Flying on the plane with my boys, ages 3 and 7 has gotten easier over the years but I’m still anxious with my 3 year old. It’s hard to keep him entertained for long periods of time and Lord knows he can’t be bothered to sit still on a cramped flight. On this trip he did amazingly well – even with connecting flights. I’m talking about no fighting, no screaming, no crying, no kicking the seats, and no repeating myself three and four times. I was so proud of him and his older brother, I couldn’t help but beam at their exceptional behavior.
So what made the trip so peaceful and manageable? I believe it was a combination of a few things which included ample snacks, individual dvd players (a movie can eat up at least 30 -65 minutes of devoted attention span), and the following toys and activities:
- A fully charged and accessorized Nintendo DS for the 7 y.o.
- The iPad complete with lots of children’s apps including this new one from Ruckus Media Group, Spot the Dot – a fun, entertaining and challenging application that teaches shapes and color recognition. It is wonderfully interactive and the last level was even a small challenge for mommy in finding the designated shape. My 7 year old really enjoyed this app (as he got everything correct) and turned it into a timed-challenge between he and I, to see who could spot the shapes the fastest. My 3 year old is still warming up to it – he’s still in love with A Present for Milo.
- A few action figures (primarily Captain America – the new “it” toy) and cars.
- My home-made Gluten Free Putty (i.e. play doh) for the 3 y.o. I’ll post a video of how to make your own putty, hopefully this week.
- A prickly rubber toy (I have no idea what the formal name for this would be, my 3 y.o. loves it and it makes a great tactile toy for kids on the autism spectrum). Check him out with it here – he was humming, it made him so relaxed:
- A good old fashioned coloring book with crayons.
What are some toys and activities that have worked well for your kids when you fly with them?
* Photo courtesy of Ruckus Media Group
hi tawanna saw your web site with my handsome grandsons looking so peaceful and quiet traveling on that plane ride with u . u r better than your mom cause i just could not do it im so proud of u. keep up the good work.
Great stuff you got for your kids. That will surely keep them busy during the flight, and possibly avoid any tantrum attacks. Haha. I just read this post from Aug 2011, but still a great read and your tips are useful. Whenever I’m with my daughter on a flight, I usually give her my tablet and let her play all the cool kid apps she can play. She loves playing Water break and ant crusher.
This is great! Thank you so much.
You are so welcome Rani! Have a wonderful trip and hopefully my tips and strategies will help you along the way!