anonymous children instead of the Beatles? My advice, go for the real thing. Open your kids to the world of music.

Don’t know the words to many songs? Make up your own or check out www.lyricsfreak.com, where you’ll found lyrics to thousands of songs. And to bulk up your own music knowledge and explore artists and songs, see www.digitaldreamdoor.com and www.bradboard.com.

Songs For The Car

Here are a few favorites that have a hook that’s fun for kids to sing along to, but won’t make you want to poke out your eyes:

50’s

Splish Splash, Bobby Darin – Blue Suede Shoes, Elvis Presley – Rock Around the Clock,
Bill Haley and His Comets – Roll Over Beethoven, Chuck Berry – Charlie Brown, Coasters – Hey Good Lookin’, Hank Williams – Lollipop, The Chordettes – Rockin’ Robin, Bobby Day – Purple People Eater, Sheb Wooley – Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight, The Spaniels

60’s

Sugar Pie Honey Bunch, Four Tops – Yellow Submarine, Beatles – Leaving on a Jet Plane, Peter Paul and Mary – The Locomotion, Little Eva – Duke of Earl, Gene Chandler – Wooly Bully, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs – Fun Fun Fun, Beach Boys – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weanie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Brian Hyland – My Generation, The Who – Born to be Wild, Steppenwolf – Hit the Road Jack, Ray Charles – Get off of My Cloud, The Rolling Stones

70’s

Country Road, John Denver – ABC 123, Jackson 5 – Y.M.C.A., Village People – American Pie, Don McLean – Stayin’ Alive, The Bee Gees – Cars, Gary Newman – Schools Out, Alice Cooper – Surrender, Cheap Trick – Crocodile Rock, Elton John – One Way or Another, Blondie – Rock Lobster, B-52’s

80’s

Karma Chameleon, Culture Club – One Love, Bob Marley – Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper – Our House, Crowded House – Walking on Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves – Bicycle, Queen – We Got the Beat, Go-Go’s – Stay Up Late, Talking Heads – Beat It, Michael Jackson – Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Wang Chung

Photo by Aka Hige

90’s

Can’t Touch This, MC Hammer – Wonderwall, Oasis – Shiny Happy People, R.E.M – The Groove is in the Heart, Deee-Lite – All Star, Smashmouth – Jump Jive and Wail, Brian Stetzer Orchestra – Getting’ Jiggy Wit It, Will Smith – All I Wanna Do, Sheryl Crowe – Livin’ La Vida Loca, Ricky Martin – When I Come Around, Green Day

2000’s – Current

I Got a Feelin’, Black Eyed Peas – Beautiful Day, U2 – That’s Not My Name, The Ting Tings – Kryptonite, 3 Doors Down – Hey Ya, Outkast – Umbrella, Rihanna – One More Time, Daft Punk – Let’s Get The Party Started, Pink

Right now, I’m enjoying every moment. I’m going to keep belting them out until my son figures out that he’s way too cool for me.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

What songs do you like to hear when you’re road-tripping? Share in the comments below.

For more music inspiration stop by Matador’s Music Festivals Focus Page.

OK, I’m being dramatic, but ultimately, if I’m spending time watching movies with my daughter, I’d like to see something I genuinely enjoy.

Movies So Good, I Watch Them Even When Lila’s Not Around

Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro No Kamikakushi)

This Japanese animated film directed by Hiyao Miyazaki tells story of a young girl named Chihiro whose parents are turned into pigs at the start of the movie.  To save them from being eaten, Chihiro must work in a bath house run by spirits. I never get tired of it. Ultimately, this movie imparts lessons on growing up, friendship and developing the ability to be responsible for your choices.

I’ve included the Japanese trailer with subtitles, because the straight-up English version doesn’t represent the film well, but you can find the full feature dubbed in English.

Other options:

Fantastic Mr Fox by Wes Anderson. Need I say more?. Pixar’s Up makes even the most hardened adult laugh, cry and maybe realize that the meaning of life is found in the now. The Iron Giant written by poet, children’s writer and husband of Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes and directed by Brad Bird whose diverse portfolio spans children’s movies, comedy, action and adventure.

Avatar, not intended to be a kids movie, but I find it more enjoyable to think of it as one. 9, produced by Tim Burton tells of a world after Armageddon. Humans have destroyed themselves and rag dolls save the world. Then there’s Yellow Submarine with the Beatles. Milo and Otis (aka Koneko Monogatari) narrated by Dudley Moore. This flick is guaranteed to give you a contact high. Chicken Run features Mel Gibson as a catapult riding chicken saving the girl chickens from a death farm. What’s not to love?

Movies That Take Us Back To Childhood

Sometimes, remakes and revisits of movies or books we adored as children disappoint us in adulthood. At their best, though, they transport us back in time, allowing us to see the world as we did then. When you watch these with a child you love, the excitement of discovering a great film for the first time is infectious.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Roald Dahl’s book was the first I read by myself in its entirety. It took weeks and required running back and forth to my parents bedroom to ask for word clarification. Then I reread the damn thing until the cover fell off and pages fell out.

While I do enjoy the 1971 Gene Wilder version of the movie, I prefer the more recent remake. Johnny Depp perfectly portrays the kooky, weird Willy Wonka from my imagination. My favorite scene: When Violet Beauregarde turns into a massive blueberry after chewing gum she’s not supposed to chew. Gets me every time.

Other options:

ET, The Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and The Parent Trap Both old and new versions are of the Parent Trap have their merits, but I’m partial to the 1961 film with Hayley Mills and Leo G Carroll. Then check out newer films such as Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, The Secret Garden, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Cat In the Hat, Horton Hears A Who (Who doesn’t love Steve Carell?) and, finally, Where the Wild Things Are.

Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki

I’ve never seen a Studio Ghibli film I didn’t like.

Kiki’s Delivery Service follows Kiki and her bad attitude black cat as she leaves home for the first time to find her way in this world as a witch. She moves to a new town, starts her own business. There’s never any fear of leaving home nor is there any danger involved. Perfect message for young kids and a great reminder for adults that at some point we all need to leave home and find a new one elsewhere.

Some Studio Ghibli can be a bit frightening for children, but Kiki works for all ages.

Other Ghiblis:

My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Castle In the Sky, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Movies Made For Adults, But Kids Like Them, Too.

27 Dresses. Great for little girls into fashion. They may not understand the plot, but watching Katherine Heigl play dress up with an endless stream of ugly outfits was enough to keep all of us occupied during a long layover in Panama. Legally Blonde serves the same purpose, only add a small yippy dog and a lot more pink leather and nail polish.

For boys, consider Jim Henson’s Labyrinth with a Ziggy Stardust done David Bowie and lots of trolls. Then there’s Dune: another freaky science fiction piece with enormous worms, Sting and silly names like Yueh and MaudDib to fuel the best kid crazy talk. If, by the end, you’re not standing in your living room fist in the air proclaiming yourself the kwisatz haderach, clearly, you’ve worn a suit and tie one too many times.

And while we’re talking Jim Henson, for the love of God, don’t overlook The Muppets. From movies to the show that popped on television every Friday night before I had to go to bed, they appeal equally to all ages and genders.

I’ll finish off this adult list with the all pleasing Princess Bride. Have fun storming the castle!

Kick Ass Series

Star Wars

The story of a girl, a boy and a universe a billion years in the making. It’s epic– an adventure unlike anything on your planet. Yep, it’s big. This trailer may be like nothing you’d see today, but the films, all six in the series, hold up fantastically. I still get chills when the music begins.

After that, check out the Harry Potters, Wallace and Grommit, The Chronicles of Narnia and Transformers.

Disney Disclaimer

You may have noticed I haven’t yet included a single Disney animation in this list. I’ve avoided them mainly because they’re not really my thing, but if I had to choose from the vast array of Disney animated features available, I generally go for the early ones.

In the older films, Snow White and Cinderella as prime examples, evil was truly evil. It showed up at your door to poison you or locked you in a high tower to die. There’s something far more appealing to the hard edge good versus evil of the early films — however racist and sexist they may be — than the updated PC versions of women and ethnic groups that have been so watered down, they’re just plain boring to watch.

If nothing else, the shock of seeing Red Indians dancing around a fire saying “How” from Peter Pan or the painfully stereotypical characters in Dumbo will make you feel like you’re seeing it for the first time.

Most times I forgo these films altogether, but when Lila insists on watching one, I try to steer her towards my favorites: Mulan, Brother Bear, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Alice in Wonderland.

Pixar Picks

My favorite Pixar film changes over time. We watch over and over until Lila’s ready for the next. In this way, we’ve been through every Pixar film numerous times. What I like about this Disney branch-off studio is how the films incorporate inside jokes and references that relate to each other. Even better, they all include nods to other great films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, War of the Worlds and even This is Spinal Tap.

Each time I watch these films, I notice something new.

Right now, Toy Story II sits on top of our family movie time rotation.

There’s nothing quite like watching Kelsey Grammar as Stinky Pete the Prospector macking on two Barbie Dolls while Buzz Lightyear pops a wingspan boner after watching Jessie the Cowgirl flip through the air. I haven’t yet figured out a way to explain to Lila why those are funny.

Other Pixar favorites:

Finding Nemo, The Incredibles (another Brad Bird), Wall-E, Monsters, Inc and Cars

Stephen Spielberg and Dreamworks

I have only seen the trailer for How To Train Your Dragon, but it’s enough to tell me I would enjoy watching it at least once with Lila. It reminds me of Harry Potter wrapped in the promise of a young boy learning that dragons — ie metaphor for anything we don’t understand — aren’t quite as scary as we think.

While Dreamworks doesn’t sit at the top of my favorite movies, no list of kid’s flicks would be complete without including the following:

Antz with Woody Allen as a self-actualized New Yorky complaining ant looking for individuality. Mike Meyer’s as Shrek doesn’t disappoint. Will Smith and the myriad of hip-hop and R&B references in Shark Tale is always fun. Plus, I’m never one to miss any film — animated or otherwise — in which Robert Dinero plays the Don. And while we’re mentioning actors reprising familiar roles, let’s not forget Jerry Seinfeld in Bee Movie.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

What did I leave off the list?

For more ideas to inspire travel and introspection, check out Matador Goods list of movie and book recommendations.

Photo by LizaWasHere

It took me hours to pull together these websites. There is something outrageously addictive about chasing cartoon animals across a computer screen or participating in impromptu spelling bees. Try not to wrestle the computer away from your kid.

8-10 Years Old

Addicting Games
A website with a huge selection of games. Try taking care of a dog at the Doggy Day Care, or shoot some hoops with Slam Dunk.

There are games for older players as well. Why not take down a college student in Don’t Taze Me Bro?

Andkon Arcade
Just good old-fashioned fun games. I must admit, I got distracted by the Bubble Shooter for at least 20 minutes, and failed miserably. Or try the Dress Up Yoda game and listen to his silly comments.

Photo by tinyfroglet

Discovery Kids
For the little nerd, this site has excellent educational games including trivia and puzzles. Keep the crabs away by squirting them with water, or get creative and design a bedroom.

5-7 Years Old

StarFall
A site that teaches kids how to read with phonics. Cutesy characters and big fonts help kids sound out letters slowly by following a story, like My Horse Glory. Say it with me: M-y H-ORR-s Gl-or-eeee.

Club Penguin
If your kid has a particular desire to dress, act and socialize like a penguin, this is the site to visit.

Dreambox
The website name cleverly disguises the fact that this site has online math games for kindergartners to third graders. Try a trial version to inspire some mathematical love.

Poptropica
A more personalized experience, kids are able to pick the age, gender and appearance of their character. I took Calm Owl on an epic journey through Early Poptropica, and then Nabooti for a “Choose Your Own Adventure.” The perfect game for wanderlusters.

Webkinz
Webkinz is like the exclusive VIP section of the gaming world for toddlers – unlimited access requires purchasing a Webkinz stuffed animal. Once the kid has access, he or she can play games and interact with their animal like a virtual pet.

Photo by Theme Park Mum

Kaboose
Games for kids AND moms. Have the little ones play Fishin Mission while you kick butt at Super Hyper Spider Typer. (Nailed that one, by the way. Let’s see how you do.)

Preschoolers

Sesame Street
It’s hard to resist the charm of Cookie Monster as he counts oranges in Spanish. Kids can also play Magical Numbers with the Count and learn shapes with Big Bird.

PBS Kids
For the kids who want to get to know their favorite cartoon characters a little better. Clifford the big red dog is always willing to play, or they can explore Storybook Village with Super Why.

TreehouseTV
Print off some Bernstein Bears coloring pages or play games based on kids’ favorite cartoons.

Nick Jr
Games for preschoolers, including endless Dora the Explorer possibilities and other familiar characters like Max and Ruby.

Finally, if you’re a parent worried about the kind of content your kid is browsing through, check out KidZui. This is the mother of all toddler gaming browsers, allowing access to 2.5 million sites, games and videos approved by teachers and parents. And it’s free!

Community Connection

Let your child’s creativity run wild with Tux Paint. For more serious gaming, learn more about World of Warcraft or the colorful world of Second Life.

One of these designed by a 5-year-old The other by 35-year old.

I first heard about Tux Paint — a silly, fun little program — from Wired’s Geekdad blog a few months ago. We downloaded it immediately.

Yes, it’s great for kids.

Cute little penguin mascot. Lots of silly noises. Great features that are all easy enough for even a two year old to use.

The Tux Paint penguin

I suppose they say it’s for children because aside from make stuff, you don’t really do anything with it. Although, as someone who regularly uses and teaches Photoshop and other design and photo-editing software, the logic process used to navigate this program sets the stage for using the more heavy duty photo editing programs.

And it’s fun.

I worked with it a bit so I could teach Lila to use it. Next thing you know, she’s sitting next to me as I’m rubber stamping cherries and distorting them with the bubble filter — known in TuxPaintLand as magic – while she’s begging “Mama, I think it’s my turn now. Can I have a turn?”

What’ll you make when it’s yours?

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

You’ve tried Tux Paint and want to move onto more advanced design software? Check out our Brave New Traveler review of free photo editing software found on the internet.