Planning a vacation is a huge endeavor, especially for young kids on a flight to Korea. Here are some important things to consider as you plan for your family’s trip to Korea.
This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
Passport
First and foremost, is everyone’s passport up to date? Passports for kids under 16 years old have different requirements. In most cases, both parents need to be present when the applications are turned in. Below are the steps listed on U.S. Department of State Website.
Steps to Apply
- Fill Out Form DS-11
- Provide U.S. Citizenship Evidence
- Bring a Photocopy of U.S. Citizenship Evidence
- Show Parental Relationship
- Present ID
- Bring a Photocopy of ID
- Show Parental Consent
- Provide a Photo
- Calculate Fees
- Find Location to Apply and Submit Your Completed Application
- Track Your Application Status
Flight
When you prepare your young kids for the flight to Korea, I cannot emphasize how important it is to choose your seats carefully. I don’t think it is wise to expect people to give up and trade seats with you at the last minute as you’re boarding. First, I personally think it’s rude to expect someone to and second, it will give you a peace of mind to know you have reserved a window or aisle or whatever seat you want for your family already. Pay the extra money if you need to. It is a long flight to leave something like seats to chance. You don’t want to split from your kids. In fact, you just CANNOT be split from them. They are not old enough to handle themselves alone anyway.
I do recommend kids to sit in the window seat when you first start the flight. The window provides the most “activity” if you will. They can look outside, play with window adhesives, and open and close the window.
Click here for our Air Premia flight experience
Language/Cultural
Although my kids are half Korean, they do not speak it as we primarily speak English at home. However, before our trip I began integrating some basic salutations and the concept of bowing when seeing new adult faces. My philosophy when it comes to teaching my kids Korean is to start with words they learned in English first as babies. So even now that we’re back I have started teaching them facial features, numbers, animals, and colors in Korean.
A few months prior to leaving for Korea, I also started playing popular Kpop music at home and in the car. Music is a universal language and the look on their face when they recognize the songs playing in Korea were quite magical. Watching busking in Hongdae is also an awesome experience for the kids to put it all together.
Packing
When I pack, I always consider the worst case scenario. When you prepare your young kids for the flight to Korea, what items would you need if your kids decided to have explosive diarrhea, spill all their food on their clothes, and have the worst tantrum of their lives?
From head to toe, I pack extra shirt, pants, underwear, and sweater/jacket incase they have a full blown food spill everywhere. I do not pack extra socks because they can live with wet socks or take them off and not suffer immensely on the plane. It seems like a small thing to add to a carryon, but with kids everything starts feeling heavy. Baby wipes is also an absolute must for any trip anywhere. I use it to wipe their hands on the go and the inevitable “I have to poop mommy” at the most inconvenient places that always occur with my kids.
If it’s during the colder months of the year, I like to pack a puffy jacket. Not only because the plane can get quite chilly, but it also works great as a pillow. Leaning against a window can be a difficult angle for little ones and sometimes their heads can feel quite sharp over long periods of time on your shoulders.
I am a huge proponent of keeping kids off tablets for as long as possible during flights. It’s just my own personal philosophy because I find my kids get very irritable and I don’t like the tantrums that ensue when I take tablets away. However, that being said, during a 10+ hour flight to Korea, I wouldn’t NOT take tablets. You do need it at least a little bit. Therefore, make sure to pack over ear headphones for your kids. The earbud kind just don’t fit well into their little ears and they get fussy when they keep falling out.
My kids constantly got thirsty on the plane, but having them try to balance a cup of complimentary water on their table during the flight was so stressful. I’d recommend taking an empty water bottle on the flight that can be filled up after security check at the airport or on the flight and can be knocked over without spilling. They get their fill and you don’t have to worry about any messes.
Airport
If you are able to get to the airport at least an hour early, let your kids run free at the airport. Take the time to go through the shops and go up and down elevators. Obviously, be careful since it’s easy for them to get lost and bump into others, but they NEED to get their energy out before the flight. Restricting them to a seat and having them watch a tablet while you wait to board is not always the best option. I mean, I get it. You have a lot going on trying to get your family to safely board on time and you want your little ones to sit still. But that activity is best saved for the flight. You can also opt to have one parent watch your luggage and have the other take the kids to explore.
Media
I like to wean my kids off the tablet for a few days to prepare my young kids for the flight to Korea. I know it’s hard but kids eventually adapt and find something new to do if you stand firm that it’s off limits. This makes the tablet games and shows new and exciting for the flight.
I would recommend downloading movies/shows/games at home. Your internet connection is the most secure and guaranteed there. I often find that Netflix doesn’t finish downloading with just my phone data connection or at the airport. So I just opt not to depend on it if possible. Also, note that some games require the internet so you might not be able to play some of them in flight.
Activities
It really depends on your child. But if you know your kid likes logic based activities, prepare easy Sudoku, math problems, puzzles, and miniature Legos. I don’t keep pulling out new activities or all of them at once. I watch until they are totally and completely over it, before I pull out another activity. Or I let them use the tablet in between the activities I brought.
If your child is into pretend playing, I highly recommend sticker books, Polly Pockets and workbooks. For kids like this I find that wax sticks, Play Doh (get sets with tools), and window adhesives also keep them busy for quite a while.
Food
Consider limiting snacks and foods until you settle into a comfortable altitude in flight. Eating is just another activity to add to the itinerary to keep your kids from getting bored.
When you prepare your young kids for the flight to Korea, make sure to pack snacks that last or take awhile to eat. If you know your child is responsible, I might even recommend giving them gum and lollipops. These are great because they last longer than most snacks. I really don’t like packing snacks that make their fingers super dirty like Cheetos. It’s a drag to wash off and they just like to wipe it everywhere except an actual napkin. I think packing a mixture of sweet, salty, and real food is best.
Remember, believe in your kids. Believe that they will do well on the flight and they may just surprise you with a long fat nap!
Leave a Reply