Plane activities for 3 year old

[DisneyDreaming2026]

We're travelling soon to Orlando with 3 children (9 hour flight).

I'm not worried about my girls age 8 and 6, but my 3year old boy is another story.

Any suggestions that I might not have thought of to keep him entertained on the flight?

Thank you x

When dd was around 4, for similar trip, I had favourite book, favourite bear, favourite small toy…in her bag. In my bag, I had a few tubs of snacks (a mix of sweet/savoury), a new book. I bought 6 small things (Lego mini set, sticker book, new car, etc) that I wrapped individually that she could open one an hour. I also had a travel game we’d used before, and she bought a new Peppe pig type magazine in the airport. And I had a small fluffy blanket to help make her cosy and comfortable for snoozing. I also had some episodes of her favourites from Netflix uploaded to an iPad and pair of big over ear headphones - the airplane entertainment systems are much better now for smallies.

All food must be eaten or dumped on board, before disembarking in the US (less of an issue on return). So a tub of raisins, one of apple chunks, little packs of crackers, chunks of cheese, strawberries etc were useful. There should be meals on board but smallies get peckish and could be fussy.

I also had a sports cap bottle to pour drinks into - to avoid spillages. Not sippy baby cup but toddler water bottle.

Breaking it into chunks of time definitely helped. Some activities occupied more than an hour, some only a few minutes. But by rationing, it meant I could say we’d wait a while more before opening something else from my bag (they could open their bag whenever they wanted - but I limited to 1 thing out at a time - so the cards, or the stickers, or the car….but put other things back before taking something else out).

What the other respondents wrote. He may well want to walk up and down the aircraft too.

Do not rely on the airline to fully provide in terms of food for all the children. Take sufficient quantities of what they all like to eat and leave any uneaten items on the aircraft.

Clixo has been our best travel toy. It will suit your 3,6 and 8 year olds. It’s magnetic and thin plastic so flexible and lightweight. Handy at airports and on planes and in hotel. Get the window sucker adapter parts and they can go crazy on any window also

buy decent kids headphones for plane. Over head is far more comfortable for young kids and better than airline freebies so they might sit longer watching the tv

hope he sleeps on plane a lot

iPad and headphones.

Mine spent a lot of time looking at clouds and dd1 spent a whole transatlantic flight hoping to spot the balloon she had lost - I’m not kidding! They were flight veterans due to living overseas before smart devices so colouring books, puzzles, small toys and favourite reading books. Grab any extra help you can get eg if someone offers to help you out by reading to little one see it as an opportunity. I used to fly solo with mine and always had offers of help, dd1 even visited the pilot during the flight back when it was allowed and both got to go in the cockpit during a scheduled refuel and passenger stop in Kansas City, that crew was so lovely, the first officer bought us dinner during the stop (we hadn’t realised there was zero catering on board)

Thank you everyone!!

I’ll pack a snack and a toy/activity for every hour and hope for the best!!

I have looked at Clixo they look really good, will definitely be ordering.

He doesn’t have an iPad/tablet at the moment but I might get him one for the journey. Any app recommendations?

He doesn’t have an iPad/tablet at the moment but I might get him one for the journey. Any app recommendations?

At the age I downloaded a ton of stuff on iPlayer from cbeebies and then some hey dugee and peppa game apps.

Mine doesn't have their own tablet, we just use one of ours as we both have iPads - i def wouldn't buy a 3 year old their own tablet!

My son loved a plain drawing pad and loads of stickers from the Pound shop with some of those twisting crayons. Was great for making his own pictures.
he also liked the activity books.

raid pound land / B&M / The Works type places for sticker books and colouring books etc. Some new story books too.
Check online as the airlines often list what's on their inflight entertainment but there should be plenty of kids films and cartoons. I'd either use your tablet or get him a set of headphones to watch the inflight stuff.
I would also encourage them all to have nap if you're flying during the daytime because it will be UK bedtime when you arrive but still a lot of the day to go in the US!

We went away in January and I took some activity packs and flashcards to use not only on the plane but whilst at the hotel too (so they don't just keep putting the TV on when back in the room!) They were number flashcards and some age specific ones by MMT Play. Found them really handy!

iPlayer things downloaded.
walking around the plane.
book with water colouring so no mess.
wipable writing practice book
making the older siblings chat to him
walking around the plane
i spy with colours not letter
audio books and headphones if you don’t like screens
hopefully a nice person sat behind you will wave at them or play peekaboo this saved me on a flight last year!

You can get a tin of small magnet tiles on Amazon - mine loves them and perfect for travel.

When I was a child (a bit older) and went to Florida, my parents wrapped small presents for me to open every 2 hours. Things like puzzles, colouring, which many I had something new to occupy me and then anticipation of the next thing.

Stickabouts reusable stickers occupied my DS for quite a long time. They aren’t “sticky”, they’re silicone and can be washed if they get grubby… they can be stuck onto the sticker book, or windows/ any smooth surface and taken off again.

We fly to Florida every year. By age 3 the only thing we brought were our own headphones and they were occupied the whole time with the in flight entertainment, and ate whatever was served on the flight.

Thank you. Some great suggestions.

I'll get him his own tablet (amazon one) as they are relatively cheap and I don't have a tablet myself that he can borrow.

Colouring books - we had those crayola magic markers mess free sheets which was good for not getting ink everywhere. Stickers. Downloaded a bunch of movies and TV shows on amazon prime to watch offline, lots of snacks. Download books on iPad too and a 2 or 3 thin paperback books.