My current project is airplane activities for our upcoming trip to Utah.
I am hoping that I won't have to use them. You know, the boys will sleep the entire time, or they will just chill and relax (chillax as the cool kids say).
However, there is the SLIGHT possibility that they are going to demand to be entertained the entire time. Or until the last fifteen minutes of the flight when they decide it's time to sleep (no, not my kids).
In order to plan for the unlikely event they need to be entertained, I have been searching Pinterest, you know the go-to website for ideas of all kinds. I have found some gems, including a list of fifty ideas to keep your kid entertained on flights. However, I found this list was kind of ridiculous, as some of the ideas included some noisy, albeit entertaining ideas. The list also included toys with small parts that can easily roll off the tray-table-in-front-of-you. So I am coming up with my own list. It is still a work in progress, but here is a preview of what I am working on:
Personalized coloring pages. Here is the link for the tutorial.
How cute are these boys? Seriously cute.
I made one of the entire family, and it is definitely not as cute. Kids can make anything look cute, not so much with adults.
Also, the other thing I suggest, call the airline, or use the website if you can, and request kids meals. They still might not like the food, but there is a higher chance there will be something they like.
What has worked for you?
7 comments:
When we flew to Alaska I went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of new toys, surprisingly the 5 pack of tooth brushes is what kept him entertained the longest! Lol. Is there some kind of craft you could do to keep them busy, like a loom for making hats or something?
I've done a lot of preparations in the past couple years, and the one thing I learned through those travel experiences is that I need to start the trip by giving them nothing. If I pull out the big guns during the first 15 minutes of our flight, I'll be out of ideas within an hour. Instead, I don't get out any toys or anything and let them play with the airplane. They play with seatbelts, and they love reading the in-flight safety pamphlet. Then once they get bored, I pull out one of my prepared activities (or a toy). I start with the lamer ones. :)
We just did a flight home from China, and we didn't even pull out the iPod-- though that's our secret weapon once everything else has failed.
This article has some good ideas (and some lame ones) (but with 50 ideas, I think there's something for every kid of every age) http://www.parenting.com/gallery/50-ways-entertain-kids-plane
Also, I've pinned some stuff on pinterest, some of which might be fun on a flight: http://pinterest.com/chickenflag/mother-of-the-year/
I agree with the start with nothing....we do that for church too. I like sticker books or magnet books for flights. The DVD player is a must. I like to buy new movies that the kids haven't seen yet for road trips. How about 1 or 2 colors of playdough? You could make snakes, houses, simple things on the airplane table. Also, maybe get some "special treats" that you usually don't buy.
I bought a DS. That was good. Books: to read, to color, maze books, seek and finds. Let them pick out their very own "Airplane Treat" from the grocery store before the trip.... Hope that helps. Enjoy your trip!!
Great advice from a friend who flew to/from Dubai with four kids...every 30 minutes have some small item that is new, never seen before. A lolly, a card game, a mini puzzle, a coloring page
We're in the same boat as you.... cross the ocean multiple times in a lifetime, various ages of children. They (like yours) are absolute pros at this point. I've been the mom who packed their back packs FULL of things to entertain them. I've been the mom that let's them pack their own 'fun bag' for the plane (with a treasure or two snuck in by me). I've found that the mantra "Less is best" is definitely true for my guys. They really do not need all that I thought they did (a treasure an hour, a portable dvd player, umpteen million sticker books...etc, etc). What they really need is a big ziplock bag full of colored fuzzy pipe cleaners (weird but true. Keeps their fingers happily busy for hours. Lightweight & I don't care if we lose a few pieces along the way). Bottom line, I'm not packing their bags ~ they are. And in those bags will be fewer bells and whistles. Unless you count the two vintage 2nd generation ipods we just stripped down and 'repurposed' for the boys. What could be more lightweight? ;)
We're in the same boat as you.... cross the ocean multiple times in a lifetime, various ages of children. They (like yours) are absolute pros at this point. I've been the mom who packed their back packs FULL of things to entertain them. I've been the mom that let's them pack their own 'fun bag' for the plane (with a treasure or two snuck in by me). I've found that the mantra "Less is best" is definitely true for my guys. They really do not need all that I thought they did (a treasure an hour, a portable dvd player, umpteen million sticker books...etc, etc). What they really need is a big ziplock bag full of colored fuzzy pipe cleaners (weird but true. Keeps their fingers happily busy for hours. Lightweight & I don't care if we lose a few pieces along the way). Bottom line, I'm not packing their bags ~ they are. And in those bags will be fewer bells and whistles. Unless you count the two vintage 2nd generation ipods we just stripped down and 'repurposed' for the boys. What could be more lightweight? ;)
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