You’ve got your dream vacation planned for this summer. It’s got everything- a lovely resort, the beach, a pool, lots of adventure and thrill, wonderful new places to see and explore and… uh oh! A long… long… flight to reach there. How do you keep your child entertained for those many hours? Instead of resorting to increased screentime, courtesy inflight entertainment or personal gadgets, or even gobbling up plenty of junk food to do some munching to kill time, we recommend some fun activities that will keep your child entertained and amp up the holiday mood!
What Will Your Child Enjoy On A Flight?
Long flights mean having to sit in one place, in one position, with limited things to touch, see, hold and feel. While we, the adults, too find it boring to spend the long hours on a flight, and ruin our special ‘airport looks’ by the time we reach our destinations, we understand that children find it much more difficult to rationalise the restrictions. While you’re secretly hoping they keep sleeping throughout the flight *wink* *wink*, we know you are thinking of ways to keep them happy and entertained throughout the journey. Here are great ways to keep them engaged.
- Imaginative Play: With a lack of much around them, let their imagination get going!
- Picture Books: Books that have plenty of visuals can keep a child engaged, even if they have not yet learnt to read.
- Sensory Activities: this may not just be limited to toys, but any object that they can touch and feel and make sense of, is something that will keep them mentally stimulated.
How To Choose Toys And Activities For The Airplane
When choosing toys for the airplane, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Highly Entertaining: You don’t want your child getting bored of it in no time. A toy or an activity book that can keep them engaged for a while is your ideal choice.
- Independent Gameplay: While sitting on designated seats on the plane, your child might not get a playmate to keep themselves engaged. Toys or games that don’t require a second player are what you’re looking for during long haul flights.
- Quiet, Please: Ditch the musical toys out of regard for other travellers who might appreciate quiet time. Choose toys that are not too noisy themselves nor require children to create any sounds. After all, you don’t want to keep saying “Shhhhhh..” to them every few minutes.
- Small and Light: When it comes to flights, what you can and cannot carry revolves around your luggage allowance. You will have only so much space in your carry-on to fit small, compact toys so that you can carry a few of them without occupying too much space.
- Clean Play: Think of toys and activities that will allow you to leave the place clean when you reach your destination. Clays, play sands and toys with many small pieces can make it difficult to ensure you have picked up all the pieces.
- Manually Operated: Toys that are battery operated pose the risk of the battery running out, after which your life on the rest of the journey will be difficult if you can’t change them right away.
Perfect Games And Activities For Long Flights
Now that you know what kind of toy will be most suitable for your little ones on flights start checking which of their favourites pass the bill. Here are a few of our recommendations:
1. Magnetic Alphabets
Toys that are fun to play with and have a bit of learning involved are great choices among parents. For instance, with Intelliskills Magnetic Spell & Learn, kids can enjoy creating words and spellings while you’re on your way to your dream holiday destination. Take this opportunity to improve your child’s vocabulary and ask them to spell new words. Use the holiday excitement to get your child engaged in this activity by asking them to spell as many holiday-related words as possible. Summer, pool, beach, hills, plane, fun, family… can be a few easy words they start with. Make sure they also learn to spell the name of the destination they are visiting by the time they get there!
2. Flashcards
Want to take a nap while your child is fully charged to continue the fun? Hand them a set of flashcards. These are great tools for children to memorise and learn something new. There are flashcards to teach your child about every topic, including the alphabet, numbers, animals, birds and more. Your child might love the Intelliskills Activity Flash Cards that have engaging activities to have kids practice alphabet, numbers and visual segregation skills. Moreover, these write-and-wipe flashcards are reusable, which means hours and hours of fun.
3. Adventure Books
Long flights are a great time to catch up on some reading. Bring a novel of your own and some adventure books or fairy take books for your child to read while they look forward to an adventure of their own on their holiday. Want some suggestions for amazing adventure books? Check these out.
4. A Notebook & Pencil
This is as simple as it gets. Let your child scribble, write, draw or even make papercraft on their long flight. Here’s one activity they might enjoy on their way back home after enjoying an exciting holiday- ask them to write a small paragraph about their holiday. They can narrate this in class when they go back to school and talk about their summer vacation. For older children, this can even be a letter-writing exercise where they can pen down something for a friend or cousin. If you are just getting back home after visiting the grandparents, imagine how happy they will be to receive an “I already miss you…” card or letter.
Psst: Why just shampoo and body lotion! Pick up the notepad and pencil too from your hotel room for this activity on your return flight.
5. Hand Puppets
Sitting alone on an airplane can be boring. Does your child miss having a pal to talk to? Let them create their own! Bring along a hand puppet. They are soft, light, not very bulky and can be easily carried on flight. Let them create a character and play imaginative games. Guide them to role-play, conduct mock interviews, say two-sided dialogues, enact small jokes and riddles and any other activity you can invent. These can keep your child entertained and serve as an opportunity for you to observe the theatric or dramatic streak in them.
6. Their Own ‘Bag’
Airports and flights can be a place where your child learns a lot through imitation. Travellers carrying their luggage is a sight intriguing for children. Let them carry a bag of their own, one that will keep them engaged even during the long flight. The Intelliskills My Colouring Bag has a set of 10 books that children will love on their flights. This is suitable for toddlers too if they have learnt how to use a crayon.
The fun knows no limits when your kid is in a good mood, right? We hope these activities help engage, excite and even educate your little ones while they enjoy their perfect family holiday.
Also Read:
Fun Indoor Activities for Kids
Nature-Inspired Activities for Children
Indoor Activities with Six Lines of Tape for Kids
