Packing an airplane or travel busy bag for a child

Traveling with small children can be an interesting experience – especially if its a long flight between Asia and Europe or North America. Hence Debbie, the blogger behind the DeliciousBaby (making travel with kids fun) blog, has recently written a very helpful post about packing an airplane or travel busy bag. Debbie begins by describing the ideal airplane or travel toy as being:

• Quiet
• Compact
• Small pieces are easy to contain so that they don't end up on the floor, and loosing a piece doesn't destroy the play value of the entire toy
• Not so precious that you would mind loosing it
• Not fragile
• Preferably no batteries (or if there are batteries, make sure they are fresh)
• Engaging. Self contained crafts are especially great, but be wary of crafts that might make a mess or contain smelly glues or paints.
• Can be played with independently or with a parent

She also points out that the perfect travel toy does not have to be “expensive and intricately designed” and that you should have a good mix that will allow your child to engage in different types of play (she has also posted a helpful list of suggested items along with where you may obtain them). In addition, she notes that parents should:

• Wait to bring out your busy bag until you've exhausted all the "built-in" entertainment.
• Try not to open the busy bag in the airport terminal. As exhausted as you might be, the terminal is the place for your child to stretch their legs and, if possible, run.
• Dole out the items one by one, making sure that play is exhausted before starting another
• Consider wrapping each item. Young children are so thrilled with unwrapping "gifts" that they won't mind if you wrap something they already own.

So should you be traveling in the near future with small children, Debbie’s post and her blog in general will prove to be a valuable resource.