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10 ways to entertain kids on planes (without using an iPad)

Don't let your child kick the back of the seat in front of you. That's parenting 101. But how can you keep them entertained? - peter dazeley
Don't let your child kick the back of the seat in front of you. That's parenting 101. But how can you keep them entertained? - peter dazeley

If an airport is purgatory on Earth, then parents who allow their children to use devices - play games, watch videos - with the volume on are bound straight for hell. I see these parents, I note their children’s behaviour, and I judge. So should you.

When I was a child, we brought books to read on planes, and looked forward to the in-flight entertainment.

But in the space of just a few years, parents have become so reliant on individual hand-held technology to entertain their children that - according to a new survey - more than a quarter of mothers and fathers would avoid flying if technology  was banned from flights.

According to a new poll by uSwitch.com, the price comparison website, the prospect of an in-flight gadget ban has wrought such fear in the minds of parents that one in five would take only short-haul flights were it to be enacted, and nearly half said it would make flying with small children far more stressful.

But this may be the new reality; just last month John Kelly, the US Homeland Security chief,  said he was considering expanding the gadget ban on anything larger than a smartphone to all flights to and from America. Currently the ban only applies to 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa.

Always have a few activities to surprise children of any age with on a flight - Credit: Alamy/Zoonar GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo
Always have a few activities to surprise children of any age with on a flight Credit: Alamy/Zoonar GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo

Families flying on some of Britain’s most popular airlines will no longer be allowed to travel with electronic devices over a certain size, under rules applying to countries including Turkey and Egypt - meaning that parents can no longer rely on laptops to be in-flight babysitters.

Despite this, according to the survey, more than a third of parents are unaware of the gadget ban, putting them at risk of turning up to the airport unprepared.

But short-haul European flights - the sort most families take for summer holidays - don’t often feature in-flight entertainment, anyhow.

So, without laptops, what can you do to entertain antsy kids?

There are two secrets:

1. Make the child carry much of his or her own entertainment in a backpack - they like feeling like they are in charge.

Laptop ban: advice for travellers
Laptop ban: advice for travellers

2. Never surrender the element of surprise: hide a backup book or toy - or two - in your own pack.

Digital-free travel hacks to get your kids through a flight

1. Books

Which devices are banned
Which devices are banned
International airports affected by UK electronics ban
International airports affected by UK electronics ban

Remember those? As self-conscious as you may feel reading “One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish” aloud to your fellow passengers, trust me: they’d rather hear your animated voice than your child’s screaming. Or the electronic ping of a video game.

On a recent flight from London to Nairobi, my five-year-old and I enjoyed The Story of Salt, Mark Kurlansky’s fantastic history of world power, told through one key ingredient. This is one of the most sophisticated children’s books I’ve read.

2. Play doh

Trays are a good space for play doh. Just be sure to bring wet wipes to (attempt to) remove the telltale neon speckles afterwards.

3. Sticker books

From dressing Kings and Queens of the world to decorating period houses to arranging internal organs, there’s little that cannot be stuck these days. I find that, sadly, this is an activity that requires my participation because the pieces are so delicate. Still, hours of quietly passing stickers from sheet to child’s hand are better than a tantrum.

4. Word searches

The French produce children’s activity books that are far superior to any British versions, with games like “Which animal does this meat come from?” Buy them in bulk if you find yourself at a French supermarket.

Prince William demonstrates how to play 'Guess who?'
Prince William demonstrates how to play 'Guess who?'

If you do not have this luxury, the novelty of purchasing a far more dismal Peppa Pig activity book - or the like - in a British airport will also buy you time in-flight. They’re rubbish - but £6 is a good price to stave off whinging.

5. Art

Pack felt-tips and a pad of paper to nurture a budding Picasso - or to play hangman.

Chess is a peaceful way to pass the time
Chess is a peaceful way to pass the time

6. Hit the deck

Playing cards are compact and suit a variety of games. My children occasionally enjoy Go Fish. Uno cards may be better for under-6s.

7. Guess who?

Pack post-its and play “Guess who?” Everyone writes down 3 people (famous or known to your family) and puts them into a hat. Take turns being It: without looking, fix the post-it on your head, and ask the other players up to 20 yes or no questions about your person, until you can guess who it is.

8. Build brainpower 40,000 ft up

To keep children aged five to 10 entertained en route, try chess. But first, you’ll have to explain the rules – and there are few more entertaining ways to do that than with Mark Price’s book, The Foolish King.

Lord Price, longtime MD of Waitrose, wrote this interactive story (there’s an accompanying app) to teach his daughter how to play chess, and it leads children through the rules and moves of the game via a witty and entertaining story, which is beautifully illustrated by Martin Brown, of Horrible Histories fame.

This travel set is appealingly small – each piece is smaller than a pound coin – and it’s magnetic, essential on trains and planes, but any set will do.

9. Feast

Inspiration: Our favourite beaches
Inspiration: Our favourite beaches

The picnic is the star of many a children’s story, from Peppa Pig to the Famous Five, young people just like to eat in awkward spaces - and there is no space more uncomfortable than an aeroplane.

So pack a sandwich or salad, some fruit and a few favourite treats for the plane. Festive paper napkins will add to the sense of occasion. Make your child carry their meal themselves.

10. Join the happiest profession

Hairdressers regularly top lists of professional contentment. Why? Who knows. But as an absolute last resort, I let my children do my hair on planes. Something about the parent-child role-reversal amuses them, and it’s a low-equipment endeavour: you’ll be carrying a brush, anyhow.

11. A quiet moment of self-reflection

And if you choose to break with my tech-free flight advice, whip out the iPhone and allow them to silently scroll through images and videos of themselves in your photo library. That parks my children for a good half hour in desperate times. Children are narcissistic. And why on Earth not.