We all love to relax with children, at the seaside or visiting grandma, at the zoo of a European capital or on the Asian islands. And we don’t really like it when we have to take a plane to get to our destination. But, believe me, this is not the most difficult option. It is good to travel with very young babies: their interests are limited to simple and understandable things – sleep, eat, smile at their mother and others. And even blocked ears can be dealt with with a bottle of water or mother’s milk. It’s more difficult with children who are over a year old – it’s very difficult to explain to them why they need to spend most of their time in a chair or on their mother’s lap. And if you are not a supporter of electronic gadgets and cartoons for the entire flight, then here are some tips on how you can distract your child during the flight.
And the first main piece of advice for mothers of walking children: arrive at the airport with plenty of time and let your child run around before the flight. For children, active movement is a matter of physical necessity.
Picture books about the structure of an airplane, airport or pilots
Colorful pictures for the little ones and a lot of interesting educational facts for older children. It’s so cool that you can look at something first in a book, and then compare it with something real! There are now many such books from different publishers and there is a suitable one for every age. For example, “At the Airport”, publishing house “Arquebus”, “At the airport and on the plane”, publishing house “Smile”, “What the plane hides?”, publishing house “Phoenix-Premier”
Stickers
Thanks to the person who invented them! Mothers all over the world are grateful to him for the millions of cups of coffee and tea that they were able to drink while the child was busy.
Take several different sticker books with you on the road. Now there are many options that will be useful for the development of the baby, and will help you simply take a break during the flight, while the child builds a picture that is understandable only to him. Please note that it is better to hide the sets safely at home, otherwise there is a risk that someone will not be able to bear it and open them earlier.
You can take reusable stickers, and then during the flight you can paste them around the seats and even the porthole without damage, or play out stories about how a princess and a knight fly after the baby on vacation.
A little plasticine
This sounds like terrible advice and a big headache for parents, but to prevent this from happening, all you need to do is take a very small amount of plasticine on the road. The ideal option is to buy a small jar or put some into a glass baby food container. On the road, you can use plasticine to roll balls, sausages, and sculpt animals. Or take coloring books and fill in the contours with plasticine. Or stick small dots to a white sheet to make flowers, a tree with apples, or a colorful fly agaric.
Small toys
If you are already at the age of Kinder surprises, then you probably already have an impressive collection of small toys (for example, figures that do not need to be assembled and that do not unexpectedly fall apart into small pieces). If you have not yet reached this age, then you do not need to run to the store for chocolate eggs, you just need to purchase several figures separately. They can be purchased individually, for example, from Schleich, or in sets from any other manufacturer. There is usually a fairly large selection in any large children’s store.
Older children are great at pretend play with toys themselves. And with kids, you can use figurines to learn the names of animals and what sounds they make. And all the children definitely have a lot of fun when a bunny or sheep hides under a plastic glass and then suddenly jumps out.
Charades or crocodile
What could be simpler and more fun. Charades do not require a lot of space or any additional equipment, and even a child who has just begun to speak can play them. To play for the first time, you can allow your child to make sounds, and then it will become much easier for him to show cats, dogs, and even a horse.
Photo report
Give your child a phone, but no, not so that he can play with it. Let him make his photo report about the life of the plane. What are you flying through? Where do flight attendants store food and where is the emergency exit? Then you can make your own story or slide show (and at the same time stretch your legs again, walk around the cabin and, perhaps, meet fellow travelers your age)
Charging
If for some reason it was not possible to reset energy before the plane or you need more, and a flight attendant with a cart is walking along the rows, then the child can do exercises while standing on the chair. And now it’s time to remember the rhyme: “One, two, three four! Feet together, arms wider!”
Drawings on glass
You may have played this as a child while sitting on the bus on the way home or visiting, but the idea is very simple: if you breathe on a cold surface, the water droplets will settle and you can draw a little with your finger. Show this to your child! For older children, you can talk about the physics of the process, and with little ones, you can simply draw letters, numbers, or leave handprints.
The main thing, whatever you do, remember that this is only a flight and it will end soon. And most often, the child’s mood depends not only on how competently and professionally you entertain him, but on how comfortable he is now. Does he want to eat, drink or sleep? Isn’t it too hot for him right now? And yes, children sometimes cry, and the people around them were once children too. Think of flying simply as a way to get from point A to point B and may the fun and simple tips be with you.
