What I Actually Pack When Flying With a 6-Year-Old
And what changes for a 2-hour flight vs. a 16-hour flight
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase through one of my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
I’ve flown with our son plenty of times. And then we decided to really test ourselves and take a 16-hour flight to Australia when he was six. I learned some things. Some of them were intentional. Some came courtesy of the panic Amazon order I placed around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday after we booked our flights Monday and were leaving Saturday.
Nothing like a little advance planning. But here’s probably my biggest takeaway:
I would not pack the same way for a two-hour flight that I would for a 16-hour flight.
For a short flight, I want entertainment, snacks and as little stuff as possible. For a long-haul flight, we’re talking comfort. Sleep. Backup entertainment. More snacks. And accepting that we’re essentially moving into our row for the foreseeable future. So if I were getting on another plane with our six-year-old tomorrow, here’s what I’d actually bring—and what I’d leave at home depending on how long we’re going to be in the air.
CozyPhones: Coming With Us Either Way
These were one of those Tuesday-night panic purchases. Our son already had regular wireless headphones, so my husband wasn’t exactly convinced we needed another pair. His initial reaction was basically: “He’s never going to wear that.”
They’re essentially headphones inside a soft headband. They look like something he’d wear over his ears when it’s cold. And by somewhere around hour five of our flight to Australia? My husband was calling them the purchase of the trip.
The problem with our son’s regular headphones wasn’t listening to them. It was getting comfortable. He could wear them sitting upright, but they weren’t particularly comfortable if he wanted to put his head against something, curl up or sleep. The CozyPhones solved that. He could lie down in them. He could sleep in them. And because they’re soft, there wasn’t a giant headphone earpiece being smashed between his head and the seat.
These have officially earned a place on every car and plane trip.
Shop the CozyPhones →The Toniebox: Also Coming Either Way
Our son has had his Toniebox since his third Christmas, and this is one of those purchases that has more than proven itself in our house. I’ll admit that when we first got it, I wasn’t completely convinced he’d be interested in something that was audio only. I was wrong. He listens to it constantly. Which means it’s also great for travel because it’s already familiar. I’m not introducing some brand-new form of entertainment on the airplane and hoping he likes it.
He already does. If your kid likes educational stuff, we especially like the National Geographic Tonies. My one warning? Listen to the previews before you buy a Tonie. We’ve learned that some of the voices just aren’t his jam, and that’s a lesson I’d rather learn before spending around $20 on another tiny figurine.
Although, considering the small fortune I’ve probably spent on Tonies at this point, I clearly don’t always take my own advice.
The Toniebox Backpack
For a short flight, this one depends on how we’re traveling and how much stuff we’re bringing. For a long trip, I really liked having it. Everything Tonie-related had a home. He could carry it himself, and it kept his entertainment separate from the things I needed in my bag.
Also, anything my child can carry himself through an airport is one less thing I’m carrying. That’s a win.
The Airplane Bed/Hammock: This Is Where Flight Length Matters
This is one thing I absolutely wouldn’t bother bringing for a short flight. If we’re going to be in the air for two hours, I’m not setting up an entire sleeping situation. We’re going to sit in our seats, watch something, listen to a Tonie, eat a snack and arrive at our destination. Sixteen hours? Completely different conversation.
The airplane bed/hammock we brought attached at the tray-table side and worked with the seatbelt area on his side, creating a space where he could actually curl up. I was initially worried it might bother the person sitting in front of him, but as long as he wasn’t bouncing around or being rough with it, it didn’t seem to affect their seat. We didn’t receive any complaints on either the flight there or the flight home.
More importantly, it gave our son a defined little space. On a 16-hour flight, that mattered.
One important note: Airline rules for seat extenders, hammocks and similar products can vary. Check your specific airline’s current policy before packing one. Just because we were able to use ours doesn’t mean every airline or aircraft will allow the same setup.
Tray-Table Organizer: Useful, But I Don’t Always Need It
This falls into the same category. For a short flight, I don’t need to unpack and establish residency. Give me easy access to the headphones and a snack and we’re good. For a long-haul flight, though, I loved having the organizer.
Instead of constantly digging through my backpack, we could keep the things we were actively using right there—headphones, water, snacks and all the random little things that accumulate when you’ve been sitting in the same place for hours. It’s not the most exciting thing I bought. It was extremely useful.
Affiliate link coming soon.
The Kids’ Tray-Table Cover: Jury Is Still Out
Still TestingThis one did not earn the same glowing review. I bought adult tray-table organizers for us and a kid-specific version for him. His was too small. Either airplane tray tables have gotten larger or the design simply wasn’t great, but it didn’t work nearly as well as I’d hoped. I’m giving it one more flight. Then we make the final decision. Possibly Goodwill.
My Travel Backpack
This one absolutely comes with me. My cream travel backpack held everything I needed for the flight with room to spare, but what I appreciated most was being able to actually navigate it while sitting in an airplane seat. When you’re crammed into a small space, a bag can hold 4,000 things and still be completely useless if retrieving item #2 requires removing the other 3,999.
My only complaint is the side pockets. They could use more elastic. My giant Owala stayed put. A single rolled tray-table cover wanted to fall out. Somehow two rolled covers shoved together stayed perfectly.
Travel science.
The Water Bottle I Actually Travel With
A water bottle is obviously not groundbreaking travel advice, but this is the one I’m using now and I brought it with me to Australia. I really appreciated having it. It’s a good size for travel because it fits easily into a cup holder without being one of those giant bottles I’m constantly trying to figure out where to put.
I also really like the locking portion at the top because it doubles as a little handle. If I wanted another way to carry it through the airport or while traveling, I could also add a carabiner and clip it onto a bag. Anything that gives me another option besides carrying one more thing in my hands gets bonus points from me.
This is something I’m currently using and genuinely enjoy.
Shop the Water Bottle →Ride-On Suitcase: The Thing I Didn’t Bring
On My ListI want to be very clear about this one: We did not bring a ride-on suitcase to Australia. So I can’t tell you it’s amazing. What I can tell you is that after watching my child sit on approximately every available section of airport floor, I suddenly understood why they exist.
Before that trip? I didn’t really get it. After that trip? It’s on my list. Especially for an itinerary involving large airports, connections and a lot of walking. I’m not sure I’d bother for every quick flight, but another major travel day? I understand now.
Snacks: Adjust Accordingly
Short flight? A few snacks. Long-haul flight? We’re preparing for civilization to potentially collapse somewhere over the Pacific. Okay, maybe not quite. But I’m bringing considerably more. This is one of those areas where knowing your kid matters more than somebody else’s perfect packing checklist.
Bring things they’ll actually eat. Not the aspirational snack you bought because it looked like something a responsible travel parent would pack. The snack they eat. That’s the one.
Entertainment: Long Flights Need Backups
For a short flight, the Toniebox and CozyPhones might be plenty. Maybe a downloaded show or game. For a long-haul flight, I want options. Sixteen hours is a long time for anyone to do one thing, especially a six-year-old.
There were times for the Toniebox. Times for watching something. Times for eating. Times for sleeping. And probably times for staring at his parents wondering why we’d trapped him inside an airplane for the length of approximately seven Disney movies. For a long flight, I’m not trying to avoid screens at all costs.
I’m trying to get us to Australia.
One Thing I Would Prepare for Differently: Motion Sickness
This one is actually about me. Before Australia, I’d never really experienced motion sickness on an airplane or boat. That 16-hour flight humbled me. I got so sick. At one point, I had basically decided we’d moved to Australia permanently because there was absolutely no way I was getting back on that airplane.
Ship my belongings. I’ll work remotely. My husband eventually found motion-sickness medicine that helped tremendously. I used it during the trip when needed and was prepared for the flight home. The return flight felt completely different. So my lesson isn’t that everyone needs a specific medication.
It’s that if you’re taking a flight considerably longer than anything you’ve done before, think about the things your body might need too—not just your kid’s. I spent so much time preparing to entertain and comfort the six-year-old that I wasn’t prepared for me to be the problem.
What I’d Pack for a Short Flight With a 6-Year-Old
If we’re talking roughly a couple of hours, I’m keeping things simple.
Definitely coming
- CozyPhones
- Toniebox
- A couple favorite Tonies
- Travel backpack
- Snacks
- Water bottle—the one I’m currently using travels well and doesn’t take up a ridiculous amount of space
- Basic entertainment/backups
Probably staying home
- Airplane bed/hammock
- Tray-table organizer
- Kids’ tray-table cover
- Anything else that takes longer to set up than it’s worth
My goal for a short flight is basically: Keep him comfortable and entertained without hauling half our house through the airport.
What I’d Pack for a Long-Haul Flight With a 6-Year-Old
Now we’re moving in.
Absolutely coming
- CozyPhones
- Toniebox
- Multiple Tonies
- Toniebox backpack
- Airplane bed/hammock
- Tray-table organizer
- Travel backpack
- Plenty of snacks
- Water bottle—definitely; I appreciated having mine on our Australia trip
- Multiple entertainment options
- Chargers/portable power
- Whatever comfort items make sense for your kid
- A plan for motion sickness or other needs that could come up
Still evaluating
- Kids’ tray-table cover
Adding next time
- Ride-on suitcase
Because apparently watching your child lie across an airport floor changes a person.
So What’s Actually Worth Packing?
The biggest thing I learned from flying 16 hours with a six-year-old wasn’t that I needed to buy more stuff. It was actually the opposite. The length of the trip should determine how much stuff earns space in the bag. For a short flight, I want familiar entertainment, something to eat and as little baggage as possible.
For a long-haul flight, I’m willing to carry more if that extra item solves a real problem: sleeping, comfort, organization or keeping a six-year-old entertained for hour twelve. And I don’t think you need to buy 30 “airplane essentials” because somebody on Pinterest put them into a pretty graphic. The things I’d buy again are the things that solved an actual problem for us.
The CozyPhones let him comfortably lie down while listening. The Toniebox gave him familiar entertainment. The hammock gave him somewhere to curl up on a very long flight. The organizer meant I wasn’t digging through my backpack every 15 minutes.
The water bottle was easy to carry and didn’t become one more giant thing I had to figure out where to put. Some things earned their spot. Some didn’t. And some apparently get one more flight before Goodwill.