What should you pack when flying with young kids?
Short answer: 23 items, from baby carrier or lightweight buggy through to wipes. The complete Flying with Young Kids checklist is written out below — and the exact same 23 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The Flying with Young Kids checklist — all 23 items
- Baby carrier or lightweight buggy
- Bibs
- Car seat or child harness if renting a car
- Change of clothes for the kids
- Change of clothes for YOU (in your carry-on, for the inevitable blowout)
- Dummy / pacifier plus a spare
- Ear plugs or ear plane aids for takeoff/landing pain
- Empty drink bottle (fill after security)
- Favourite toy or comforter
- Formula or snacks pre-measured into containers
- Headphones sized for kids' ears
- Kids' medication (in carry-on, with dosage info)
- Muslin cloth or small blanket
- Nappies (pack more than you think you need)
- Nappy bags for disposal
- Plasters for bumps and scrapes
- Portable charger for the tablet
- Snacks they actually like
- Spare dummy clip
- Stickers or a small new toy (novelty buys 20 minutes of peace)
- Tablet loaded with downloaded shows (no Wi-Fi on many flights)
- Travel cot or sleep aid if staying somewhere new
- Wipes
A flight with young children is a hostage negotiation at 35,000 feet, and your carry-on is the ransom: snacks in unreasonable quantities, the exact comfort toy, spare clothes for them and — veterans know — for you, entertainment that works in flight mode, and wipes for events not yet imaginable.
This checklist builds the survival bag by category: snacks and empty bottles that clear security, nappy-bag contents doubled, layered entertainment for each hour (shows downloaded — many flights have no Wi-Fi — plus the novelty toy that buys twenty minutes of peace), and the landing kit of wipes and fresh clothes for them and for you. Pack it, tick it, and board with the calm of the genuinely over-prepared.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "spare clothes in carry-on" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
What should you pack when flying with young kids?
You need 23 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from baby carrier or lightweight buggy through to wipes — and the same 23 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=flying%20with%20young%20kids opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this Flying with Young Kids list (23 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.