'All the things I bought for my toddler on a long-haul flight - and what she actually used'
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When I was telling people we were going on holiday to Europe as a family with the two-year-old, one of the most common responses was "good luck".
The long-haul flight in particular seemed a sticking point for many, with plenty of my friends and family asking, "What are you going to do on the flight?".
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I may have gone a bit overboard buying things for the long plane journey. Supplied/Kristine Tarbert
Of course, after the 50th time, it did start to get into my head just a little. I knew we'd be deploying some Bluey episodes, but I also didn't want her watching TV for five-plus hours straight.
Did I get sucked into some targeted advertising in the lead-up? You bet I did. Here are all the things I bought for my toddler – and what she actually ended up using.
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Yoto Mini Player
SUCCESS
You've potentially seen an ad for this on TV and wondered what it actually is. Essentially, think of it like an iPod for kids. But without the screen, the games, the apps, and the ads.
There's music, audiobooks, a daily radio, and a clock. Just pop in a Yoto card and off it goes.
Also available as a larger in-house version, the Yoto Mini is compact and very travel-friendly, so it was easy to use anywhere. It was one of the best things we had on hand for this trip.
Paired with the headphones, she not only used it on the plane to listen to music and some of her favourite books (including The Gruffalo and Whale and the Snail), but we also deployed it during restaurant dinners to keep her entertained – and seated – or during longer walks in the pram.
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The Yoto Mini Player offers music and audiobooks without screens and ads. Supplied
My First Sticker books
SUCCESS
Aside from the Yoto, this was the next best purchase before our trip. We used this not only on the plane, but also on a few long train journeys we had booked.
And they also came out at restaurants and other outings to pass the time. The reusable sticker books are great, as she could pull the stickers on and off as many times as she wanted.
On the plane, she also liked sticking them to the window, or the tray table, or the TV screen. We may have lost a hippo along the way, but the books are now permanently in her nappy bag and come with us everywhere.
The stickers were a hit on the plane and on trains. Supplied/Kristine Tarbert
The reusable stickers were great for little hands. Amazon
Busy Book
SUCCESS
This item we've actually had for a little while (bought it for our very first long-haul flight about a year ago). But now that she's a little older, she spent much more time playing with it than on previous occasions.
The busy book is great with different pages to cater to different wants and needs. There are buckles and straps, zippers and felt stickers. She could go between animals, vegetables, fruits, colours, numbers and the ABC.
It did require a little bit of monitoring as the felt stickers ended up strewn all over the place, but otherwise I would definitely recommend.
The busy book was a hit but did require some clean up. Supplied/Kristine Tarbert
Mini Magnet Tiles
HIT AND MISS
I bought these off a recommendation from a colleague, and initially, they were a big hit. We trialled them at a restaurant one night, and she loved stacking them on the table.
Despite the magnetic tiles, they were a little trickier to use on a plane and would often end up strewn all over the floor. Even with the magnet case to keep them 'contained'.
She's had much more fun with these when she's able to spread them all over the floor at home. Not so much in the cramped space of a plane.
The magnet tiles are more fun strewn across the floor. Amazon
Pop Fidget Sensory Toys
HIT AND MISS
I had seen these everywhere, and when they were on, they were ON. A few times we'd play 'who can pop all the pops the fastest' and that was a lot of fun.
Sometimes she'd sit there happily popping them by herself. But for the most part, that never lasted longer than 5 or 10 minutes.
Still, these are an easy one to keep in her nappy bag and whip out at dinners if needed.
Now a nappy-bag staple. Amazon
LCD Writing Tablet for Kids
BARELY USED
This was probably the one I was the most disappointed by. Think of it like a modern-day Megasketcher but the LCD screen has a colour base beneath the black that appears when the pen runs across it.
While she generally loves drawing, I don't think the colours were bright enough to really hold her attention. We do have it on hand at restaurants and at home now, and occasionally she will sit and scribble – but for no longer than 5 minutes.
The modern sketch pad didn't quite live up to the hype. Amazon
Montessori Busy Cube
BARELY USED
Finally, this busy cube would have been a big hit if I had bought it for her a year ago. I think I missed the appropriate age bracket for this one.
So while she did grab it once or twice, she very quickly worked out what all the sides could do and was bored with it just as quickly. It now lives in the car in case she needs something to fidget with while we're on the road.
The busy cube is better for younger babies. Amazon
