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With half of our family located in Scotland and the other half in South Africa, my two children have been flying long distance since they were a few months old. The first time we set out for the airport with a small baby in tow, I was wracked with nerves: What if she kept the entire plane awake for hours with her screaming? In the end, I needn’t have worried. The drone of the engine had her snoozing in her sky cot for the majority of the flight.
Fast forward a year or two and I discovered that flying with an active toddler is a whole different ball game. With some careful packing, though, it’s possible to minimise the stress for everyone involved. First on your list should be travel-friendly toys. Look for ideas that are mess- and noise-free, take up minimal space and don’t involve too many parts. Because carry-on space is precious you’ll only be able to bring a handful of options, so making sure each one is as engaging as possible is also key. Here are our tried-and-tested top picks for all ages from babies to pre-teens.
Sticker books
It’s a universal truth that kids love sticker books. They’re great for in-flight entertainment since they’re lightweight, easy to pack and can be used on little laps even when tray tables have to be stowed away. For younger children we love reusable sticker books like the Make-a-Face series from Melissa & Doug. Available in pet, farmyard and safari versions, they provide hours of educational fun as your little ones add facial features to their favourite animals. And for parents and airline staff, the fact that there’s no sticky residue to contend with is a major bonus.
Travelling with older children and don’t necessarily want them passing their flight time with four back-to-back movies? Creative pre-teens will love the challenge of Imagimetrics, a sticker-by-numbers concept that results in some truly beautiful multi-dimensional works of art.
Activity books
From as young as two or three, children can be kept entertained for hours by a good activity book. Wipe-clean versions like the Zoo Activities book from Usborne are the best, since they can be used over and over again on your outward and return journeys. Activities range from spot-the-difference and maze games to join-the-dots and line tracing. All of them encourage focus and help to develop pen control. If you’re lucky, your child might be able to do some of them independently, giving you the chance to eat that in-flight meal in peace.
If giving your child a marker pen in an enclosed space sounds like a recipe for disaster, don’t worry – there are 100 per cent mess-free options as well. Like the iconic Where’s Wally books but better, these personalised Where Are You? books from Wonderbly enthral children with the novelty of finding themselves on each page.
Why we recommend: My daughter’s Where Are You? book is one of my tried-and-tested go-tos for long journeys. Even though she’s had it for several years and knows where to find herself, there are hundreds of other interesting things to look for on each brightly coloured page.
Drawing boards
If your child loves to draw, tap into that passion for an easy way to keep them engaged at any stage of the flight. Obviously their standard pencil case and paper setup isn’t going to work in the tight confines of a plane seat, though (I’m imagining uncapped felt tips rolling unchecked along the aisles and reams of paper flooding over onto the neighbour’s tray table). Travel-friendly alternatives include digital drawing boards like this one from TEKFUN, which lets little hands draw precise, multi-coloured lines with an LCD screen and stylus. For toddlers, we also love the travel-sized Aquadoodle with its easy-to-grasp water pen and scribble-friendly pad.
Why we recommend: Our Aquadoodle kept our daughter occupied for several hours on a flight from South Africa to the UK, and was easy to refill with tap water from the plane bathroom.
Organiser toys
My 18-month-old son isn’t interested in books and couldn’t care less about screen time. But he absolutely adores packing and unpacking everything around him; which makes trying to leave for the airport difficult, and any kind of organiser toy a veritable lifesaver. These stacking cups from Adalex are a particular favourite. I’m not sure if it’s the bright colours, the fun marine life shapes or the fact that they can be nested, stacked or clicked together to form a chain – but they provide a level of entertainment that seems completely disproportionate to their compact simplicity.
Shape sorters are another surefire hit with dextrous babies and toddlers. This cat-shaped one from Playskool is cute, collapsible (and therefore eminently packable), with shapes that come apart and click together again to help with matching and fine motor skills.
Why we recommend: The stacking cups were my son’s favourite time-waster on a recent trip to Greece, whether on the plane, in the terminal while waiting for a connection, or at any of the many restaurants we visited while we were there.
Busy boards
If the goal is to get maximum entertainment from just one toy, then busy boards are a miraculous invention for children from a few months to a few years old. The ARVRI Sensory Busy Board offers 15 different activities in a book-style carrying case that’s just a tiny bit larger than an A4 sheet of paper. These range from a wipeable doodle board with four coloured marker pens to a page of buckles, buttons, zips and laces that inquisitive little fingers just can’t resist. Alternatively, if your baby is obsessed with the TV remote at home, this travel-sized Montessori busy board from SUNACE is the ideal switch-and-button-packed substitute.
Why we recommend: I've packed our busy board on a couple of flights with my two-year-old, including the long journey to Australia. It's a great one to store right next to a tablet and any books in your luggage. To make it even more engaging I've hidden little snacks and toys in the board too. Lauren Burvill
Fidget toys
The clue is in the name: Fidget toys are a win for restless children who just can’t sit still for extended periods of time. Deploy them at the right moment, and you might be able to save yourself a few late-night circuits of the darkened cabin. Push-pop toys are an obvious contender in this category. We love this frog-shaped option from Zayin, which upgrades the traditional push-pop experience by adding lights and (mutable) music to create four different playing modes. Competitive kids will be kept captivated by their attempt to achieve a new high score.
For babies and toddlers, Jumble Dream’s Sensory Activity Cube is a clever alternative. Made from smooth wood and fitted with a whole range of gadgets designed to boost cognitive development, it includes everything from a fidget spinner to an integrated lock and key set. Reviewers report that it can be really helpful for children with autism and ADHD as well.
Why we recommend: My son loved these, especially when he was around 18 months old. I usually find that the flight is never as bad as you think it's going to be, but the journey from the airport is often an unexpected tricky part. When everyone is tired, and it's just that last little bit of time until you get to your destination. For those moments, I recommend saving a fidget spinner in your bag and pulling it out, just to give your little one something fresh and relaxing to play with. Lauren Burvill
Teething toys
Teething babies can be challenging at the best of times, let alone in an enclosed space several thousand feet above the ground. A good teething toy can give them (and you) some much-needed relief. In addition, encouraging your infant to chew or suck on a teether during takeoff and landing can help their little ears cope better with the change in cabin pressure. You could keep it simple with Nuby’s IcyBite Keys, which are colourful, easy for tiny hands to hold and filled with a gel that can be cooled in the fridge when you reach your destination. Or you could opt for a plush toy like this crocodile clip-on from MEERO LONDON, which serves as a teether, a fidget toy and a snuggly comforter for when your little one is feeling sleepy.
Why we recommend: The first time we flew with my daughter, I wasn’t allowed to breastfeed on takeoff. When she started to cry, her IcyBite Keys helped distract her and also probably assisted with clearing the pressure in her ears.
Traditional games
Sometimes the old methods are the best. If your children are big enough for board games, consider investing in a few travel-sized versions to keep them occupied through your next flight. For younger kids aged roughly 3 to 6, we love Little Bug Bingo from Orchard Toys. It’s ideally sized for playing on a tray table and features colourful, sturdy cards adorned with adorable garden beasties. Bingo is also a more compact option than Pairs or any other game that requires space to spread out. Our top tip? Bring along a Ziploc bag for keeping errant picture cards and counters contained.
For older children, teenagers and even adults, chess offers hours of in-flight fun. This compact travel set from Peradix is beautifully made, with a foldable board and magnetic pieces that won’t slide off if you hit a patch of turbulence.
Arts and crafts
When we’re at home, my default way to entertain my daughter is to tap into her creative side with a craft project. For years I didn’t think there was a way to translate this to air travel, given the amazing amount of mess these artistic endeavours usually generate. But then she was given a mosaic picture kit from Baker Ross for her fifth birthday: game changer! The kits come with sheets of adhesive foam tiles that children can peel and stick to colour-coded squares on the corresponding base image. Other ideas for mess-free, peel-and-stick fun include this stained glass kit from Melissa & Doug (especially great if you manage to score a window seat).
Why we recommend: We haven’t had a chance to test my daughter’s mosaic kit on an aeroplane yet, but I can vouch for it keeping her entertained for hours at a time on a camper van adventure around the Inner Hebrides.
Tech
Let’s be honest: There are times when we win at keeping our kids entertained without resorting to a screen, and there are definitely times we don’t. And trust me, the middle of a long-haul flight is not the place to be stuck without access to your last resort. The Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet Kids Pro Edition comes with a robust kid-proof case, extended battery life and the ability to pre-load all of their favourite games, books, series and movies. For bookworm school-age kids and older you could also keep things simple with a Kindle Kids e-reader. Just be sure to download enough content for the flight ahead of time.
