Please please help me survive several long-haul flights with DS2 (age 3.5, receptive language delay)

[lingle]

We will have three daytime flights, the longest being seven hours. I'm actually scared of flying (claustrophobia), but not half so scared as I am of flying with DS2! He has normal intellect for his age but limited language/limited pretend play and when he screams, he screams.

Ideas so far:

1. I could really do with a very simple hand-held video game with a good battery life. He can follow instructions to "find" particular items or numbers by pressing the appropriate buttons. It would need to be useful even if it was hard to hear against the aeroplane noise. His favourite toys at home are one where you select from one of three objects, and one where you are rewarded for finding the right number on a clock.

1. I'm thinking of buying a portable DVD player as we're flying Continental which has rubbish entertainment. But I don't think he'd keep headphones on. Ideas for silent/slapstick type DVDs please? He likes Road Runner and Shaun the Sheep. Anything else like this that would work even if you can't hear it properly?

3.Can anyone recommend a DVD player with good battery life?

1. He's just learnt to draw a face - travel etch a sketch will be at the ready. Lots of paper and coloured pens.

1. he's not really used colouring pens or stickers - time to get the collection out - but am a bit scared he might not take to them in which case I've wasted precious space.

1. Dice (he likes numbers). Tiny jigsaws that come in a container the size of a pack of cards.

1. We can probably "act out" some of our daily routines like pretending to make pasta.

1. We can play with things like an ice cube from the drinks.

1. Something he could take turns at with big b brother (6, helpful) that won't annoy the other passengers too much?

So that's one hour disposed of. Please please can you let me have your top suggestions? It's got to be mainly visual (because of aeroplane noise and other passengers) and small. Things involving spatial reasoning/a video game would probably be perfect.

A variety of small toys/sweets wrapped up and handed over at hourly intervals,further if you can stretch it, will also help.
The novelty of new things is very appealing even during an unpleasant trip.

I'll try to think of a few other ideas.

wrap a few pound shop small toys/books up in several layers as rewards for behaving according to how you'd expect him to etc? say get one an hour our? or you could do a pass the parcel type game with little things between each layer, forfeits etc?

we've found nintendo DS to be invaluable with DD (who sounds quite like your DS2)on long-haul flights. Crayola magic colouring packs are very good too, as are copy colouring/dot-to-dot, altair design pads. card games from ELC like snap/charades also good and travel games like connect 4 and hangman- you don't say how old he is so it's hard to suggest appropriate games.

Small box sets of characters eg from WallE etc?

Mini sit-down treasure hunt you've prepapred eg. two points for spotting a cowboy hat, 3 for spotting a black suitcase, 2 for someone wearing a red jumper etc (this has kept ours amused for ages on planes) and have a bag of single sweets for prizes etc. i seriously wouldn't overdo the sweets though as he will get cranky and v. thirsty.

Small amount of playdough or something like a Mr potato head game?

We've always found DVD machines complicated on planes as you do need headphones to hear them. Would he listen to an MP3 player with stories or songs selected for him?

Where are you going?

Ooh, sorry, he's 3.5. Is a Nintendo DS age appropriate? (I am a complete luddite and have never seen one used ). Is it pretty visual?

Ooh yes, just a little bit of playdough - one tub. Will look up Mr Potato head.

Think treasure hunt is a bit beyond him although spotting red jumper, etc, can be done. He speaks more like a two-year old in "telegraph" style eg "Ooh, lady got red jumper, man got blue jumper!". That sort of thing.

He just took AGES to eat a lolly and a packet of raisins. Cue lollies and packets of raisins, methinks. Maybe save sweets until he wakes up from what I hope will be a long nap on board after the early start.

We're going to New Jersey (to pick up grandpa) then Florida. I'm annoying DH by not being excited enough - Florida will be lovely - it's just getting there. And back.

ooh, basic old fashioned simple spinning top for the food tray. he can learn to spin it.

lingle we've done florida several times changing in New york or philadelphia etc - hardest part for us each time is the queue at immigration which moves sooo slowly. mine are always happy waiting for the next flight as can run around etc. We first went when DD was 4 and she was fine with lots and lots of colouring etc (and she's a wriggler) but we didn't have a minute to ourselves on the flight!! Even then she loved her mp3 player with simple songs etc on it but I think a nintendo is more suited to 6/7 plus really.