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Entertaining Small Kids on Planes

You have probably heard the old adage, “An idol mind is the devil’s playground.”  Well, that goes double for toddlers on airplanes.  A major effort of parents flying with small children should be keeping them focused on an activity and entertained at all times when they are awake.  This helps keep them out of trouble and helps avoid actions that disturb other passengers who are not tolerant of typical small child behavior.

Make a concerted effort to pack items that will provide entertainment and distraction for your child.  Here are some examples:

• Small toys

For children under 1 year old, toys that seem to work well are colorful and geometric toys that are familiar toys from home.  Having toys from home can help comfort them as well as provide a tool for play

When a child gets to be 1 year old and older, you will have to put more effort into toy selection for flights.  You should allow the child to bring a favorite toy from home so long as it is small and appropriate for play on a plane.  Beyond that one toy, go shopping to purchase some new toys.  Just pick out several new small toys that you think will be of interest to your child.  Do not make your child aware of these toys.  Just pack them in your carry-on for use during your flight. 

• Books

In general, children love colorful books.  Pack several small picture books that you can pull out and read to your child or allow your child to sit and look at independently.  Like with toys, do not pack books from home that your child has already read and seen before.  Go shopping for some new books.  New books will capture interest and retain it longer.

• Art Activities

These activities include crayons and blank paper, coloring books, markers, magnetic drawing pads, etc.  Depending on your child, you may find that these items are most effective for keeping your child occupied during waking hours on a flight.  They encourage use of imagination and creativity.  Such activities also give you a break from entertaining your child since they are independent activities.  As a parent, art activities also give you an opportunity to instill a sense of accomplishment when you compliment their work, which will positively enforce the activity and result in the child wanting to spend more time drawing or coloring.  As with books and toys, purchasing new art supplies or coloring books and surprising your child with them throughout the flight works best.

• Interactive Learning Toys

There are many interactive learning toys on the market today that work well for a child sitting on a plane.  These are toys such as the LeapPad Learning System.  If your child is old enough to enjoy such devices, consider them as an option but be careful about bringing items that take up too much space in your carry-on.

• Portable DVD Players 

Do not count on your children getting video entertainment from movies shown by your airline.  Yes, many flights do have movies available.  However, flights that have one movie rarely show a movie that is appropriate for children 4 years old or younger.  Long flights that have many movie channels available for personal selection may have 1 appropriate movie if any…and it may only be shown at certain times, which may not coincide with times when you get in a jam and could really use the relief of a video babysitter.  Small portable DVD players are becoming affordable for many families to own.  If you bring your own DVD player and children’s DVDs then you will have full control over content and timing of video entertainment for your child.  A nice alternative might be to play DVDs on your laptop if you are traveling on business and carrying a laptop that has a DVD drive.

As suggested above, purchase new toys, books, art supplies, coloring books, or other items.  Such items can become excellent rewards for good behavior and tools for redirecting behavior if your child gets bored during the trip.  They make much better rewards than sweets, which sometimes work to control behavior in the short term but work against you in the longer term since sugar can have a powerfully negative effect on child behavior.

Just be sure that you ration your entertainment resources throughout the journey.  If you pull everything out of your bag of tricks right after takeoff, you will have given up valuable tools for controlling behavior and keeping your child busy.  Instead, bring out new items gradually throughout the flight and even think about ways to use new toys, books, activities or games as rewards for good behavior.  You and everyone around you will be better off overall if you can maintain the momentum of spending your time and energy focusing on using positive tactics to achieve positive results.

Play Games

Take time to play some games with your child.  Interacting with your child in a fun way can provide them with the close parental attention that children sometimes desperately desire.  Every parent knows that if a child wants attention he or she is going to find a way to get it one way or another.  Help make it a positive experience by taking charge of meeting that need.  For babies, play peek-a-boo, tickle toes, bellybuttons, ribs.  Give high-5’s, provide sensory stimulation by lifting and lowering your baby in the air.  Play whatever little games get you cute smiles from your baby.  When a child gets older, play games like “I Spy With My Little Eye” or “I’m Thinking of Something…” to engage the imagination of your child.  Think about this strategy and the games you will play in advance so you will be prepared to kick a game into gear when you sense the need to redirect behavior in a positive way.

Borrow from Those Around You!

You may have hit the jackpot if there is another family seated next to you with small children around the same age as yours.  If you are so lucky then you will have the opportunity to make friends and leverage your newfound relationship to make everyone’s flight go smoother.  The opportunity to share toys and books with the other family is a big plus.  This can increase the amount of resources that you have at your disposal to keep your child occupied and behaving.  You also have the benefit of letting the children interact and play together.  As a bonus each family can provide the other with support by watching after all the children if a parent sleeps or must go to the bathroom.

Airline Provided Activity Kits

Some airlines have the foresight to offer small children activity kits on long flights.  These kits commonly contain art supplies and some small games or toys.  A flight attendant may provide you with an activity kit for your child shortly after flight.  If your airline provides such kits, you will have a few more activities for your child and you will have the comfort of knowing that you are using an airline that recognizes the extra challenges that you face as a parent with children on the plane.  You may later find that the flight attendants make an extra effort to help you out.  Their help could include kind little gestures like coming by and striking up a conversation with a 1 year old if he or she begins to get bored or cries.  Intuitive flight attendants can sometimes do a lot to help parents during those times when just a small amount of support can make a huge impact.

Take Walks

Larger plans offer lots of aisle space for toddlers to walk around and look at the plane and other passengers.  This is a popular sport for small kids on big planes.  It is common for them to want to walk around and look at everything.  If a child is behaving well and flirting with the other passengers as he or she walks with you in the aisles, you will likely see the child get many smiles and pats from other passengers.  If your child takes special interest in a passenger and starts to baby talk to the passenger or engages the other passenger in play, it is a good idea to ask the passenger if your child is a bother.  Not all people like to play with kids.  However, most seem to enjoy the few minutes of distraction that playing with a happy toddler can bring.

...back to On the Plane

Do you know anyone who just had a baby or who might benefit from tips about traveling by airplane with small children?  If so, help them prepare for their next family vacation by sharing the Flying Rugrats web site with them.  By doing so, you will be providing them with lots of family travel tips and advice that has been gathered from families who have faced the same challenges before them. 

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