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Original poster

Tips for keeping a 3 year old entertained during a 3 hour flight

9 replies

Givemethestrength · 21/09/2022 15:12

We're due to go abroad in 2 weeks time and it'll be my daughters first time on a plane. Please give me your tips for making this flight bearable for us and everyone around us!

My DD is very active so sitting still for that amount of time is going to be a challenge as it is. We'll take a tablet and headphones of course which will be a novelty for her as she doesn't really get that at home.

Any advice you have will be very much appreciated

OP posts:

lemonyelderflower · 21/09/2022 15:34

Sticker book + snacks.

usborne.com/gb/first-sticker-book-airport-9781409587507

Deguster · 21/09/2022 15:37

Tiny wrapped up gifts - sweets, a little Duplo set, sticker book as PP said. The unwrapping kills precious minutes.

If all else fails, Piriton.

MintyGreenDreams · 21/09/2022 15:38

Tbh my then 3 yr old slept a lot of the way as the engine was like white noise to him.You might get lucky!

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gogohmm · 21/09/2022 15:43

Colouring book/puzzle book with colouring pencils, lots of parental attention. Mine flew long haul regularly from birth (pre smartphones) and it's fine but expect to play endless rounds of eyespy, paper games like boxes and take reading books. I used to fly with my 2 on my own, and actually it was a lot easier than many imagine but I always took my car seat on the plane from 2 (forward facing)

Lost0013 · 21/09/2022 15:45

What kind of things does your daughter like? My LO is around the same age and I was surprised how well they did on their first flight. We've got another flight coming up in a few weeks too. For us it was making sure we had plenty of snacks and things on the tablet. Peppa Pig World is a good app you can get some free games on it, we paid for the yearly subscription but was reasonable for what you get.
Also wrapped up a small new playset for them to open (things wrapped individually) and that kept them entertained for quite a while.
Sticker books, new magazine, mess free colouring (water books or crayola), any small toys they already have that you can hide away now for the flight. This time round I'm going to get a few Mashems eggs for LO as they are obsessed.
I've seen people do a little snack box as well that seems to be a good idea.

Abouttimemum · 21/09/2022 15:56

We’ve just done two separate summer holidays with our DS aged 3, both 3 hours away, and they were fine. You’ll be surprised at how quickly it goes.

By the time he got over the excitement of the plane and take off etc we were half an hour in, then he played with his tablet for an hour, then he ate snacks and we got him a hot chocolate from the drinks service, and we read books and went through the magazine we let him choose from the airport shop. Did the same all four times.

Then we were landing and it was done!

He was quite interested in the airplane loo so we did that a few times each way ha!

We gave him a lollipop for takes offs (although I’m usually not keen!) just for his ears but he was fine.

He had no interest in doing stickers or colouring or anything but then he’s not fussed about that at home really.

10 hour flight next year which is a whole other ball game arrrgghhh!!!

Abouttimemum · 21/09/2022 15:59

And I agree with pp about parental attention - DH and I took turns to sit next to him ha! Don’t expect to read a book…

Kinsters · 21/09/2022 16:08

We did 13 hours with our 18 month old (day time flight) and the same again when she was 2.5 but that was a night flight. As a pp says the time actually goes pretty quickly. I tried to plan one snack and one activity for each awake hour of the flight and that worked pretty well so for a three hour flight tablet, magazine from the airport and a pack of stickers would be enough. Keep the snacks intersting and different from each other e.g. a yogurt tube, apple slices and a bag of crisps or whatever she likes best.

Other tips: get a window seat for her, watch videos and talk about aeroplanes before the flight, don't expect her to be very interested in the tablet if it's not something she is interested in at home.

SquirrelCity · 21/09/2022 16:14

Play dough is good. Start talking to her now about what will happen at the airport and on the plane. Explain that when you're on the plane, everyone has to stay sat down. Just be matter of fact about it. Watch some videos on YouTube of walk throughs of airports, people on planes etc. snacking passes time.

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