14 travel essentials that make flying with kids easier

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There’s no sugarcoating it — traveling with kids can be stressful. But that shouldn’t deter you from exploring the world with your family. In fact, I’ve been traveling with my kids — now 10 and 13 — since they were just two months old, and visited over a dozen countries with them. And I promise you, it does get easier!

With the right items in hand, traveling with kids isn’t as hard as it seems. So in addition to the more obvious travel products, such as a lightweight and compact stroller and a diaper bag, here’s a must-have list of items to make the next flight with your kids as smooth as possible.

The Lusso Gear Airplane Tray Cover is one of my favorite finds for traveling with kids — especially little ones. This multi-functional tool slides over the tray table to create a cleaner surface while its raised edges help keep snacks, crayons, and toys from flying onto the floor during turbulence.

The tray cover also doubles as a tablet holder, with a transparent pocket on the reverse side and openings for wired headphone cords. You can even close the tray table while the tablet remains at a kid-friendly viewing height. At just half a pound, the flexible cover rolls up easily and fits into a backpack, and it comes in several cute patterns, including airplanes, unicorns, and dinosaurs.

Get the Lusso Gear Airplane Tray Cover at Amazon

If your child struggles with motion sickness, the NEOISM Motion Sickness Glasses get rave reviews.

When your child starts to feel dizzy, have them wear these glasses. The liquid-filled circle creates an artificial horizon in their field of vision, which can help minimize nausea.

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From toddlers to big kids, headphones are a must-have, either to watch a show or just drown out the surrounding noise.

For the littles, the Bandou Original Toddler and Kids’ Headphones are a great choice. Utilizing fleece material, the headphones remain comfortable even during a long flight. Plus, they come in many fun designs to get toddlers excited to wear them.

Get the Bandou Original Toddler and Kids’ Headphones at Amazon

Then, when your kids get older, the LilGadgets Connect+ Wired Kids Headphones are a favorite in my household. The padding is quite comfortable, and with a daisy-chain connector, you can hook up multiple headphones to a single device.

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Made with kids in mind, the earPlanes+ earplugs are designed to prevent ear pain, popping, and discomfort by reducing the changes in pressure during flight, especially at takeoff and landing.

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To keep your child’s head from flopping back and forth on their seat, it’s a good idea to invest in a travel pillow. The BCOZZY Kids Travel Neck Pillow is a great option, as it’s fully washable and has its own carrying bag.

My kids are fans of this pillow, which even comes in multiple sizes and colors. It’ll help ensure your children are able to sleep on a plane — so that you can, too.

Get the BCOZZY Kids Travel Neck Pillow at Amazon

There’s nothing worse than a “spill” accident when 35,000 feet in the air. This is where the Munchkin Miracle 360 Cup comes into play. It’s by far the best spill-proof cup I’ve tried — and I promise you, I’ve tried them all.

The cup is also easy to clean, with no extra valves or parts, and the handles make it easy to grasp.

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Traveling with kids almost always means traveling with snacks, and the Mushie Silicone Snack Cup is an easy way to keep those snacks from ending up all over the airplane. It works especially well for smaller, crumbly snacks like Cheerios, crackers, or cereal.

Get the Mushie Silicone Snack Cup at Amazon

Hoping to occupy your child with a TV show or movie on a phone or tablet? The inexpensive Flight Flap Airplane Phone Holder keeps your electronic device in place for easy viewing. Attach it to the seat in front of you or rest it on your tray table, and you’ll be set for hours on end.

Get the Flight Flap Airplane Phone Holder at Amazon

Keep your child’s hands free of germs with these individually packed Hand Sanitizing Travel Wipes. Toss them in your back pocket, diaper bag, or backpack, and you’ll always have one at your disposal.

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It’s not always easy to make sure your child stays dry and crumb-free, but these disposable bibs can help.

These bibs are individually wrapped, making them easy to bring along with you on your travels. Thanks to their long sleeves, you’ll worry less about having to change your child’s shirt mid-flight, or getting snacks all over the seat.

Get Disposable Baby Bibs at Amazon

Kids aren’t always great about keeping themselves clean from germs in the bathroom, which makes these Toilet Seat Covers a must-have. The 100-pack should be plenty to cover your entire trip, including any public restroom visits during your vacation.

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Kids have a short attention span, but the Montessori Busy Board offers over 30 activities to keep them entertained, from puzzles to matching games to sensory boards. It’s perfect for toddlers and young children.

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The Wikki Stix have been a fan favorite for my kids throughout the years. Let your children’s creative juices flow with this waxy craft material — they can build whatever they want with a selection of various colors. And best of all, there’s no mess to clean up.

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The Melissa & Doug On-the-Go Water Wow! mess-free pad allows your child to keep drawing over and over again — with no crayons or markers needed. Just refill the water pen and the hidden drawing will be revealed!

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