We're flying across the country in a couple of weeks with our 3 and 4 year old girls. It will be their first time on an airplane which is exciting, but one of our legs will be 4 hours long! Any tips for activities to help keep them occupied on such a long flight? We will be bringing our portable DVD player (w/headphones) as well as crayons/coloring books. But was wondering if anyone had any other great ideas to share that may not be so obvious. (We'll have a 2-hour layover too and then another flight - ugh - yes, we're crazy!) TIA!
Re: XP: Activities on the plane?
I had a friend who just travels tons with her son help me prepare with my trip with Rachel. She told me, pack lightly and anything non-essential into the checked luggage. On the plane have maybe 1 or 2 small toys per child, 1 or 2 dvds per child, one book per kid, small dvd player, and one coloring thing (I got a paint with water book from Hobby Lobby) where the water was in a pen and the ink would erase after 15 minutes... it was great that thing entertained for hours) and some snacks. She was right about not needing a lot. I was surprised b/c she really only played with her paint book and watched her DVD.
Carry your one carry on in a back pack b/c you will be bending and moving a lot in the airport and often the airport is more challenging than the flight which I found to be very true. I'm grateful I wasn't lugging around stuff besides my purse and back pack b/c Rachel was so crazy in that airport. Most airports have a kids play area. Rachel loved it to let off steam!!!!
All stuff I bought for our trip on the plane. DS is 4.
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Also, sticky notes (post it's) you can draw roads on them and stick them on the tray and change them up, little matchbox cars to drive on it, books to read, coloring books, pipe cleaners, painters tape all can be used and easily removed. Gum for take off and landing! Any loveys they might want to snuggle. Hope this helps
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We don't have a pdvd player, but I have recently flown a similar distance with two and driven 19 straight hours with them. Stickers, coloring materials, small cheep craft. We made pipercleaner monkeys on the plane and had this sticker by shape thing where she filled in the colored stickers to make a butterfly. I also brought kiddie magazines (aka pottery barn kids catalogue etc that she just sat and looked at) and bought a couple of new thin cheep paperback books, like I spys. Also one new small toy captivated both mine for a good long time.
i don't do gum for take offs and landings, but gummy snacks. I try to avoid sugar most of the time, but hey, whatever works.
We travel a lot, including long international flights (solo with DD, no DH or other relatives), and I've never traveled with a DVD player. DD is pretty good at playing with her baby doll- feeding her, changing her diaper, trying to get her to nap, etc. and that alone usually takes up at least an hour of the flight.
Other activities that occupy her are:
- playing with play-doh (then I just throw it out when we get to the destination, I actually hate play-doh and DD never plays with it in the house, so this is a "cool only for planes" activity)
- a sketcher/doodler
- miniature play-sets like dollhouse furniture or those little Animal sets I forget the name of- Calico Critters, I think?
- Color Wonders markers & coloring books
- snacks, tons and tons of snacks
If all else fails, she likes to play with my camera or phone or make-up or anything else in my own carry-on that seems cool to her.
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