If you’re like me, the thought of traveling with a toddler makes your skin crawl. It seems like every trip is a battle between entertaining them and keeping them from disturbing other passengers. But with the right airplane activities for toddlers, you can make your travel experience much less miserable.

I’ve always loved traveling and I’m not letting having kids hold us back from exploring the world. Before Baby W turned 3, we managed to fly across 3 different countries including a 2-weeks vacation in Asia – that’s about 80 hours total on flights around this great planet of ours (not to mention countless hours waiting to be boarded)!

I’ve put together a list of our favorite activities that will keep your little one busy and happy during your trip.

So don’t pack any extra stress along with your bags – just let your toddler have fun with these activities and enjoy your trip!

_{This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.}

What To Look For In Airplane Activities For Toddlers?

When choosing activities to do on the plane, look out for these features:

Weight and Size

We don’t want to carry around anything unnecessary other than our luggages, so the lighter it gets for us as passengers-the better! Bring something that’s lightweight and compact such as coloring pages and lego pieces.

Concentration and sensory-driven

Activities that require concentration or sensory perception will help toddlers stay engaged and distracted from the airplane surroundings.

Mess-free

Air travel with young kids is stressful enough so to make the experience more pleasant for everyone involved, it is helpful to plan ahead and pack some “mess-free” activities for toddlers. Some good options include books and puzzles. These items will help keep your child entertained during the flight, and they won’t create any extra mess for you to deal with.

Contained in a box or pouch

Small toys can easily get lost under the seat so be sure to bring activities that can be stowed in a box or pouch. If you must bring small toys such as crayons or lego pieces, you can make them more travel-friendly by storing them in ziplock bags.

Quiet

Leave musical toys and anything that requires batteries at home. It’s important to be considerate of others when flying. That means no loud toys that could disturb other passengers.

If you’re bringing new toys for the flight, make sure you wait until the plane has taken off before giving them to your toddler. The excitement of meeting new toys and exploring them will keep your toddler happy while traveling.

Puzzles Games

One way to keep your toddlers busy on a plane is to give them puzzles to solve. Not only will this help to pass the time, but it will also help to develop their problem-solving skills. There are a variety of puzzles that are designed specifically for airplane use, so be sure to pack one before your next flight.

I highly recommend this travel-friendly wooden puzzle. The puzzle pieces are chunky so you won’t have a hard time looking for them if they fall underneath the seat. They’re compact – each board is less than 6″ wide and you can choose between a 4-pack or 6-pack. And better yet? It comes with a cute little bag to store all the puzzle pieces together.

Toddlers will be so addicted to this lightweight foam puzzle kit that they won’t want it any other way. The pieces are made of material perfect for little than. Even though the finished product may seem simple at first, there’s always something new about exploring how each piece goes together!

Bedtime Books

Reading books is a great activity for passing time on flights because it’s easy to carry, educational, and does not make loud noises that can be disturbing to other seatmates.

If reading books is part of your toddler’s bedtime routine, read some books to ensure your child has gotten all the snooze buttons pressed.

You can’t be too careful when flying on an airplane- make sure your toddler’s naps are planned accordingly. If you have a full day of adventure ahead, it’s best to let your child sleep before landing. Conversely, if visiting at night and heading straight for bed, then make sure they are awake at least 2 hours before landing.

When traveling with my toddlers, I also bring along books from our bedtime collection. Since they’re so used to reading these books right before they go down for the night, reading these books on the plane will signal them that it’s time for bed.

The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boyton is a short and silly board book. This little book even fits in my purse! Madi’s favorite is the Good Morning, Good Night! book by Tresa Imperato because she gets to feel the soft, fluffy fur of each animal in the story.

RELATED ARTICLE: How To Get Your Child To Sleep Alone

Mess-Free Coloring Activities

If you’re looking for airplane toys for toddlers that will keep them entertained without making a mess, the Crayola Mess-Free Coloring Pages are a must. These kits come with special markers where the colors appear only on the special paper, not on skin, clothing, or anything else.

Plus, there are so many themes to choose from: Frozen, Blippi, Baby Shark, Cocomelon, Disney characters, you name it! Baby W’s favorite is the Paw Paltrow version and you can see his masterpiece below

In getting ready for our upcoming trip, I got this mess-free coloring kit that has added stamps and stickers. And better yet, it comes in a portable box. I let my 18-month-old toddler try it out at home first and she literally drew for 30 minutes straight!

Window Clings or Stickers

If you’re looking for airplane activities for toddlers that will keep your little one entertained, window clings or stickers are a great option. These reusable stickers can be attached to the airplane window, providing a fun and engaging way for your toddler to look out at the sky. And when it’s time to land, simply peel them off and store them away until your next flight.

We love these puffy sticker playsets by Melissa & Doug. There are 3-Packs in each set and include double-sided glossy backgrounds and reusable puffy stickers. This puffy sticker activity set comes with a convenient carrying handle that makes it great for travel and on-the-go play.

No-Mess Sensory Box

It can be hard for little ones to focus on just one activity. That’s why I’ve found that a sensory box is a perfect solution. By filling a small plastic box with small household items, you can give your little one something fun and interesting to play with throughout the flight. Plus, with no mess or loose pieces involved, you won’t have to worry about spills or clutter in the cabin.

This ingenious invention is simply an assortment of small items with different textures. No fillers (think rice and beans in a traditional sensory box) are needed so no mess to clean!

Here are some textures and toys ideas:

• Soft – cotton ball, feather.
• Hard – golf ball, rocks, seashell, pine cone, wooden cube
• Rough – air-dried washcloth, scrub sponge, sandpaper, rough fabric like corduroy
• Smooth – plastic spoon, a piece of silk
• Slimy – slime toy
• Stretchy – rubber band, rubber/latex glove, stretch toy
• Fuzzy – pompoms, Chenille Stems
• Spiky – dish brush, spiky ball toy

Gather all items in a container with a lid or simply put everything in a zip lock bag and you’re good to go.

RELATED POST: How to Make a Mess-Free Sensory Box for Toddlers That Will Save Your Sanity

Sorting and Stacking Activities

Sorting and stacking activities are great for occupying toddlers on a plane. Children can sort objects by color, shape, or size, and then stack them in towers or build other structures. These activities help to improve problem-solving and fine motor skills while also keeping little ones entertained. This type of activity is so simple yet addicting!

Baby W can spend hours stacking the colorful pegs in this Pegboard set. Since it comes in a travel-friendly bag and is super lightweight, we carry this toy wherever we go.

Here’s also a great stacking toy for toddler girls!

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If you have a toddler who’s coming with you on your next airplane trip, make sure to include these activities! Not only will they keep your little one occupied and out of trouble, but they may also help make the experience less miserable for everyone involved.

Do you have any other favorite airplane activities for toddlers? Let me know by leaving a message below.

Airplane Activities For Toddlers Related Posts

• 15 Of The Best Card Games For Toddlers We’ve Ever Found Online
• How to Make a Mess-Free Sensory Box for Toddlers That Will Save Your Sanity
• 10 toddler fine motor activities you should do at home

6 Simple Airplane Activities For Toddlers That Actually Keep Them Happy

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]]> https://socalmommylife.com/irvine-park-railroad/ https://socalmommylife.com/irvine-park-railroad/#respond Wed, 13 Jul 2022 05:02:14 +0000 https://socalmommylife.com/?p=7445 If you’re wondering what to do with kids in Orange County, look no further than Irvine Park Railroad. This park…

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]]> If you’re wondering what to do with kids in Orange County, look no further than Irvine Park Railroad. This park has everything from a train ride to paddleboarding and a zoo. It’s perfect for an easy day out with the kids.

General Park Information

Address:

1 IRVINE PARK ROAD Map
ORANGE, CA 92869

Hours:

Fall/Winter 6:00 am – 6:00 pm
Spring/Summer 6:00 am – 9:00 pm

Parking Fees:
Weekdays $3.00 per vehicle
Weekends $5.00 per vehicle
Holidays $7.00 per vehicle

_{This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.}

Top things to do at Irvine Park Railroad

TRAIN RIDES 

Price: $6.00 per person
Hours: Open daily at 10:00 am

Your trip to Irvine Park Railroad won’t be complete without riding its famous train ride. This 1/3 scale train takes both children and adults on a ride through the beautiful and historic Irvine Regional Park.

The train ride is just off the entrance from the parking lot so I suggest taking the ride first thing. We left the stroller in our car and hop on the first ride in the morning. Throughout the 10 minutes or so ride, a train conductor explained the different attractions there are at the park.

We saw peacocks strolling down the path, the oldest tree in Orange County, and historic buildings along the way. I was mentally mapping out all the picture-worthy spots to visit after the ride!

PONY RIDES 

Cost: $6.00 per person
Hours: Open Tuesday – Sunday at 11:00 am; CLOSED Mondays

The pony rides are located just next to the train ride. So, we went straight to the ponies after we hop off the train.

Irvine Regional Park features both walking and trotting ponies for kids to ride. The walking ponies are open Tuesday through Sunday and the trotting ponies are open on weekends and holidays. 

Baby W gets to ride his own pony and be trotted by other horse riders. I was a little bit scared for him because it was his first time riding on his own. It was nonetheless his favorite part in the park.

A walking pony is available for younger children and the parent gets to walk the pony.

PADDLE BOAT RENTALS 

Price: $20.00 per 1/2 hour
Hours: Weekdays at 10:00 am; Weekends & Holidays at 9:00 am

Irvine Regional Park is one of the few places in SoCal that have paddle boat rentals. It’s a perfect activity for sightseeing, people watching, exercising, or simply enjoying the lake inside of Irvine Regional Park.

We missed this fun activity because each paddle board can only accommodate up to 3 riders. I’ll for sure come back when Baby Madi is old enough to ride!

BIKE RENTALS 

Price: Varies
Hours: Weekdays at 10:00 am; Weekends & Holidays 9:00 am

Riding within the Irvine Park Railroad is a great way to sightsee and enjoy all the beautiful sceneries the park has to offer. No matter how big or small your party is, there is a bike to accommodate your group.

We placed Baby Madi in the front of the surrey and the 4 of us had a blast cruising around the park.

We didn’t need to follow the map at all. Instead, we just rode on whatever roads took us.

There are plenty of signs along the way to guide you so don’t worry, you won’t get lost!

OC ZOO

Price: $2.00 per person
Hours: Open Daily at 10:00 am

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much about this zoo since the admission was only $2.00 per person, and kids under 3 go in for FREE. I was only looking forward to seeing a few animals we typically see at any zoo.

Boy, I was wrong!

We saw black bears, mountain lions, a bald eagle, great-horned owls, porcupine, coyotes, turkey vultures, and more.

The zoo is very clean and well-kept. There were many live demonstrations where we get to see certain animals in close contact.

There are lots of reptiles at the zoo including snakes and lizards. It was W’s favorite exhibit in the zoo!.

We even saw a bald eagle and a giant tortoise!

The zoo also features a barnyard (petting zoo) with domestic goats, sheep, pot-bellied pigs, doves, chickens, and pheasants. Many of the barnyard animals are available for touching contact through the fence. 

HIKING TRAILS

Open daily at 6:00 am

There are many hiking trails in Irvine Reginal Park ranging from easy to hard. Be sure to check out the map on the various trails offered.

There are so many antique buildings and decorations throughout the park making them the perfect backdrop for photos!

When is the best time to visit Irvine Park Railroad?

You know how hot Southern California gets during the summer. Although there are plenty of trees within the park, it can get up to 100°F in the summer here. If you must visit on a hot summer day, I’d suggest arriving in the morning or late evening.

We visited in July. Knowing that it’ll get 90°F in the day, we arrived at 10 am when the park first opened. We did all the activities first and visited the zoo after lunch. It got pretty hot and uncomfortable by the time we left.

The park also offers many events throughout the year. The Irvine Park Raileoad pumpkin patch is particularly popular here making them one of the best places to experience fall in SoCal. There is the Easter Eggstravaganza event during spring and in December, it’s worthwhile visiting Santa’s Village and Santa’s train.

How long do you need at the Irvine Park Railroad?

With a 5-year-old and an 18-month-old, I found that 3-4 hours at the park is sufficient. Of course, it depends on if you want to do all the attractions and how long the wait is for food and attractions.

We went early in the morning and did all the attractions except the paddle boarding and it took us about 4 hours total.

Is Irvine Park Railroad stroller friendly?

Absolutely! The park is huge so be sure to bring your child’s stroller or wagon for them to sit in.

There are paved and dirt roads so it’s stroller-friendly. All the attractions have designated spots for stroller parking. We never had any issues when we left our stroller while we went on the bike and train rides.

Is there food at Irvine Park Railroad?

There are 2 snack bars located within Irvine Park Railroad. Both snack bars serve essentially the same items. Its full menu includes hot and cold foods such as burgers, grilled cheese, trail mix, chips, ice creams, and sodas.

Not exactly the healthiest foods but they are convenient. I recommend packing some fruits and veggies from home and getting the hot foods from the snack bars.

For the full menu and price, visit Lakeside Snack Bar and Train Station Snack Bar.

Picnic tables are available on a first-come, first-serve basis so I suggest eating a bit earlier or later to get a good spot. We ordered food from the Lakeside Snack Bar at 12:30 pm and had to wait for others to leave in order to sit at one of the picnic tables. You can also bring your own picnic blanket to eat on the grass areas.

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