Traveling with Children: Keeping Kids Entertained on a Flight

It’s that time of year again, where we all jet off to warmer climes and enjoy our holidays or sun, sea, sand and of course, the sheer joy of flying with a child…

There’s no other wat to say it, flying with young children can be challenging at the best of times, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. We’ve come up with a number of ways to keep your kids entertained and ensure your flight runs as smoothly as possible. It’s been split into sections for what you should consider before travelling with children, and then how to keep kids on planes entertained.

Before Flying with Kids

You can make travelling with children easier for yourself before you even get on the plane. For example, we all know that a tired child is an irritable child, so if it’s at all possible, book your flights at a time when they would normally be up and awake. This is especially true if you’re travelling with a toddler.

It’s also a great idea with younger kids to turn the process of being in and airport and on a plane into a big adventure. Explain that there are certain rules to be followed in airports, that there will be lots of people there and of course, make sure they know they’re going to be on holiday once they arrive.

What to Pack When Flying with Children

This is a tricky one as all children are different but there are some fantastic pointers you should follow. Pack smarter, not heavier. While you certainly should pack some of your child’s favourite toys, it doesn’t need to be all of them. Ideally, you pack the ones that are likely to keep them entertained for longest. This could be a favourite book, a (small) board game, a colouring book or of course a game or film on a tablet.

One excellent idea we were told by one of our guests is that they buy a guidebook for the area of their holiday and make flying with children easier by deciding all the things they’re going to do when they get there.

Travelling with Toddlers

We know that travelling with toddlers presents its own series of challenges, but none of them are insurmountable. Firstly, when you’re booking your seats (or at least checking in) ask the airline if they have any bulkhead or emergency exit seats. These often have more room which can make the difference. Even if this is not available, once you’re on the flight, ask the attendant if there are any spare seats you can move to to give yourselves more room.

If your child is still in nappies then bring at least 33% more than you think you will need. Airport delays are a fact of life and travelling with a toddler can be very nerve wracking if you know you’re on a limited supply. Taking a change of clothes is always handy too…

Packing a thin, lightweight blanket in your carry-on luggage will take up little room but can be a great comfort if your child wants to sleep on the flight. This is especially useful on short-haul flights where they may not be provided.

Take-off and landing can be a stressful moment even for adults but for toddlers or babies who don’t know what’s happening it can be even more so. We recommend taking a bag of sweets for a toddler, or if it’s a young baby, trying to wait until these moments to feed them.

Travelling with Older Children

This is slightly easier as at least you can communicate with them and keep them entertained through conversation. The use of technology can also be your friend here. You can download a number of games, movies or eBooks to a tablet and be able to keep them entertained for hours. A long haul flight has the advantage of the inflight entertainment but kids can still get bored in the couple of hours it takes to get to Spain.

If you don’t have a tablet, consider making an activity folder for them beforehand. You can decide on the games and puzzles beforehand and help them create it from scratch. Include coloured pencils, stickers and blank paper.

Snacks and treats are important to carry on when travelling with kids on planes. Avoid anything excessively sugary so they don’t get hyperactive and give them plenty of water. This one applies to the adults too; planes have very low humidity which can easily lead to dehydration.

So that’s some of our top tips for flying with children. There are plenty of scare stories out there that will make you think it’s Armageddon (especially if it’s your first trip as a family) but it really doesn’t have to be. A little bit of forward planning is all it takes.

And remember one last thing; never be ashamed or embarrassed to take children on a plane. They have as much right to be there as everyone else… enjoy your holiday with BlueBay!