Tips and tricks for keeping kids entertained on 8 hour flight

[littleblackdress26]

Hi, first holiday with kids 7 and 4, feeling a bit apprehensive about being stuck in a small space with them particularly the 4 year old. What did you bring on the plane to keep them entertained?

Magazines with a free crappy gift.
A new book each.
Colouring books.
Don't let them do anything fun until you've taken off.

Who are you flying with? There’ll be films and kids tv to watch on a long haul flight. Pack some magazines you can pull out of your bag and some new pens and colouring books.

We are flying with virgin, its a morning flight so I'm thinking they might not sleep and I would have to pack every toy available.
I was thinking as an addition to your ideas maybe a small puzzle and play doh perhaps?

It goes much quicker than you’d imagine, once you factor in excitement of take off and landing, 2x meals, a film, toilet breaks, snacks etc. It will be easier than you think.

Get a pair of headphones the 4 year old will tolerate(and maybe the 7 year old too), and a universal adapter.
Unlimited screens.
Find the playground at the airport before you fly for a run around.

do they like arts/crafts?
I used to buy one of those magazines at the airport, take glue and small scissors with you - they keep them entertained for quite a while.
Wilko also do cheap 'holiday books' with puzzles/mazes/etc.
We used to take play doh too.
Stickers.
Snap cards.

do they like music?
my DS had his own ipod with his favorite songs.

Now he is a bit older things like rubik cube or other similar games.

8 hours isn't too awful, I would let them go for their lives with the inflight entertainment (having comfy headphones helps) and bring some snacks so you are not reliant on the trolly service schedule.

Absolutely NO to the play doh unless you want to incur the wrath of the flight crew. Far far too messy and it sticks to upholstery.

Crappy magazine each
Those tiny sweetie bags
Drink cartons bought inside airport after security
Top trumps
Poundland toys drip fed
Snacks
Colouring in

Hold some back for the return flight.

This little game can be effective when some quiet is needed, especially if there's not much to see out of the window: the winner is the child who keeps their eye mask and headphones on the longest, and without talking. That way they can't see or hear when the other person has had enough.

Unlimited screen time! My two would be in heaven and quiet as mice for longer than 8 hours if they had a screen in front of them and no limits!

Unlimited screen time and craft game should that are not too messy, e.g. drawing, connect the dots, brain games, crafts with sticking stuff (Djeco have some amazing craft activity games).

We have done Florida with DS at 3 and 5 and found the flight absolutely fine with iPad and headphones. I usually limit screen time so unlimited screen time on planes means DS is very happy! Have fun

We flew with kids 5&6, their first flight was 8 hours. We took 2 changes of clothes 'shrink wrapped' in resealable bags. Spare resealables in case of puking, wipes, snacks, magazine, and a few new tiny cars to unwrap and play with. Paper and pens to draw roads for the mini cars, and some poundshop earphones - big like the eighties ones, but with a clip over the ear. Best toy was small pad things, a bit like etch a sketch but with a 'pen' to write/draw with. Change the activity often, and before they want to so they always want to go back to it.

Please don't do the cheap plastic toys either. So wasteful.

Please don't do the cheap plastic toys either. So wasteful.

Really @DonkeyHohtay, I genuinely have never had a problem with play doh sticking to upholstery/carpet etc and would definitely take play doh.

We flew UK to New Zealand when ours were similar ages. Headphones for endless films & cartoons. Colouring books, stickers & drawing puzzles. Nothing small that can be dropped & lost.

And YYY to changes of clothes!

Favourite breadsticks/crackers. Chewy sweets for takeoff & landing. Buy baby wipes & juice cartons after security.

I would not recommend playdough, it'll get dropped on the floor and come up covered in all manner of crap from the airplane carpet :o

You can take small boxes of lego. I use my smaller tupperware boxes for that! Works a treat. New magazines, a tablet with games and tv loaded onto it (plus headphones!). Toy cars that the 4 year old can drive around on your arms would probably work a treat - double win here if it triggers your ASMR like it does mine! Colouring books with pencils but be prepared to have to colour too to keep them at it..

Best of luck!

Thank you these are brilliant I especially like the idea of that game with the headphones and eyemask lool.
I know it will be fine but it's better to be prepared because I know the four year old will want to move about alot and the play area I was banking on in the terminal is closed for the summer.
One question though I thought headphones were given out on the plane anyway?

Not headphones suitable for kids.

Get good headphones and let them loose with the entertainment system. Virgin is quite good and DD watched the same movie at least twice each leg.

I also got these Usbone sticker books and paper and pen. I don’t take anything small, noisy or sticky with me, too much fluff.

We also got audiobooks from the library and loaded them on an old phone, creating an iPod basically and DD loves to lie back with eyes closed and listen, she may even nod off for a bit.

In my opinion any long haul flight is a break from normal entertainment option.

We also took fruit and dry snacks with us, I find the food with virgin less good and it gives a break as well.

Fuss, not fluff!

Yes to food- pre order kids meal but it is always cheesy pasta and not all kids will eat it, even if they like pasta.

The headphones are usually hard to keep secure in/on little ears as they are designed for adults.

Personally, we avoid the kids meals, because the adults ones have a degree of choice in them. If tomato pasta comes in the kids meal, and you have a child that doesn't eat pasta, you are stuffed!