Your best tips please for keeping lively 4-year-old DS entertained during an eight-hour (day) flight ...

[honkytonkwoman]

The return journey will be at night, so I'm not too bothered about that, but I am wondering how to keep DS entertained for the outward trip (it'll be just him and me). He'll probably nap a bit, but otherwise we'll have to hand:

• some in-flight TV/movies
• my Nintendo DS with two or three games
• iPod loaded up with some of his stories and his favourite songs

Books are a bit bulky, unless I get a few new, really engrossing ones. Is it worth taking good old pen and paper for drawing?

I have visions of him clambering to the aisle for freedom after about half-an-hour ...

Grateful for any tips. TIA.

I find mine sit still fine for flights, even though they're lively. It probably helps that I restrict TV etc except on flights.

I would wear him out physically before the flight, run him around as much as possible.

Dunno re: pen and paper - for my DS1 it never would be worthwhile, but DS2 will draw for hours.

We always do end up going up and down the aisle a bit for entertainment, it's not the end of the world, as long as there isn't turbulence etc.

I let DS take a small trolley-type suitcase with stuff for him. We do books, activity/sticker books, pencils and paper - I print colouring sheets off internet rather than bring a colouring book as they are hard to spread out on the table. Maybe a new DS game that will hold his interest?

Portable DVD player with a couple of movies if the inflight entertainment isn't great - ime sometimes the plane one doesn't work.

We also used to take a few toy cars and action figures and DS would kneel on floor and play with toys on his seat.

Lots of snacks.

Not much to add to what has already being said, but... keep sugary food intake to an absolute minimum (no sweets during the flight is my thumb rule), the less sugar they have the less bouncing on the walls they will do

My then 4-year old watched the in-flight movies for the whole of our 7.5hour flight last summer - she did the same on the way back (overnight flight).