Entertaining Children on flights

When you are flying with small children and babies, there are some things that you need to bear in mind when you travel. 

Children are not small adults. I get very upset internally when I hear someone say "Oh, she is 13, going on 30" or similar age comparisons. It is possible to have a child who is quiet and stable, responsible, and yet, s/he is still a child. It is unfair to expect a child to be able to entertain themselves for the several hours that you will be spending at the airport/on the plane/in transit to your final destination. 

With babies, the task is even harder because you cannot explain the process to them at all. If you tell an infant/baby that they are going to have a big, fun, exciting adventure today, they are going to look at you, perhaps smile or coo, and then go back to what they do best, which is eating, urinating, defecating, crying, sleeping, and whatever else it is that babies do. 

Here are some tips to make sure that you and your baby and or child have a better trip when you travel. 

Bring small noise free toys when you travel. No one wants to hear a loud toy in the airport, in the airplane, or anywhere else that you go. Great baby toys are soft, stuffed toys that do not jingle, buzz, beep, click, etc. Baby books are a wonderful thing to bring, especially if they have a lot of illustrations of different brightly colored things. A friend of mine took sheets of photocopy paper and stuck stickers all over the front and the back of the papers until they were covered, and then laminated them front and back. The child (age 3) and his baby sister (9 months) would take the sheets out of her diaper bag and she would ask them to find things. (Where is the tall yellow flower? Where is the short pink flower? Can you find the letter A? Where is the blue train?" It worked like a charm, and she said that other passengers with children were jealous.

Large beads PRESTRUNG on yarn or rope that is already knotted at both ends can be anything from a bracelet, or necklace to a row of cars, trains, or cargo trailers. They can be drug across the meal tray, counted, colors and shapes can be identified, and lots more. Make sure that both ends are knotted securely, and that the beads are not too small for the child/ren that you are traveling with. 

Sticker books, coloring books, activity books, age appropriate are wonderful. So are little readers, comic books, and simple children's magazines. Keep them tucked into your travel bag until you are at the airport. Small children have small attention spans. 

MP3 players are very affordable now. An MP3 player can be a little storyteller on its' own. Tell stories by reading into a mic on the computer, and convert it to a format that is compatible with your player. You can also sing songs and put little messages into the player such as "I love you very much! I am glad we are having such fun on this trip."

Spend time with your children while you are traveling. Turn off the cell phone. Tell the children about the airport. "Over there, that is a place where people go to order a snack before they get on the plane." Point out things where you go. "This table is for mommies who have babies who use diapers. You pull it down, buckle the baby in, and then change the baby". Just because we know what something is does not mean that our little ones do. 

Explain the security process. It can be very overwhelming to adults, let alone wee ones. If they have a toy/blanket that they cherish, explain to them that the people in security need to look at it, and it keeps us safe on the plane. 

Make sure that your children are well fed, in comfortable clothes, and have shoes that fit. Bring extra diapers and formula for babies. Don't over snack a child as a form of entertainment. Bring an extra change of clothes and underclothes for toddlers, as sometimes they can get air sick on a plane. Make certain that everyone gets to the toilet before you leave the house, and, even though there is a bathroom on the plane, let them use the airport bathroom before you board the plane. 

With children old enough to understand, explain what they need to do if they get separated from you. A lanyard with your cell phone number on a feisty toddler can be a lifesaver. They can wear it under their shirt so that no one can see their contact information on it, but use it if it is needed. 

On a trip to Walt Disney World, my eldest niece was separated from me during the parade. She and I had reviewed what to do in the event that happened, and, although it was a little scary for her, she was able to do what we had talked about, and we were reunited in less than 30 minutes. On the contact lanyard, put a photo of you and other adults traveling in the group, as well as a photo of the child. On the ones that I made for my nieces, I put my cell phone number, my sisters' cell phone number, and their siblings' names. The staff at Disney told me that it was wonderful to be able to tell my niece that her aunt was on the way, along with her sister. 

Make sure that you charge your cell phone. If a child DOES get lost, it would be awful if you could not take the call because your battery has run out of juice. 

Explain the boarding and takeoff process to children that are old enough to understand. Explain how the plane will feel when the plane lifts off, how it will "bump the ground" when it lands, and what turbulence is. There are a number of videos on YouTube to watch. I strongly recommend this, especially for anxious children. 

Tell a child who is safe to go to in an emergency. Point out the people in the airport that are safe to go to, My sister used to always tell her children that if they were separated from her, find a mom with children, or a police lady or man. 

Listen to your child. If they are scared of something, listen to them carefully, and address their fears. 

Have fun. Traveling with young ones can be exasperating, but, with proper planning, it can be a lot of fun.