Flying with Pre-schoolers & Older Kids
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Activites for long airplane trip - 5 & 7 years
Feb 2007
My children will be 7 and 5 (boy and girl) when we fly to Denmark this summer. This is the first big plane trip and I'm wondering about in service movies,dvd players and the like. Do we bring our own, good games that you could recommend etc. We'll be traveling about oh about 20 hours total. We're traveling on Delta. many thanks yeah, vacation!
I've only flown with our infant but she's been on 19 airplanes and so I've witnessed a lot of kids on flights and I can say the ones that seem to do the best are the ones that are allowed to run through the airport before they board the flight, that 2 hour wait at the terminal. Let them run and climb and go up and down the staris and escalators wear themselves out before getting on the plane. Also, if it's night time or going to be night time at some point, dress them in their PJs so they are comfy and can more easily fall asleep. Airlines usually give out coloring books and crayons but you can call them before hand to ask if they have children video games at each seat, they all usually do and have kids network TV, etc. Don't be afraid to let them walk up and down the aisle with you as you don't want them to sit for long periods without stretching. And bring food they like as they might hate the airlilne food or it might be too much sugar and get them all wound up. Remember to have fun and let them experience this and on't worry too much about the other passengers. Of course, don't let them kick the seat a lot and the person in front of you will be forever grateful. Heidi
I really suggest things that are brand new and never been seen before. DVDs are great, of course, but our favorite plane activity are the crayola color wonder markers and fingerpaints. They look clear, and only color on special paper, so there's sort of a magic element to them. Plus, they *can't* write on other surfaces, so you don't have to worry about a mess. The special paper can be pre-printed with pictures for the little one, and just blank for the older one. Jennifer
We always had ''airplane gifts'' for each girl to open, every hour. Gifts were wrapped, and selected for the child's age and interests. MadLibs were always favorites; comic books; and those magnetic drawing boxes where you turn knobs to make pictures appear on the screen. Happy travels. travelling mom
Bring your dvd player with movies since the airline may not feature appropriate movies for 7 and 5 yr olds, although you will be battery power-challenged on a flight that long. Nintendo Gameboy has games for both ages also. The big sticker books that Costco sells are helpful (usually Disney themes). Also, Kumon sells activity books (as well as other brands) with mazes, coloring, cutting/pasting puzzles, ect. They are catagorized by age and can be found at Barnes and Noble or Lakeshore Learning. BrainQuest! Polly Pockets for your girl and Rescue Heroes Micros for your son-- little toys they can play with that are easy and don't take up too much room in your carryons. Test Bendryl and other antihistamines that you can give them to help them sleep also!! if possible take them somewhere they can run around before the flight. LogicalMama
Airplane activities are key to surviving the long ordeal. We bring a portable DVD player with an extra battery, plus I shop at:
Target - the dollar bin
Snippety Crickets - the haircut place on Solano in Berkeley has some small things
Games of Berkeley - on Shattuck in Berkeley has some travel size treats
Michael's Crafts - for small, simple crafts projects I always hide half the stuff in my luggage for the ride home.
Books are good, too - but I've had more success with little toys and trinkets. Even simple things like paper clips, rubber bands, pipe cleaners, etc. can be fun. Safe travels!
I have travelled with my 6.5 and 4.5 year old daughters on long plane rides, and have the following advice:
1)There are lots of resources (printables) online. Google ''free printables'' and you will have a number of different activities that include coloring pages, bingo games, dot to dot etc. Some of the games are ones that you will probably have to engage in as well.
2) Etch A Sketch, magnetic games/dolls/scenes or COLORFORMS, cards games
3) pens & pencils, paper, glue, origami (they won't let you bring even the dullest scissors on the plane, unfortunately)
3) I highly recommend Taro Gomi's ''Scribbles'' and ''Doodles.'' They are non-traditional coloring books. On each page, there are instructions as well as the start of a drawing for your child to complete (e.g. ''Draw a picnic lunch'' with an open picnic basket.
4) Mad Libs---another thing that you will have do with them, but it can be quite amusing & fun
5) BOOKS!
6) paper dolls, with minimal pieces
7)KLUTZ projects, eg. potholders (your 7 y.o.), shrinky dinks that they can do on the plane & shrink when they get to their destination Hope this is helpful!
How about play dough? My kids are younger, but they can play quietly with it for about 2 hours & I personally can play with it for just as long. And it's inexpensive (less than $2 for 4 cans at Target!). I've brought it on the plane from NYC & it was perfect--not too messy & quietly stimulating. Bring new play dough, though, b/c it dries up on the plane if it's already a little old. Jetsetter with Kids
Don't forget to bring your own headphones for the in flight movies. They charge $5 for them. anon
We just came back from China with our 16 mo. Well, it would be very different when yours are much older. But as I saw on the flights, older kids usually can entertain themselves pretty well with activities like drawing; reading; runing around & chatting to people. There was an 8-year-old girl came to our seat playing with our son many times. Wish you have a good trip & good vacation. Good Luck
in response to whoever suggested playdoh as an airplane activity, I thought the same thing but had mine confiscated by security--they said it counted as a gel. I made it through oakland airport fine, but was stopped in the boston airport on my return flight--I guess it depends on the thoroughness of the airport personnel. no more playdoh
Can’t address most of your questions, but for the plane, get your kid acclimated to using headphones in advance. Consider a bit of TV/ipad time before the trip as training. As crazy as it sounds, kids who never watch TV don’t necessarily find it interesting for more than a few minutes on a plane. As for what to watch—whatever child-appropriate thing they want on the in-flight entertainment system.
I’d also recommend bringing lots of exciting snacks that can double as an activity (cheerios, goldfish, blueberries—things they eat one at a time) and some new or unfamiliar toys that match your child’s interests. We’ve had success with duplo sets (we have a special plane-only set that’s different from what we have at home) and puzzles. We also got a little Djeco “paper doll” (really a flat wooden kitty doll with different outfits) that surprisingly held our 2.5 year old’s attention for the better part of two trans-Atlantic flights. Good luck!
Hi, I have done many trips with my kids from SF to Europe. Generally, I recommend an evening flight, so that your child can sleep a few hours overnight, arrive in the afternoon in Europe, be active for a few hours and then go to bed late and get a good night's sleep. If your flight time is set, I would recommend booking the hotel already for the night before so that you can check in when you arrive, have a shower, maybe have a nap, or just simply to have a place to go to and relax.
I recommend melatonin for you and your kid (talk to your pediatrician about it, basically don't use gummies, I use chewable tablets from Walgreens, kids are 1mg I think, adults 3mg). I do a full tablet before bedtime for 2-3 days and then a half for some days, and then stop taking it. Sound machine and dark curtains are a good idea (hotel should have dark curtains). With the time change, it's hard to get up in the morning (cause you get up in the middle of the night). Expect to be groggy and your kid to be cranky in the am, they/you will feel better around 3-4pm.
For a simple gift, bring Ghirardellis chocolate.
Remember, this too shall pass! All the best for your trip and hopefully you'll make some great memories!
This isn't in answer to any of your specific questions, but just wanted to be sure you are aware that as a single parent taking your child, there's a (probably small) possibility you could get questioned about the child's other parent. https://www.usa.gov/travel-documents-children
Depending on your specific situation, you might want to figure out what you need.
Wow, this sounds like a formidable task! My advice: You get in to Amsterdam at 9am and what will you do with your child and luggage until you can check in? You and your child may not have gotten much sleep on the plane. I guarantee your child will have an easier time adapting to the time change than you will. But it's not going to be fun for either of you if you have to hang around in a cafe until check-in time. I really, really recommend paying for an extra night at a hotel so you can go straight to your room on Friday morning. If you can't do that at the place you've already booked for Saturday and Sunday, then go online and look for an airport hotel. Tripadvisor lets you search for hotels in proximity of the airport. Regarding a babysitter. A lot of hotels keep listings of local sitters so ask at your hotel first. If that doesn't work, ask the people you are meeting with about childcare referral agencies in the area. Gift: A box of See's candy or Jelly Bellies or similar purchased at SFO.