What to take on board a plane to occupy 2 kids age 2 and 5? A 2 1/2 hr flight.?

New stuff! Or at least new to them.

Boys or girls? My boy loved anything with wheels. He played for ages with them. Girls liked dolls and coloring stuff. I had about 21 rabbits drawn for me by my 5 year old on my last flight.

I think a portable DVD player is not necessary for such a short flight. Bring books. No one will mind your reading to them. Get a book on flying on an airplane and read that to them before leaving.

Here's some more tips;

I assume you're already in the U.S. and you'll be flying an American carrier. That wont happen to you. Since your 2 year old has a seat, you have the right to use a FAA approved carseat.

Check the one you already have for a FAA "sticker" which now is usually simply on the side information bar. Usually there's a little airplane and it says "...has been approved for use on aircraft..." etc. Most U.S. carseats are FAA approved. If it's not, which is unlikely, consider borrowing (trading?) or simply buy another. Good ones go for as little as $40.

I recommend this option over using a CARES harness, which isn't as secure and can only be used inflight. At $75, it seems steep for such a one-purpose gizmo but it's your money to spend as you wish!

Having the carseat onboard guarentees that the it wont be damaged or lost in baggage and you can use it right away when you leave the airport in Texas, assuming you'll be doing so by car. I had a bad experience with a car company rental seat and most Carseat techs don't recommend you use them (wish I had that bit of advice!)

Here's a link for you which shows the FAA approval writing and, if you scroll down, a picture of the CARES harness.
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_childr...

To get it through the airport, you have several options. There are carseat bags which you can wear like a backpack. These didn't appeal to me, since I usually fly alone with my three. There is also the pricey GogoKidz cart;
http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_k...

It doesn't fit all carseats and is expensive at $80-90.

I simply put my carseat on a all-metal luggage cart (a souvenir of the first airline I worked for) and strapped my rather heavy Radian on with extra bungee cords. Worked great and didn't cost anything, since I found the bungee cord but they certainly don't set you back much if you need to buy one.

I have to say that at work, I heard fewer complaints about children who were in carseats than those traveling without them. It does seem to keep children calmer, since it's the right size and familar. It also keeps their feet above the annoying soft zone in airline seats, that kids seem to instinctively kick...(Put your hands on either side of the bottom of your airline seatback and you'll feel what I mean).

The security is usually the scariest part of the experience for kids. Here's a good site;
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/c...
Show her the people going through and what you have to do. Let her know that although she has to put her things on the belt, they'll be given right back to her on the other side.

I've never used medications and don't really recommend them. If you're tempted, try it at home first to rule out any allergic reactions. At least one emergency landing had to be made for a medicated toddler recently. It can have the opposite affect, making them wired. I saw that twice while working.

-If your 2 yo is in diapers, bring way more than you think you'll need
-Learn to change him standing up (don't try to fit him on those tiny babychangers and toddlers hate to lie down in strange places)
-Bring an empty sippy cup to fill during the services. This will prevent spills in the air.
-Get up and move around with him but keep an eye out. Those carts the F/A's use are the perfect height for hiding your littler one
-Bring snacks. Don't fret security. I've never had anything taken away (yes, water but not snacks) and that's the only risk. If you have something not allowed, they simply remove the item. No scenes, no speeches, no arrests!
-Try to sit in a bulkhead seat so that there's no one in front of you

Don't worry about ear problems. Take them to the doctor before leaving to make sure they don't have any symtomless infections or other problems. Healthy ears can handle pressurization changes. I rarely saw this as a problem when I worked and as a mom, I never did anything special for take-off and landing and my children never had any problems either. If they fall asleep on take-off, let them sleep!

If you have any other questions about flying with children, I have an article on the subject that is entirely non-commercial based on both my professional and practical experience. Feel free to visit;
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

Have a great trip!

valium!

Valium for you & Calpol for the kids

Games, story books, colouring books, music, headphones for in flight film or childrens programs, sweets to suck so the ears dont hurt (plane going through air pockets).
Hope that helps

depending on the airline, they usually give out fun packs for kids.
give them good old fashioned crayons and paper and let them sit in the window seat.

Hand cuffs and Gaggs

Whenever I have flown with my two boys I have had a little bag for them each that a put a couple of new toys in. In the case of my two that is usually a couple of hot wheels cars, some books, story and colouring, and maybe a little plastic figurine thingy of a character they like. I bring them out one at a time so when the novelty wears off one I can whip out another.
I've found that it works a treat and the flight is a lot more relaxing for all of us.
I prefer doing that to sedating them like a lot of mum's recommended to me.

'Calpol' should shut em up for the duration...