Specific advice please on flying with a 5, 3 and 1 yr old, ON MY OWN

[Elf]

OK so it's only going to be 2 hours but struth, any tips on what delights -toys, food etc, to unveil during the flight and anything else I may not have thought of. 5 yr old girl, 3 year old boy and 18 month old girl. I also keep feeling a bit freaked when I think of having the youngest on my lap for two hours! Thank you in advance.

Magic painting can be done in an aircraft with a wet finger if need be! Cheap books of it in Tesco.

Got a freebie fishing game with a tiny rod with a magnet on the end and flat plastic fish with metal noses from a magazine front. More difficult on a moving plane so kept them amused for ages.

There are also a lot of books (classics like "The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark" and "Katie Morag") which come in tiny editions so you can take a good selection at about £2 each. Great for bedtime when you get there too.

Jigsaws which can be done in the box.

Dot to dot, plain paper and crayons...

Finger puppets.

sticker books. Stickers.

paper and pencils for 5yo and 3yo. Craft project - make a card for whoever y're going to visit.

top trumps? Junior ones are good, just colour coded and easy numbers.

Get some cheap bits that don't matter if lost. NOT playmobil, polly pocket etc (too many tiny bits).

I am doing this later in the summer for a 7 hour flight, am slightly worried myself....but thinking ahead, I've thought of sticker books, kids mags, tube of playdough.
Things that don't go down so well are fiddly things that have lots of pieces as they always fall down between seats and hard to get to places. Pens that have 4 colours ( do you know the type?) have been a hit. Fuzzy felt was a hit too (despite all the little bits!)

We have a small portable DVD player with an extra power pack. It is a god send and has been all over the world with us. I alos always make sandwiches, very useful for those long flight delays or when they dont like the airline food

Hi Elf, I am sure stickers for 2 hours will be fine.
Who are you flying with?

Thanks everyone so far. I'm going into town this afternoon so I shall stock up. I thought I'd let them have a back pack each to carry stuff in too. Wotz, I am flying with BA. Will they be kind?!!

I've flown on my own with a two year old and a one year old.It's not easy! I agree about the sticker book, colouring books, other books. Also an etcha-sketch type thing. Also brought playdough, although my dh was convinced they wouldn't let me carry it on, possibly mistaking it for plastic explosives.

Games like I spy for the older two.

This may sound obvious, but do tell them - before you go - that they are not allowed to get out of their seats on a plane! I forgot to warn my two year old, and had to spend the first 30 mins persuading him that this was the rule! If they expect to sit still - apart from the obvious loo trips - life will be easier.

I've flown a couple of times with all three DSs on my own.

Make sure you get seats together and you sit in the middle one with your 5 year old and 3 year old on either side of you.

Make sure they have some toys that they can play with on the pull-down seats.

Don't be shy about asking other passengers for help - most people are great, really.

I don't mean pull-down seats, I mean pull-down tables on back of seats.

Obviously.

Thanks for the new tips. It is also nice just to hear from other people who have done it and survived.

I have flown with 1 infant + 1 child on my own but not 1 infant + 2 children, so good luck.

I can't remember all the details, but once it was a pain as they had a problem with where they had made me sit (I had not pre-requested seats)! For some reason, they put me next to another mum with an infant and then said I would have to move as there weren't enough infant drop down oxygen masks in that row! The steward wanted me to sit in a spare seat at the other end of the plane leaving my child where she was!

Luckily 2 passengers were willing to swap around with me. What a faff that was! But I did survive.

BA are good see BA Travelling with children info . Also get to the airport in plenty of time to check-in and allow for tighter security checks through passport control. See the British Airports Authority website for details on hand luggage items (liquids etc) at baa website

Enjoy yor trip.

I did this with a 5, 3 and 6 month old on my own once. TBH I found once I was on the plane much easier than trying to control them at the airport, carry bags etc. I sat the older 2 in the two seats next to a window and I sat over the aisle from them (the baby had his own seat but not for take off and landing - maybe thats why I found the airport hard - was also carrying his car seat!) They watched the video, fiddle with the food and slept a bit I think - don't really remember giving them much too do.

Thanks again people. Wotz, that is very useful, thanks.

There is a book called Amazing Aeroplanes which might be too young for your oldest child but which does includes the incredibly useful line "You have to do your seatbelt up before the plane can go". We read this A LOT before we fly anywhere.

I would do all you can before the flight to make sure you get 3 seats together. We have had some spectaularly useless allocations when travelling as 2 adults and 2 children. Also, BA have attempted to move me with an infant before - they want 5 oxygen masks above you, so that there is one spare if they are needed, and not all rows have the 5 masks. For some reason this cannot be checked until you get into the plane itself.

Plastic cups, ice cubes and swizzle sticks come on the drinks trolley and can all be very entertaining, free and lost without concern during a flight.