Flying with children can turn even the most seasoned parent into a bundle of nerves. The thought of being trapped in a metal tube thousands of feet above ground with restless little ones is enough to make anyone consider driving cross-country instead. But long flights don’t have to be a nightmare when you come prepared with the right arsenal of activities and entertainment.
The key to surviving extended air travel with kids lies in planning ahead and having plenty of backup options. Here is a list of 18 proven ways to keep your children engaged, entertained, and relatively calm during those marathon flights.
Download Movies and Shows
Tablets loaded with your child’s favorite movies and TV episodes are absolute lifesavers on long flights. Most airlines offer limited entertainment options, and the content might not appeal to your particular kid’s tastes. Pre-downloading content ensures you’re not dependent on spotty in-flight Wi-Fi or the airline’s selection.
Consider downloading a mix of familiar favorites and some new content to keep things interesting throughout the journey.
Pack Coloring Books and Crayons
Simple coloring activities can occupy children for surprisingly long periods, especially when paired with fresh, new coloring books they haven’t seen before. Crayons work better than markers on planes since they won’t dry out or leak due to cabin pressure changes.
Choose books with their favorite characters or themes, and consider bringing a few different difficulty levels to match their attention span at various points during the flight.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Bring Sticker Books
Sticker books provide hours of quiet entertainment and come in countless themes, from dinosaurs to princesses. The act of peeling and placing stickers helps develop fine motor skills while keeping little hands busy.
Look for reusable sticker books where characters can be moved around different scenes, or activity books that combine stickers with puzzles and games for added variety.
Pack Small Snacks
Hunger can turn even the most well-behaved child into a cranky mess, so packing a variety of small snacks is essential. Choose items that take time to eat, like individual packets of crackers, dried fruit, or cereal. Avoid anything too messy or crunchy that might disturb other passengers.
New or special snacks can also serve as mini-rewards throughout the flight to maintain good behavior.
Create a Travel Activity Kit
Put together a special kit filled with small toys, puzzles, and activities that only come out during travel. This creates excitement and novelty around flying while giving you a guaranteed attention-grabber. Include items like mini puzzles, travel-sized games, small figurines, or craft supplies.
The key is keeping everything compact and ensuring pieces won’t easily get lost in the tight airplane space.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Use Educational Apps
Turn screen time into learning time with engaging educational apps that don’t feel like homework. Many apps combine fun gameplay with skill-building in areas like math, reading, or problem-solving. Download several different types so you can switch between them as your child’s interest wanes.
Games that don’t require internet connectivity work best since airplane WiFi can be unreliable.
Bring Audio Books
Audiobooks are fantastic for longer flights since they can hold a child’s attention for extended periods without requiring them to look at a screen constantly. Choose stories slightly above their reading level to keep them engaged, or pick familiar favorites they can follow along with easily.
Many libraries offer free audiobook downloads, making this a budget-friendly entertainment option.
Pack Playing Cards
A simple deck of cards opens up dozens of game possibilities and takes up virtually no space in your carry-on. Teach your child classic games like Go Fish or Crazy Eights, or let them build card houses on the tray table. Cards are also great for simple math games or memory exercises.
The tactile nature of shuffling and dealing keeps hands busy while exercising the mind.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Bring Magnetic Drawing Boards
These mess-free drawing tools are perfect for airplane travel since there are no pieces to lose or marks to make on airplane surfaces. Kids can draw, erase, and start over countless times without any cleanup required. Some versions come with stamps or stencils for added variety.
The magnetic stylus usually attaches to the board, reducing the risk of dropping important pieces.
Use Window Clings
Static window clings designed for car windows work perfectly on airplane windows and provide a unique way to customize their space. Let your child decorate their window with removable scenes, characters, or shapes. These clings can be repositioned multiple times and removed completely when it’s time to land.
They’re especially engaging during daytime flights when there’s plenty to see outside.
Pack Travel-Sized Puzzles
Small jigsaw puzzles with 20–100 pieces are ideal for airplane trays and can keep kids occupied for significant stretches. Choose puzzles with larger pieces that won’t easily fall through seat cracks or get lost. Consider bringing a few different difficulty levels so you can adjust based on your child’s mood and attention span.
Puzzle books with word searches or Sudoku work well for older kids.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Create Surprise Bags
Wrap small, inexpensive items in tissue paper or small bags to create mystery packages that can be opened at different points during the flight. This builds anticipation and gives you strategic tools to deploy when boredom strikes. Include items like small toys, stickers, snacks, or activity books.
The element of surprise often makes even simple items more exciting and engaging.
Use Pipe Cleaners
These fuzzy, bendable craft supplies are incredibly versatile and take up minimal space in your carry-on. Kids can twist them into shapes, animals, or jewelry while developing fine motor skills.
They’re quiet, mess-free, and virtually impossible to break. Bring a variety of colors and show your child how to make simple figures, then let their creativity take over.
Bring a Travel Journal
Encourage your child to document their journey with a special travel journal where they can write, draw, or paste mementos from the trip. This activity helps pass the time while creating lasting memories of their adventure.
Younger children can focus on drawing pictures, while older kids can write about their experiences or observations. Include some fun prompts or questions to get them started.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Pack Invisible Ink Books
These activity books reveal hidden pictures or messages when kids color over them with a special marker, creating an element of magic and surprise. The reveal process is engaging and the activities usually include puzzles, mazes, or coloring pages.
Since everything is self-contained in the book, there’s no risk of losing pieces or making a mess.
Use Finger Puppets
Small finger puppets take up almost no space but can provide hours of imaginative play and storytelling. Kids can create their own puppet shows on the tray table or airplane seat. This activity encourages creativity and can be surprisingly engaging for extended periods.
Consider bringing a few different characters so they can create more complex stories and interactions.
Bring Modeling Clay
Individual portions of modeling clay in small containers give kids a hands-on, creative outlet that’s contained and manageable. They can sculpt, roll, and reshape the clay repeatedly without making a mess. Choose clay that doesn’t dry out quickl,y and bring a small plastic place mat to define their work area.
This activity helps develop hand strength and creativity while keeping them quietly occupied.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Create a Photo Hunt
Make a list of things for your child to spot and photograph during the flight experience, from the airport to landing. Include items like ‘a person wearing red shoes,’ ‘an airplane wing,’ or ‘clouds that look like animals.’ This activity encourages observation skills and gives them a mission throughout the journey.
You can review and discuss their photos together, extending the entertainment value.
The Art of Strategic Timing
Managing long flights with children ultimately comes down to understanding that boredom is the enemy, but so is overstimulation. The activities that worked perfectly on your last trip might flop this time, which is why having multiple backup options is crucial.
Smart parents learn to read their child’s energy levels and rotate activities before restlessness sets in, not after a meltdown begins. Flying with kids may never be completely stress-free, but with proper preparation and realistic expectations, it can become just another part of the adventure rather than something to endure.
More from Travel Pug
- 20 Best Beach Towns in the Carolinas
- 13 Destinations Where Tourists Regularly Regret Their Trip
- 20 Things You Actually Get in First Class
- 20 Small Airports With Aviation Museums
- 20 Places in the U.S. That Are Perfect for a Reset Trip
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.