We are less than two months away from our trip to Australia! While I’m excited to finallycheck my number one trip off the ol’ bucket list, it requires over 18 hours in the air to get to Australia from Colorado. We fly from Denver to Vancouver then Vancouver to Sydney which is the leg of the flight that’s almost 16 hours. The kicker? We will have our 6 and 9 year old girls with us! So what’s a girl to do in order to entertain her kids on such a long flight? I’ll tell you what…

Activities to pack for long flights with kids:

Coloring books: Never under-estimate the power of a good coloring book. I got our 9-year-old this adult coloring book. It’s a larger print one, but it’s still more intricate than a kids book. I got Winnie this one. And don’t forget the markers! I like these ones because they’re dual tip so there is a very skinny side for the detailed coloring required in adult coloring books.

Activity Books:
I found a few that I love. First off is this one for Winnie. It’s good for kids ages 6-10. It has mazes, word-searches, I-Spy games, and all sorts of activities. For Lila, I got this one because it’s for older kids and contains sudokus, cryptograms, word-searches, and even fucking Hang-Man games! Lastly, I got them each a travel journal. I have one myself that I write in! Actually, I have about 5 because we travel so much and I journal every night that we are away. I started it when Vince and I first honeymooned in Greece and it’s a tradition I’ve carried on with having kids and traveling abroad. I use this one!

Other miscellaneous books:

For older kids, I like this Paint by Sticker book. I also love this Origami book. And then of course, regular chapter books for them to read!! My oldest loves the Baby Sitters Club series which brings my old heart joy. She also loves this set which are more like long comic books.

Don’t shy away from technology on long flights:

I’ll say this – if you are judging someone (or yourself) for allowing a kid to have a fuck-ton of screentime on a long flight, you’re just an asshole. Us parents have to do what it takes to survive long flights, and you know what works? Movies! TV Shows! We have almost 19 hours in the sky people, let the kids get alllll the screentime they want. You can control that shit once your feet touch land again. Until then, don’t feel guilty letting your kids have some screentime.

ipad tip: There have been international flights I’ve been on where the plane lost it’s wi-fi. The HORROR! Knowing this, do yourself a favor and download all the movies and shows you can onto your kid’s ipad before you take flight. That way they’ll still work when the wi-fi isn not! We have Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Netflix installed on our kids ipads so most of the shit they like to watch is downloaded on those apps.

Along those lines – most airplanes that travel internationally should have USB ports for you to charge your phone and ipads. But because I am neurotic AF, I always bring my own back-up portable, battery-operated charger! I use this one and yes, I have two so that each kid can use one if the shit hits the fan! Plus, it’s nice to have for my own phone just in case. I’ve learned in all our travels to not rely on planes and airports to cover our bases.

Snacks for long flights:

Yes, you still get meals and snacks on long international flights. But trust me, you’ll also want to pack extra snacks for your kids. If you miss your connection, have a delay, or your kids are picky as fuck and don’t like the type of cracker handed out on the plane, you’ll be set. My favorite snacks to pack are: Skinny Pop Popcorn, Annie’s Organic bunnies or goldfish, (I love this pack because it includes two types of crackers and cookies), Gogo squeeZ fruit pouches, gummies of any sort (bears, worms, penises, you do you.) My kids are weird and also love this seaweed. You can also do cut up apples, carrot sticks, beef jerky/sticks and dried fruit. Bonus points if you want to pack them in a cute snack pack like this one.

Bribes, Bribes, Bribes, and more bribes!

If you don’t know me by now, just know that I’m not above bribing my kids to behave on a long flight. (Cue the judging, it’s fine, I’ll take it!) So for Australia, I bought a bunch of tiny toys and “blind bag” items that I’ll let my kids open every few hours if they are behaving. First, I got LOL Surprise dolls. Just look past the fact that they look like tiny prostitutes. Then, I got some mini Polly Pocket compacts, Mini squishmallows, Surprise Plushy Pets, and Snapsies.

For boys you could get them: Marvel Battle Balls, Among Us Squishies, or Minecraft toys. Truly just go into Amazon and type in “kids blind bag toys” and see what strikes your fancy.

Extra shit that’s nice to have on long flights:

I got both of my girls some cute eye masks to wear when they want to nap. And you better believe I am packing Children’s Tylenol just in case. I prefer the chewables so it’s not a liquid you have to worry about in your carry-on. I’m also not above Melatonin gummies, or something along those lines if it’ll help them sleep. (I realize I am winning mother-of-the-year with that statement.) But honestly, with the time difference, you may be happy to have melatonin gummies or some type of sleep aid for them when you land!

The airline will provide everyone with a pitiful blanket and pillow for overnight flights. But honestly, they’re flimsy as fuck so I let my kids bring their own blanket. I don’t like to be a pack mule with 10 million extra items so I don’t bring one for me and instead just layer up with lots of comfy clothes instead. If you want to be a little extra though, I love this travel set that is compact but still a level up from what you get on the plane. And don’t forget headphones for your kids and yourself, and maybe even earplugs!

What not to pack on long flights:

I read on some travel blog that a mom packed her kids Play-Doh. I thought, what a great idea! So I packed it when we went to Costa Rica when Lila was a baby. Customs there swiftly pulled me aside and did a thorough search of it and made me toss it. So learn from my mistakes – don’t take that shit abroad.

And then there are the obvious things not to put in your carry-on like large amount of liquids, aerosol sprays, etc. But DO pack any medications you or your kids take! If you need more tips on what to pack for trips abroad, check out my blog here. And let me know any die-hard items you pack on your long flights!