Flight Calm: How to Keep a Child Busy on an Airplane
Flying with young children is a special topic. The issue is rarely takeoff and landing—which often pass to a chorus of crying toddlers—but rather the rest of the flight. How do you keep a child entertained, avoid giving your seatmates a nervous tic, and ensure that during and after the flight they smile at your little one just as warmly as they did at the beginning? Our subscribers shared their personal experiences on how to organize a calm, peaceful flight.
Tip 1: Foresee EverythingKnowing that you have a flight with a child ahead of you, try to foresee everything in advance. Take all the essentials on board, but keep it to a minimum: from child hygiene items to their favorite toy. Try to surprise them: a simple Kinder Surprise will bring delight, and the toy inside can hold the child’s attention for a good 20 minutes. Download cartoons and their favorite episodes, along with new educational games that can be played offline. Refresh your memory on finger play games beforehand. “The main thing is to prepare for the flight in advance and calculate your time!” advises subscriber Svetlana Andreeva.
Tip 2: An Inquisitive MindOn an airplane, there is always something to explore: seats, magazines, the porthole and the wing, flaps, beautiful clouds, and the cups brought by crew members. While all of this is familiar to you, for a child every flight is an entire new world! As soon as everything inside the cabin seems to be explored, look out the window. Enjoy the beautiful clouds and blue sky together; sunset and sunrise are especially magical moments.
Run out of prepared activities? Time to improvise. “If you can’t calm your child down, walk with them up and down the aisle—passengers will see you are doing everything possible and won’t get angry at you 🙂 We start walking around the cabin as soon as the seatbelt sign is switched off, look through the porthole, get acquainted with the flight attendants, watch them pour water into cups if they let us, look at and touch the pens in their galley, wave to the captain on camera, and so on. Flight attendants often join in on the game,” shares Tatyana Abramushkina, offering a time-tested method.
Tip 3: The Parents’ “Pandora’s Box”A teddy bear, a doll, a toy car, cartoons, a bag of small surprise trinkets. Nobody knows your child better than you do. Select toys based on your child’s interests. They will be thrilled with a whole pouch of engaging little items, while you and your neighbors will enjoy at least 30 minutes of peace.
Among the most common recommendations for playing with children on a plane, the leaders are: finger games, “Word Chain” / categories (naming cities, animals, clothing, etc.), storybooks, loom bands for weaving, coloring books, reusable educational flashcards, interactive toys with volume control or mute options, reusable stickers, colored pencils, tic-tac-toe grids and other pen-and-paper games, and stamp pens.
Children are always happy to listen to a new fairy tale read by mom or dad while looking at colorful pictures. Use your imagination, surprise them, and buy new toys for the trip.
Don’t forget about favorite plush friends. “Even if Pobeda Airlines introduces a new fee for transporting teddy bears, we’ll have to pay—we don’t fly without him,” jokes Tatyana Abramushkina.
These simple tips will help you keep up a great mood, save your nerves, and spare your neighbors’ composure.
Lifehacks for a Peaceful Flight:
- Prepare and plan everything in advance, factoring in the flight duration.
- Night flights can actually be convenient—children are more likely to fall asleep.
- Pack a few “forbidden treats” in your bag: sweets, extra cartoons, and tablet games.
- Leave behind toys with wheels, as well as round or oval items—anything that can roll away and end up under the feet of passengers 10 rows back within 30 seconds.
- Try to engage your child with new games and crafts: origami, mosaics, coloring books, and maze puzzles.
- Always stay involved in your child’s play, especially once you’ve managed to spark their interest!
Wishing you pleasant flights, calm takeoffs, and smooth landings!
