Keeping a 2 year old amused on a long plane journey!

Good luck gillybob!

That's great Grannydougs I knew it would all be okay.

Personally I would see that grumpy DH has a couple of stiff drinks (enough to send him to sleep) on the way back. Then you will enjoy a nice peaceful flight back with a wee bit of snoring without the grumpiness. Enjoy the remainder of your trip.

Pity I can't do the same with mine but he will be the one towing the caravan !

Well we made it and as gillybob suggested, it WAS a doddle. GD was an absolute angel. Sticker books, colouring books etc were a success. And well done Aer Lingus, loads of kids songs, games and programmes. The people sitting around complimented my DD and SIL on DD's amazingly good behaviour.
Now, anyone got any tips on how to keep a grumpy DH happy on the journey home?? Lol!
Ps we're having a fabulous time!!

Sticker books are really good too. You can start the 'peel' if the child is too small to do this by his or herself. Have flown with twin grandchildren now 4, 6 times and every time have been complimented on their behaviour. How proud was I!
Loved the idea of wrapping up little bits and bobs. Will pinch that one. Thanks.

Personally I think flying to Florida with a 2 year old and 2 sets of adults will be a doddle compared with travelling by car for 5 hours with a caravan in tow with three monkeys in the back. It'll probably be bloomin' pouring down with rain when we arrive too

Supprised they let "home made playdoh" through security tiggy.

My DD took GS aged 8weeks to Antigua and they flew back and forth for 3 years with only 1 bad flight (as above) so don't panic too much. We took GD aged 12mths with her parents to visit and with 4 attentive adults she was absolutely fine and on the return flight,which is usually a night flight, we were given a 4 seat conformation 4 2 adults and her,and she slept the whole way.

Thanks everyone.

granjura we have a home there and really like to go as a family at very least once a year. Plus once you get there, it's an amazing place and hard to beat!
DD2 and her hubby are joining us a couple of days after we arrive so there will be 6 adults amusing GD on the way home!!
DD2 is 17 weeks pregnant with their 1st baby so next year we could travelling with a 3 year old and a 7 month old!! Hahahaha - hysterical laughter......

Ask cabin crew when you board if the flight is full. If it isn't you could ask to move seats so that you have more room. An empty seat gives such a lot more space for a child to play. Most cabin crew are very sympathetic about this. Spend time at the airport walking/running around so that by the time you board she is very tired and ready for a nap.

All good suggestions here and certified good by DD who travels long haul frequently with DGSs aged 6 and 2. Don't forget to have a bottle of something for her to suck on during take-off and landing (if she is still awake) to alleviate the pressure difference in her ears.
Homemade playdoh was also a very good thing on their last flight and kept the pair of them occupied for ages. Importantly cabin crew were fine about the small amount which landed on the floor as they usually have to contend with much worse !!

Not sure what your reasons are for travelling so far- perhaps it can't be helped- but personally I would not choose such a long flight for hols. Why go so far?

Two is a lot better age to fly than even six months younger, all the previous suggestions look good, don't forget some normal food for GD to eat, just in case. Having four adults to keep your GD amused will make a huge difference.

Recently on a flight to Brisbane, as they were descending GD 3 was looking out of the window and in her best loud screechy voice for all to hear "we are going to crash into the seeeeeaaaaaaaa."

GD had a skycot last time and it was super! Got some finger puppets in Ikea today. DD has started talking to her about the flight and that she'll have to sit when she's told. Think she's taking it in! Thank you, everyone.

While Phenergan is frowned on I have experience of Dr's advising trying Piriton. DD lived abroad for the first 3 years of GS1's life and did 3/4 trips home each years- 8 hour flights, and after one very bad one she was told to try it. The best of course were when he was small and had a Skycot.

I'm glad to hear that, Marmight. It's over 40 years since I had experience with Phenergan or Valergan. They tried one of them on DS2 aged 2, when he had to have a barium enema. It had the opposite of the desired effect and he was bouncing off the walls, running everyone ragged - including me.

Speaking as someone who travels quite a lot, I have always accepted that sometimes other peoples children will be noisy, children do find it hard to sit still for long periods. The only times I get annoyed is when the parents do nothing to control the children. I am sure as you are already planning ways to keep her occupied everything will be fine.

My worst experience was when I was sitting in the middle of a large family group, the children were jumping on seats, fighting and generally making a nuisance of themselves with the adults totalling ignoring their behaviour. When they started throwing food I snapped and told them in a very firm voice to sit down and behave. I think it was the first time in their lives they had been reprimanded because they sat still for the rest of the flight!! Still the adults in the group said and did nothing.

Anno Phenergan is a definite no-no these days. You cannot buy it easily over the counter - I was subjected to the 3rd Inquisition when trying to buy it both in Oz and in the UK and was refused. I have also read some worrying reports on the long term effect it has on small children. My DGD yelled on and off - more on - during the 24 hour flight back to Sydney . Durhamjen - sometimes not taking a child on a long haul flight is not an option! Even they have to get from A to B....

Definitely colouring books, plain paper, sheets of stickers and crayons were well appreciated on recent 5 hour flight taken by DS, DDIL and DGS (2 years old)
Apparently the stickers kept him quiet for 2 hours!

Thank you, everyone! Some great ideas here. Will def buy some fuzzy felt - I'd forgotten about that. And love the idea of wrapping 'presents'. We'll be sitting behind DD, SIL & GD so even moving seats should amuse her. And DD has, no doubt, a stash of things for her also. I'll let you know how it goes!

Durhamjen - I think Social Services would have something to say if we left her behind on her own!! Lol.

Don't most airlines have a children's channel on the television screens now? That should help a bit.

Don't forget her comfort object whatever it is . New story books . Apps on the iPad are good. Can you get her used to wearing childrens headphones not the tiny ones you put inside the ear but fatter ones over the ear you can get them with pictures / favourite characters on. Also you could download favourite films or tele programmes onto the iPad just make sure it's fully charged, it has to be now to go to America or they take it off you. Little new presents at regular intervals are a good idea the novelty value works for ages. Make sure you take extra favourite snacks and a few sweets if allowed a little packet of sweets works wonders but only a few or you'll regret the sugar rush. Make sure she's dressed in layers to put on and off planes can be hot and cold. I hope you enjoy it especially if you can persuade her to sleep a bit.

When you get crayons for the colouring books try and get triangular ones, not round ones, otherwise you will spend most of the time on the floor picking them up.
My DGS spent a lot of time on flights to California in his first three years. I used to make him little scrap books to look at with pictures I cut out of magazines. It gave him things to chat about. DS forbade fuzzy felt as there were so many tiny pieces but I took no notice (just removed some of the tiny pieces) and gave it to him anyway for their emigrating flight. It was a huge success!
In USA earlier this year we went on a long journey with them and the children played for ages with a game which had magnetic shapes to make pictures with, also etch a sketch.

Don't pin your faith on phenergan as a sedative. Driving to Dundee from Nottingham by night, when DS1 was 16 months, I gave him his dose and hoped for a grumble-free journey. He finally fell asleep as we passed Edinburgh.

Don't take a two year old on a long plane journey?

DD bought small bits and bobs from the pound shop mainly and wrapped them up. DGS was given small parcel as required and had lots of fun opening them up and playing with the contents. She also had one of those Trunkie ride on children's cases to put them in, but has since decided a back pack is much more convenient for a travelling child. Good luck!

No probs Jomarie, it made me laugh!
I've got loads of colouring books etc and downloaded some things to the ipad. That should be a novelty as she's not normally allowed it!
Concerned about upsetting others on the flight but I'm sure she'll not be the only child on board. Just wondered if anyone had any tricks that worked for them.