There are a lot of different options for entertaining kids on a flight. My ideal entertainment is lightweight, small, mess-free, minimal parts, affordable, and will keep their interest. I have not found the perfect toy, but we have seen some good ones. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Some links are affiliate links, meaning I may get a commission at no cost to you. All the opinions are my own.
Arts and Drawing
We borrowed writing tablets, or doodle pads, for a trip once, and the kids loved them. They are lightweight, mess-free, and can be used over and over. The “pen” is attached to the board, which is one less thing they can lose! These are perfect for budding artists, a tic-tac-toe game, or on-the-fly Pictionary.
My mother-in-law got sticker-paint books for the kids when they were 2 and 4, and at first, I hated them because they were so dependent on parental involvement. When the kids hit 4 years old, they became one of our favorite travel go-to toys. The kids are still using them at 7. My youngest will spend hours in the car completing these, and the company releases seasonal ones frequently.
For colorful art, find a scratch-off kit. These come in variations for different ages and tastes. Highlights has one in a workbook form with hidden pictures underneath. This kind comes with pictures they can scratch off and coloring pages on the back to double the fun. This one has stencils. Many of them are themed, so pick what suits you. A word of caution: they do leave a bit of a mess.
These books have markers that only color on specific paper, which decreases the stress of coloring on things they shouldn’t! They are both themed with popular shows and movies. Imagine Ink books have a single marker with pictures and worksheets. These are great for the younger kids. Mess Free Coloring has a few different markers for different colors with pictures to color. ! Water Wow also fits this type of activity and is great because it can be reused.
Screens, Apps, and Games
We bought an Amazon Fire tablet specifically in preparation for a flight with the kids. It is durable and has enough space to download shows and games to keep the kids busy. I bought the ones with less storage space, 16 GB, and after a couple of years, we needed to upgrade to 32 GB.
My favorite App by far is Khan Academy Kids for kids up to 2nd grade. For older kids and adults, you can use Khan Academy. Not only is it completely free, but they have fantastic reviews as a teaching app, and the kids have fun with the lessons, coloring pages, stories, and more. That said, it is a learning app, and if they are tired and need to zone out, they will ask for TV. If they miss school for our trip, I insist they do a certain number of lessons on Khan every day, which they are pretty agreeable to.
My next favorite app is PBS, which has popular shows, including Wild Kratts, Danny Tiger, and Word Girl, among many more. They also have a games section that features favorite characters. The shows and games provide some education and are safe for all ages. My kids were really into Wild Kratts for a while, and I quickly learned to stop questioning their animal knowledge as they proved to be correct in their odd facts time and time again.
As my kids got older, they started to get into the Minecraft craze. This can be a great way to spend time on the plane if you decide to pay for the wifi.
Another top way of entertaining kids on a flight is TV. Like many parents, I try to minimize hours of TV, but when entertaining the kids on a flight, they get free rein. We use Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and Netflix for many show options. We always have a few favorites and some novel shows downloaded to keep them busy.
I’m looking for a great app to teach Spanish, has anyone found one?
Books
We love books, and there are options to fit any taste! I love bringing paperback books so they are lighter and take up less space. Once the kids started to be able to manage some chapter books, that was a game changer as I could pack in so much more reading material in the same space. We take full advantage of our local library. We always look for free libraries at our destination to find new books without having to pack any. I usually sneak in some non-fiction ones about the places we are visiting, but I’m not sure if that is more for them or me.
Toys
I like grabbing a few action figure-type characters from whichever show is their favorite. Recently, we have loved Paw Patrol, Transformers, Frozen, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but this could be anything. Dolls would also fit in this category—something to play scenes out with. I try to bring things without too many parts, but I’m not sure if that is the best for everyone. We were sitting in a kid play area at the Chicago O’Hare airport on a long layover once, and a family with two early elementary-aged kids came in with a HUGE bag of Hot Wheels. Those kids were kind enough to share, and everyone was happy for a long time. I was surprised the parents were ok with carrying those heavy toys all over the airport.
Snacks for the Plane and Airport
Bring snacks. ALL the SNACKS. There is nothing quite like a novel treat to waste time and please a kid than good snacks. When the kids were little, maybe under 4, I would buy a huge variety of snacks and pack them away in different areas to keep surprising them. This has backfired occasionally if TSA makes you take out all your food.
When the kids got older, I started filling a bag with a wide variety of snacks they got to keep in their bag. I mixed old favorites and novel treats. It included salty, sweet, sour, and savory treats. A few ideas include pretzels, goldfish, candy, fruit snacks, suckers, chips, pop tarts, veggie sticks, fruit, pringles, and so much more. I keep a few more healthy things and some total sugar fixes.
Other Essentials
Outside of entertainment, there are some things that you should pack to help things run smoothly. I like to have one low-pack outfit, such as a pair of PJs, in case of an accident. Whether or not your kids are still in diapers, a pack of wet wipes can help with sticky messes. I like to pack a low-volume, soft towel as it can come in handy a lot. You can use it as a towel, blanket to keep warm, picnic blanket, cover-up if someone needs to change clothes, or something to clean up a big mess. (Anyone familiar with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?). In the picture above, my kid was cuddling under a Nomadix Original towel from REI. A couple of other things that can be useful include a pen, a deck of cards, and a water bottle. Be sure to empty the water bottle before TSA and fill it up at the terminal for the flight.
In Conclusion
Thinking about entertaining kids on a long flight can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Pick a few things your kid likes, a few things your kid has yet to see but might like, and lots of snacks. Don’t bring too many options because you have to carry it all. If you travel enough, two things will happen. One, your kids will have a meltdown on a plane or in the airport. Two, your kids will get better at traveling, making the next big trip more enjoyable. You got this!
