Flying with a child can be a great challenge for parents. Whatever your child’s age, you should bring several toys and have ideas ready for games to help you and your child pass the time during the flight. And what do children love best? Having fun together with their parents, of course!
How can I entertain my child on the plane?
The toys and games you choose depend on your child’s age and preferences. But don’t forget to keep in mind the duration and time of your flight. The best option is to fly overnight because you and your child can sleep for most of the flight. If that’s not an option, then prepare well for the journey. Flying can be a wonderful experience for your child. And while your airline will offer a children’s menu, make sure you don’t forget to take your kid’s favorite snacks.
Favorite toys
Traveling with an infant? Your company and some diapers will be enough. You can also take a rattle, or wear a necklace made of beads – your little one will be sure to treat it like a toy.
If your baby is already a few months old, you can take a ‘book’ made of cloth and other material. These kinds of toys feature lots of pockets, strings, and hidden surprises. There are new challenged to be discovered on every page.
Older children will be full of energy. How can we keep them in their seats? Take the right toys for their age, like:
- a game console or a tablet with animated films saved on it to watch (take headphones and a USB cable, many planes let you plug in)
- a beloved teddy bear
- a pad of paper and pencils for drawing – encourage your child to use their imagination and draw what the place you’re flying to might look like, the plane, the captain, etc. – have them create an artistic record of your trip
- a new toy your child hasn’t seen and will be curious to explore
- hand puppets that you can use to explain to your child what's going on in the plane
Fun and games
Children get bored quickly and you’ll almost certainly run out of toys. So, what to do now? Have some ideas for games to play that don't need toys.
- look for shapes of animals, buildings, monsters, etc. in the clouds
- word games, like saying a word beginning with the last letter of the word before it, words starting with a specific letter, words related to a topic, etc.
- use your imagination – what would you do in the clouds, on a desert island, if you were pirates, etc.
- rock, paper, scissors – a classic game that can go on for hours
- tell an endless story – everyone takes turns making up the next sentence to create a crazy tale