Five ways to keep your children entertained during a flight

Your family holiday should be full of fun and relaxation, so you’ll no doubt want to keep your children entertained on the way there to avoid boredom and tantrums. Here, Rachel Hall, Managing Director at online educational games resource Busy Things, gives us her top five ways to keep the kids occupied on your flight.

Summer is finally here and you’re off on holiday! You’ve got days of fun-filled family time ahead of you, but you have to get through the flight first. All that time in one spot can be boring for excited children, so what can you do to keep them entertained? Below, I’ll be giving you my top five ways to keep your children occupied so you can have a stress-free flight.

Bring along a book

Entertain your kids the old-fashioned way by bringing along a good book. Ask them beforehand which one they’d like to pack so they’re more likely to read it. You could even make it a group activity by reading together. Or, as a more lightweight option, you could download eBooks and audiobooks to your phone or tablet. This will let you bring along a few different choices, without the extra weight. Plus, children will be more engaged by the silly voices and music that go along with the audio.

Activity books are also a great way to keep little ones entertained for a long time. Colouring books are perfect for budding artists, but puzzles are great for exercising the mind. If you bring along a selection, your child can be kept entertained for hours. You can even get these last minute at the airport if you forget.

Download games and activities

If you’ve brought along your phone or tablet, you can download some great child-friendly apps and games. Some of these are even educational, using colourful and quirky characters to teach them a wide variety of subjects. So, your children can continue learning even while they’re on their summer holidays — and they may not even realise it! You can get a whole selection of apps which are available for all ages, from early years through to teenage years, so you can keep the whole family entertained all throughout the flight.

Pack some snacks

Snacks are always a good idea when you’re travelling with children. And, if you’re on a long-haul flight, your kids can start to get a little bit hungry while they’re waiting for the in-flight meal. To make things a bit easier, bring along plenty of food for your children (and yourself) to snack on throughout the flight.

Just bear in mind the security restrictions regarding food. Sweets are generally fine, but other food and drinks are not normally allowed past airport security. Luckily, most airports usually have a wide selection of shops where you can buy all your snacks once you’ve gone through passport control.

Surprise them with a new toy

The best way to keep your kids entertained is with a toy, so let them bring along their favourite one in their hand luggage. You could even pack a travel board game that you can play together. These come with magnetic pieces to avoid them getting lost.

In your own bag, pack a brand-new toy that you can surprise them with during the flight. Playing with something new will keep them entertained and occupied a lot longer than their usual toys will, and you can reward them for their good behaviour while you’re travelling.

Download their favourite films

If all else fails, you can always download a few of their favourite films and TV shows for them to watch. Some flights offer free in-flight entertainment which usually has a variety of cartoons and child-friendly shows and movies available. Just in case there isn’t anything your child will enjoy, or for flights that don’t have this option, it’s best to download a couple yourself, though.

These five simple tips can help to keep your children entertained on your flight. The key to keeping them occupied is mixing things up, so remember to pack a couple of different options. Now all you need to do is enjoy your holiday!