Traveling with a little baby doesn't have to be the disaster it's always painted out to be. Smart moms know that the secret to a hassle free trip with a happy smiling baby is...packing! How prepared you are for any eventuality on the flight is what determines the kind of flight you have.

Apart from the usual diapers, formula and feeding bottles that are an absolute must, every parent needs to pack enough play things to keep baby entertained on flight. If you're lucky enough to have your baby drop off to sleep during a 4 hour flight, then you have no problem on your hands. If not, make sure you arrive on board with simple, space saving and more importantly, noiseless toys.

A string of beads or bracelets with loose beads strung together can provide a less than a year old baby almost an hour of fun. Choose toys that are soft and colorful, and include movement. Examples include push type dolls or rubber faces that the baby can squeeze to get the eyes to pop out.

Something as simple as disposable colorful cups and straws can provide hours of entertainment. At this stage in his development, your baby can focus his concentration for a long period of time on a single object.

Books with loads of colorful pictures are another hit with babies. Make sure they are made of thick paper or cardboard that's not easily torn. You don't want to have to spend the entire flight picking up bits and pieces of paper that he's torn, and strewn on the ground.

A portable DVD player is a handy thing to have on a long flight, and can be used for kids of all ages. Bring along his favorite Baby Einstein videos and you're guaranteed hours of peace and quiet.

When it comes to babies, you don't need a bag full of toys to keep him happy. A roll of duct tape, a calculator - just every day things that lie around the house can keep him entertained. But bring a variety of things to keep him entertained - when he gets bored after a while, you don't want to be short of things for him to occupy himself with.

This author lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband and 5 month old daughter and is an expert contributing author for a luxury unique baby gifts boutique offering variety of baby shower favors, baby gift baskets, handprint footprint kits and more. This author and Babygiftstation is also dedicated to providing valuable and informative articles on childcare, baby safety tips, pregnancy health, parenting, potty training and more. http://www.babygiftstation.com