Mum shares six genius travel hacks for long-haul flights with your kids

A mum has shared her top tips for flying abroad this holiday season while dealing with your children during the flight.

An estimated two million Brits will be set to travel abroad this Easter holiday, so whether you're heading on a short haul trip to Europe or a long haul holiday to Florida, a little forward planning can make all the difference.

So looking after your mental health is important when travelling with kids as they can get frustrated during a long-haul flight.

This is why Zara Bartoszewicz - senior social media executive at Ocean Florida and mum of one - has shared six tips for navigating long-haul flights with young children.

Read on below to find out more.

1. Use the airport's soft play area to tire your kids out

Zara said: "Letting kids play before getting on the flight can actually be a very useful way of tiring them out enough so that they’re ready to nod off.

"Most large international airports should have a children’s play area in between gates or within proximity to a seating area, as well as toy stores for them to enjoy. For example, Heathrow airport has a ‘stay and play’ area for children in each terminal, open from 6am to 9pm everyday."

2. Know which seats to pick when travelling with children

The mum continued: "Your best bet when it comes to reserving seats on long-haul journeys is usually the middle four spaces in the emergency exit row. These seats are not only very spacious and close to the bathroom, but young kids are also still allowed to sit here, which they often aren’t if you’re directly next to the exit door. Ensure that you book a seat for every passenger, even small babies, as it’s much less stress if everyone has their own space.

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"Some airlines also provide the option for families to board early for free, so do make use of this if you can, as it will give you enough time to get everyone settled. Sometimes airport staff will even let you and your family cut security lines if you ask politely!"

3. Try out a viral pillow hack

Zara said: "Check with your airline before bringing this along as not every carrier allows this, but purchasing an inflatable foot pillow to fill the gap between the seat and the floor and allow little legs to be stretched out is a game-changer comfort-wise. Using a pillow like this makes creating a bed easy, simply blow into the mouth piece to inflate, place in the gap between seats and cover with your child’s favourite blankets."

You can grab one of these pillows from Amazon for just £17.99.

4. Learn how to pop your ears

Child flying on plane. — Entertaining your children is sometimes hard on a long-haul flight (Image: Getty)

The expert added: "One of the most stressful parts about flying, for young children, is the potential ear pain that comes from the cabin pressure as the plane changes altitude. Babies have a particularly difficult time with it as their ear cavities are so small. Luckily, there are measures you can take to prevent this, such as bringing medicine specially designed to relieve ear pressure in babies.

"For older children, teaching them how to equalise the pressure in their ears by holding their noses and gently blowing can be helpful. If kids find that sensation too uncomfortable, getting them to yawn or giving them chewing gum that dissolves and is not a choking hazard can be great."

5. Try building a little 'snackle box'

Zara explained: "One option for a toy that can keep the kids entertained and fed, is the TikTok viral ‘snackle box’. Essentially, this involved filling a cheap fishing tackle box (or other box with multiple compartments, with your children’s favourite snacks.

"Not only is it a sensory toy that can help young children learn how to sort items, but it’s a great way to make sure the kids are getting the nutrients they need."

6. Say yes to technology - just this once

The expert concluded: "Bringing tablets and consoles preloaded with your kids’ favourite media is a great way to entertain them for longer periods of time. It also ensures they won’t be disappointed if the built-in tv system doesn’t offer anything to their liking.

"Ensure that you have the right chargers, cable-splitters, adapters and spare battery packs for the devices you choose to bring, as well as a pair of comfortable child-friendly headphones."