Don't expect an airline/train to provide anything other than a seat. It is truly all up to you. Sure, long flights do have some movies, but the majority are for adults with the rare children's film thrown in to make you think they care. Case in point, the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian played on our most recent flight. My son loved it. My daughter could not care less. So, as in any catastrophe, being prepared is best.
What to Bring
My most recent flight was about about 14 hours travel time. This however does not factor in time between check in and departure and the dreaded delay. On my most recent flight, we left the house at 11am for the airport and after check in and security at our departing airport, Miami, we only had to wait about 20 minutes to board. However, at my connecting airport, Dulles, there was a sudden 3 hour delay, making me miss my connection in Munich. We arrived to our home in Warsaw at 5pm (11am Miami time). So our travel turned into a 24 hour marathon.
Never pack just for travel time because sh** happens. Since everyone is allowed a carry-on (some of us push those limits), I allow each child to bring a backpack. Of course, I usually end up carrying one of those, but the crew doesn't need to know that. In each backpack, there is paper or a coloring book with colors, small puzzles and small Legos (in a zip-loc) for my oldest, books (usually new ones), one or two inexpensive new toys, and some toys that I set aside weeks before, so they seem like new to them when they open their bag. It also includes a large zip-loc bag with all their snacks (see previous entry for more on snacks).
In our early family travel days, we used to bring a DVD player with DVD's. However, after leaving it on the plane on two separate occasions in Cologne and in Chicago, we had to find another method of entertainment. Enter the I-pod! My husband and I both had the 30 GB I-pod video devices, we eventually downgraded to the Nano. What to do with extra Ipods? Why turn them into a child friendly I-pod that I am not likely to forget under the seat of a plane! And so this is what we did.
I-Tunes does not allow you to copy your DVD's onto your I-pod, but if there is a technical problem someone out there has come up with a solution. Enter IM Too DVD Ripper Software that turns your DVD movie into an .mp4 file for the Ipod. Since downloading this software, I have transferred all my children's DVD's into a hard drive where I go through programming and add it to the kid's I-pods when we travel. The entertainment also includes music. On my last trip, I put "It's a small world" on repeat for my daughter who happily listened (and sang it at the top of her lungs) until she drifted off to sleep. For headphones, I found a small pair in Poland that hooks around their ear so it doesn't fall off. Works like a charm!
When it comes to toys, activities and DVD viewing, try your best not to break out the entertainment if it isn't necessary. If your toddler is perfectly entertained climbing up and down a seat at the airport and isn't bothering anyone (other than you), don't pull out a toy. You don't know when you will need to pull out a toy from the arsenal. Pick your battles!
By the way, food can also be a delightful distraction even if it is plane food. Children don't expect others to bring them food on a plane so they are as happy as they get about a toy when a tray appears before them. Exploring the plane food alone will buy you more time.
I have yet to run out of entertainment and usually if the kids are not interested, they are usually close to going to sleep anyway.
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