Ask any seasoned traveller about flying with children and they’ll probably tell you one secret: boredom is often a bigger challenge than the flight itself. Fortunately, keeping young travellers entertained doesn’t require an endless supply of screen time. A little imagination, a dash of planning and a willingness to join in can transform airports, transit lounges and long flights into memorable parts of the holiday.
Here are a few ways to keep smiles on faces from departure lounge to destination.
Turn the airport into an adventure
For children, airports are fascinating places. Instead of parking yourselves beside the departure gate for hours, explore together. Watch aircraft arrive and depart, admire the huge variety of airline liveries and see if young travellers can identify planes from different countries. Many airports have observation windows or quieter corners where aircraft can be watched without rushing from gate to gate. Walking around before boarding also burns off plenty of energy, making sitting still on board a much easier prospect.
Play airport detective
Airports provide endless opportunities for games without spending a cent. Challenge children to find five different airline logos, count airport buggies, spot cabin crew uniforms in different colours or discover departure boards displaying countries they’ve never heard of before. Older children may enjoy guessing where flights are heading or identifying national flags beside each destination. Simple observation games encourage children to look around rather than asking every few minutes when boarding will begin.
Give young travellers an important job
Children love feeling useful. Giving them small responsibilities helps pass time while building confidence. Ask them to help locate your departure gate, check flight numbers on information screens or watch for boarding announcements. Younger children can carry their own backpack or look after a favourite toy, while older ones might help organise snacks or keep track of the itinerary. Feeling involved often proves far more entertaining than simply waiting.
Wrap a few surprises
You don’t need expensive toys to create excitement. Before leaving home, wrap several small activities or inexpensive treats in colourful paper and hand one over every hour or two during the journey. A colouring book, stickers, a puzzle, a small pack of cards or even a favourite snack suddenly becomes much more exciting when presented as a surprise gift. Children quickly begin looking forward to discovering what comes next, making time seem to pass much more quickly.
Rediscover old-fashioned games
Many traditional games remain just as entertaining today as they were decades ago. “I Spy”, twenty questions, word association, travel bingo and storytelling games all require little or no equipment. Begin a story with a single sentence and invite each person to add another. Before long, everyone may find themselves laughing over pirates, talking penguins or castles floating among the clouds. Card games also pack easily into carry-on luggage and suit children of many different ages.
Look out the window
Window seats offer much more than spectacular views. Cloud formations, winding rivers, mountain ranges and brightly lit cities all provide opportunities for conversation. Invite children to imagine shapes hidden among the clouds or guess what life might look like far below. Many youngsters also enjoy following the aircraft’s progress on the in-flight map, watching countries and oceans slowly drift beneath the flight path.
Encourage creativity
Flying provides uninterrupted time for drawing, writing and making things. A small notebook can become a travel journal where children sketch interesting sights, record funny moments or write about each day of the holiday. Older children may enjoy photography, using a simple camera or phone to capture favourite moments during airports, flights and arrivals. By journey’s end, they’ll have created a keepsake far more meaningful than another downloaded game.
Make transit part of the holiday
Long transits don’t have to feel like wasted hours. Explore different parts of the terminal together, browse airport displays, admire artwork or simply find a comfortable place for people watching. Some airports feature gardens, play spaces or interactive exhibits, while others provide excellent views across busy runways.
Children may enjoy rating each airport they visit. Which had the best play area? Which served the tastiest hot chocolate? Which offered the funniest airport announcements? A little friendly competition helps every transit become another memorable stop along the way.
Keep moving during delays
Delayed flights test everyone’s patience, although children usually cope far better after a chance to move around. Take regular walks through the terminal, stretch legs, climb stairs where available or simply wander from one end of the concourse to the other. A change of scenery often works wonders for restless youngsters and adults alike. If delays become lengthy, treat them as unexpected opportunities for another little adventure rather than allowing frustration to take over.
Create traditions children will remember
Sometimes, the simplest traditions become the highlights of every holiday. Perhaps everyone collects boarding passes in a scrapbook, buys a postcard from each airport, photographs the departure board or enjoys a special airport picnic before boarding. Small rituals soon become treasured memories children look forward to repeating year after year.
Long after favourite television shows and electronic games have been forgotten, many youngsters still remember inventing silly stories above the clouds, spotting unfamiliar aircraft through terminal windows or sharing an ice cream during an unexpected delay.
Travelling with children isn’t simply about reaching your destination. With a little imagination, every airport, every transit and every flight can become part of the adventure itself.