Entertaining Kids on Planes

This post is co-written by myself, with four traveling kids ages 10 and under, and Laura Robinson, who learned to keep her 2 and 4 year-olds happy on long flights while traveling alone with them to Europe.

The thought of being trapped with a screaming child on an airplane is enough to keep even the most avid travelers on the ground. For others, it drives them to play Polly Pocket or to speak in an unnaturally high and sweet voice for hours on end. To spare you from this, we’ve come up with ideas that will help keep everyone sane on the plane.

Just like kids, parents come in all types of personalities — the planner and the non-planner, laid-back and uptight, etc. We’ve met them and possibly been them all. Pick what fits you and your child’s personality the best, noting that many things on this list are geared towards younger children. Once kids hit 6, they will more readily play and read on their own. Electronics are key — don’t miss the earphone recommendations at the end of the post!

Flying with Kids Travel Tips

Travel Activities for Kids Ideas

1. Presents: Young children love presents. Keep them occupied on long flights by wrapping everything in your carry-on bag — small toys like dolls or cars, or even treats like jelly beans and candy will work. They’ll love unwrapping each item and it keeps them busy for long periods of time.

2. Eating: This is one of our main sources of entertainment. Think small, non-messy snacks that take a long time to consume. Then pack them in small containers to extend consumption time.  Use what you know they like, as well as new things. Ideas: Goldfish, Pretzel Stix, shredded carrots, raisins, Trix (never consumed in my house, but a perfect treat to busy my toddler for an hour on this last flight).

3. Doctor’s Kit: Pack a kid-friendly doctor’s kit with a doll for kids to explore. Load it with tons of band-aids, tape, and gauze to peel, pull and wrap for hours.

4. Fun Placemats: Print out drawings from the web and let them color their own placemats with icons they like from Disney or a favorite book.  Bring tape so it stays stable on their tray table.

5. Photos: My kids love photographs. Before the trip, put together small albums for them to peruse with shots of friends or family you’re going to see while away.

6. Stretch and Wiggle Game: Derived from a book called “From Head to Toe,” see how many body parts you can turn, wiggle or stretch.

7. Books: There are a huge variety of children’s books written about almost every destination. Before arrival the interest level might not be as high as you’d like, but one you’re there and afterwards, kids get really excited to see some of the sights from their trip.

8. Talk About Planes: Look at pictures of planes the night before leaving and read stories about transportation. Not only will this get them excited about the experience, but you can also use this as an opportunity to discuss behavior expectations while flying.

9. Comfort Factor: Pack their favorite pajamas or most comfortable outfits, so they can easily sleep during long flights. Also, don’t forget a change of clothes in case they spill or have an accident. There’s nothing worse than sitting in wet clothes. I always pack a change for me as well. Also, don’t forget to grab a few extra pacifiers, special blankets, etc. just in case one gets dirty or lost. This may sound simple, but it can be horrible when these “precious” items get lost or forgotten.

10.  MapQuest: Print out a map of your destination from the web and bring highlighters to let them map the route over land or across the ocean. For the return flight, try to keep receipts, maps, ticket stubs, menus, etc. so to create a scrapbook on the plane ride home.

11. Arts and Crafts: Of course this varies with age, but here are some toys that can span a large age range. Stickers and Sticker Mosaics (appeals to 2 and 10 year old alike), Wikki Stixs, Pipe Cleaners, and Scratch and Sketch books.

12. Little Characters: Pick a few of toy characters that your kids love — babies, Playmobile guys, Polly Pocket, little horses, whatever! The important thing is to fill the bag with a variety of options. Forget about things that can roll away or really special items that will cause a fuss if lost.

13. Finger puppets: Small and endless entertainment. A little show is especially delightful for the 2-year-old crowd.

14. Coloring: Coloring is great, as long as it’s on paper and that’s not always easy to control; pens that don’t mark off the paper work very well like Crayola Color Wonder pads and pens. Bring other pens as well, because the two-second delay that it takes for the color to show up is sometimes just too long for a toddler to wait. In that case, make the pens washable and bring wipes to remove the out-of-bounds coloring. Another favorite is the Scratch and Sketch notebooks and Doodle Books for older kids.

We just discovered these non-toxic, natural art supplies called Clementine Art — they look great!

15. Emergency Tantrum Kit: This is the last resort bag. Pack your child’s favorite special sweet or treat. Lollipops (messy, which is why they’re a last resort), tic-tacs, ring-pops, whatever you know will help them settle down and avoid a full tantrum. Most of the time, this bag remains untouched. I don’t believe in rewarding bad behavior, but public humiliation will drive me to it.

16. Videos: This is a must — even if you limit screen time at home, embrace it on a plane!  Really this can start from age 2 and up. The two key factors are comfortable earphones and age-appropriate shows. Think Baby Einstein, Little Einsteins or Dora for younger kids. Theme films with a sense of place like the Hunchback of Notre Dame for older children work well. Use a portable DVD player, laptop, or iPods. iTunes offers many popular kids TV shows and movies to buy and rent.

We’ve learned that it is essential to test earphones at home before you leave. For young children, you might want to try a Squishy Pillow or a travel pillow with speakers.

For long flights, pre-charge and bring back-up batteries. Also, even if the plane offers in-flight entertainment, be sure to have alternate activities. We have been on a few flights were the entertainment system was not operating.

A note for kids ages 6 and up. Really, flying at this age is so much easier and preparation is a breeze. While some of the tips above can apply, like making sure they are comfortable, older kids really just need a snack, well-charged electronics and a good book. I still throw in some art supplies, in case they are inclined to draw and a game to play together like cards or TextTwist (iPhone Application).

Involve your children in the process of packing — let them pick a few items to put in their backpacks or mini-wheeled bags.

Entertaining kids on a plane is a popular topic that has been covered extensively on the web. Feel free to comment with new ideas and/or a link to a post you’ve done on this subject and we’ll add a permanent link to your post in the article.