Travelling is love. Most people love to travel and fly to visit other states and different countries. Now imagine traveling with a toddler, that is when parental fear hits you. Keeping your kid entertained during the flights, be it a small journey or a very long, add a layover to it and it can be a big task for all parents.
No parents want their kids to be all cranky during the flight and that is their biggest concern. Well, worry not, there are few things that can distract your kid and you both can have a great experience flying together. The best thing is, things that work on tray tables also work well if there is a layover, or some time before we get on the plane. Let’s have a look at the list of best airplane activities for kids during their travel. Keep reading to find out more.
Things to look out for when choosing a travel activity
Can be used independently: Choosing a toy that can be worked independently will be best, otherwise, you will end up being exhausted if you constantly have to interact with the toy. A toy that would allow you to take some time for your inflight meal or can spare you time to fill out paperwork would be the best option.
Quiet: A quiet toy will not embarrass you and your kid because of the noise. This may include a headset for any tablet. The rest of the plane and your neighbors would love you and the kid, they may be trying to sleep and do not hear Peppa Pig on repeat!
Compact: Toys that can be easily folded are great when you have less space, especially with fewer cabin bags allowances!
Lightweight: Hats off! to parents who end up carrying not only their child but their toys too! But it’s a request to work smartly so the best is to pack lightweight toys. Go for light and multi-use toys like stacking cups as they can be used as a toy on the plane and during a layover as well.
Mess-free: Let us think about poor Cleaners who would have to spend a lot of time cleaning small bits from the seats and carpets. Kindly leave the Playdoh at home! Even your flight experience would be mess-free because of this and you would have a great time.
Do not rely on batteries or charging: Your kid wants to play and imagine you running out of batteries, power or the charging cable is not working. Therefore, have some toys which do not let you rely on batteries or cables.
Multi-use toys: Toys that can be used in multiple ways can save space and also luggage weight. For eg road play a tape that can be used anywhere, from a plane tray table to a hotel room carpet. This will also be one toy that can be used in many ways which will keep your kid entertained and also have choices as well.
Best Airplane Activities for Kids
1. Water Wow Books
Water wow books are amazing because you can use them multiple times and they are so much fun always. You can simply fill the little paintbrush with water, squeeze it, and paint the cardboard pages that may feel as if it has some magic in them. When your kid uses these brushes the water onto each of these pages, the pictures appear like a miracle. It seems to be too much fun
One thing to note is it can get a bit messy with the water as the cardboard is made of laminate, so it may not be able to absorb the water, rather it just sits on and your toddler may have to use a sleeve or cloth to wipe it away which they would love to do it. So, this is one of those activities that aren’t entirely independent, So you can have a collection of the tiny coaster napkins which the flight attendants hand out before you begin.
Also read – 15 Best Garden Activities For Kids
2. Wipe-Off Cards
Activity cards like travel doodles have always been a hit with all the kids. They can use them anywhere to play, be it in the car, at the pre-school quiet time, at home, and during your travels!
You can easily wipe it clean and use it again and again whenever your kid wants it. it is better to clean them off after your kid has finished using them, as cleaning them off later when you go to use them again can get much more tedious.
3. Window Gel Clings
The best thing about gel clings is there are a lot of options. Window gel clings are such a super easy thing to bring along, and they can be so much fun to play with. When it’s close to any holidays it is fun to use holiday ones, for obvious reasons.
You can also use these window gel clings to decorate the space, which can be good even if you are living in a rented house. One thing about gel clings is, that they don’t usually make the journey back once you open them if you end up using them outside of just the plane. Your kid may love to rip them apart, and, that does not feel wrong.
Gel clings that separate each item into different pieces is generally what one prefers, so they’re like a puzzle-putting piece together. If those aren’t available, you can also go for the ones you can incorporate into a game of some sort, naming colors or letters. In fact, the best thing they are quite busy with is that keeps them focused, fun, and satisfied. When you’re on a plane, going for gel clings is one of the best things.
4. Travel-Friendly Puzzles
Before going on a travel journey it is best to visit a puzzle fanatic or best toy store to find the puzzles for your flights with toddlers and preschoolers. While considering buying these do check and make sure that they are not too big and that they will fit on the tray table before your flight! You don’t want to end up buying the ones which do not fit right?
These travel-friendly puzzles are also best for before the flight if you have an hour or even during the layover. Advice is to go for cheap ones instead of expensive ones in case a piece goes missing you may not mind losing them out and picking up a new one.
Also read – 16 Best Clay Craft Ideas For Kids – Mild The Creativity of Kid
5. DoodlePro Trip
Getting along a DoodlePro Trip on your trips for your toddler would be the best decision. This amazing gadget seems to have the ability to cross the age criteria as well, so you can use it as many years as you want to easily. You can scribble on it and for many, it has been an aggression releaser, as the menu at a fine dining chart, as a blackboard at school, to practice your art and name-writing skills. Your kids can use it in a million ways, both individually and together.
One of the other ways this activity gets used quite a bit is during your stroll. To keep them occupied while sitting there is the best way to use it, that gives all people a chance to look around rather than to entertain.
6. Sticker Books
Sticker books are best to keep your kids entertained. They also make it to the list of one of the best toddler plane activities but you might have to help them get the stickers off the pages. The fun part is you can even let them stick it all over themselves, or you, or on a coloring book. There are tons of options online as well.
7. Wikki Stix
The more wikki stix, the better it is. If there are only a few, the little ones can build two-dimensional shapes, which kids would generally enjoy doing. And yes, once in a while those two-dimensional shapes will suddenly become three-dimensional and you will be seeing your kid be having a conversation with standing up stickman, playing with them.
Well, the other good thing about wikki stix, is they have a use as a second life. So, for the first few uses, they keep that waxy, moldable feel. They may get a little, sticky, disgusting once they are in those sweaty little hands for a longer duration. Those disgusting wikki stix are perfect, though, for idle hands. So when your kids are watching a movie or video, it’s easy to slip them into their hands, and done, that means those hands are actively engaged with something other than pinching, poking, or pulling another human.
8. Triangular Crayons and sticky notes
Triangular shape crayons will help you to keep an eye out so that they do not roll off the table when you are on a flight. You would wish to have these after you bonk your head several times trying to find the crayons that have rolled off the tray table and have an exhausting experience
Your kid can love using these crayons to practice his letters, on every single page of a post-it note and would also create a card game as you travel and trade them with you by creating different designs. They are also very much fun to stick all over everything as a way to entertain your kid on a plane.
Also read – 10 Benefits of Physical Activities For Kids And Fun Ways To Do It
9. Koosh Ball
Koosh ball is the perfect little ball to play an easy game of catch. It has so many plus points like it does not roll when it lands, so you do not have to chase it up or down a plane or to fetch it from under a seat. If it hits someone it doesn’t hurt so you do not have to worry about that. It is easy to catch, so there is no frustration. Now you see why it makes sense when you think about it.
Although, apart from this, koosh balls are great to make your kid feel relaxed and keep their idle hands busy. The snapping and stretching of the rubber bands never get old. Also, it feels so soothing as it glides up and down on your frustrated little arms and legs, tickling them into tiny giggles. A koosh isn’t just for the catch but also acts as a tiny bit of therapy too.
10. Imaginetics Magnet Board
The Imaginetics Magnet Boards are something unique. The board opens up and creates a scene with a bunch of characters and accessories that stick to the board! It shows mermaids, there are also other options like dinosaurs, pirates, ballet, construction sites, and lots of other choices for boys and girls.
They are cheap, almost less than $10 for airplane activities for kids that can be used by your kids again and again! You can check them out on Amazon too. This is the favorite airplane toy for many toddlers and you can even gift them to anyone that you know is going for a trip by flight
These come in two different sizes, the smaller one is more square, the larger one is more rectangular. Both are great, but the smaller one for a plane or car activity is what would serve best. These are also fun road trip activities for kids and preschoolers.
11. Kids Tablet
Technology is a must for all kids these days! You can pick up a tablet and load it up with movies that the kids are into, it could range around $100 or so. That would give you a break if there is not a seat-back TV.
In fact, you may have come across flights without TVs so it is always better to come prepared. You may also experience that the flights which have a screen may not be working so it is better to have a backup. It also has some longevity and you do not have to end up handing over your phone to keep your kid occupied all the time with it. You may end up being annoyed.
Also read – 18 Amazing Apps Every Modern Mom Should Try In 2021
12. Toddler Sized Headphones
Today we have headphones that fit toddlers thanks to the fast-moving world. There are headphones for toddlers, and also for the kids. They also come in wired and wireless options. These wireless ones are great because they may get broken as the kids seem to love to pull out all the wires. This doesn’t happen with the wireless option, and they also come with an optional cord to hook into the entertainment systems if you need it on the airplane. So it is a win-win to buy wireless headphones.
Conclusion
If your kid is happy, you are happy. Keeping them entertained with games is the best solution to have a great experience flying. Hope this list of the 12 best airplane activities for kids will help you to keep your kid entertained and occupied. Thank you for reading.
